spiral construction

Hi there
I have been in the work room at the College constructing the steel spiral which will be the main structure for my installation. The spiral will have mesh wrapped around which will be the support for my textile sections.

This is the spiral still with vertical supports which will be changed to S shaped supports. This photograph shows the newsprint which I wrapped around to mark up to create a template for  some of the textile pieces I'll be making.
The spiral has been in construction with much guidance from Alison since before the Easter break.
Today the main construction was finalised, and I am so pleased with it.

this was taken yesterday  when I was cutting away the spot welding securing the vertical supports. fifteen S shaped supports are now is place and the design has worked well.

If I hadn't worked on the Marquette to determine the best solution for my design, the end result would not have worked. This structure has taken quite a time to weld shape and secure all sections to create the initial spiral shape which I envisaged quite early on within my development and research on human needs. I think that I have used Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs as a springboard for this construction more than trying to depict his theory in depth. For one thing, there has not been the time to investigate all aspects, but the levels of his theory  has given me a structure to work with both visually and conceptually.
I started sanding the spiral today. Primer will be applied and then white car spray paint. The shape will take on a whole new character when it changes colour. I've decided on white due to the fact that the mesh is white, and when lit, I think and hope that the white shape of the spiral will show in some sections through the constructed materials.  I think white for the spiral structure would be the best aesthetic solution.I also always intended to portray the strength of the human with the steel, and white, for me, symbolises our skeletal structure. The natural colour of the steel would also not blend in with the other materials I am using. This is a decision which I have to take now. Once the mesh is secured then I cannot change my decision. There is no time to do that. I hope that it all work as I plan. But any difficulties that I encounter, I'll try and find a quick way to solve.
The final primed and painted spiral will be within my next blog.
Hoping for a good day on Friday to spray the spiral, I'll be doing that outside. Fingers crossed for a dry and bright day. OK, dry will do fine.Bright will be a bonus.
Bye just now

  

Easter biz

Hi again
I have had a busy Easter with finalising the essay for contextual, meeting with Stephen with regards to my website. The website is finished, but I have to familiarise myself with the uploading of images etc that I need to complete before the PDP Presentation.My promotional materials are almost complete now. Which is great. I'm really pleased with the website and Stephen has done a good job.I had a tutorial with him regarding on how I update information during the Easter break, so now I will spend some time getting to know the way around my new site. I'll post when it's ready to be viewed. It's great to have my own website which will help with future promotion of my work and also help me to promote the art workshops which I intend to offer.

The essay draft is almost there for submission this week. Phew!!!!! That's been quite a journey,but an interesting one.

The Studio Practice 2. 
When I previously spoke about the mesh that I will use to give me a support on top of the steel spiral, I decided that I would try to felt the merino wool directly on to the mesh, just to see what the effect was.Also to determine the time scale of doing that.

This is the merino wool and silk fibres having been placed directly on to a rectangular section of the mesh.I placed the fibres on to the mesh in a spiral motion. There is a section within my research sketchbook explaining why I have chosen these particular colours. Each colour has been chosen following my finding about research carried out by Angela Wright, a colour psychologist with a proven academic record of study linking to patterns of colour and pattern of human behaviours. 

I then wet felted this. Four  session of rolling ensured that the fibres clung to the mesh.Then I included more silk fibres to highlight areas.I was wanting to depict growth, an element that I personally see linking to Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs.

Once it was wet felted I decided to attach it horizontally instead of vertically on to a spiral that I had formed from soft aluminium wire. Metallic threads were hand stitched on to the structure to inject a silver flash portraying self actualisation. This picture was taken outside in a setting more fitting to the aspect of this piece.
 

This is he felted structure with an led light inside.
When I create the final pieces for the installation for exhibition, I want most of the fibres to show when  back lit from the led light within the vilene central column.
This was a good way for me to determine whether heavy felting will work. Some sections with heavier felting will be ok on the structure to include within the shelter and safety levels. It will give the feeling on safety and also add depth when the heavier felted areas block some of the light. I also now know that I cannot work directly in to the mesh on the final structure. It would be too difficult with the size required and also would take too long to complete. I have to adhere to the time plan for this brief.I am going to work on this structure further and add a base of felting to make the flow more progressive from below the spiral.
The other development is a five section of wet felting which I may be using as a wall hanging. This, I know is not anything unusual when it comes to wet felting, but it is something I want to try to create. Again with an organic feeling of Growth as the inspiration.

Wet felted section under the netting ready to have more soap and water applied.
I am going to secure this with some wire crochet . This will help with the my concept of linkage, that is something that I do acknowledge, unlike Maslow, when thinking of human needs. Theorists since then, have mentioned that Maslow didn't include our human need to link and connect with other people when he complied his theory.
This piece above is not one which will be included within the final structure. My research on tree houses, shelter and family trees linking to relationships, spurred me to want to create the above pieces. I will now carry on with developing sections for the final piece. In particular experimenting some more with connective cell shapes for the third level and Benesh  dance notation pattern for the fourth level of mastery.
So there is much to be getting on with.
Bye just now

 

Ahhh!!! It's now April

Hi there
Since my last post, mid module tutorial too place, and I am really pleased that Isabella, one of the tutors agreed that the mesh I intended to use on the spiral, to secure some of the felting and silk papers, was a good solution.I really like the way the mesh can be moulded and manipulated to create interesting textures. I have to decide whether I cover the whole spiral with it, or decide to create areas where the mesh fades away and then re-appears. This is something that I can only decide once I start working on the completed spiral structure. I think it would be interesting to fray and mould the mesh within some areas and leave other sections with the mesh either not there, or in it's natural state.The spiral structure will be completed the first Tuesday that we return after the Easter College break, so I am really looking forward to getting on to the piece and continuing the hands-on designing.One of the main areas that I have to be aware of is to leave visually quiet areas on the structure. It would be too easy to overwork the piece. This is something I am aware of and that I intend to keep a check on. Due to connection and linkage with others, being one of the areas that I think humans require, I have been working on one or two experiments to portray this.

plastic former mould from previous blog- with silk paper process using merino wools place on top to dry

I decided that linkage and shelter would be good to keep investigating at the moment. It is a large part of my concept.This mould was perfect to link into the shelter supplied by trees. I am also looking at family trees, and connective cell formation with regards to the relationship section of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It also made me think of the strength of a human beings spirit. I decided that metal rings and threads of some sort would perhaps work well with this and developed this experiment further. I wanted to put across the strength that can be found within the human being.

this is the above experiment developed, using galvanised garden rings and metallic threads were hand sew into this to create folds with underlying shelter.

 The moulded  gave a natural line to be followed when folding and stitching in the rings and threads. It helped to secure the organic feeling I was attempting to portray. I like the effect that the galvanised rings create and will use them within my final samples. It would also be possible to cover the rings with fibres, that would be one of my next developments.The circular shapes will work well with the spiral. But I can also create organic shapes of my own with fine wires. I liked the wire garden rings due to their ability to link in areas without being secured to the fibres, but secured to one another.

                                                                                             

my connection theme was developed further with this piece. It is wet felting. The left hand side is teased out after felting to give a rougher texture to the fibres. The right hand area is left as was after wet felting. I then crochet green craft wire, connected both samples to that and also include French knots hand done using metallic thread. The French knots give a permanence to the portraying of linkage.

Silk paper making process with silk tops, ribbon inclusion placed in spiral shape and fine wire
This picture isn't as good as I hoped it would be, oops, but it is showing the pasted fibres with fine wire connected on both sides to stiffen the structure of the sample. This would allow me to develop this process and form three dimensional structures using wire as the stabiliser. I like this. It shows vulnerability and strength all at the one time. The piece is very delicate, but also incorporates the feeling of strength through the use of wire, and the vulnerability due to the fine textures and light weight nature of the sample. I'm not sure whether the colour combination is correct for my pieces. The colour palette is an area which is still under investigation. and part of on-going research.

This started as a flat felted piece using merino wool. It was folder in a circular movement from the centre,to create a sheltering folded section . This was accentuated by stitching with wire and then inclusions of beads nestled within the fibres. I don't like the colour combination of this, but I do like message of shelter it portrays.

Other news
I have been working on the next essay hand-in for contextual. At this point I am pleased at the way that's going. Also getting on with the promotional materials . My website is almost complete and if needed we will have a meeting with Stephen over the Easter break. I am in continual contact with him regarding the website development. He's updating me through e-mail and text and sending a link for me to look at the website to date. It's exciting.
Busy, busy and need to go.
Cheers