My Specialist Progression Route / Practical & Theoretical Frameworks to Progress Creative Intentions.
At the time of commencing this project, I hadn't decided whether I was going to accept a place on a Fine Art course, or an Artist, Designer, Maker course, so I wanted to create something which would fit into both progression routes. An installation piece seemed to fit the bill.
I am not going to lie and make out that I am writing this blog at the start of my Stage 2 Brief, we are actually in week 7 of 9 whilst I am writing this, so it is far easier for me to explain how my piece has changed and developed through experimentation and research than it is for me to pretend my concept is still where it was in week 1!
My initial idea was borne of a number of related idea's that originated from my initial brainstorm regarding the brief "24". I came up with over 30 ideas, all of which had potential, but I found that several of them linked into each other, so I decided to join them together into 1 topic. Size 24, 24 inch waist (size 0), 24 calories, 24 lbs, 2 dozen eggs, 24 mirrors, 24 carat gold...they are all linked to size/weight/women/fertility/worth. As these are topics close to my heart, the concept of creating an installation on this subject seemed a natural progression.
Upon researching artists whose work related to numbers, multiples, installations etc...I came across the work of Shelley Rhodes.
"Shelley Rhodes is a contemporary mixed media artist who combines fabric, paper and stitch with drawings and prints. She gradually builds up layers, editing and altering as the work progresses.
Sources of inspiration include architecture, the environment and discarded items. She often finds inspiration on her travels and constantly records her observations in sketchbooks and journals."
From www.shelleyrhodes.co.uk
What captured my imagination from her work was her use of envelopes and luggage tags as the basis for her work:
This spawned the idea of putting the images and messages relating to my subject on t-shirts, specifically size 24 T-shirts. As I am a size 24, and the concept of 'a womans size should be about her health, not societal values of how she looks' is a very personal topic for me, it seemed very apt.
At this point I concentrated on designing my 24 t-shirts. I decided that not all of the t-shirts had to specifically relate to the number 24 - the number 24 was sufficiently represented by the 24 size 24 t-shirts, but I would include it in as many as I could to re-enforce this. I created a questionnaire to get some feedback on other peoples thoughts on the subject, and the feedback has influenced a couple of my designs.
I did a lot of research into health issues arising from being under or overweight using government statistics and the NHS website.
http://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB20562
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/
https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Underweightadults.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-dysmorphia/
Once I had designed my 24 t-shirts, I turned my focus to how I was going to create them - screen printing, lino printing, transferring images using Image Maker, textile processes including embroidery, applique and fabric modification/manipulation techniques such as burning, slashing, ruching, wiring, stiffening etc...
I have already experimented with lino printing, Image Maker and embroidery in Stage 1, however the rest needed further exploration.
I watched this screen printing tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDMeRZoLJE
but unfortunately the screen printing mediums ordered especially for me didn't arrive in time, so I decided to substitute this process with applique.
I found these tutorials on applique:
https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/article/how-to-hand-applique-tutorial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFAFobPR3CQ
but decided this wasn't really the look I wanted to achieve. I didn't want the neat, tidy edges - I want raw edges and wrinkled, ruched fabrics so I decided to free-sew images with fabrics rather than use this technique.
I experimented with burning fabric, which was quite scary - I won't be buying any synthetic fabrics from now on! I initially tried burning a synthetic jersey fabric - similar to t-shirt, but not 100% cotton. I went outside and had a bucket of water next to me in case of any unforeseen events. The fabric melted rather than burned, giving off horrible plastic-y fumes and eventually suddenly burst into a huge flame. I re-tried the experiment with linen, which was a lot less volatile and scary. I may use this technique on my 24 calories (tomato) t-shirt to represent the burning of calories, but I will make sure I use a 100% cotton t-shirt.
I am not going to lie and make out that I am writing this blog at the start of my Stage 2 Brief, we are actually in week 7 of 9 whilst I am writing this, so it is far easier for me to explain how my piece has changed and developed through experimentation and research than it is for me to pretend my concept is still where it was in week 1!
My initial idea was borne of a number of related idea's that originated from my initial brainstorm regarding the brief "24". I came up with over 30 ideas, all of which had potential, but I found that several of them linked into each other, so I decided to join them together into 1 topic. Size 24, 24 inch waist (size 0), 24 calories, 24 lbs, 2 dozen eggs, 24 mirrors, 24 carat gold...they are all linked to size/weight/women/fertility/worth. As these are topics close to my heart, the concept of creating an installation on this subject seemed a natural progression.
Upon researching artists whose work related to numbers, multiples, installations etc...I came across the work of Shelley Rhodes.
"Shelley Rhodes is a contemporary mixed media artist who combines fabric, paper and stitch with drawings and prints. She gradually builds up layers, editing and altering as the work progresses.
Sources of inspiration include architecture, the environment and discarded items. She often finds inspiration on her travels and constantly records her observations in sketchbooks and journals."
From www.shelleyrhodes.co.uk
What captured my imagination from her work was her use of envelopes and luggage tags as the basis for her work:
This spawned the idea of putting the images and messages relating to my subject on t-shirts, specifically size 24 T-shirts. As I am a size 24, and the concept of 'a womans size should be about her health, not societal values of how she looks' is a very personal topic for me, it seemed very apt.
At this point I concentrated on designing my 24 t-shirts. I decided that not all of the t-shirts had to specifically relate to the number 24 - the number 24 was sufficiently represented by the 24 size 24 t-shirts, but I would include it in as many as I could to re-enforce this. I created a questionnaire to get some feedback on other peoples thoughts on the subject, and the feedback has influenced a couple of my designs.
I did a lot of research into health issues arising from being under or overweight using government statistics and the NHS website.
http://digital.nhs.uk/catalogue/PUB20562
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/obesity/
https://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/Goodfood/Pages/Underweightadults.aspx
https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/body-dysmorphia/
Once I had designed my 24 t-shirts, I turned my focus to how I was going to create them - screen printing, lino printing, transferring images using Image Maker, textile processes including embroidery, applique and fabric modification/manipulation techniques such as burning, slashing, ruching, wiring, stiffening etc...
I have already experimented with lino printing, Image Maker and embroidery in Stage 1, however the rest needed further exploration.
I watched this screen printing tutorial:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDMeRZoLJE
but unfortunately the screen printing mediums ordered especially for me didn't arrive in time, so I decided to substitute this process with applique.
I found these tutorials on applique:
https://www.craftsy.com/quilting/article/how-to-hand-applique-tutorial/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mFAFobPR3CQ
but decided this wasn't really the look I wanted to achieve. I didn't want the neat, tidy edges - I want raw edges and wrinkled, ruched fabrics so I decided to free-sew images with fabrics rather than use this technique.
I experimented with burning fabric, which was quite scary - I won't be buying any synthetic fabrics from now on! I initially tried burning a synthetic jersey fabric - similar to t-shirt, but not 100% cotton. I went outside and had a bucket of water next to me in case of any unforeseen events. The fabric melted rather than burned, giving off horrible plastic-y fumes and eventually suddenly burst into a huge flame. I re-tried the experiment with linen, which was a lot less volatile and scary. I may use this technique on my 24 calories (tomato) t-shirt to represent the burning of calories, but I will make sure I use a 100% cotton t-shirt.
I then started thinking about how I was going to present the t-shirts as an installation.
I had a few idea's:
Creating a designer boutique setting. As a large woman, I find designer boutiques very intimidating - I know they aren't going to have anything that will fit me and they always feel intimidating and like people are thinking 'you don't belong in here'. Although having spoken to a slimmer friend, apparently she feels the same when she walks in to plus size shop Evans! I liked the idea that viewers would have to flick through the t-shirts on a rail, as you would when looking for your size, but then on the other hand, this might damage the t-shirts and they might not look at them properly - just skim past them. I liked the idea of having an explanation of what each individual t-shirt was about on what would normally be the price tag, hanging from the size label.
I researched this idea by looking in a few boutiques and taking photo's, but this led to other ideas!
I then started thinking about the mannequins and how it would be nice to model the t-shirts on a realistically shaped plus size woman. Even in plus size shops, the mannequins aren't much bigger than the size 0 models used in boutiques! I was thinking I could create a bust of myself and drape the t-shirts over, or mould the t-shirts themselves in the style of Greco-Roman Torso sculptures on pedestals
Another idea I had was to create one large sculpture out of the t-shirts, or sculpt each individual t-shirt. I started thinking about how fabric flows in the wind on washing lines, which reminded me of seeing clothes hanging on lines between buildings when I stayed in Barcelona - the fronts of the buildings were designer boutiques, yet above the alleys out the back of the shops, washing lines were strung high from the apartments above. I liked that juxtaposition - the posh boutiques selling tiny expensive clothes, but hanging above the alley out the back, size 24 cheap t-shirts hanging on the lines.
Of the ideas for installation I had, I decided to persevere with the Greco-Roman torso sculptures and the washing line ideas. Further research and experimentation ensued!
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