PE Task 2

I have thoroughly enjoyed working on this project. With an early engaging concept, I believe my research and development was in-depth, and I tried to think about the words ‘data’ and ‘mapping’ in a more abstract way.

From the very beginning I began to identify contextual artists that related to the direction of my work. After my visit to Manchester Art Gallery and the initial drawings that I did, I stumbled across an artist named James Pegg.

James Pegg is inspired by architecture, he draws buildings that people would not give a second glance to, by only using lines. He is also a screen-printing artist, which relates back to my origins project. I feel that my initial drawings were restricting me, and I was unsure how I could develop them further, however once I had gathered visual references of James Pegg’s work, it fuelled my ideas, and I was able to envisage my work as an end product.

Looking back at my original research, I had looked at using light and long exposures to reflect ‘time’. I wanted to somehow combine light into my samples. I began to look at an artist named Astrid Krogh. She uses optic strands to make tapestries that glow and illuminate into a rainbow of colours. She is influenced by natural light, and the shadows cast throughout the day. During one of the group tutorials, and expressing my interest in Astrid Krogh, my tutor advised me of an optic wire website. I ordered three metres of the wire, in varied colours. At present I am still in the stages of designing my samples that will incorporate the wire.

During the mixed media project we were introduced to the laser cutter. After using the ‘data’ verb sheet to manipulate my drawing and designs, the laser cutter was very much suited to my concept. I began to look at artists that used light to create pattern, or projections to engage.

Anila Qyayyum Agha has recently created a series of shadow art cubes named ‘Intersections’. She has created intricately carved wooden cubes that fit together, and hold a light. The result of which projects the most beautiful designs. Anila is greatly inspired and influenced by Islamic sacred patterns. I found this extremely interesting as she was expressing her own researched data in a more abstract way. I think researching Anila and looking through photographs of her gallery pieces, was a turning point in my project, and from that moment I could place my work within a context.

 

I believe that the contextual research helped me develop my drawings into ideas, and ideas into a final concept. I can now envisage my work as a gallery piece. Due to the abstract projections that it produces, it would engage and intrigue an audience. I feel it fits in very well with the brief. Using line drawing techniques and the laser cutting tool, I have produced work that is of an abstract nature, and relates to portraying a period of time, and a journey.