Task: To create an animation using a single image in photoshop.
For this task I had to choose one image and put it into photoshop. Then I created a layer drew on it a little bit and then created another layer on top of that one with the drawing included. I repeated this step until I have 100 layers. Then I exported each layer as a file/image and put it into premier pro. I struggled adjusting to this tool and ended up going back to IMovie. The layers were threaded together to make a sequence which was turned into an animation of the different coloured lines weaving its way onto the image.
I don’t think I will be using this method in my final body of work. While it was nice to learn a new skill I didn’t really enjoy this method.
https://streamable.com/2jpntp
Single image layered and put together to make an animation.
Task 1: An object of any scale, size, material, hardness that is flat, tiny, large or texture and is not typically designed to stack. Use these objects to create a work of labour in stacking and reflect on it.
https://streamable.com/734j3d
Cotton buds being carefully stacked with time and care.
https://streamable.com/bqz3hj
Cotton buds being thrown to create a pile.
https://streamable.com/2ld7lp
Cotton buds being removed after stacking to create a temporary work.
Task 2: Create a short animation from the stacking practice footage.
https://streamable.com/lktq37
Cotton bud Animation: Every time a cotton bud was removed
Task 3: Create a work that uses both your stacking practise footage in combination with some other form of footage. It can be found, archival, specifically made, repurposed or any other form of video imagery. You can also include still imagery, screenshots, subtitles, audio and sound. It must be a minimum of 30 seconds.
Screenshots from different stacking practice videos. Cotton buds stacked three different ways.
Task: To create two animations with at least 100 images in each sequence relating to labour
The first relates to the labour/art of play and entertainment. The second animation is the idea behind this sequence is food preparation. The labour of health and taking care of yourself and others.
Task: To create a sequence of images relating to labour
Something often not thought about when thinking of labour is the tools we use. How many times have you had your hands covered in lead marks produced by hours of meticulously working away? How many hours have you spent hunched over a keyboard trying to get something in on time?
As an art student labour, most of the time has something to do with creating, specifically with our hands. For some, they are our most vital resource and tool. Not only are they considered a vital resource in the art world but also in other areas. For a long time working with our hands was how we survived farming, woodwork, building all very labour intensive activities.
Labour can also be something that is often behind the scenes. For example the workers that fix our roads, buildings and keep everything up to date. Something that often blurs into the background of our busy lives. However, it is an extremely labouring task as they often work in the we hours of the morning to get the job done which can be very taxing and labouring.
Joseph’s work focuses on historical moments in their local history using materials and architecture that build the urban atmosphere. His works reassess contemporary places as proof of changing culture and mindsets. They gained an MFA at Monash University Faculty of Art Design & Architecture in 2018 and a BFA at Victorian College of the Arts in 2007. I was drawn to their works as they used pieces of our everyday lives that normally would be thrown away after use and re-purposed them to create art in itself and also art with the machine.
Rutger de Vries used to work in a multitude of mediums however they would be described by critics as a post graffiti artists. He uses everyday items to create his works such as water pipes and fire extinguishers to blast, drip and spray the canvases. The works also often referred to their work as a street artist. Their work really drew me as the bright colour stand out in a world where dimmer tones are often used.
Soo Sunny Park’s work is a Korean American artist and grew up in Soul, South Korea. She has a B.F.A in both painting and sculpture and an M.F.A in sculpture. she now lives in south Hampshire and is a teacher at Dartmouth College. Her works rely on natural light, low frequency bass exciters, motion sensors and computers to interact with and create art. I was drawn to her work with due to it beauty and its ability to interact with so many different things to create such a vast verity of works.
Brief: To introduce the possibility of removing the artists hand from the making of the artwork and to create harmony between the artist and machine.
Image 1: Barrel rings connected with string. Image 2: Original sketch of machine. Image 3: Plating string
At the start of this process Maia, Adrian, William and I all had a lot of ideas such as a a paint balloon machine where balloons full of paint would fall and land on nail/other sharp objects and pop leaving a splattered paint artwork. However we ran into quite a few problems with this idea such as the balloons not being heavy enough to pop, trying to get the paint into the balloon with air and how we were going to release the balloon. We moved onto the next idea which mimicked a coin wishing well which you might find at a mall. However we ran into problems with this idea as well. How we were going to find or create the wishing well/funnel part, how the balloons were going to pop and the balloons rolling down in the direction that we wanted as they were to light and had a mind of their own.
In the end we settled on the idea of having two sieve’s one hanging over the other and letting holi powder fall through to create an art work underneath. The machine would be shaken by a drum peddle. It was connected by a rope attached at one end to the machine and the other attached to the drum peddle. Each time the peddle was stepped on it would shake the machine.
To start we drew up what it would look like to get a better idea of what it would look like. Then go to work and tested the barrel rings which we tied together with string. The string end up being too thin so it was decided to plat 6 pieces of string together to create a larger and stronger rope. This worked well and so we made enough to tie the two barrel rings together and connect it to an overhanging beam.
At this stage we held it up and checked the balance of the machine trying to get it as strait and evenly balanced so it wouldn’t slant too much to one side. We tried to create a surface for the holi powder with thin nylon stockings however they couldn’t cover the area we needed. We found some thin clear plastic that was pulled taught over the rings, hot glued down and had hole punctured into it with a bubble tea straw. This created a the surface for the holi powder to sit until it was shaken.
Image 1: Hot gluing the clear plastic to the barrel rings. Image 2: Holes created with bubble tea straw. Image 3: Holi powder set up for the machine to be used
We the hung it up, attached the drum peddle to the rope and the rope to the bottom of the machine. The machine was tested with the holi powder on the top sieve and a shirt as a canvas underneath the machine. The machine was tested for the first time and whilst it worked the powder not only went on the shirt but also everywhere else. People were breathing it in and so it was decided to get a clear poncho to cover the area between the two rings to reduce mess. The shirt was also soaked before hand in water to get the powder to last. It was also discovered that the coverage wasn’t as big as originally thought and the shirt could be put on a higher platform closer to the machine. To add some different qualities to each shirt it was decided to scrunch up the shirts in different patterns to create different looks.
Image 1: Shirt Twisted up for holi powder Image 2: The full machine Image 3: Completed shirt art work
The machine was tested again with these adjustments and the result was a unique piece of wearable art.
For the open studio it was decided that the board that we were using to hold up the shirts when they were getting holi powder on them, would be flipped over to the white side so people have a canvas to use when they interact with the machine. This was it didn’t cost as much and there would still be a large canvas available to use.
To come to this layout I had to try a few different setups. In the end, I preferred this one the best as it was simple, clean and displayed all my favourite works. The idea behind this series of works is unfolding and folding. Creating and taking away.
I used screen printing to achieve the final look of the larger images. I had screen printed over the folded paper cranes and tried normal paper then experimented with baking paper. In the end, I preferred the look of the baking paper. However, I felt it was important to include all to give it a complete feel to the work.
Something that I would work on for next time would be to do a few more prints with different shapes and origami. I might try using more colour or integrating some foil in more areas of my work. I might also try folding a few more of my larger prints to tie in better with the smaller folded works.
James Allen works with excavating books. He graduated with a BFA from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. He currently works and lives in Portland, Oregon. I was drawn to his work as it was a different approach to taking away from our chosen material and every time you looked at his work there was always something else to notice. He typically works in colour and multiple mediums however, his work with books is most interesting to me.
I have tried to make my own book excavations and it is a lot harder than originally anticipated. Whilst my work in this style is in black and white I am not opposed to creating a few more works and trying it in colour. In the future, I may try with comics.
Sam Van Doorn made this piece with a pinball machine he modified to create works. He now works at a studio called studiostam and it is pretty hard to find anything on him. The studio’s motto is ‘Crafting objects and spaces for meaningful interaction and experiences’.
Whilst I haven’t made a pinball machine or some amazing machine I was drawn to his work by the randomness of it all and the variety of colour. I have taken those aspects and started to work with them in my own way such as using the oil-based paints in my final pieces somehow and experimenting with different modes of using that paint that leave room for the unexpected. Such as the screen printing and the baking paper. I had no idea that it would turn out that way or I would like it that much.
Ann Hamilton, went to the University of Kansas and got a BFA. She also attended Yale School of Art and received an MFA for sculpture. She works in a multitude of mediums, one of which is with animals which is what this exhibition is of. She scanned hundreds of different creatures and made interactive flip-books of all the images.
Whilst I am not scanning hundreds of animals I do want to take an aspect of this work and represent it on my own. Repetition can be seen all over this exhibition. This is the aspect of her work that I want to represent on my own. I think I may use it by repeating my origami cranes and make a flip-book out of them or combine printmaking with this.
This week we had a bookbinding tutorial in which we learned bookbinding, embossing, and using foil. The bookbinding didn’t draw my interest even though books are my chosen material. However, I was rather taken with embossing and using the foil.
My book from the book binding tutorial, Origami baking paper crane
I chose to go back and try it on a couple of my paper cranes that I had made and had the paint on them. I also tested how it would turn out on a flat piece that had the oil paint on it. It didn’t stick very well however, I liked the outcome of these and may use it in a different way for my final pieces. I rather enjoyed the embossing and it may have a small feature in my final pieces.
I also learned screen printing. I had done this before when I was quite little but that was a while ago. Either way, I enjoyed the process. It was also suggested to me that I make my origami out of baking paper with the screen printing. To my surprise, I really liked the outcome of this. It had left a wonderful imprint on the final paper. I also did a ghost print of this however, I enjoyed the darker tones better and this will most likely make an appearance in my final pieces.
Week 3 top 3: Foil on smooth print, foil on unfolded crane page, screen printed baking paper crane
This week we were able to experiment and learn about print-making and I have to say it was one of the more enjoyable tutorials. I think that I will end up using print-making in some for in my final works.
I experimented with using different papers and materials. Some of which included a thick card that I was able to get a nice indent in when I used thicker items to print with. Fabric that I then tried to get the texture onto paper using a ghost print. I also tried using shiny sparkly paper that took the paint and soaked it up quite nicely as when it dried you could see the texture of the paper.
I also tried using plain paper from a book. I tried layering it with a paper crane in the middle which left quite a nice imprint with a lovely dark background. I also tried using the cleaning solution to dilute the paint then made a print with that and the crane as well as another ghost print. I didn’t really like the way these ones turned out as they were too faint for my liking.
I may continue down this print-making path as well as using cranes and other materials to create more engaging imprints.
Week 2 top 3: B&W print with colour, B&W paper crane imprint, B&W origami imprint on shiny sparkly paper
