On: Marni Thread Samples
I was looking at the process work for Marni's upcoming collection and observing the methods in which they used thread to create print. They used multicolored string and collected it in randomized circular patterns; I liked this effect for textile, especially since I was already creating similar textures with thread. I was thinking of creating something similar over dripped ink as a comparative replication of the splatter process.
On: Nils Völker
I researched the work of media artist Nils Völker whose work explores the intersectionality between art and science. I was drawn to his "choreographed breathing" installations, which feature a plethora of cushions that inflate and deflate. Perhaps his most known work is 'One Hundred and Eight,' made from garbage bags and follows the movement pattern of the viewer as they cross and interact with the installation. His use of materials is really incredible as well as the technological processes behind them. The everyday mixed with the automation creates a fantastic outcome.
Nils Völker: 'One Hundred and Eight'
Nils Völker: '32 x 6'
On: Chiharu Shiota
Chiharu Shiota is a Japanese artist whose installations feature string as the primary component to span rooms and connect objects within them. Yarn is a material we are going to work with to create an installation, so her work was an obvious choice to research. The patterns formed by the string are what interest me most; the way they carve through space and work with dimensionality are fascinating. I began thinking of ways to incorporate yarn as a method to string together the different silhouette components of the final outcome, as well as using it as a medium to create a sense of depth.
On: Cristobal Balenciaga
I visited the Victoria and Albert Museum to see the exhibit on Cristobal Balenciaga. I was drawn to the unique shapes in his work as well as the choice in textile. The envelope dress is still incredibly contemporary, and I'm amazed that is was created in 1955. The gown on display had impeccable construction and the ways in which he was able to shape and form fabric is masterful. The upstairs gallery featured the work of contemporary designers, showing the continual influence of Balenciaga's work.
On: Rei Kawakubo
I viewed the Rei Kawakubo/Comme des Garçons exhibit at the Met this past summer, which heavily focused on the tensions and dualities in her work. The silhouettes were of particular interest, as her work is extremely sculptural. The image below showing the three suits were my favorite garments on exhibit in the gallery. There is an extreme modernity to this idea of refreshing a suit through deconstruction and reconstruction. Her usage of tonality within a collection is also refreshing, having a primary color with slight nuances in color throughout.
On: Paper Garment
My final outcome was fine, but I don't think that the geometry and shapes created were particularly innovative. There is definitely a push to work with the 3-D forms themselves and shape them separately from the figure. The outcome is far different from when the pattern pieces are structured around the form rather than create compositions that are independently sculptural. I have to get out of the habit of shaping material to the body and let the shapes lead me.
On: 3-D Model
This was the initial form I created using three shapes from my architecture drawings. I think that this was not as successful as it could have been, because the shapes I chose were more minimal. I found that my classmates who had highly complex and irregular shapes had more interesting outcomes. Mine ended up forming some version of a sphere, which was not very stimulating to the viewer.
On: Print & Figure
The three images below are the Photoshop composites I created using the three scanned A3 sheets and portraits from Israeli photographer Nir Arieli of male dancers. I liked being able to manipulate and move the three silhouettes in unexpected ways if I had been working with the actual pieces. My favorite of the three is the first one, primarily because of the way the geometric shape frames the face. From this, I created the three-dimensional version on the dressform.
On: Projected Movement
One of the most successful tests I did with the overhead projector was having my friend Kristin film me doing gestural movement. The projection over both skin and textile was what really interested me. I think that a film could be created with the model wearing a print garment and having projections composited over as well. When the projection reaches the face, there is an element that reminds me of Leigh Bowery and his incredible face masks that obscured the facial features with print.
On: Acetate Textiles
These images are process photos from the textile project in which we created layers of acetate for the purpose of projection. I was particularly happy with the variety in media I used, seen in the dripped ink and the stitch work. I was surprised how well sewn thread translated into textile, especially on the overhead projector. I decided to stick to a black and white color scheme to achieve a graphic feel in print.
On: Installation & Observational Drawings
Our group brought in wide-ranging objects to create our installation with yarn, from books to shirts to masks to textile samples. I think that the diversity in objects was what created a visually interesting art piece. The observational drawings that are shown through the viewfinder images below relied heavily on variety in media, which is why I think the results are so different from one another.