Exploring Specialist Techniques

Exploring Specialist Techniques 

Louise Bourgeois

So thinking about the techniques I've discovered with regards to sewing I've came across the work Louise Bourgeois did with digital design. I did intend to scan my images into the computer and edit them, however I seem to have ran out of time slightly.  The work I did do however does kind of keep in with the art as many digital designs do start out as and hand-made piece of work the artist has produced.   Textures..... I've been enjoying with the brief botanials. To which I created a mural using old rags and pieces of fabric. All of this has been a build up towards the end design of this brief.  At the beginning I couldn't even use a sewing machine. Which for a women I guess thats insane!

The feminist artist Ive looked at like Bourgeois helped me come up with and think about what is expected from women as soon as they born.  To give life I guess is the biggest, what a demand to expect such things because of our sex.  But also the stuff they don't tell you about once you do end up creating life. Bourgeois has said that she didnt have the maternal instinct and for many women I guess its true. For me it did come easy I loved being pregnant and having the unconditnal love to protect and love this new creation.  

For myself the breast is best did not come naturally!! It bloody hurt and made me feel terrible. A failure to feed my newborn child. A failure to be a women, a mother ........ I remember sitting in tears as my new born child pulled and munched on my now bleeding and cracking breast ..... Pure pain and frustration every half hour for about 3 days...... Then the enlargement, two hot balloons that leaked whenever they wanted without warning. The bleeding down below I won't go into or the idea of having to go to the toilet after birth itself.... Fear indeed and relief to get it over. Two weeks I think I was in pj's a feeding machine unkept and looking like a sack of shit, tired but triumphant. 

The bond I felt after we got established was unreal and finally I feel both baby and I started to enjoy feed time. Happy contend and feeding as I gazed down to see my little baby settled.

To be proud of the time I felt like giving up but didn't. 

This is and was the first of many difficult times being a women and an adult, mother and partner.... as well as house maid, cook and well we can all relate. 

To try and put the first year of pregnancy and life into a material image was fun. 

Bourgeois did textiles to create collages/abstraction in a book called ode a l'oubli.

With this in mind here is my try at creating..... I used batik colour and waxing to add to the fabric. If I'd of had time I maybe could of screen printed some images.  All the sewing was done by machine and done in a space of 24 hours.... 

The Egg

lines to highlight the path and ever continued connection to life itself.

Breast Feeding ... The yellow is the failure and hurt before correct latched on... 

connection and growth

Missing the bonding and after so long feeding now nothing....

Happily settled and achievement 

Life with children, full fun and some terrors along the way

Visual Recording Finish

Finish for Visual Recording. 

You are being asked to construct a drawing based assemblage / collage / structure that is informed by your still life, figure or architectural studies

I've basically ran out of time here and it was a last minute race to the finish. 

Inspired by the churches and graveyards... This headstone in front of the church I liked.

On a sewing machine I created line drawing of people. I liked the outcome and model like qualities they had.

inspired by jenny saville line drawings/Sarah Walton

Sarah Walton - I make embroidered illustrations on my sewing machine, using the needle as my pencil, I combine colours and patterns to create illustrations.

  

I also looked at






Lauren DiCioccio explores the palpable impact of mass-produced media; magazines, newspapers and plastic bags have all been used as inspiration, and the imagery found on them as the basis for work that is powerful and provocative. But the artist also seeks to engage the viewer with a sense of nostalgia; as these types of media become more and more obsolete, her work acts as a reminder of times gone by.

St pauls Church is one I looked at also.

I didn't execute great detail with this which  I had regretted. I wished I'd given myself more time to study the detail.

Viewpoint - Finished :)

Today I started to cut out a stencil for a screen print, I did the sun in a horizon style. I think I was thinking that today a new day and the things of yesterday not to dwell on. Regarding my previous viewpoint ideas and efforts.

I used a blended print to give a nice transition from yellow to white.

With me working and working without a final idea in mind I printed onto different surfaces and colours of paper.

Because I have a limited use of the graphics of computers I felt that if I was to construct something by hand it should at least be something of a process and not just a painting. 

Next I made a collagraph with the idea of printing backwards so that it reads wrong, (mirror image would read correct) I was thinking about my frustration regarding the whole topic of viewpoint. The way my brain cant take a simple task of doing anything within reason.  I could of done many things but for me once I decided on women in construction I had over thought every angle. I had tool belts, tools , traffic signs,1.5m canvas, safety boots painted,tutu, and probably another 20 ideas or items. 

So many ideas and nothing at all

notice spelling

I always try to create a simple design, I was hoping that this would speak what I was trying to say.

My canvas had been overpainted from the original painted man/women image...

canvas with picasso and  dali faces, but also reference of sexual private parts (man arm penis, womens-dali nose a vagina)

Now the canvas was white I just spray painted the words bigger picture, one because I do wonder what is the bigger of this course and also I think any student of person can relate to the question What is the point? They must be a bigger picture!

I did hate the way the writing of picture looked off and squashed together....... its all shite.....I fell I had no idea or path.... God I didn't even know what I was doing!

Because it was a cover of a magazine, I thought about the heading and barcode price etc. I didn't want them to big to distract from the bigger picture. I kept them small..... I also added BElieve in YOUself at the bottom.... be you highlighted in yellow. This rings true to me as I find the personal art gives me a chance and motive to express and feel emotional works. While I haven't yet done anything that has really given me a true sense of that is what I wanted to come across, I do feel all this learning can only be for the greater good.

the equation of back to square one. 

 




I had thought I wanted to attach my screen print to the canvas. I wasnt working so I decided to piece the two screen prints together for my centrepiece.

wasn't feeling right

Here it is upside down ha.... but you get the idea

I'd cut and sewn the blue canvas onto the white to give it a lighter cleaner feel to the other half.  I cut also my collagraph words to read the correct way.... VIEWPOINT WE ALL CAN......

machine sewing is new to me but I do feel it is something I'd naturally take to..... Was testing my patience at times.

While I don't have any text as such, I think it I had to I could scan them into computer and add text to them, maybe dulling the images into the background.    This has been a step into a work that I'm actually happy enough to say its more me.. I always feel my work isn't good enough but I have also noticed I'm quick and impatient when creating stuff... I've said before that my work is more like an example and I do feel that these pieces are like that.... If to do again I would have a plan of action.... something I never have at the start of each brief.  Maybe these are my planning ..

The soviet posters I looked at all seem to have hands/fists, I thought this fist would work coming out the water into the sunrise, because it could give the sense of breaking through the impossible..... a fist wouldn't be coming out the water.... but within the word impossible it has possible......to tie into the bigger picture and the learning of us all.. Anything is possible and we all have it in us to achieve greatness..... For me right now, I'm happy to settle with the great feeling of this brief being over.... with an added sigh of relief

Michael Craig Martin..

Michael Craig Martin

Looking at emotion for a different viewpoint.

A series of 7 screen prints Deadly Sins











Everyday

 


Still lifes

 
  

Simple line drawings I think work really well. Colours can add sense of emotion or fun/cold factors.

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