08.10.20 - Abstract Embroidery

For this activity i had to draw 12 dots on the fabric and join them using stitch to create a spontaneous abstract piece. To familiarise myself with the material I tried a few different stitches like back stitch and running stitch then experimented with mark making through crosses, zig-zags and a flower and star. I didn’t really like how the flower shape looked so I decided not to carry it forward into the bigger piece. With the red thread I connected the dots using different lines, some straight, some dashed, some zig-zagged and some curved. The zigzag reminded me of my previous work because it looks like the mandibles of a beetle or the edges of a leaf. I started filling in the shapes with different stitches and it evolved into something very American looking with the patriotic symbolism of the stars and stripes. A couple of the sections where I layered horizontal and vertical lines also reminded me of the grid-like layout of modern American cities.








When photographing my work I decided to use a mirror to create a different view of the asymmetrical shape into something that alludes to the Rorschach Test, and the image i saw in it first was a saber-toothed tiger because I can see the eyes, ears, nose and fangs. In another image I could see the face of an insect with its menacing eyes and long jaw. I’d like to finish stitching this piece and put it through the scanner to see what other effects I could create.



                             


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rorschach_test


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Mike Kelley Style Photoshoot

Image
  Mike Kelley's 'Ahh... Youth' piece inspired me to make my own version using old teddies from home, including some from my parent's childhood and some from my own - plus a recently acquired 90's troll doll from a car boot sale. I set up the studio lighting in a way that would reduce shadows behind the objects and used a white background like Kelley's image, which gives a professional atmosphere that  elevates them from being worn-out old creatures to something special and celebrity-like. I used a tripod so that they are all to scale with each other, and I like the empty space around them, it's like they have room to breathe and think. I also had to adjust the ISO, white balance and shutter speed on the camera to suit the light and conditions of the space, then I used manual focus to get the sharpness that allows you to see all the details and textures. After uploading the photos to the computer, I cropped them on photoshop and classified them into two separ...
Read more

Primary Research - Tetra Paks

Image
  Recently we have been making more of an effort at home to recycle things properly. Tetra paks are difficult to recycle because they are made of different materials; plastic, card and foil. We have been putting our empty cartons aside to take them to the correct place for recycling, so I took some photos of the collection. I think they have an interesting presence when arranged in multiples, strangely they remind me of a huddle of penguins or a crowd at a festival. I think the tower like shape also mirrors modern urban architecture.  Personally I find skyscrapers kind of dystopian and they give me feelings of impending doom as if something could go wrong at any second. They seem oppressive and sinister, a huge pillar of glass and metal. I think the cartons have a much friendlier appearance despite the similarities in shape, and the associations with food create a sense of comfort and domesticity.
Read more

29.1.21 - Objects in the Bath and Shower

Image
One of the first things that came to mind when I got the re-arrangement brief was to do something with my collection of beanies. Because they are so colourful, I decided they should go against a plain background, so I cleaned the bath out and started filling it with the animals.  The first set of photos shows the animals in a random arrangement where I photographed them from different angles... For these close up images I placed the camera in the bath with the animals and blindly took the photographs, not knowing what the results would be. The flash came on for these pictures which makes the in-focus areas appear very sharp with a clear representation of the animals' surface textures. They also remind me of claw machines in arcades, which gives the images a nostalgic feel - all of these beanies were manufactured in the 1990's and early 2000's. This is the thing that opens and closes the plughole in the bath, and it created some strange reflections of the beanies which look ...
Read more