Consumption Development

To further contextualise the work I was making I researched statistics surrounding drug and media consumption in the UK within the past 3 years. I printed out the statistics onto plain paper as well as existing prints before experimenting with them as a new layer to my work.

Using the statistics as prepared surfaces I was able to add another layer of meaning to my work, highlighting some of the words and statistics within the large overselling chunks of information

evaluation

Good use of research as well as a large variation of ideas. Simplifying and abstracting images works well as well as use of colour/pattern and layering collage/paint. The use of dark colours and imagery effectively conveys the ominous undertones and theme. Using the statistics added a depth of information to the work both literal and visually and was well integrated however the information could be made more obvious. The final presentation of work needs to be clearer on what is considered to be the more resoled and finalised work as on the wall it appears to erratic and difficult to navigate. Moving forward it would be interesting to experiment with digital and further explore movement and sound. Would also be interesting to scale up work in order for it to become more physically immersive and communicate the feeling of falling in/out of something (vortex).

2D practice

Project starting point

My initial idea and concept for the project surrounded consumption. specifically I wanted to focus on capturing the ways in which we consume as well as the different things we consume on a daily basis- media, food, drugs, information. I thought the best starting point when exploring consumption would be to focus on the senses taste, smell, hearing, sight, touch.

Having the senses as a visual starting point I gathered reference images to refer to before I started experimenting with different media and techniques. First taking images of myself before collecting a range of images from other people- ears, mouth, nose, eyes.

Wet Media Experiments

The first set of media experiments I think lacked the shapes and images I wanted to communicate however I liked how unpredictable using the ink was and the movement it could create.

When I started using acrylic it was easier to communicate the shapes and images I wanted using mostly blocked coloured shapes. However I felt these images lacked depth and became very flat, this was enhanced by the similar colours I was using within each of the experiments.

Braking up and spacing out the shapes allowed it to become more abstract and subjective. Layering the different colours and textures within the congestion added depth to the simplistic shapes.

PRINT

For screen printing I decided to use the image of the open mouth as inspiration as I felt it was the easiest to pick out and identify especially if I was going to be layering different prints and colours.

when experimenting with the lino printing I felt the more successful ones we’re the ones where I split up the print using 2 block colours. When I tried to layer these prints onto of the previous screen prints the composition became too muddled and complicated the shapes.

Collage

When using and experimenting with college I was still focusing on simplify and isolating parts of the body associated with the senses. Again I think the more simple compositions and shapes were the most successful and moving forward I wanted to incorporate my own images.

This first set of colleges also reminded me of some of Moyna Finnigan large scale college work.

Using all three of the elements in combination I felt produced the most interesting compositions. The layering of the different media made the work feel more resolved however I felt like I need to contextualise my work a bit more through research surrounding consumption of media, drugs, food etc.

Helen Chadwick: Piss Flowers

HND CONTEMPORARY ART PRACTICE (CAP 1) 

Helen Chadwick: Piss Flowers

The artist creates a humorous atmosphere while still maintaining her overall themes of the natural world. Her I find her use of materials the most interesting the process of making the work (casting the interior spaces left in the snow by urine). The contrast of taking such a natural process and trying to capture and solidify something so impermanent and unimportant as urine. I think the artist was trying to communicate the importance of detail within everyday life and how beauty and brilliance can be extracted from the simplest thing. 

Helen Chadwick was born in 1953 in Britain and became one of the first women artists to be nominated for the turner prize. She is best known for challenging and exploring the body in unconventional methods. Her work ranges from themes of science, myths, beauty, identity, femininity and the human body/form. She was associated with the feminist movement in the 1970s, specifically her earlier work where she addresses “The issue of the female body as a site of desire”. Her work protested and questioned the objectification of women and examined what exactly was gender and the role it plays in society.

https://www.richardsaltoun.com/artists/101-helen-chadwick/biography/

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/helen-chadwick-2253

https://www.artscatalyst.org/artist/helen-chadwick

https://www.jupiterartland.org/artwork/piss-flowers

https://fineart.ac.uk/works.php?imageid=bt0005