Colour and Shape

I have begun research into work that is made from unconventional materials and the effects these can create. I have found that the more ever day the subject the more exciting the outcomes are.

Ai Weiwei

This re-interpretation of 'forever bicycles' was exhibited in 2011 in Toronto. It is made up of 3144 identical bicycles that are interconnected to create a 3D structure, it becomes alive at night due to the added lights. The multiples create a euphoric colourful illumination that has the feel of movement and a fluidity to it. The cross hatching of the metal draws the eye in and replaces the shape of a bicycle. 

Megan Mosholder 

The series of luminous twine installations create a bright and enticing visual to a mundane surrounding. She creates this work through the simple materials of nylon string and nails. These taught strings are painted with glow-in-the-dark paint then braided and interwoven into a mesh-like fabric that is suspended in curved configurations. It creates a strong juxtaposition from the rural surroundings to the luminous areas, in a futuristic spiderweb style.  

Moses Hacmon

The collection of images that show the 'faces of water' are an incredible end point to 11years of research and experimenting. This artist has been working on a way to capture the flow of water, not in a reflection or in a space but as itself. By creating a fluid film made from nano-particles, he has been able to register the water's movement and imprint this onto a surface. These create negatives which he has transformed into positive images. The final images are beautiful and captivating, explaining how water moves and the shapes it creates. The use of such a simple medium has created an incredible outcome, I am going to explore how simple materials can transform into something completely unexpected. 

Architecture

Cinema Center - Madrid  

The architects Churtichaga and Quadra Salcedo were given the task in 2009 to transform an old slaughter house into a cinema center in Legazpi, Madrid. Within two years they completed this task and created a complex of buildings that were both practical to film and also visually stunning. The design work was based on three inspirations:

- the magical backlight and contrast of the films

- a childhood fascination with basketry and weaving

- technical infinite geometries 

Their final outcome clearly combines each of these elements, creating a building that feels like another vortex. The photographs really interest me, the framing of the light to dark creates great depth in the image.

Sou Fujimoto

These images are from the master plans for a souk mirage, a new and futuristic building that is made up of one shape but multiplied. The elements that make up this building will be the same but different sizes to create a modular system of arches. The tonal changes from light to dark in the imagery caught my eye, creating a seemingly mystical building. 

The Drawing Book

Tania Kovats

To gather a better understanding of my drawing style I have researched other artists' way of mark marking. The book that I found the most influential was 'The Drawing Book' edited by Tania Kovats, and her work in particular. My work is taking a more futuristic turn, creating my own shapes and patterns. Her work takes a simple shape but then builds on it until it creates a type of world, with great depth in her images. This style of building up I want to use and explore in my drawings.  

Shadow

Conrad Shawcross

Corneila Parker

Vong Phaophanit

Nancy Holt

Photographing my folded paper has drawn me to another element within wallpaper design, this being the pattern created through shadow. I have always been interested in light and shadow, so the idea of creating my work through this is very exciting. The artists above show a range of shadows, from repeat shapes to random objects, each creating interesting patterns on the wall in the rooms. 

3D Wallpaper

Wall Decor 3D

Bovey Lee

Tomas Saraceno

This year I want to expand my wallpaper into 3D pieces, be that on a wall or in a more installation form. I have began research into artist who work this way, in particular 'Wall Decor'. This company combines the 3D element with their materials being eco-friendly or recycled, two elements that are important in my textile design.

I have also looked at Bovey Lee and Tomas Saraceno, two artists who manipulate paper in very different ways. Lee creates paper that create textures on walls, where as Saraceno creates installations. Both these artists will be useful in exploring paper manipulation. 

Peter Masters

The routes of our festival involve a fair amount of walking, so along the walks we want to have pop up green places where people can sit and relax. This is a good opportunity to add in design work, commissioning a designer to create these spaces and the furniture. Peter Masters is a Manchester based designer who is eco friendly and award winning. He is a perfect example of a designer who we would wan to be involved with our festival. We have contacted him about our festival and he is very interested in getting involved. 

Peter Masters

Musical Swings

Colossal

Daily Tous Les Jours have created these musical swings in Montreal, they have 21 installations set up around the city. When a person swings it creates sound, engaging sight and sound together. This is a great way of making people interact with a design piece, its inclusive to all and simple to do. This design group would be a good match for our design festival, they create work that fits perfectly within our manifesto and what we want to achieve. 

Canal Bombs

Along the canal we are going to have workshops set up by designers to create canal bombs to be thrown into the water. We want to help clean up the canal as it is very forgotten and dirty. These bombs look good, fizz up to create interesting patterns in the water and also are filled with goodness for the water. They will create an interesting piece to observe, and also will have a lasting positive in the water. These images are the prototypes we have made, the colours are appealing and have a positive look to them, enticing people to participate in making their own.

Lazerian

Lazerian

The festival is to celebrate design, allowing people to get involved and create together. We want to promote up and coming designers, giving them a platform to show their work and get people involved with it. To be able to do this we need to have big names there also, being situated along the pathways. Lazerian is a furniture design company, creating innovative and unusual pieces. The furniture created looks amazing, it also fits into our festival as they have used hexagonal structures. 

Voyage

Voyage

Voyage was an installation in London that was made up of 300 floating paper boats. These were each made with an LED light, which allowed them to come alive at night in a rainbow of colours. It was created on Canary Warf by Aether & Hemera in 2012. With the origami paper boats that I have made for my zine, I want them to come alight with candles in the night time, to create an installation close to this. For the festival I would strive to have this duo be the designers behind it. 

Tribeca Film Festival

Video

On the idea of lights and decorating the city, the Tribeca film festival has made an interesting installation. They have taken a building that is always there and changed the design and colouring. The small light pieces completely change the focal point of the building and creates a buzz around it.

For our festival we want to create light paths and lighting off rooftops. Simple pieces but mass produced can create very interesting and beautiful pieces. 

Moss Graffiti

Moss Graffiti

The creation of moss graffiti I feel is a beautiful way to create artwork in public spaces. The display of graffiti is seen by the majority as something that is ugly and vandalism to the property. However, I feel that if it was made my moss, something green and growing then the public will view if differently. It takes the man made and something organic and brings it together in a beautiful juxtaposition. I feel like this could work well in our festival, allowing the public to create something on an unused area that will grow and sustain itself. 

Public Participation

One of the main aspects of our festival is to create an environment for the public to get involved with, for the art to be made and appreciated through public participation. We have found it hard to think of ideas that will entice the public enough to take part. We have come up with some simple ideas that could be made into a participation booklet, with pages that can be removed and simple instructions of things to do in different areas.

A group that has captured the public's interest to the point where people willingly join in is 'Daily Tous les Jours'.

Daily Tous les Jours  

They have created pieces and ideas that people want to get involved with. The photographs that come from these events also are very intriguing.

Sound Walks

Sound Walk

"The Art of Noise" 

- Luigi Russolo

2013 is the 10th year of SoundWalks, a festival that rethinks the approach to sound production and how we perceive the noises around us. Artists who utilize sound through their work are asked to summit their work for this yearly event.  

We want to create sound walks through our festival, allowing different areas of design to be involved. The festival is for all ages, and we want it to interest all the senses as you travel around Manchester.

Sound Art

Beneath and Beyond

Sound Art: installation at MOSI lets us listen to planet earth

This exhibition at the Museum of Science and Industry explores the idea of 'what does planet earth sound like?'. It connects the exhibition to the rest of the world, with the focal point being a large map which shows whenever there is a earthquake anywhere in the world, no matter how big or small. It allows the audience viewing the piece at MOSI to hear the quakes no matter how far away they are.

"By translating earthquake data into a sensory experience, artist Stephen Hurrel bridges that gap, fusing science and art to convey an idea; the Gaian notion that the world is a living thing, and we are all connected by it" - Andrew Anderson

Urban Media Festival Cologne

When looking into videos that show projections on bodies, I was shown this short film from the Urban Media Festival Cologne from 2009, from a friend who took part in this project. This video was made with the collaboration of a few people from around Europe, all taking elements of their cultures and creating one final piece. It has shown me what a group of strangers can accomplish when working together, which is similar to our group work. We have all brought our individual styles and ideas together and have created a concept that involves us all equally.

Anna Ter Haar & Chris Bartels

The ideas and the visuals behind this short film are very similar to the ideas of my group. The video “illustrates the influence of a group on the identity of an individual”. With the models not moving it allows the visuals to be made a whole piece of moving art. The aim of our video is to show the identity of Manchester through different areas, all merged together and shown on one person as a projection. The images are to move around showing each person in the groups work.

Norm Yip

The artist Norm Yip collaborated  with the fashion stylist Bhisan to create a series of images to convey virtual clothes. Their first collaboration involved the use of Christian iconography to create the imagery on the body. They incorporated these images with the model to give the illusion of tattoos. These ideas were to combine the opposing imagery of Christian beliefs and physical art, due to in Christian religion tattoos are forbidden.

Another shoot he did was collaborated with Bhisan and Janice Yip. The images are projections of snakes onto Janice's body. The imagery were seen as 'highly erotic charged images' when they were shown. They have references to religious backgrounds with sexual over tones. These images are a great representative of what we are trying to achieve with our work, the use of projected images on the body to create clothes.