Inspiration

This unit I am following on from my previous work, expanding this drawing style with new line qualities and shapes. My last collection showed a graphics style of print, with complex layers and exciting angles across a surface. I aim to refine this into more structured pattern work and surface design in this new collection. I am using my previous collection and also the research that it entailed as my starting point as I feel that near to the end of the last project I was creating work that I was very interested in and could be pushed much further. The use of positive and negative spaces to create complex and detailed prints needs to be explored more, expanding research into pattern construction and repeat processes will benefit this greatly. 

I have gone back to basics and begun research into interior wallpaper, however I am focussing on bright and eye catching prints as this is where I envision my work to be. The use of colour and pattern to transform a room is both interesting to me and also a fresh idea in my practice. I have always used a more muted colour pallet so I am going to explore how my prints can really come alive once brighter colour is added.

Researching into vibrant print I have become very interested in optical prints, the use of line and opposing colours to create texture is intriguing. Works from artist such as Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely are simple with the use of black and white but are every changing in depth the more they are observed. This drawing style relates well to mine and the construction is something I am going to explore. I am going to explore first with black and white, to control the shaping on the patterns and the balance of positive and negative spaces. The idea of turning a flat, uninteresting surface into once with many shapes and virtual layers is an exiting area to move into. If this style of drawing is successful I am going to explore colour relationships, focussing on two opposing colours and the optical blending across a print.    

Research

The prints I have been designing are aimed for an interior context, the wallpaper to be applied as a feature wall, the focal point for a room. This style of wallpaper was popular in the 1970s, eccentric and stand out prints were everywhere at this time. Though these prints look slightly dated to modern day print style, I enjoy the vibrance they bring to the room scenarios below. Each of these prints are the eye catching element, something that makes the rooms unique. 

www.wallpaperfromthe70s.com

The designed prints at 'wallpaper from the 70s' is where I can see my work fitting, they create fun and interesting prints in large varieties of styles . They take risks in their designs, with high contrast colours and unusual shapes and patterns. The pricing from their website also gives an idea on the pricing these types of prints are commercially. I am unsure on whether I will want to work freelance or designing for a company post university, however I would like my work to be sold around this price level.

Floor Plans

The drawings I have produced have an aerial viewpoint feel to them, so I have researched into floor plans for buildings. These strongly connect to my work as they inkeep with my monocrome drawing style and also have a variation in line qualities. From these images I have taken away the layouts and spacial awareness from each section and intend to use this in my own work.

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. 

Metropolis

My work is focussing on creating new shapes and imagery which has a sense of many layers, be that physical or shadowed. To expand my research I watched the 1927 film Metropolis, directed by Fritz Lang. This film explores a futuristic city with a strong divide between the working class and the city planners. The stills taken from this are fitting with my project and interesting to see how images have been built up, creating an entire new city.  

Yee Peng Festival

The festival is interactive, we want it to be inclusive of everyone and participation is encouraged in a range of events. After looking at videos from the Yee Peng Festival in Chiang Mai, I want to create events that cross over into the night time, into the darkness of the city and light it up. My event would start in the day, with people at the festival creating paper lanterns, creating a hub of activity on a roof top. From this it will create a mass of lanterns ready for the evening. Once the city has become dark, people will come back together and light their lanterns, creating a sea of light into the sky.

Seed Bombs

Guerrilla Gardening

Seed bombs are becoming more and more popular within built up areas. The idea behind them is that these small bombs, that can be throw to where ever you can reach, have everything inside of them to grow flowers. The example above is for a poppy bomb, thrown into an area where it begins to sprout. They all flowers to grow with near to no help or maintenance. This idea we want to collaborate into our festival, with the paper bombs that can be made with origami, these can be filled and thrown to create flowers around Manchester. 

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. 

The Public

One of our main problems with our design festival is getting the pubic involved, making people want to go and want to participate. The response from most people is that they aren't "creative", which is a very negative view. We have come up with some questions which we asked people around Manchester.

1. What is your favourite place in manchester?
2. Why is it significant to you?
3. What's the best thing that's happened to you in manchester?
4. What's the worst thing that's happened?
5. What the most random thing you've seen/heard/experienced in manchester?

From this we got a mix of responses, from the strange to the very helpful. We found that the main problems people have with the city are crime and the weather. The best parts are people making friends and meeting their partners. This has helped us as we feel people will be wanting to participate as they want to meet new people and make memories. 

What is your favourite place in manchester?
1. Town hall square
2. Odd bar
3. Dunham Massey
4. Manchester centre – Piccadilly
5. Oxford Road
6. Font
7. General area – Northern Quarter, Place – Salutation bar
8. City centre, Deansgate
9. Fletcher Moss gardens, Didsbury
10. Temp
11. The town centre, so much to do, so much to see. Something for everyone to enjoy
12. Heaton park
13. Chorlton

Why is it significant to you?
1. Its not
2. Its cool
3. Days out with the children when they were younger
4. A good and safe place to visit
5. Work
6. Cocktails and friends
7. Friendly place to get together with class mates and friends
8. Atmosphere, Shopping
9. Romantic memories
10. Friends
11. I guess being a Mancunian, I love my city
12. Big park near where I live, bike rides, picnics with friends
13. School days and home

What's the best thing that's happened to you in manchester?
1. Completed degree
2. Met friends
3. Grandson being born
4. The NHS
5. Working at the Midland hotel
6. Met new friends
7. Met new friends through uni. Got involved with a radio station
8. Career
9. Meeting my partner
10. Meeting my fiance
11. Seeing my family grow up in and around the city
12. Meeting a large variety of people/boyfriend. Family – niece born and lives near here
13. Waiting for my son to be born

What's the worst thing that's happened?
1. Got fired
2. Lost friends
3. Being robbed twice
4. A house burglary
5. Nothing
6. Exams
7. Nothing yet
8. Weather (rain)
9. Getting very ill five years ago
10. Loosing my cool shit
11. My son was mugged
12. Break ups
13. Losing my wife

What the most random thing you've seen/heard/experienced in manchester?

1. That crazy bus lady on 142

2. The bus woman

3. Lots of weird thing, big city, lots of people

4. Friendly people / environment

5. Blank

6. Bus woman

7. Horses being trained on busy road holding up traffic. Not that random but all I can think of right now

8. Can't think

9. Bumping into my friend from Sheffield who still lived in Sheffield

10. Man with parrot

11. I once saw a penguin land on a guard, apparently it “escaped” from the local zoo

12. A big hare, a man used to take it into the pubs in Withington

13. Death on the road

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 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

Vegas Spray - Paper Girl

Paper Girl

This project has been set up to change the way in which the public view art, making it more assessable to everyone and creating more intrigue towards art galleries. This 'paper girl' went around Brisbane, Australia and distributed pieces of art work with invitations for an art gallery. This created a great buzz around the area, with the feeling of being personally invited to an event.

"We see Papergirl Brisbane as a great way to engage a wider audience to participate in an open arts project that's fun and about giving, rather than creating a divide between the general public and the often 'inside' arts sector." - Vegas Spray 

Hear Manchester

Hear Manchester

 This project takes a collection of audios that have been recorded along the canal through Manchester. It looks at the people from Manchester, facts that have been forgotten and places that are not appreciated. 

For our festival we want to use unused and unappreciated spaces to regenerate the city through the work of designers. The canal especially is an area along Manchester that is forgotten, almost hidden under the city. We want to celebrate these areas and create spaces that people are drawn to. 

City Camp - Castricum

CITY CAMP

In this project, the town of Castricum became a campsite for all. The only rule was the bring your own tent, creating your own space. A few artists got involved and created hand made tents from recycled objects, challenging what we can do with the idea of 'tents'. 

From this we had the idea of having temporary structures around Manchester for our festival. The structures being made from recycled materials, with the possibility of having our logo projected onto them or promotional videos being shown on them. Here are examples of simple, recycled structures. 

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.