Commission for Threads Radio
I was asked to come up with designs for the DJ Rachy B who is a part of Threads Radio a community radio station based in Tottenham. The brief consisted of coming up with promotional imagery to promote Rachy B’s upcoming summer mix. They wanted “Y2K summer feels with an edge”. I looked at Bratz dolls graphics from the early 2000s – I drew the font and scanned in the images of the cherries. I chose the colour palette of pink, blue and yellow as I felt this gave off a summer vibe. Then I built up the image in photoshop. 
Venus
I stare at Venus. Her skin is like glass and milk, you can see her veins, blue snakes swim to the surface to take a drink. In one hand she clutches a bag shaped like a blue shell whilst the other plays tricks with a cigarette. Blue Purple smoke curls around her fingers. Fire and water. You reach out to touch her. Her eyes are like lasers – shimmering beneath the waves. She doesn’t flinch as she throws herself against the rocks. cuts her tongue out and flings it into the waves. Lapis lazuli. Defiant, strong, lost, fragile. Her hair is the waves. Mother, daughter, lover… Her heart thunders across the ocean. You can feel the rain burning your skin when she cries out in pain. Her lover curls his toes in the sand and ignores her. He has a tattoo on his hip. Reminds me of you. like lovers who etch their name in the sand.
Remember when I opened my lips over your hip bone and saw things only lovers will remember. Scrawled angrily across your skin in italics. A language I didn’t = understand. I asked you what it meant. You said you didn’t remember… was a long time ago – Drunk – on a lads holiday, Ayia Napa or somewhere. I don’t believe you. That night we cast spells and threw all our coins in the fountain. I prayed at the alter.
The salt hits the back of my mouth and I watch you float away.
Visual Report
INJI SEO
Inji Seo is an illustrator and animator based in Seoul, South Korea. She has been a member on Behance and instagram since 2015. She does not appear to have a website. She showcases her portfolio on her Instagram page @yes_seoinji and uses Vimeo to upload her animations. From what I can gather from her instagram posts and interviews with It’s Nice That, she did an illustration degree and graduated in 2016. Her graduation work has changed quite considerably in the last four years. She went from making simple black and white line drawings and watercolours to fun fantasy worlds with neon and clashing colours. Her work has matured and she is very experimental with her use of colour and compositions. Her round and chubby characters were born from her graduation animation “Melting in You”. She likes to capture special or funny scenes from her daily life. She likes to focus on the small details like the worn nails of a guitarist girl or the ugly ice cream she got at McDonalds. Her work is created mainly via digital painting using Adobe photoshop and tvpaint for animation. Grain brushes and noise alphas add to the characteristic shading in her work. Her bold and brash style is very much her own.
Stills from a series of short sequence animations made for the Korean homeware brand Fissler. Used for their instagram summer campaign in 2019. She also made a 3 minute animation to accompany the campaign. I couldn’t find much information as most of her instagram is in Korean. She says she likes to “putting objects from different genres (that usually wouldn’t go together) and arranging them on a single page.” I feel this is showcased nicely in this animation with the little cherubs adorning the homeware and the garlands around the food processor.
Stills from animated music video for the K-indie girl band Seoul Moon, to promote their single “Coconut Love” released in summer 2018. The music video was shared on all social platforms. Seo’s popping holiday graphics blend beautifully with the dreamy vocals. A story of three girls going on holiday to the Moonlight Hotel, the name of the hotel referencing the band. She had a lot of freedom with this project as she was allowed to make whatever she liked.
Showcasing her work for a brand of homeware next to her work for a music video shows that her personal fun style shines through even when doing corporate jobs.
She showcases her eclectic portfolio on her Instagram page @yes_seoinji with a link to her Vimeo, where she uploads her full animations. She posts a mixture of personal work, commissions and animations. Her characters are strong women, she seems to have themes she keeps going back to. Such as love, cocktails and dreamy holidays. She juxtaposes objects together to give the images a surreal quality. She presents herself as a unique voice in the world of digital art and animation, who enjoys the challenge of making her personal style shine through, even when working on briefs for corporate jobs.
I can draw similarities between Inji Seo’s work and my own. We both use colour in a bold way and we like to use the female form as our subject. I am very inspired by her use of alpha layers and grain brushes in photoshop. I couldn’t find any information on her working methods so I experimented in photoshop until I found similar brush presets she uses. The best way to learn is to try and emulate an element of an artists work that you like and then make it your own. Her work is a lot more detailed than mine, which she puts down to constantly drawing things around her, funny moments that she remembers. I need to do this more in order to draw on more imaginative material.
CANADA STUDIOS
CANADA is a creative production company with studios based in Barcelona and London. Founded by Lope Serrano and Nicolas Mendez. They have an impressive portfolio that they have been building for over 10 years. Working across advertising with clients including Chupa-Chups, Cocacola, H&M, and Miu Miu. And countless music videos for artists such as ROSALIA, The Vaccines and Bad Gyal. Interestingly they both began their careers as illustrators.
In Lope Serrano biography he states: “He directs, writes and draws, and in his best works an echo threading these three skills together can be heard; music videos, commercials or shorts in the reality of which there is a fugue. A sensual, dreamy and plush fugue.” Nicolas Mendez directs and writes with the same intensity a small nocturnal bonfire illuminates a whole forest: his ideas and images shine because they are irreverent, delicate and energetic.
They started to make a name for themselves in 2011 when they directed All in White for the Vaccines and Ice cream by Battles and since then they have carved out a cult following of musicians and artists who want to work with them.
Stills from Ice cream, a music video made for the band Battles, for their album Gloss Drop released in 2011. The film begins with a slow motion shot of a girl licking an icecream, it then descends into snappy editing of many different surrealist interpretations of the ecstasy of eating an ice cream. For example, images of hot and cold things are contrasted to symbolise the melting of an ice cream. Shots of women licking inanimate objects add humour and a tongue in cheek eroticism. All the effects were done in camera, such as, the superimposed footage where the abstract shapes become symbols for ice cream cones. They also use double exposures and Key Alphas to add to this collaged effect and look like moving abstract paintings. My favourite is footage of a man jumping off a rock into woman’s underwear, the merged footage looking like an ice-cream cone. You can tell the shots have been planned immaculately. Drawing is central to their practise and both began as illustrators before diving head first into film making. This seems evident in the final outcome as the collaged footage seems born from hours of sketching and colliding different imagery together.
Stills from the music video The Less I know the Better (2015) produced for Tame Impala for the release of their album Currents. You can tell Mendez and Serrano bring the best out of their different skill set. The combination of the footage and the animations are brilliantly put together to tell a story. I love the references to different classic movies in this video. The boy giving her head – which nods to the scene in Jamon Jamon (1992) directed by Almodovar where Javier Bardem goes down on Penelope Cruz in the Jamoneria (ham factory). The snap shot of the actress holding the basketball between her legs is just brilliant. Then of course the brilliant reference to King Kong scooping the girl up in his hand. It’s a brilliant interpretation of the song which talks about a boy having a crush on a girl who finds out, after their night of passion in the locker rooms, has started to date ‘Trevor’ – the other man – is symbolised as King Kong. They make it clear who Trevor is, with a shot of his basket ball t-shirt with his name printed on the back. The cheerleaders also wear t-shirts with T on the front, symbolising they are on his team. Bananas and oral sex seem to be a theme. The lead actress dancing around Trevor’s finger whilst surrounded by an animated sequence of bananas – tongue in cheek erotica at its finest. It’s great to see how the same techniques of alpha channels, they developed in their early film work, are still being used for bigger productions. This is reassuring to see, sometimes I feel I reuse the same techniques too often, but if you love it – the aim is to always refine it. They show clearly how you can turn anything into an erotic symbol. They are masters of semiotics.
They present themselves online using different platforms. CANADA studios have their own website where you can find all their commercial adverts, music videos and shorts. This is really useful as you can watch all their work in full and find all the relevant information without having to search them out on YouTube. They present themselves as leaders in their field. As their studio has expanded, they now represent a vast selection of different directors. There is tab with information on different people they work with and a bio for each director. Lope Serrano has his own separate instagram @lopeserranosol where he post personal work and development for their professional work. They have a cult following online and the scope of their work is breathtaking. My dream is to be a able to work with them one day.
I am in awe of their working methods. How they are able to tell a story in an abstract way without loosing the thread of the narrative. They are a perfect example of marrying technical skill with vision. My work has some similarities, I am experimental when it comes to working with footage and use similar techniques like alpha channels and double exposures. When I have directed a shoot I have cast people who are very expressive and that has made it more theatrical. I still have a lot to learn in terms of editing and narrating but if I keep studying their work and how they develop strong narratives my storytelling will improve.
XAVIER SCHIPANI
Xavier Schipani is an artist based in Austin, Texas, USA. He appears to have been active since 2013. He identifies as a transman/artist. Much of his practice is dedicated to articulating what that means to him and how he presents himself to the world. He started his transition in 2013 and his journey has provided him with insight not only into himself but the construct of gender and the roles that we play in identifying. His figurative work addresses the trans-male nude and it’s lack of representation historically and currently in art and culture. “Using my personal as political, I tie much of my practice to social justice movements because I think they play an integral role in inspiring each other to create change.” He uses installation, painting, public murals and printmaking together and separately to express these thoughts and feelings. He is currently exploring sexuality, identity and the under represented transmasculinity within gay male culture in his painting practice.
Acrylic ink wash on water colour paper,
These watercolour paintings are a series he did in 2018 as personal work he posted on his instagram.
Series of paintings made in 2017, used as part of a mural. I could not find much information on this piece. I love the bold graphic style with the use of negative space to make up the different shapes of the figures. Blocked shapes in popping colours. He is able to creates something beautiful and hyper sexual. It is like erotic pop art.
Schipani has a website www.xavierschipani.com and an instagram @xavierschipani where he showcases his installation work, drawings and paintings. He presents himself as a professional artist who wants to form part of the narrative surrounding trans and gay male culture. His work looks great at a bigger scale as installation pieces.
Examples of his earlier work showcased on his instagram page. He has developed a lot in the last 5 years. Delving into murals and installation pieces. I love his use of block shapes of colour with no shading and some highlights painted in white.
My work is similar to his. We both explore the body and not scared of making hyper sexual work. We both use colour in a strong and expressive way. I am really inspired by his use of scale in his work and his exploration of sexuality. I have not made installation pieces before so would be interesting to see what my work would look like on a bigger scale.
Burnt Cherry Tree
I grew up in a land where the summers were too hot, storms grew violent and forest fires raged. The adults blamed the smoke and destruction, on young lovers; throwing their flaming cigarettes out of car windows, while they kissed feverishly, in an attempt to forget about the world.
Before you knew it, a whole pine forest had lit up and a swarm of helicopters buzzed overhead.
I lived in a town outside of Barcelona. Cactuses and cherry trees grew like weeds in our back garden. Every summer when the wind caressed the leaves and the cherries grew swollen, I would climb to the very top of the tree and squint at the sun. Bleeding deep red across the powder blue sky. I’d sit for hours, watching, as the sky turned pink in the evening.
Then one spring, they ripped off all the branches – so they could sell the cherries at the market. And spring came again and again, but the cherry trees did not bloom. I waited patiently… but I already knew the trees had died of sadness.
I remember this moment so clearly… I can still reach out and taste it. The child inside me who loved playing died that spring. I have spent years trying to relearn how to play. Slowly, through love and hard work, I feel myself coming back to that place. A world where I can play and create instinctively.
Visual Research
I was really inspired by Hannah Waldron’s talk as she reminded me how much I love textiles and jewellery as sources of inspiration. She said you should always research what you love. I amassed lots off cuts of fabric to draw inspiration from. I love anything to do with the decorative. I wanted to explore jewellery design aswell. Why do we adorn ourselves with it? On my way to work I always walked by this antique jewellers and would dream of the pieces I would buy. I want my work to have the quality of precious materials. The power of shiny, brilliant things that makes it impossible not to stare. To work like a jeweller without the costly materials. I remember when I went to a talk with a 3D digital artist and he said to always look at different disciplines to inform your work.
Collecting imagery – these pictures were taken at a cafe with a plastic gingham table cloth. It’s important to draw inspiration from everything around you. Everything is usable.
The 1940s and 50s were a great year for gingham. That homely feel.
Gathering visual research and colour palettes.
Drawing from life
Collage experiments with gingham wrapping paper. I like how the collaged gingham creates a relief effect. I need to scan these in and manipulate it further in photoshop.
I had to try manipulating gingham digitally. I like to make my own brushes and textures when I start a project so I don’t stick to the same thing. To vary the materials I use.
I created this gingham jelly brush in 3D – it has a very glossy texture reminiscent of jewellery.
Making pearl brushes and silver beaded brushes. These look great and would work as a font.
Water pattern superimposed into graphic shapes.
Trying out the 3D workspace in photoshop. Made the drawings straight in photoshop. The lighting tool is pretty amazing – helps you to understand where shadow falls on 3D objects.
Visit to the V&A to collect imagery. I loved the beaded bags and mother of pearl inlaid tortoiseshell boxes. The jewellery room I always go back too for inspiration. Would be interesting to see how I can recreate these effects in photoshop and make them into brushes. A pearl brush, beaded brush and a see through jello brush would be interesting to create.
Nudie Cohn and the transformative power of rhinestones. He adored country western music and wanted to make show costumes. He ended up becoming one of the most sought after designers of show wear. The costumes had a power that absolutely transformed the musicians into larger than life characters. They dripped with attitude and style. He was on the outer edge of taste and style, the bad boy of the fashion community. The embroidery on them was inspired by traditional polish folk dress. What do me and Nudie Cohn have in common? We both love rhinestones and want to work with musicians.
I love the use of outlines in Rhinestones on Nudie Cohns suits. The bling factor. I love heavily beaded fabric and textures. How can I incorporate this into my visual language in an innovative way?
Old style American country films like Annie get your gun popularised country western style of dress. In the above images we can see the use of rhinestones and sequins in the casts costumes. I just love anything that has that has a highly theatrical feel. I would like to incorporate this into my visual language. I will need to experiment with making different brushes in photoshop to achieve these brilliant effects.
Films like Philadelphia Story started a trend for gingham dresses that carries on throughout the 40s. Gilbert Adrian was a costume designer who was very prolific in Hollywood and designed costumes for the above movies.
Colourful pop cow print ideas. Rhinestone cow print?
I experimented in photoshop with to try and come up with something that could be used like a rhinestone trim. This is the result which I am quite happy with.
Photos I found from a trip I took to India a few years ago. I think its always important to look back at trips and reminisce . You may see new things that will spark new ideas. I visited City Palace in Udaipur, known as the city of lakes. Rooms were enamelled with representations of the gods. Each piece is made with mirror and enamelled glass and inlaid into a panel on the wall. Glass inlay panels were also used in the classic Bollywood movie Mughal-e-Azam (1960) – one of the most lavishly decorated set designs of the Bollywood genre. I love this technique – I thought it would be interesting to try this out with collaged photographs. How can I achieve a similar effect using different materials and processes?
Love this set! I found a tutorial on YouTube on how to make a glossy tinted brush. It reminds me of jewellery. I think I have been able to synthesise the different elements of my initial visual research. I just need to keep experimenting with these techniques. The blending of the hand drawn and the digital processes.
Pearl brush experiments to make different decorative reliefs. The block shapes of colour contrasted with the glossy matte pearl brush is a visual delight. This is definitely one of my favourite brushes I created.
I scanned in collaged sections of gingham wrapping paper and manipulated them in phtoshop using the warp tool. I love this tool in photoshop as it allows you to really experiment with new visual approaches to your work.
In the 1920s Art Deco period, the jewellery house Cartier, made incredible Vanity Cases with imagery made completely out of precious stones and mother of pearl. They were replicating chinoiserie in lacquer and had stone. I would love to use the same technique with collaged imagery and brush effects to make it look like my drawings are made of precious metals. To work with the intricacy of a jeweller using digital methods.
Art Deco had a lexicon all its own, and was truly revolutionary: the colours, designs, motifs and materials used were all so inventive and avant-garde. These were happily matched by an extraordinary level of craftsmanship and skill, which jewellers have struggled to replicate since.
Vladimir Makowsky, a Russian emigré artist living in Paris in the 1920s whose signature was inlaid lacquer and gemstone work. He worked for several of the high jewellery houses during this same period, such was the demand and level of specialist craftsmanship required for this work.
Trying to replicate some of the ideas I looked at with the vintage Cartier jewellery. I discovered I could wrap my own patterns onto 3D shapes which is just heaven. A quick and easy way to make your 2D ideas come alive in 3D.
Mythological designs are an expression of the pagan ideals of the new age.
Enamel + Pearl
Jewellery – Their durability is able to escape the ravages of time. Precious stones in jewellery are said to have magical properties. In the time of the Renaissance jewellery was used to adorn rituals and magic making ceremonies. Jewels as adornment were worn as a protection from the dangers of life or as a mark of status and rank. Maybe that is why I have an obsession with collecting jewellery. They have a magical quality that has stood their time throughout the ages. Interestingly it has only been since the middle of the nineteenth century that jewels have become objects for the collector, destined to end their days in the glass cases of museums.
During the reign of Louis XV there was a taste for precious stones with a pale hue, such as pink and pale yellow diamonds. During the Renaissance Botticelli trained as a jeweller. Leonardo Da Vinci was also known as gem expert, and was often invited to the Moro court as a consultant in the purchase of expensive precious items. Da Vinci also devoted himself to research, in the attempt to create artificial stones. He succeeded in creating synthetic pearls. The testimonies of the time also mention the fact that Leonardo da Vinci managed an academy: “a fruitful seminar of absolute perfect creators… in carving crystals, gems, ivory, iron and in the casting arts of gold, silver, bronze”, says Giovanni Ambrogio Mazenta. Leonardo da Vinci’s school and his incredible legacy in the art of jewellery were passed on and reproduced, influencing the fashion of Italian and European courts.
My own collection of costume jewellery. Pieces like the 1940s choker and the beaded 70s earrings are some of my favourites. What elements can I take from the things I surround myself with/ the things I like to adorn myself with.
Digital Da Vinci!
Beaded brush experiments
Donwloaded a gold leaf brush and combined it with jelly brush. Interesting texture.
Love the organic, sensual forms of the Rococo period.
Collecting visual research of elements of Renaissance jewellery. The allegory of love symbolised by Cupid. Then I made my own jewellery designs using my own motifs. An idea came to me whilst doing these sketches – jewellery that carries the ocean. To tell a story through the things we choose to adorn ourselves with.
More digital experiments using Rococo inspired motifs.
A fun little edit making 3D objects with my designs printed on top. It was great to experiment with the use of perspective and lighting tools in the 3D workspace.
Successful collages using all the different brushes and textures I have created over the past few weeks. The aim is to work like a jeweller but using Digital programmes and pencils as my tools. I want my work to have the quality of jewellery. I need to keep experimenting with this way of working to see what new visual connections I can make.
Perspective drawing
Brushing up on my perspective drawing. Perspective drawing isn’t taught anymore at school – I found an old book from the 70s in the library used for A level students. Really in depth and brilliant exercise. Its so important to keep improving your technical skills. The book also has a section on shading 3D shapes.
Experiments + Artist research
Pierre et Giles
Early works from Gilles whilst he was at art school and before he met Pierre. It was great I stumbled across these – its great to see an artists early works and understand how they have refined their vision and techniques. His love of the excessive is apparent in these paintings. The repeated painted dots and patterns are showcased in his later works with Gilles.
Images from Mikado’s A la fenetre and Naufrage en hiver. You can see throughout the video the careful planning of the shots and sequences they repeated for the chorus. I realise now why I struggled with storyboarding in past projects as I wasn’t studying enough music videos. How are they doing transitions, how are the shots framed, what techniques are they using. How are they telling the story?
They worked heavily with musicians and singers throughout the 80s and 90s. Making videos for the likes of Dee lite, Khaled and Nina Hagen. Their dream like style lending itself beautifully to music videos – building extravagant sets and luxurious looking costumes and accessories. The characters in the pictures look ethereal. I would love my work to have this quality.
Stills from Mikado’s music video La fille du Soleil. Lavish use of props and fountain which I love.
Use some of the techniques/transitions/effects used in their music videos for my animation!
Music Video for Mark Almond’s – A lover Spurned. Very camp. 10 costume changes. Transition – Rotating backdrop and then same texture superimposed onto the image as a cool way to make a transition between scenes.
Surrealist imagery – use of scale and masking techniques to place the female singer inside the glass of champagne. Lunettes Noires by LNA – Rapid moving backdrop with the singer placed within the frame. Diamanté twinkle effect around the border. I love this aesthetic – will draw inspiration from this.
The cut out of a flower rotates and grows – this is a great idea for a transition. Will be interesting to experiment with this.
“Labour of Love”. Pierre et Giles Photo paintings overflow with beauty and camp passion. The composition are reminiscent of renaissance paintings, staged deliberately in an exaggerated way. Colour is refined but over the top. They work as a team – Pierre takes the photographs and Gilles paints over them. The idea is sketched out. Gilles sources the elements to make the set. Pierre photographs the models. The photograph is printed and Gilles paints over the top. Drawing inspiration from the helycon days of retouching photographs in the 19th century.
The imagery is reminiscent of soft porn pin ups with their own twist. The erotization of the body. The portraits tell a story of lust, the cult of celebrity and make the viewer enter into a whimsical dreamlike state. I want my work to have this quality – to be alluring in its erotic power but also have a strong message.
The cover of LaChapelle Land designed by the Japanese artist Tadanori Yoko.
I love this cover – what immediately strikes me is the collaged combination of photocopied figures, block colour and drawings.
SEXINESS WITH HUMOUR. Surrealism bordering on the nightmare.
“Once we were playing kickball in the apartment complex when this woman came downstairs with this giant hair-do, halter top, hot pants, cork platform wedgies and started smashing her husband’s new Lincoln with a hammer. Seeing her on all fours, screaming, crawling on that car and bashing it, with that outfit, that hair, those fingernails… well, it was a little bit of heaven.”
A scene David LaChapelle never forgot. His love for outrageous dramatic scenes started at a young age and never stopped. Renaissance sculptures were also fans of the dramatic pose. He moved to NYC in the late 70s and was a regular at studio 54. Gucci and Fiorucci pop imagery for their advertsiements were a big influence. Andy Warhol’s magazine Interview was first magazine to publish his work. Models were made to do the wildest things but they always had to look beautiful. Exhibitionists make the best models according to LaChapelle. His pictures remind me of film stills – their narrative quality is so strong. He wanted to subvert the good taste, the good life often portrayed in fashion and advertising photography. “I want to see what’s cut out, I want to feature those things.” He likes celebrating the artificial. More expression can come out when the subject is interacting with their environment or a situation they are put in. This is great advice for when it comes to me directing my shoots.
Nude photoshoot I did with cling film. I wanted to manipulate the photographs to make them look like the sea.
Experimenting with making body into waves.
Knee patterns – these were really successful.
Research into animation techniques used by Terry Gilliam. Gilliam was really inspired by Tex Avery Cartoons. Its important to look into artists that inspired your favourite artists. Inspiration finds you at work.
Turning my knees into a spinal cord.
Erotica Shoot to be able to have a lot of bodies in different poses and positions to use as collage material.
Scorpion girl guarding the gates of bad taste.
I found this but couldn’t find the artist who made them. I like the weird.
My favourite advert of all time. The Babycham adverts from the 1960s! Very experimental – blending of green screened real life actors and
Icarus at the tanning salon.
In Greek mythology, Icarus is the son of the master craftsman Daedalus, the creator of the Labyrinth. Icarus and his father attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings that his father constructed from feathers and wax. But then he gets too close to the sun and his wings melt. My own version of Icarus and why you really shouldn’t use tanning beds. Baby that shit burns your beautiful skin.
The landscape of the body. The body is a landscape. Icarus is very burnt now. Looks ravishing in neon pink. This led me to meat. I must draw some pork chops.
Big fan of the creative director Maurizzio Cattelan and his work for Toiltepaper magazine. The love of the surreal, the grotesque, the painful, the erotic. His imagery causes strong emotions. The cake is the same pattern as the tablecloth and the arm is painted also. Food is used a lot in the editiorials.
The landscape of the body. The body is a landscape. Icarus is very burnt now. Looks ravishing in neon pink. This led me to meat. I must draw some pork chops. My pen was running out and the effect is cool.
The Stamp tool in photoshop is the best. Helps you to repeat certain areas of a drawing you like. Then I can save the texture as a preset and use again when I like. Honestly photoshop is my crack. Every day I’m learning to use new tools and techniques that are propelling my work into new directions. Its a joy to use. I use it every day without fail.
Blue Pork Chop mountains.
Pork chop pattern turned into marble.
The body turned into mountains. Hips for days. I mean who wouldn’t want to climb that. Life is short – make the most of your assets in your work.
Love this concept – combining photography with blue pork marble pattern. These experiments taught me to always follow a thread – however random it may seem. What if? is essential to experimentation.
By the pool series. We are made of 60% water. Was inspired to make these after reading narcissus – a girl stares at her own reflection in the swimming pool. She is the water and the ocean.
By the pool series. We are made of 60% water. Was inspired to make these after reading narcissus – a girl stares at her own reflection in the swimming pool. She is the water and the ocean.
Tit fountain
Experimenting with different blend modes in photoshop. I love the ghostly outline of the bodies.
Decided to try this out using screen printing.
Learnt how to separate the colours into channels. The technician was a dream to work with. He taught me so much in just one session.
Very successful screen prints using Light blue base, overlayed with red and then dark blue for the body. This image lends itself well to screen printing as I was able to use clean blocks of colour to build up the shading.
Self portraits in an aquarium. Getting better at using the pen tool – its better than the magic wand tool for cutting out shapes. Allows for very clean lines.
Interesting wave textures I made using a 3D brush in photoshop. Inspired by the self portrait in aquarium. This would look good animated!
Exploration of the body
Statement of Intent
“People do not read enough, and that’s how you create critical thinking, conceptual thinking. The best way to learn how to tell a story is to read more books. You create a way of how to shape your life.” Werner Herzog.
Instead of picking up my phone I will pick up a book. I like to think of reading as a way of strengthening the self and learning its authentic interests.
It’s important to constantly update where you get your source material from, in order to reinvent yourself and explore a new visual language. I will be spending the first few weeks collecting imagery and doing research in the library. I love looking at vintage magazines and getting lost in picture books. I always make new discoveries. So much knowledge is hidden away in books.
I was really inspired by Hannah Waldron’s talk during future selves week. She is an artist and illustrator and stressed how important it is to immerse yourself in new mediums such as textiles. They feed into one another. I will be looking into textiles and fine jewellery as a way to capture what I love the most about these crafts and how I can incorporate these textures and motifs into my current work.
“Mediums can turn you on, they can excite you: they always let you do something in a different way.” David Hockney
I believe that the limitations or possibilities of each medium forces you to come up with new directions for your work.
Every day I will be starting the day with a question: how about? or what if?
To start the day with an experiment. Embrace mistakes will free me up.
I want to find new collaborators to work with. I want to bring a group of people together with different skills and direct them under my vision.
I will be experimenting with different techniques and materials I haven’t used for years such as oil pastels and watercolour. I will also be brushing up on my perspective drawing. I will be getting better at using programmes such as photoshop, premier and after effects to create a new world. I will be studying different animators and film directors. I am particularly interested in artists that have crossed into different disciplines. Terry Gilliam went from animating sequences for Monty Python to making movies. Pierre et Giles started with photography and then started making music videos. I need to be thinking in this way – how can I translate one method into another. How can I combine methods and build on my current pratice?
I would like my outcome to be an experimental music video using footage as collage material. I will be gathering different footage and shooting in the green screen room in Moulsecoomb. I want to combine this with animation.
Time management will be crucial in delivering this project. Creativity is augmented by good working habits. I will be studying the methods of successful artists and designers and apply them to my routine.
Examine my working process and how I can improve my workflow.
Have different sketchbooks for different things:
- Scrapbook – for initial collecting of materials and imagery. Here, I can be as messy as I like, taking away the pressure I put on myself of wanting my books to look pretty. I roughly cut and paste images and anything that I find interesting. It doesn’t need to be in any particular order. The collision of different materials and imagery will help spark new ideas.
- Workbook – This book will be used to develop ideas I gathered in the scrapbook. This will document my creative thought process. Here I will analyse in depth why I chose to put those images in my scrapbook. What is it that resonates?
- Notebook – My writing book. Where I rant, rave, gather ideas and random thoughts. Analisis of different artists work etc.