Ellie Project 3

WEEK 9

My initial ideas for project 3 ‘Memorials’ have stemmed purely from research at this point in time. I began looking at memorials as a general concept, which lead me specifically to ‘Roadside Memorials’. I was simply blown away by the amount of information, articles, websites and legislation that is accessible on this topic which I have never even spared more than a fleeting thought on, after driving past one.

At this point of project two, I have been focusing my time on reading widely. I have had ideas run through my mind about ‘mapping’ because I have stumbled across legislation and application forms for every state in Australia. I like the idea of keeping the dedicatory in Australia – this stems from my strong interest in the landscape through my perusal of eco dyes in my previous work as well as landscape imagery. I am only using this as an initial thought though and am interested in the ideas that will follow from this. I can’t predict it at this point but am happy with the bank of knowledge that I am building for now.

I’ve been looking at artists:

Louis Helbig

Paul Klee

Both these artists look through an abstracted view of mapping, something that I could draw from the physical location of roadside memorials.

I am also looking at Annette Messager purely because of her works as a collection, as a physical collage - much like the chaotic placement of objects on a traditional roadside memorial. 

 

Annette Messager, ‘The Promise of the Little Effigies,’ 1990

Catherine Grenier. (2001). Annette Messager. Paris: Flammarion. (p. 121)

Louis Helbig

“Beautiful Destruction – Alberta Tar Sands Aerial Photographs,”

Conceptual and abstract. 

Paul Klee's "Monument in Fertile Country" (1929)

Watercolour

Below is a link, which speaks about ‘temporary memorials’. It speaks a lot about these memorials as a ‘memory aid’, which is something that I am not really interested in pursuing but what I am interested in is how it talks about the elements of temporary memorials such as graffiti, photos, stuffed animals, flowers and notes.  These elements are all common features in roadside memorials that are used as a representative of a person at a site – something, at this point, that I can see myself experimenting with through my samples to develop into my final piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WAxnrNGx40

Like I previously stated, I am currently at a research point in my project but over the weekend am aiming to narrow this research into points that I can translate into physical samples in order to get started on my final work as soon as possible. They may not be completely resolved to begin with but I want to start as early as possibly in making marks, manipulation and combining techniques/materials to document the features of roadside memorials that I choose to depict.

WEEK 10

Over the past week my progress has consisted of more research, which has formed an idea for my final work and therefore has allowed me to start sampling/exploring possibilities before I begin to form it into my final piece this weekend.

Sample 1: couching around flower motif – roadside memorials are often filled with flowers – I am exploring with ways to subvert that through textiles.

Sample 2: Free machine embroidery – I have just been playing around with building up texture as well as shapes and tensions on the machine which I can then use for the ‘mapping’ component of my final work.

Sample 3: Polysol heat transfer painting to cloth. Again, experimentation – not sure that I will find a use for this but have been trialing shapes, flows and colours for possibilities.

Sample 4: Fabric stiffening techniques for the final installation to allow the piece to stand on its own. Have been trialing: Dissolved solvy, glue and water solution, sugar and water solution, varnish, spray adhesive, vlisofix and starch.

The next image is just a few samples of text using machine embroidery. I want to combine hand embroidery with machine for the text and mapping on my final work so need to get cracking on it because it’s so time consuming!! I’ve been working predominantly on felt and linen backed with iron on interfacing for strength. I’m happy with the results so far and actually really like the look of the text with the threads still connected (seen in image).

Continuing on with my close evaluation of roadside memorials I have been searching for a way to connect with the project myself rather than just recreate a roadside memorial. For starters, I have no one that I want to personally memorialize in a roadside memorial form so that means I would have no connection to my work – making it a bit pointless. Over the past week I have decided on creating a cloth that doesn’t replicate a roadside memorial but instead pays homage to the memorials that I personally visit. This links back to my post last week about ‘mapping’ – something that I was drawn to in roadside memorials. For me, it’s got a lot to do with the link between them and the physical road.

So like I said, I don’t want to memorialize someone in my own roadside memorial but I want to be inspired by elements of these memorials which I have been documenting and plan to continually document, and create a textile piece that can be installed and can be reminiscent of the mapping of the memorials as well as their physical elements. I feel as though the piece will be quite symbolic and will take the shape of a cylinder, which can mould to a telegraph pole, like many roadside memorials do. 

For the final form of my project and its installation I have been highly inspired by ‘Knitta Please’, a group of artists that began knitting graffiti in 2005, Houston, Texas. As you can see in the images, they knit around public poles as well as buildings, telephone booths and statues to only give a few examples. I’m not specifically looking at the knitting as much as I am the installation of the works. Their soft appearance juxtaposed on their positioning on metal and cold objects creates a confusion and double take with every viewer. The fact that it is labeled ‘graffiti’ gives off interesting connotations of illegality and foreignness yet it looks so familiar and appropriate to me.  These are principals that I have been inspired by in the brainstorming of the form my final work will take. 

WEEK 11

Memorials à researched Widely

Kept coming across Roadside memorials. Initially I didn’t want to take it down the ‘death’ path but couldn’t ignore the plethora of information available on the subject!

Continued to research (articles, journals, INTERNATIONAL etc.) and came across many case studies comparisons to Aus.

I had a look at state legislation regarding the placement of roadside memorials.

I liked the idea of keeping it in the country – progression from the organic, natural concepts of previous projects.

I had no specific connection to Road Side Memorials so I began to look at the mapping of the highways – where a lot of the accidents occur. I was striving to find a way to pay homage, memorialize from a distance based on fact.

Looked at Mapping artists: (refer to previous blog post)

Louis Helbig à abstract, gestural, organic, unconventional style of mapping (something I wouldn’t associate with mapping.

contrasted with

Paul Klee à graphic, regimented, literally inspired

How can I encapsulate these qualities?

Started experimenting w fabric manipulation, fabric strengthening techniques à plans of installment.

Experimenting w text

Translation of image

Began to subvert and manipulate NSW arial view in light of Klee’s practice (photoshoped images)

(screen printed the manipulated maps on linen)

Black – harsh, mysterious, dark, connotations of the end ‘black hole’

Contrasted by white linen & silk –to see through to the black

Revealing of the darkness through the light à angst vs peace (my perspective)

Harsh vs soft – screen printed linen very rigid, silk is soft and gentle

Red stitching – red, hurt, anger, pain

Colour psychology.

From mapping researched further (where to go next) – got to youths. It’s shockingly relatable and surreal when you see your own age on the memorial page à felt this was a good way to make a personal connection to the research.  

Got to looking at youth car fatalities – specifically males. (stats)

The point I’m at is deciding what text/numerals are appropriate and stitching it on the silk. Not sure whether to ad text – will make it too obvious – as much as I want to base it on fact, I want to keep it as a general memorial to youth fatality rather than specifically to the people I can fit on the silk.

From the feedback in class today it is apparent that everyone is in favour of not including text – keeping the numbers ambiguous. Leaving simplicity in the work.

It’s been a sound progression for me and I am looking forward to bringing it together – its been very research based so far but has needed to be for me to achieve a connection.

Dominika Project 3

WEEK 9

For project three I am looking at the idea of wall of names memorials. I was inspired by the image of Do Ho Suh's work 'Paratrooper' and how this resembled the idea of walls of names but in a really beautiful way.
Since I've worked with free machine embroidery in this way before I wanted to take that technique and experiment with it further, looking at different colours and different writing styles, as well as the possibility of sewing directly onto solvy then dissolving it. I also wanted to continue an exploration that I started in the last B class assignment with the idea of memorials for the mundane. Large scale memorials are generally made for people who died in significant events; wars, natural disasters, acts of terrorism, wide scale epidemics and the like, but what about memorials for people or things that might not have made the news? I'm still undecided as to what route to take with that, but I was considering the idea of going to old cemeteries and taking rubbings of gravestones that are neglected and worn away, ones that have clearly been forgotten by relatives and by the rest of the world and then translating these into sewn pieces. I'm really drawn to the idea of remembering the forgotten.
My other challenge with this work is going to be the installation. I'm planning to make a really large scale work, with a number of names, but I want to install the names in places that they might be missed, similarly to the stumbling blocks in Germany. I feel like the idea of memorialising the forgotten and placing the names in inconspicuous places are really congruent in that it draws attention to the question of whether the forgotten want to be forgotten or whether they are forgotten because society decides that they are unimportant.
I need to go out and do some research in terms of locations, as well as potential ways of incorporating the pieces into the environment.

Do Ho Suh- Paratrooper

 

WEEK 10

This week I started looking at exploring my initial ideas further. I went to the cemetery at Waverley and took some rubbings and photographs of interesting aspects of the graves. Since I am not looking at memorialising specific people, but the invisible and forgotten I chose to focus on the details of graves rather than the names. I noticed a recurring theme in the idea of flowers, whether they be placed on the grave by relatives, included in the engraving work on the grave stones, or simply growing from the midst of the grave, there were plants and flowers everywhere. It seemed to me that the flowers themselves became a memorial for the dead as they overtook gravestones and created life out of death. 

 

I was originally going to use stitched names in the work, but I haven't been able to find any relevant names that I feel would be effective. Thinking about it further I considered name wall memorials and how it's hard to feel connected to them when you don't know anyone on them. This large scale kind of name list is really just an overwhelming and impersonal testimony to death and I want the work to be something that people can connect to while at the same time challenging the fear of death of being forgotten after death.

As a result I've decided that instead of names I'm going to use flowers in the work. Specifically, forget me nots. The reason for this is the name is really fitting to the idea that Im working with, but I think the story behind the origin of their name is also really perfect.

"In a German legend, God named all the plants when a tiny unnamed one cried out, "Forget-me-not, O Lord!" God replied, "That shall be your name."

-wikipedia entry on forget me nots.

 

I think the flowers are also small and unobtrusive enough to strengthen the idea of the forgotten.

Having settled that, this week I plan to do some experimenting in terms of stitching them on different materials. My ideal would be to stitch them onto solvy and then wash the solvy away leaving just the stitched flower, but I feel that maybe the strength would be compromised and they wouldn't travel or install very well. I don't want to stitch them onto fabric, because I think that that would make them stand out too much and I want them to blend into cracks and crevices, so that's going to take a bit of experimentation in terms of execution. I'm considering the possibility of dissolving away the solvy and then strengthening the pieces with glue or wallpaper paste, but we'll see how that goes.

Megan Project 3

Week 9

My thoughts for project 3 at this stage involve revisiting a project from last year, both in concept, but pushing that further and also in the type of installation.
My project last year I want to revisit was 'In Absence there is Presence : In Death we Live' and it wasn't the physical form that was the work but a shadow of the work was the work.
It was about the possibility of our physical selves being really just shadows of our real self.
In 'Memorials' the shadow would be the memorial - the work.
I want to push the concept in the way that the shadow would not be a memory or imprint of the past or a sign of the present but say that it would be a glimpse of what is to come. What that is yet I'm not sure..
I found an interesting article on Google scholar by Carl Jung about the shadow. ( see attachment )

My memorial I want to be just a temporary glimpse, an idea that was enhanced by reading the journal about the counter-monument.
I have started sampling with making a small vessel out of leather for the structure and fishing line to twine with. I wasn't sure if it was too tightly bound to create an interesting shadow but so far it's ok.

 

WEEK 11

I have made a switch in my concept with my project for Memorials.
Previously, the shadow was going to be the work and the work was the shadow but I decided I really did want the work to be the work but still follow the same sort of thought in the concept. So now the work will be a Memorial to the shadow. The shadow will symbolize a past life, like a blindness and the work will symbolize a consciousness, a coming into being.

I am still using the fishing line and I am still wanting to make some sort of vessel. I experimented with using the fishing line for both the structure and the walls using the twining technique but I wasn't really happy with the result. I think the first experiment with the leather structure works better and so I have started another one which I aim to be the final piece. I am making the base much larger which means twining more loosely and I have encountered problems along the way with the fishing line becoming so knotted and almost impossible to work with to not knowing how to connect the fishing line when I get to an end of length.
I tried burning the ends and fusing them together that way but it leaves a gluggy bit behind which isn't a look I'm after.
Thankfully on thurs in the groups Rebecca was able to show me how to leave ends and introduce the next lot of length.
I have also found two textile artists who work with shadows constantly in their work. The first is Dorie Millerson ( Canada ) ( see photo ) and Caroline Broadhead ( England ).

Erin Project 3

WEEK 9

Memorials

My numerous starting points have been derived from my reflection on the memorial of an in individual through their absence and presence. I am interested in the ability to recognise an individual’s existence through their belongings and surroundings, the way a collection of items such as photographs, clothing or ornaments are able to communicate a sense of personality, personal history and life. This idea can be applied not only to those who have passed away but also to those who have simply moved, or even to our former infant self.

The first artist I was inspired by was Christian Boltanski, introduced to us in the Lecture in week 8. His artist practice often involves the use of photographs or a collection of photographs to convey ideas surrounding time, identity and memory. His use of the photograph as a raw material, collecting and exhibiting a range of photographs together, emits a sense of family history and nostalgia, however the images are not connected, merely placed together.

For me this emphasised the power of the image in particular in communicating a message through selection and arrangement. 

 

Christian Boltanski, 1971

‘Photo Album of the Family D., 1939, 1954’

Black and white photographs in tin frames 

Similarly I felt this applies to collected belongings and other possessions as well as our surroundings and societies. So I was then able to connect this to my current exploration of the community in Textiles 4B A Collection of Souvenirs’.

My reflection on Memorials and collected belongings also led me to research the traditional Aboriginal Memorial Poles or Hollow Log Coffins. This method of memorial, traditional to Arnhem Land is made from a hollowed tree trunk, which is decorated with the markings of the passed member’s clan and filled with the bones of the deceased.

I thought this was a very powerful representation of the memorial of an individual and much like a tombstone, however the visual markings painted on the surface of the log, much more emblematic of the persons history within their clan.

With this initial research combined with my interest in past techniques I am interested in exploring two different forms, the vessel as a further experimentation and the book. I couldn’t remember what sparked my interest in a book, I think maybe it was from the lecture, however, like an artist book reflecting ones practice and works a book theme would be based around the memorial of a person.

I have also been looking at artists such as Judy Barrass and her work the vessel form and paper pulp, Dorothy Haig and her presentation of works as well as Gail Stiffe and her numerous sites and blogs surrounding paper making and collage with collected imagery.

My initial movements have been collecting paper to sample with paper pulp, collating images that reflect a sense of similarity or personality and continuing my crochet skills, as this seems to be becoming quite successful.

I had also generated some ideas regarding creative deconstruction, which related to me previous burning techniques, and possible refining this to develop a way to create from the ashes of collected items. However this is only in its initial thoughts stage.

Week 10

Progressing on last weeks thoughts and ideas regarding Memorials I have produced a handful of new samples and have discovered some new inspiring artists.

This past week has seen my refinement of my exploration of the Project theme. I have elected to explore the Memorial of an individual through the belongings they have left behind. I am interested specifically in the Aboriginal Memorial ‘Hollow Log Coffins’, particularly their form and their functionality, storing the remnants of ones past.

I have also refined my material exploration at this current point to paper as I have discovered a range of exciting new techniques and manipulating methods using paper through artists such as Valérie Buess, The Best Before Basket Makers Paris and Erwina Ziomkowska

 

 

 

 

WEEK 11

In the past week I have been developing my refinement of technique and execution of my samples. I have experimented crochet using both yarn and paper shifu to create a series of vertical cylinder vessels.

My interest for these forms stems from the Hollow Log coffins of which I have decided to research for my Memorial exploration. I had initially had the intention to create a kind of embellished surface of these forms to represent the ‘clan’ markings of tradition Aboriginal Memorial Poles however I have enjoyed working with a minimalistic colour palette, selecting materials of a cream or white tone. Rather then applying colour or pattern to the surface of the cylinders I am interested in creating textures through the varied techniques, making the work more tactile as it is to be interchangeable as part of its instillation. 

In my continued research I have also discovered another artist, which is inspiring my work causing me to reflect on scale. Dana Barnes is an artist designer exploring new ways to sculpt unprocessed fibers such as wool into large-scale three dimensional textile forms.

 

Her series UNSPUN: Tangled and Fused features a combination of wrapping, knotting, netting, looping and twisting to form static fiber sculptures both for the flat plane and also hanging vertically.

This piece from the series BEAUFORD Needlepoint Vessel I was particularly drawn to. Its presence within the space is dictated by its scale which is an area of my own work I am interested in challenging. Similarly I am interested in its minimalistic tonal palette and the use of multiple materials and techniques within the vessel form. It is very interesting that I have found this piece at the end of my week of experimentation, and yet there are distinct resemblances between this and my own work. 

WEEK 12 

After our Presentation in week 12 I was straight to work fleshing out and completing my final work, based around the form of the hollow log coffins and working further on all aspects I had discussed during my presentation.

Over the duration of my making I found the quality and execution of my envisioned ideas was becoming increasingly difficult and so I decided to further my research, which ultimately would aid my written work also.

When reflecting on the notions, which I have been exploring, including the idea that we are reflected within the belongings, places and people remaining when we are no longer present I came across the Andy Warhol’s ‘Time Capsules’.

Over his lifetime as an artist Warhol archived remnants of his everyday life, newspaper and magazine articles to name a few, into what became an extensive series of packing boxes forming his ‘Time Capsule’ series.

The idea of logging your immediate surroundings into a personalized time capsule of not only your context but also your specific items read, used or simply handled is an idea that struck me as particularly strong within the area of memorials.

Thus I have began incorporating these ideas into my work and improving the completed substantial work.

 

Steph Project 3

Week 9

Fiona Foley:

Through research and reflection of my previous assessments, I have developed an interest in the use of words on memorial structures. I found the works of Fiona Foley to be very interesting especially her exhibition entitled ‘Forbidden’, which was shown at the MCA and the GOMA. Foley’s learning research can be found at this address. It is clear and easy to understand.

http://www.mca.com.au/media/uploads/files/FFoley_resource_web_version.pdf

Samplers:

Continuing on with this idea of words and language I revisited the idea of samplers in textiles. I was able to find samplers that were made as commemorative memorabilia. I think this is an exciting find as it is directly associated with textiles.

1814 “the virgins prayer” sampler by phebe Edmonds

Commemorative of George III death

http://www.antiques.com/classified_items.php?SeArChItEmS=&startrage=&endrange=&catid=155&GoPageNo=10

Previous works:

I have also revisited a previous work of mine that has a strong sense of memorial and employs the idea of memorabilia:

“I want to be able to give the book as a treasured gift, I want it to be loved and in time put in the back of a drawer, but when rediscovered create the same feelings of immense warmth and love to the owner. Creating a beautiful aesthetic was also a strong element I wished to explore in the final series, as I believe that seeing something beautiful is the perfect impetus to remind us of the loved one and provoke feelings of warmth, love and fondness, much like an old photo album. Inspired by artists such as India flint and martia Macklin and their use of natural materials, I experimented with a range of techniques, exploring the marking possibilities of the leaf from rubbings to prints, also incorporating rubbings and silks from the finished works from my previous ‘translation’ series. These rubbings have become the pages of the book, the foundations of the story incorporating my family home, creating a beautiful connection between the country landscape, maps, my family and my grandfather. Once again handwriting became an important mark made in the book, with words that my father wrote to describe his father, as I wanted to keep a pure authenticity to the book by creating a true representation of my grandfather memories, through words from his son. I felt the need to become a part of the book also, not only as the maker but as a member of our family, therefore I experimented with the use of my fingerprints, completely unique to me as leaves are to a tree, I wanted to emphasis the mark left by each individual as ‘our fingerprints don’t fade from the lives we have touched’” – new dimensions project,  

 

I would like to continue this exploration of memorabilia, there fore I would like to produce a sample series of works that can be kept as keepsakes. I think the idea of rubbings and fingerprints is also an interesting way to leave a trace of us. I would also like to continue my exploration of the corporal effect and idea of encasing and encapsulation. 

WEEK 10

Through research of Fiona Foley in week 9, I became interested in the memorial of everyday objects. In her exhibition "Forbidden", she cast nine mangrove pods in aluminum. From this starting point I have started to explore memorials in relation to common everyday things, such as hair, fingerprints and teeth, which people collect from their loved ones. Commonly locks of hair are placed in lockets to be worn around the neck, an imprint of a baby’s hand and foot is very common on a canvas or pillows, and also parents collecting their childs first teeth. I have experimented with using my own hair and rubbing gold leaf throughout it to simulate the idea of casting the hair in a locket or a precious metal, I have also explored my own fingerprints.

I have collected the little cards from my grandmother, which used to display buttons. I am finding this to be an interesting way of displaying these "object". I am currently waiting on a letter containing some teeth to be sent from home, which I plan to gold leaf also. 

After visiting the Archibald prize I have become interested in the use of books and handwriting as a memorial object also, as there was a work that was exhibited which had the work painted onto the fronts of books, therefore I have experimented with fingerprints and lino prints onto text. I have also explored through sampling the idea of framing a memorial piece therefore I have employed collage of lino prints, cross stitching, fingerprinted silk and ted dye calico with the inclusion of gold leaf.