As if by magic, after deciding to revisit this project, on the way to work this morning there were two sofa’s discarded and abandoned. They live opposite each other and so I named them ‘The neighbours’. I am excited by photographing pieces of furniture again and having a collection.
After highlighting plain pages, I was thinking of how you usually use the highlighters and decided to try highlighting a book for the length of an advert break. There is no relevance of the type of book and using the highlighters for it’s original use-value felt naive and dissatisfying.
I am going to experiment with shredded paper.
As part of my challenge to make sellable art, I have began to make smaller, varnished string pieces. I wrapped the string around my finger for the duration of an advert. I bought both matt and gloss varnish to try out.
As part of White Rabbit Studios we are hoping to get involved with the Hockley Arts market. I have my thinking cap on about what I could bring to such an event.
I have a few ideas along the same lines as my practise but in a sellable form. I would like to use some of my photographs of abandoned furniture in some way.
I would also like to try my hand at making clocks as someone who is fascinates by them. I think I’m finding it difficult to translate my ideas but I think it’s an interesting challenge.
We went to the Hockley Arts Market this weekend to have a look round and I thought Gemma Latimer’s illustrations were fantastic. Will definitely purchase when I have moved into new house. Looking forward to having lots of framed delights on the walls.
My most recent experimentation:
Glue
I am trying to make sculptures out of glue by pouring it for periods of time. I set up a few experiments and none of them have even slightly dried.
Did some research and the way to get water based glues to dry is to aid evaporation of the water in them. The three things to remember are that you need a) Hot temperature. B) Make a large surface area and C) Reduce density of surrounding water vapour in the air (good ventilation/wind/fan).
I am going to try making some flatter attempts to increase surface area. Hopefully they will dry but not sure if they’ll be as sculptural.
Highlighers
I coloured in the corner or each piece of paper starting with 10 seconds to 60 seconds with a highlighter. I would like to colour in some larger paper for the period of time of events, like with the string pieces.
Tape
I wrapped tape around the end of bic Biro’s for 1 minute, 2 minutes and 3 minutes. I used masking tape as a base layer but the tape still wouldn’t come off. It also put a real strain on my hand and became quite painful. I shall try wrapping it around other things too. I was thinking it would be quite good to try doing this with something that spins – like a cassette player with a pen in it.
Spray paint
I sprayed the paint onto paper for different periods of time. Where it had been sprayed in a concentrated area it became shiny. I think this is a very simple idea but would like to try it in different ways.
Went to the studio for the day and it was most brilliant! It was so good to be able to spend time reading, thinking and making. Shall do a proper update in the next few days.
Another interesting link from Tez – Waste Not: Song Dong at Moma.
Experimented in the studio tonight and this is what happened. The string was wrapped around my hand for the amount of time it took me to go to the shop, and then unravelled.
After a few close calls with the string pieces threatening to unravel themselves entirely, I started to think about ways to make them more permanent. I like the fact that they are ephemeral but thought it would be a good thing to try. Katie suggested using Varnish which I think would make them encased and shiny. I like this idea and will try different methods but I have just tried PVA glue as a starting point. It works really well as it still has the same aesthetic of string and the feel is just a harder,less fragile version. I worry that when parts get glued into place, it changes where they fall and what people will get from the work. Going to have good think.
I have really exciting news!! I’ve used some of my holiday allowance so that I can have every other Monday off until October. I’m really looking forward to having the day in the studio, just trying things out and attempting focus.
How long is a piece of string?
I think that this piece was the most successful out of the three. It was a development from measuring physical objects with string, to measuring time.
A lot has happened since Sherwood Arts Week which has given me the time to think about how it all went and what’s next. I was very nervous about our first open studio event. I work full time and had an important deadline on the day before the studio was due to open its gates. I hadn’t exhibited for about 5 months and some of my ideas were very new, for example the video piece ‘Five and a half square feet’.
I couldn’t have been happier with the amount of people who came along and the level of engagement was brilliant. I think because it was a weekend, daytime event people had more time to stop and share opinions. Also there was a regular flow of people instead of everyone arriving at the same time which meant that you could give people your time.
My friend Tez sent me the link to this teapot by designer Alexander Hulme. His website www.alexhulme.com is amazing! I really like ‘Fuzzy Logic’, ‘Systems and Solutions’ and ‘Lost Objects’. ‘All the things I use in one day’ is a really nice way of documenting the everyday too. Very excited! I love it when people send me links they think I’d like. I’m pretty rubbish at finding them myself at times.