week 8

This week was spent planning for my workshop but primarily finalising my solo project.

Over the weekend I reflected on what I’d already done so far. To begin with, I focused on the skulls I did for the first box I created and acknowledged how much I loved the results, however, I’d only made a small stencil that unfortunately didn’t last as I was not expecting it to be a repetitive design beyond that single box and so I worked on creating a larger more durable replica of the previous stencil design to use as a primary focus for a box which I was sure I wanted to use black on as from my previous work I loved the stark contrast it created in comparison to the other colours which really made designs pop and capture the audiences attention.

In reference to the stencils while I found the majority of them durable it’s undeniable the difficulty I faced with some thinner cutouts such as the line on the stencil below which is connecting the eye to the outer square. The flimsiness of these became a repeated struggle that really slowed down the process and encouraged me to reflect on my decision for availability over cost, meaning next time I’ll be willing to invest in more durable materials no matter their size.

I loved the results and decided this was a piece I wanted to be displayed by itself instead of stacked with others. I felt it stood confidently by itself and believed pairing it with other boxes would dampen its delivery. It was this conclusion that showed my progress in thought from the start of term when I’d already decided what I wanted the final product to be before talking with Miranda and having her advise me to start small instead of focusing on the final result which then led to me creating this piece which is now one of my favourites out of the boxes.

I also reviewed my previous artist research on Katerina Grosse this week after discussing my progress with Miranda where she encouraged me to create a second large box. I loved her mixture of colours, considering it simple yet effective and wanted to explore that within my own work instead of solely relying on stencils. This led to me creating this smaller box, to begin with before speaking with Miranda as I initially considered the first box I made to be the only large one as a centrepiece, however, I had to agree with Miranda that the space was missing something, feeling empty.

This led to the creation of a larger box, containing no black which removed the dimness of the other colours and had the final result more bright and vibrant. Therefore it was a lot more pleasing to look at, evoking positive emotions.

I was in love with the final product, adoring the way the colours moved and paired with one another. However, I did feel it was missing something, bud didn’t want to remove appreciation for and cover what had already been created therefore I chose to do a simple repeated singular eye stencil on each side in black to allow contrast and solidify the design.

Over the weekend I’m also planning on going into town to find the materials required for my workshop for Phil to purchase. I’ve also already sorted the playlist which will be played during the workshop: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4ydZ13xkaHlMz9jLR2elmV?si=HKrLkh-ARZusQsVku7EFYQ&utm_source=copy-link

It’s a collection of songs played when upset, angry etc, songs played to “vent”. A way of festering in the negative emotions, often increasing them and yet finding comfort in them, finding safety because with these negative emotions you can close yourself off and isolate, stay in bed, and the bare minimum, you don’t have to exert yourself and then in the sadness there’s warmth, you forget how unhealthy it is because it becomes the norm, its what you’re used to.

It’s interesting to move away from that mindset and be able to listen to these songs now and simply enjoy them without being weighed down by what they represent.