Paper engineering

Paper engineering is the manipulation of paper into something of another form or purpose. I have found an artist that uses both paper manipukation and illustration which is something I prefer. I like the way Helen Friel uses bright colours within her work increasing the bold factor. She has worked for many brands and companies such as Ryan Air and I feel her style is unique to others.

3DD Day one:

To start the 3DD pathway we were told to draw a certain object or shape and then were given something to create out of it. For example a squiggle was made into a place for two people and a cat to sit. I really enjoyed this task because it gave you a chance to lean away from the traditional shape of certain things. I liked the way it made you think further than you wanted to and really challenged you to move away from your comfort zone. 

We then had the chance to create a piece which held a water bottle above the ground, however we only had a small piece of masking tape and one sheet of A1 paper. This was challenging and at first I didn't know how I was going to complete the task. I decided to make the paper appear more attractive by adding colourful lines to the outside. I then knew that I needed to make the structure solid enough to hold the weight of the bottle therefore I remembered the idea that folding was a way to do this. I started to fold two stripes of the paper to form a shape. This was the basis of my idea which would hold up the bottle above the ground. I was limited with masking tape so I tried to use as little as possible, which was a very hard thing to do. This also hindered the strength of my creation. To hold the bottle I thought of the concept of a wine holder. The round shape holds bottles with stability therefore I tried to reconstruct this with the paper I was given to create a tube that sat on top of my structure.

After completing the task I photographed it with people in the image. This gave the object a sense of place and size against the people. 

It was finally time for the test; the water bottle had to be lifted above the ground using your object you had made. During the test I realised that the bottle did not fit inside the tube which is something I would have to change in order to improve the design and keep measurements accurate. However I tried to place the bottle onto the object as a whole and it managed to hold above the table. The task was a great way to increase my ability to create 3D objects that have a purpose because this is something I haven't done a lot of. I enjoyed this although I do not feel 3DD is my strong point. 

We then got 4 pieces of cardboard and some masking tape, this would be the materials to create a structure which would hold out body weight. We had to produce a structure which held ourselves 10cm off of the ground. I knew that it had to be strong and after cutting some stripes of card I found out that the card was stronger when the corrugated lines were vertical. As the structure had to be flat packed I knew that I would have to be able to take it apart and therefore wanted to slot card together rather than tape. This also helped to strengthen the piece as a whole. 

 

Once I had created the main part of the structure I wanted to make it into a piece which resembled the idea of a chair. I added a back rest and started to add a base to the 'seat'. Overall the I didn't like my structure however I was surprised it worked. The chair was able to hold my weight for a long time without breaking. I enjoyed the satisfaction of it working however I would of wanted it to look better and more stylish rather than a chair look. 

Academic Skills

In this booklet I  was given which helps you to discover which learning style you prefer. The ideal is for you to be a part of each style. There are four styles, Activist, reflector, theorist and pragmatist. I turned out to be a reflector which means I plan before I do things. However my other scores where all around the same number which is a good thing.  

I.T skills

This is my favourite day so far; we we taught how to use three softwares, (Adobe) Photoshop, Illustrator and Indesign. I have previously only used Photoshop and was very interested in using other software to help me aid these skills I already have. Firstly we created an image in photoshop where we had to get a photo of ourselves and one representing what we wanted to do in the future. I got a picture of a map because I would love to travel and then realised that I had a picture of myself with half my face as a tiger which would combine really well. (I painted the tiger myself.) The colours really worked well and I was able to combine to two with contrasting and combining colours.

I then saved this and opened Illustrator with the task to create a logo. Having never used this before I was aided in the basics of the software which enabled me to create a range of logos for my poster/ print. These are only a few of what I created, once I had the hang of it I was able to quickly come up with ideas and create them with ease. I kept to the colour scheme of the poster image as well as the theme of travel.

We then went into inDesign another software I have not used before. This software allows me to create the final piece by adding the logo and text. I wanted the text to keep to the theme and therfore picked the above which reminded me of a letter being sent home. This is my final piece I created using all three softwares, I am very proud of what I have created and realised this is something I would like to do in the future.

Lecture 3: Fluid Pictures

Exhibition Review - contextual Studies Part 1: Tate Modern Report

Tate Modern-

Energy and process- Level 4 -Room 3 - Arte Povera and Anti-form

Access Free

Fig. 1 Lynda Benglis’ Quartered Meteor

The exhibition within the title Energy and Process consists of several Italian and American artists who worked and produced their artworks during the late 1960's. They have chosen to use materials and forms derived from nature such as wood, felt and stone; the artists concentrated on the sense of movement from organic processes such as gravity, electricity and magnetism. These experiments combining nature and fine art lead them to create a range of three dimensional outcomes differing from the traditional art of the 60’s. (Tate Modern, 2013
http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?ap=1&wp=1&wv=grid&sid=2338 )

Each artwork is remade for each exhibition it is moved to; therefore each piece slightly changes as it is moved to different locations. This was to create an affect where the artwork itself is reacting to the location and gallery room it is placed in. A strong example of this would be Lynda Benglis’ Quartered Meteor Fig.1 (1969, cast 1975.) "The work was originally made by pouring polyurethane foam into the corner of a gallery", (Tate Modern, plaque on wall 2013) allowing the structure to form in its own way. The waves of the slowly hardening foam creates a texture that is unpredictable in its presence however it was cast in lead in 1975 giving it a sense of weight and existence in the room. 

Fig. 2 Giuseppe Penone's 12 metre tall trees

Upon observing Giuseppe Penone's 12 metre tall trees carved out of planks of wood Fig.2 for the first time, I was tangled in thought into why he had produced the piece; however my reaction and opinion changed whilst exploring the textures and meaning behind it. His work dates from the late 1980's although his trees were made in 1969. Penone looks at the relationship between industry and nature, suggesting that a soft approach is still possible in an industrial world. This is something that interests me as it is very controversial and enlightens many on the surroundings we live in. I feel that the tree is something we try to save; although this wasn't as strong in the case of 1969 when it was created therefore it has different meanings to me than what it did at the time.

Bibliography: 

Museum - Tate modern, Energy and Process Level 4, 30/09/13

Website - http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks?ap=1&wp=1&wv=grid&sid=2338 information viewed on 30/09/13

Museum Plaque/ Book - Tate Modern, Energy and Process Level 4, 2013

Tate modern visit

I wanted to get as much information as possible so I decided to take notes on everything I felt was important and interesting. I also took a lot of photos. These are my notes from the Tate Modern in the Energy and Processes Room on Level 4. I chose this room because it was very interesting to me and I liked the structures and models made in the gallery. The room really stood out for me.