Light, reflection and colour experiments...

As I said previously in another post I wanted to take my coloured plastic and cellophane experiment further and after looking at Laura Buckley's work, I thought that making that experiment 3-d would give it an extra something... From Laura Buckley's work I wanted to use the reflections and light aspect she used and apply it to mine. This experiment took a fair bit of time to do but I think the results definately made it worth it. I tried a variety of combinations and layouts to see how they would react with the light and to see what kind of shadows they would create.

 Layout 1: This layout was a repeated layout as I have previously done in my 1st experiment, I like how powerful the structure is, it's just straight, strong and simple. I like how the light shines through however I did expect the different colours of the transparent foil to come through but it didn't, I think this was due to the images being taken in the dark, the light came through but it was too dark to see the different coloured foils which is a shame.

Layout 2: Now this layout holds the same qualities as the first, it stands simple and strong. This layout however can clearly show the different colour transparent foils however without taking the images in the dark I lose the quality of shadowing and highlighting from certain areas, putting this layout in a dark area of the new building might help the colour, shadows and highlighting stand out more.

Layout 3: This layout was about exploring each individual cube and then them all coming together to make an installation. The same downfall applies, the images being taken in the dark takes away the colours of the transparent foils, creating these cubes was about making colour expand and reflect in more ways than my very first experiment. These don't reflect the true properties of this experiment, maybe adding mirrors would??

I did the same layout but with the lights on and with the electronic lights inside them, even though the foils are noticed, I still feel there's something missing from this layout. The cubes are to freely layed out, there's no thought to it, maybe this is a positive, being random and playful. Could maybe get the public involved they could move the lighting to what suits them??

Layout 4: This layout is just about finding an area in the new building that would show off the reflections that this piece could make! As shown in the images from any angle this piece creates shadows and reflections and highlights the colour in a pleasing way.

This final image below shows the size of the cubes, there quite small, whether they would work on a larger scale I'm not sure. If they were larger the reflections would become bigger but the cubes themselves would hold lesser detail. I like the idea of this experiment being created into a long, large, strong lamp shade that is placed in a library or some study area in the new building that can be twistable and moveable to a persons mood. For example if it's a rainy day outside a student could turn the cubes to a coourful and bright yellow or if they just want to study and be left alone a blue, it is entirely up to them. Doing this gets the students involved in not just the piece but the building itself. Would this idea work??

Donald Judd...

Donald Judd's work stood out to me mainly by it's presentation and the simplicity of it. The way this installation is set gave me an idea on how to use my experimental work with making it interactive through it's presentation, by presenting it like this. My idea for my experiment using this presentation is to use the transparent foil I've previously experimented with and placing it on each slide and layering them up on top of each other leaving a gap. I will then shine light from either the top or bottom of it and see how the light reacts and ends up on the other side. This experiment would be to show how light reacts with each other and how it changes when hitting another colour.

Laura Buckley...

Laura Buckley's work was brought to my attention in a digital workshop which was based on how to present my work digitally. What I noticed about Buckley's work is that she uses a variety of techniques to make 1 whole installation, from these images it is clear she is very talented, she presents her work beautifully with care to every little detail.

The image above of the installation called 'Suspended hexagon', 2010, shows a variety of techniques and materials. Buckley uses 2 way mirror perspex pieces, plywood, wire, motors and video projections to put this installation together, the dimensions vary throughout. She uses repetition of movement, reflections from the perspex and video projections and light exposure, she also experiments with creating sculpture and structure using these 4 elements. I think illusion and imagination are key when looking at Laura Buckley's installations, I can see this one being relaxing.

The image above is of Laura Buckley's installation called 'Stage Fright', 2007. From the way she uses light and prjections she creates a combination or collages of light imagery and also moveable imagery. Using light gives Buckley the advantage of creating shadowing and structures, her work is very distinct and beautifully presented, through her work she creates dream-like scenario's.

The installation presented in the image above is named 'Slip Sensor: Part 2'. Beautiful coloured projections that form sculptures with the added use of light. She shows her process of her ideas being turned into images that are then turned into installations through her final presentation. The use of colour and refections with the light all working together is something I want to present in my final visual outcomes.
            I've already worked with coloured hard plastics and coloured cellophane with reflections and these have worked really well, adding the forms of light and mirrors would push this idea and hopefully create ideas that are as beautiful and intriguing as the ones Laura Buckley has presented.

Re-evaluating so far...

Looking through all of my sketchbook, I think some ideas that worked really well are being forgtten about. I am now at the point where I've got 3 weeks left on this project and the initial ideas and key points need to be finalised and visualised to an outcome, not one yet but a few.

Looking through my sketchbook my first idea that I'm gonna continue to work with is the experiments I did using foam board, cellophane and coloured plastics. I really like how the colours reflected with the light, it stood out to me and I'm gonna take this further. To develop it further I'm gonna look a making 3-d structures using the same materials and maybe try reflections with aluminium foils and mirrors, just push this idea because I think it works.

The wear and tear light experiment my first one, I think needs modernising. This is what I want to work at, considering glass containers adding ripped experiments to them. I like the use of electronic lighting in the dark it brings a piece alive, making it more modern would seem more appropriate for the new building.

My last idea that I want to continue improving is the use of foil. The foil just as a reflective material fits in so well, it creates amazing wear and tear and is a modern material. I think I haven't pushed what the foil can do yet, there's more to come from it.

These are my 3 main key ideas that I am going to take on and improve over the next 3 weeks. All these ideas have stemed from the same place, whatever the outcome it is going to positioned in a new formed modern fully functioning building this I need to remember. Is my outcome going to have a purpose or is it going to be a part of just the building like the stairs or a window??

Gesso, glass and foil...

This experiment just didn't work. I think it is because I expected the foil to come through when scrapping the Gesso away and it just didn't which was disappointing. I think it didn't work because the Gesso became to attached to the foil so it was hard seperating them when scratching away at the top surface.

Experimental foil...

When experimenting with foil, I always thought something was missing this being that the colour of the media underneath the foil did not work well with the reflective foils. From my first light experiment I liked the contrast between the wear and tear with the see through material of acetate and clear plastics, so I revisited this doing the foiling ontop of acetate and glass.

The acetate experiment was randomly placed aubergine coloured foil. With acetate I expected the areas that did not have foil to be clear, well clear enough to see straight through it. But it is slightly blurry that is why I tried glass hoping it would be clearer. The image below is of the glass experiment.

The glass was done using the same colour foil and done using a glue stick as glass couldn't be put under the heat press. Using a glue stick makes the marks more randomly placed and makes it look more worn. The results was still the same as the acetate one, it is still blurry but the glass holds structure, turning over the glass experiment I was surprised to see that underneath had created a silver texture that looks trapped by the glass. With this texture being under the glass, this would be a perfect solution for a flooring to be walked over with the worn already created.
   

Scratched Gesso on laminate flooring...

This was a quick experiment to test whether a thicker layer of Gesso on a media would make the marks I create more defined and obvious, however the marks created are still subtle and thin. Even when making scratches and marks into the laminate underneath isn't really coming through so this on a larger scale would take a lot of smooth screatching just too see the laminate underneath cracking through.

Foiling laminate flooring...

From my first researching worn down areas I came across the Tensta floor and ever since then been quite focused on creating a surface that could eventually be walked over and worn down by the public, this was my first idea. Since then my ideas and experiments moved away from this but it was still in the back of my mind. Using the foil gave me the oppurtunity to re-look over this idea by applying foil over laminate flooring that could eventually become a pathway that students in the new buuilding will wall over. I created 2 samples that used bronze and gold foil. both foils work well with the colour of the laminate. Flooring and foil comes in a variety of colours and patterns so this idea definately has room for improvement and different variations of foil and flooring to find the prefect combination if this was the idea I wanted to take forward.

Marks created with foiling...

When peeling back the foiling there is always some foil left on it that creates a prnted pattern, the images below show some of the marks that I found interesting they remind me of symbols or simple patterns that could be repeatedly used.

Foiling...

I've used foiling before but it was on different fabircs, so this time I wanted to try it out on different media's. On fabrics when doing foiling right it comes up a solid images as I wanted mine to be broken up I put the foil glue randomly so the foil would come up more ripped.

I tried my first foil experiment on a plastic wallet, as the glue didn't sink into the media like it would with fabrics it just sat on top making it hard to dry quick enough with the foil, it had to be left quite a while. Even when leaving it a while once I removed the foil only certain areas stuck, in a way this is good as it stuck randomly and worked well with the theme of wear and tear however I expected more to stick. What works well with this experiment and media used is that the wallet still has its function of holding a4 pieces of paper meaning I can change what goes inside of it.

My 2nd experiment with foil was applying it on top of coloured plastic. Even though it worked better than the wallet it still was solid enough. I like how the edges of this experiment stuck and created an edge. When walking over an area it is always the centre that wears down first so this experiment works well and fits in to what I wanted to achieve.

Ripped Images...

After doing more research and looking back over the work I've done, I decided that even though the wear and tear images I already had was a good strating point, my experiments were more ripped and reapplied, so I decided to take some more images that I felt were more appropriate to the techniques I was using to recreate them.

Dispatchwork...

When researching into more wear and tear images I came across a set of work called Dispatchwork, which is situated around New York. The arist Vormann searched New York for missing bricks, cracked plaster, crumbling areas in buildings and replaced and filled them using bright, colourful lego blocks. Looking at these images the results are amazing, I'm realy impressed with the idea of fixing something by replacing what is broken with something ordinary but unordinary inthis situation. All the lego used was donated, legos are very childish and bring a childhood side to a broken down area.

Digital Workshop Notes...

In todays digital workshop we were shown some videos that all represented unique things such as; advertisement, promotions and how to make certain items. As a whole the class was more interested in the short clip of 'how to make an oven mit', it was short, simple and could easily be followed.

I was also shown how to make and create a moving image short clip. A moving image is a series of sequential photographs, videos are constructed at about 25 frames or still images per second. This type of filming is becoming more popular to communicate worldwide.

Useful websites;
www.fashioninfilm.com
www.liberty.co.uk/fcp/content/liberty-tv/newsarchive
www.laurabuckley.com
www.daniellearnaud.com/artists/artists-maurer.html
www.michaela-nettell.com/index.html
www.sarahpucill.co.uk

The basics I need to know;
Shot sizes:

• Very long/wide shot
• Long/wide shot
• Medium long shot
• Mid shot
• Medium close up
• Close up
• Big close up
• Extreme close up
• Point of View

Camera movements:

• Pan from left to right/right to left
• Tilt up/down
• Zoom in and out
• Dolly in and out
• Focus pulls

When creating a film like this it is really important to create a storyboard that is clearly planned and labelled, it will make shooting the film easier, some storyboards can just be quick rough sketches whereas others can be extremely detailed.

Cameras can be booked out of the AV store which is located on the 6th floor in the Chatham building. Always make sure that the SD card is formatted. If I want straight and smooth shots definately use a Tripod, in doing this the shots will be well composed.

Gesso Experiments...

After discussing my ideas and next moves with Rachel she suggested trying Gesso and experiment with creating marks using this. To cover over some other materials previously I was using just white paint, materials that sucked up the paint for example hand made papers the white paint couldn't be scratched off, so this was a worry with using Gesso and it seemed similiar to paint. After creating 12 varieties of samples the same problem with the material sucking up the paint reappeared, however the samples that didn't suck the Gesso up turned out really well. The materials that stood out to me the most was the transparent foil and the gold ribbon, the scratches revealed the vibrant colours underneath and the scratches created mark makings that stood out really well because of the contrast in the colour. I would like to try these experiments on a larger scale, just to see if the detail still exists.

 Gold Ribbon

 Red Transparent Foil

 Thin Ply Wood

Orange Cellophane

Up close mark makings...

This experiment was about seeing up close marks that are made when scratching into the surface that has been covered. The marks are about punching through the top layer and revealing something that was once concealed. The marks that were created using scissors were very repeational, linear and patterned, they are surprisingly interesting.

Movement In Reflections...

With all my experiments in using light and trying to find a material thats is reflective when using light, I decided to create something that would combine these together. This experiment consisted of cellophane being scratched into placed on top of acetate so it would hold it altogether, using different colours to fill an a3 size. I decided to use acetate as it is flexible and use this quality when trying to create reflections. I wanted to try this combination as the other reflective pieces I have created were straight, with borders, linear and I wanted the marks I have made in the materials to show through when I reflect using light.

The reflections worked well and the use of movement created all different types and sizes of shapes, the acetate however, did take away some of the striking colours it is like the acetate diluted the reflective imagery.