Self Defined- Christo and Jeanne-Claude research

It was suggested that I look at the work of Christo and Jeanne-Claude, particularly their preliminary sketches for the application of their large scale installations. These two artists wrapped architecture and natural elements in fabric on an unprecedented scales and because of this their designs needed precise planning through detailed drawings. 

In the above examples of their sketches before the application of their ideas we can see that they have recreated the chosen environment perhaps by drawing their designs over pictures of it or even tracing it. They have also considered what the final piece would look like and how it would be applied from different angles. This reference showed me ways i could illustrate my ideas without having to create the final finished piece because obviously with the time available this was never really going to happen. However their work gave me ideas of how I could present my surface design ideas to prospective clients, showing mockups that take into account all aspects of the surrounding environment in inventive ways. I therefore to use similar techniques to Christo and Jeanne-Claude when constructing my design, tracing over photographs of the chose building and considering the environment around it. This will not only help me to visually represent my ideas and understand how they would work but it would also aid me in explaining them to others. 

Self Defined- creating story specific 'Hansel and Gretel' illustrations

This watercolour and pencil illustrations were in direct reference to the woodland and birds within the story and I wanted to make multiple images like this to combine into one pattern design or composition that I could then repeat. Although I was happy with these and felt that the painting of the fern in particular showed some improvements in my skills at painting with watercolour, I was still producing motifs and found it hard to think of other imagery to produce and get these to all match up together.

After being a bit stuck yet again, I decided to do some experiments using ink, watercolour and other materials I could find such as ground coffee. I wasn't really sure what would come of this but I liked the combination of textures and colour. Then as I was creating the piece pictured directly bellow, I started to produce something that looked like a trail of pebbles and therefore began to form the composition in this direction. For my final design I would not use black as I don't feel like this properly depicts the atmosphere of the story however I did get an idea from this experimentation that I could work with and develop to better fit the narrative.

Self Defined- Finding a direction

After being a confused about where my project was going and being stuck for ideas on what to put in my designs I started searching for a more defined direction.

I thought about other ways surface design could be applied and other object it could be put on other than the usual commercial objects such as cushions and mugs. I then came across the idea of putting surface designs on buildings and searched for places it might be good to put this in a city environment. Brutalist architecture might seem beautiful to some and is definitely a reminder of the 1950'd to 70's and the emergence of using concrete as aesthetic. However in many cases it can often look very dull and bland as its concrete appearance doesn't allow for much colour. 

The first example that comes to mind of this kind of architecture in London is along the South Bank of the River Thames near to where the National Theatre is located. The strictly uniform shapes and colours that make up these buildings adhere to the typical monotonous tone of city life. Just like the huge abundance of people in the city can often reduce the value of identity, all the buildings in this area seem to merge into one. They all seem to be built with similar structures out of the same material and it can be hard to differentiate what each building is meant for. Therefore I think that an artistic design on the exterior walls of the National Theatre would help to bring the internal atmosphere of out, allowing the outside to reflect the building's creative purpose. By putting a nature based design on such a surface I hope to find an antidote/alternative to this rather plain facade. 

http://charlottesteel.com/hansel-gretel/

Hansel and Gretel illustrations by Charlotte Steel

I found it interesting to look at how other people have interpreted the story and what elements they choose to focus on. This will help me to pick out elements of my own to include in the designs for the pattern/mural on the walls of the national theatre.

It is important to see how others view the story so I can properly communicate it and people will be able to walk past and identify what the artwork is illustrating.

Whilst doing research into previous Hansel and Gretel imagery I found these, the first is used to advertise the Edmonton opera's production of the story and the second has been used for the Scottish opera's. Both images are very similar in the fact that they clearly focus on the woodland particularly at night with the colours presenting the environment as one that turns slightly sinister at this time of day. 

I will need to look at the way I want to present the woodland in my depiction of the story. Perhaps it can show two sides to it since I want to introduce nature into this city environment for calming purposes but I also want to properly depict the atmosphere in the story.

Nevertheless the woodland environment seems to be an important factor in the story that others also identify so it seems right to depict this in my imagery.

(Images from Pinterest- artists unknown)

I liked the way this print seemed to have a narrative built into the composition and is maybe something to consider whilst making my own.

Although the incorporation of characters is interesting in this piece, I don't think it is something I want to include in my own designs. However it is interesting how both pieces seem to pick up on the birds in the story and this is also something that I noticed when reading it. Therefore it might be useful to include this in my design so again if people know the story they will better understand what the imagery is communicating.

This interpretation of the story is interesting as it illustrates the woodland as a colourful but also dark and sinister environment.

Image from Website advertising Carl Grose's adaptation of the fairy tale.

Ellie Davis' installation art (seen above) features lengthy paths through the forest. She constructs these installations using paint, powder, wool and paper to create paths through very natural landscapes. The project was an exploration of her own relationship with nature as she suggests that if natural landscapes such as these are always shaped, maintained and farmed by man then we can never access them in completely "untouched" circumstances and experience them as they were meant to be.

These trails could be compared to the ones the Hansel and Gretel create to find their way home in the forest and I found this particularly interesting as this is the part of the story that I wanted to focus on in my designs. There is something mysterious and unknown about this concept of being lost in the forest and finding your way back to safety. The ongoing exploration of a trail also allows for the discovery of a narrative as the person moves from one area to another and I thought it would be interesting to play with this in the creation of my designs.

K. Fogle Photography

 I have found it interesting looking at other artists' interpretations of the story, not just illustration but photography and installation as well. It seems obvious that the majority of these would focus on the forest as the majority of the story is set in this environment, however it is interesting how most of these illustrate is as a scary place with the same sort of colour pallet to project this atmosphere. These colours include dark blues and greens.

This photograph is from Opera North, Leeds’ production of Hansel and Gretel (photo by Robert Hugill). I thought it was very inventive how they utilised projection and the space available to illustrate the different environments in the story. It seems to be that the stage is constantly set to depict the inside of the house at the beginning of the story, however by projecting imagery of a forest environment over the top they have solved the problem of lengthy set changes. By doing this they have been able to easily depict the different environments in the story and quickly change from one scene to another.

As I plan to create a surface design on a building/s I need to be mindful of the fact that, depending on the material, I may not be able to stick imagery directly on the walls. Projecting the eventual design onto the building may be a good way around this as it is not permanent and can be easily changed from one design to another.

Self Defined- Initial experiments

Abstract floral shapes to use to make a pattern and perhaps repeat

Experimenting with lino printing to make pattern elements.

Combining a more 'realistic' style of painting with a linear form of image making.

Experimenting with colour and pattern

At the start of this project I knew I wanted to produce work involving surface pattern design using elements of nature but didn't know in what form the end result would be in. By giving myself such a broad project to focus on, I found it difficult to define which direction within my idea to go down and I spent a lot of time trying to find a set topic and project.

I tried various types of image making such as water colour and print making in order to gather material together that I could combine to make patterns and perhaps learn how to repeat these elements. However it became evident that I was just producing motifs a lot of the time and my organic and linear approach didn't always go together. I was very confused about what type of imagery I wanted to produce and therefore found it difficult to make anything that I wanted to commit to.

For the next project I do I will need to start by doing a lot of research into the area I am interested in to define my direction earlier on instead of wasting time at the beginning trying to produce work that wouldn't be of any use to the final product.

Self Defined- Proposal

For this project I intend to explore ways of incorporating nature into surface pattern design. This is an area which I am interested in pursuing in the future and nature is something that comes up a lot in my work so I hope to explore these two further in depth and develop my skills in this area. Instead of the usual go to products of cushions, mugs etc. I hope to explore different ways of applying surface pattern design to the real world. I also hope to utilise digital technologies to expand my possibilities, giving myself the opportunity to collage and repeat elements within the patterns. When producing material for the final outcome I will try to develop my skills with my preferred medium of watercolour. The reason I chose nature is that it is an environment I love to immerse myself in. Living in a city, parks and other little pockets of nature give people a place to reflect and calm down in an otherwise fast paced and stressful part of the world. Watercolour is also a very meditative medium perhaps another reason why I like to use this to document natural environments.

Because of the relaxing qualities of nature and watercolour I think it would be good to apply the design to somewhere inner city where the large amounts of people and the fast pace of city life can often become overwhelming. During my research I came across Brutalist architecture and thought it might be a nice contrast to place a nature based design on such a concrete ominous structure. The exterior of the National Theatre seemed to provide a perfect canvas for this and I thought it would be interesting to place a colourful and playful pattern type design on the outside to better reflect the building’s creative purpose.

Therefore for the final piece I aim to create a surface pattern design to go across the walls of the National Theatre.