Unit X Development

Unit X Development

Since beginning the sampling stage of Unit X, my group have been meeting and discussing our ideas and developments and me and another member of my group have decided to collaborate within the group as. After meeting and showing our work to 3D students, we realised that our work was aiming to move in the same direction and we were addressing the same issues as well as making use of similar materials and processes. As well as this, our group as a whole, despite having different ways of working and interests in terms of subject matter, I have noticed that the collective colour scheme, and our focal point being the same craft, our work is moving in the direction of an interesting collection of work that works cohesively but also allows for each persons work to achieve their own distinctiveness. I began my sampling by producing a series of fringes and tassels using wools and yarns, making use of various techniques to achieve different styles of Passementerie. I wanted to take inspiration from Haywood’s work, using the ideas my group discussed earlier in the project about giving strength to the textiles. I did some tests trapping my samples in ice, as a less permanent way of trapping than using concrete, stone etc.

 I actually found this more interesting a process than I initially imagined. The quality of the ice means that you see what is being trapped inside, allowing you to see the entire sample rather than just what is protruding from the ice. I also photographed these pieces as they melted to see how the samples would be gradually released from the ice. I plan to do more freezing of samples in this project as it allows the samples to take on a more 3D form, as reflects the concept of trapping the Handmade in the industrial, but the samples are returned after the ice has melted and can therefor be used again.

 I really liked the outcome of these tests so I began drawing from the images I had taken, trying to pick up on the various textures, as well as showing the quality of the ice.

After using the ice to trap my samples, I began using more permanent ways of trapping to see the different outcome this may produce. I used concrete in the same way I did with the ice. I also wanted to think more about the shapes of moulds I was using rather than just rectangles or circles. To get an idea of the shapes, I began applying my samples to places you would usually find Passementerie, such as lampshades.

I realised this may be a difficult shape to try and mould concrete into, but I tried finding pots that may resemble a similar shape such as plant pots.

At this point, Sophie and I, from my group began collaborating more closely, we have put our work together and started to establish the similarities in our process and have produced some collaborative samples using methods we have both found successful.  

We have also began creating collaborative drawings, using still life arranged from our samples as the subject matter. This was an interesting process as it highlights similarities and differences in our ways of drawing, and also how two people can interpret the same thing so differently.

My plan moving forward, with one week left of Unit X is to focus more on the idea of freezing samples, but to use a larger variety of materials. Although i really like using the concrete, stone and clay to produce samples, i love the process that the ice takes the samples through. I also want to develop my drawing more in this project as i feel it is key to my design process, and i found more inspiration in my previous set of ice samples. i plan to create a series of large scale drawings, A2/A1 inspired by my frozen samples.