The Final Exhibition!

Before the photographs were added

Testing out what the photos would look like without the frames as instructed by tutor.

I didn't like the effect because the photos look really detached from the pieces.

I included pictures of the test piece becasue I wanted to show that this method and idea can be put into many different forms, not just the ones shown.  I thought that having the same person modelling in all the photos would look too repetitive so I  added some variation.

Wolfgang Tillmans

I looked at this artist to help me for ideas of how to exhibit my final pieces.

My pieces are quite abstract in their shape and when someone isn't wearing it it is hard to tell what it is.

To solve this I have decided to include pictures in the exhibition showing the pieces being worn.  

I like the way he has displayed the pictures randomly and how they are all different sizes, following no pattern.

Keeping in the style I have maintained throughout the project, of using old photographs to represent designs, I think the idea of using old mix match frames would work well.

I am pleased with my final outcome as I feel they ended the projects well.  Although there were come issues with the final finishings of the piece.   When I was moulding the leather around the wooden moulds I leant the pieces of my lap.  The dye from my jeans transferred onto the surface of the leather making them look very dirty.

I researched ways of taking of the dirt on the internet and some tips looked promising;

Spray hairspray and then wipe off

Rub in toothpaste then wipe off

and nail varnish.

I used these methods on a test piece first.  None of the product worked full but hairspray worked the best, removing some of the ink.

Unfortuanly I went ahead and sprayed some onto my final piece and it created an unsightly dark patch and did not remove the ink either.  I i were to do this project again I would be very careful about he surfaces that I worked on, making sure my workspace was always clean.

Making the final pieces

Simon Hassan & Poltrona Frau

I found these designers in the Hand Made issue of Wallpaper* magazine.  I really like the thrown on look of the leather and the organic imperfect folds.  

More mould making ....

Because the moulding from furniture didn't work so well I needed other forms to mould from.  I wanted the pieces to be able to be worn so I based the pieces on body parts.  I wanted to keep the furniture-esk look so I kept the edges straight so that it would create corners in the leather.

MORE PHOTOS OF THE MOULDS

Using furniture as moulds.

I really like the shapes and aspects of some furniture, from my drawings I thought they would make some usual forms.  So I used an old chair that I found as a mould for the leather...... 

This is one of the pieces after it had dried l like the corners and the fold it made.  It took on the shape successfully but I failed to visualise it for use on the body as the shape is too obscure  did not fit in anywhere.

Dai Rees - Carapace...

This is the piece Carapace by Dai  Rees, shown at Aware - art fashion identity this year.  Unfortunately  I missed the exhibition but found this work when researching Hussein Chalayan, who had work at the same exhibition.  He uses pattern blocks and manipulates them with thick leather hide.  These are really interesting processes that are very subtle like leather marquetry. 

Leather hide, leather marquetry, stainless steel, enamel

 and iodine, each piece 180 x 70 x 50 cm.

Triptych, The Butchers Window, 200

Screen print workshop....

From looking at the Proenza Shouler collection, I decided to test methods of quickly creating pattern and texture to the surface of the leather.

During this enjoyable workshop I used photocopies of my favourite samples of weaving.  I liked how the scanner picked up the texture of the leather that had been woven through.  Interesting idea of texture on texture.  To exploit this I blew up the picture and had it made into a screen.

Practising at first with with paper and plain white cotton and light polyester fabric I thought they made quite nice samples on their own.  I then moved onto screen printing onto actual leather, and to my amazement it worked quite effectively, giving a clear image. 

.I explored with marbling browny tones on the leather so that the screen printing was not so obvious to add subtle detail. 

I then moved onto using the special die which poofs up when heated.  This produced some very interesting effect on the leather.  

One of my favourite samples was when I used a black ink on the leather and then when heated turned into multiple colours rather like the colour of oil on the road.  If I had time I would explore this idea further.

Even thought the print looked affective on this scale I don't think it would be possible, with the facilities  in the workshop to make smaller detailed screens which I could use on my jewellery pieces.

  

Proenza Schouler spring/summer 2011 collection....

This is the Proenza Schouler spring/ summer collection.  I am particularly interested in the shoes and patterns.  Far away it looks like woven material but in fact is intricately stitched into the leather.  If this project was longer I would love to explore this idea.

Photos from jakandjil.com,  a very inspirational fashion blog, where I am a frequent visitor.

Mould Making...

After researching on how to make plaster casts of the body it appeared like it would be a big waste of time and money.  I would have to buy two types of plaster, one to mould the part and one to pour onto the cast.  It would also take a very long time to dry and the person/ I would have to sit for a very long time in the plaster.  After it was done I don't know how I would secure the wet vegetable tanned leather around it well enough to let it dry and take on the shape.  So to solve this problem I decided to make wooden moulds of some parts, like my arm.  This way I can hammer nails into the mould which I can use over and over again.  Rather like a last for shoe making.   The wood was free because I found it in the scrap bin in the 3D workshop.

I made this arm mould by drawing on the silhouette of my arm on each side and cut it with a band saw making the rough shape.  I was then going to sand down the corners to make it like a life like rounded arm but I thought I would do that later after doing some test pieces with this interesting shape.

This is a rough model of a shoulder, I couldn't find a big enough piece of wood so I glued a few together then cut the shape and then sanded the corners to make a rounded finish.   Even though there is a ridge this wouldn't matter because the leather it too thick still to be that impressionable.

I am really pleased with my moulds as they were very easy and enjoyable to do,  further down the project it will be just as easy to make more moulds of other body parts.

Maurizio Anzeri

Round Midnight

2009

Embroidery on print

Penny

2009

Embroidery on found photograph

This artist does amazing intricate work with stitch, I have seen his work last year in the Jerwood Space for the Drawing Competition and recently  in the Saatchi Gallery part 2 of the Newspeak exhibition. 

Again like John Stezaker he uses found photographs then adds elements to make the most beautiful images.  Maurizo Azuri looks like he could be a milliner or designer as it looks like he is designing extraordinary hats and these works are the very beginning stages of his work, his initial ideas. 




PUT IN MY BIG PHOTO EXPERIMENTS!!!

Susan Collis Since I fell for you

Work on it 2002
New wooden table, adhesive vinyl.

Oak stepladder, diamond, topaz, picture agate, white opal,
Brazilian opal, fossil coral, freshwater pearl, cultured pearl,
white motherof pearl, gold mother of pearl, white howlite.

Wooden broom, opals, turquioise, garnets, seed pearls,
mother of pearl, black diamonds, fresh water pearls,
coral,black onyx, maracite

Linen, embroidery thread

Sonokelling rosewood, carved lapis lazuli, silver,
 bronze, smoky quartz, black diamonds

18 carat white gold (hallmarked), white sapphire, turquoise, onyx 

Although I will not be working with furniture directly with furniture, my inspiration for the shapes will come from furniture.  Such as the rounded top of a chair, the right angles and smooth edges of where a leg of a table connects to the top etc...

Susan Collis is one my my favourite artist that I have found this year, I think her work is so beautiful.  I thing I find most fascinating is how much time and effort is spent on the pieces even though this is not obvious.  I want to achieve the same quality finish for my final piece, doing intricate weaving on the creases of the leather.  Small patches where I have worked hard to develop the surface, in places where it is not obvious to the viewer making them have to look harder and closer at my work.