The Body

Task 1: Choose an image that exemplifies the relationship between your subject area and the body.

Since visiting the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam I have gained a greater appreciation for 3D Art and Design. I remember first seeing Jens Fager’s  ‘Raw Chair’ and being completely awestruck by its traditional physicality in contrast to its colour. Just by seeing it my whole day had changed, I couldn’t get it out of my head, I completely became obsessed by it. I had seen many chairs like it in shape yet I found the familiarity of it combined with the angular surface texture and it’s refreshing, almost neon yellow colour revolutionary.

You could argue that if the sight of a chair could completely change my outlook, my style of work and my interests then I must be sad, but really it was an awakening to a viewpoint that I had previously missed. I saw a chair, an object designed for the human body to interact with, to serve a purpose, to meet a desire yet not one of my thoughts were to sit on it. I wanted to touch it, feel the texture, make sure it was real, I felt like it was glowing and I needed to feel it’s presence.

After translating what I saw to my sketchbook my next move was to think about how this experience made me feel and I realised that to me the chair stood for many things, but mainly not a chair. I felt sadness for everyday objects and the lack of appreciation compared to what things in frames receive. That innovative design and efficiency is overlooked and honest dedication to fulfil a need dismissed simply because it’s functional, I now believe that worth is not just valued by its aesthetic or its concept but also for its purpose.

I feel that therefore this image is an accurate depiction of the relationship between the body and my field of work as I aim to transform everyday images and objects used by people to grab attention to the genius design and practicalities considered by the maker. In my work I hope to develop these objects by transforming them to effect people the way the ‘Raw Chair’ has to me.

Photo Credit: Mia Linnman

Slip Casting

Continuous line drawings documenting the process of slip casting. I chose to replicate a cheese grater without the holes as I am looking to take the use and smooth metal quality away. 

Paradeigma

As a huge fan of participatory, engaging, sensory art I immediately fell in love with ‘Paradeigma’ by ARUP and Cooledge in Tent at London Design Fair. Comprised of a combination of panels of light with reflective and matt surfaces, set to a sequence of light shifts and tones, I found this space erotic in the sense that I couldn’t look away. My experience with the installation was very positive as I actively sought out work that was playful, clever and effective in stopping someone in their steps.

I saw many people react to this piece, some of whom stood in the box for photo opportunities and some who didn’t know what was the correct way to react. I believe there is a divide between people who grew up with ‘do not touch’ posted everywhere and those who are curious and slightly cheeky who challenge what they see before them. The use of light, darkness, reflection and shapes to change a space and manipulate your perspective of space is extremely effective and also keeps a modern aesthetic element. The fact that ‘Paradeigma’ was on display in a design fair shows the versatility of the designers behind the task as the product was the lighting sheets and yet they displayed it in an effective, innovative way. This inspires me to not be constrained by the separate terms ‘Art’ and ‘Design’ which exist.

Enamel on Steel

The visual texture of this ‘Memory Bowl’ drew my attention and left me curious to what technique was used to create this effect, I spent most of my time at Craft in the Bay considering this specific piece. The darker surface markings vaguely suggest lettering, referring possibly to the process of filtering, storing and discarding of information and memories. The dark surface of the rim can be seen as a symbol of the immortality of this cycle, the process every healthy mind continues with.

Physical representations of non-physical things pique my interests as I find personal interpretation of feelings, invisible processes and things beyond the realm of sight fascinating. I am also interested in the debate of the boundaries between the viewers interpretation, conceptual and non-conceptual art. In our modern society we are taught to look and not touch and so I find Elizabeth Turrell‘s bowl a temptation hard to resist as I find the texture engaging with sight but the physical feeling a mystery.