KVB222 Assessment 1 - Blog: Portfolio
Student: Jesse Simmons N9109081
Task 1.1: Line & Direction
As seen below I initially worked with string and wire, containing them within a rubber band. I would drop the two materials and using minor rearrangements would form variants of continuous line and transitions, hoping this would help in considering how direction and line compliment one another. After these playful experiments I realised I had not yet considered incorporating a sculptural work within a set environment and began researching works that would assist with this.
Research
This weeks lecture I found myself drawn to the works of Richard Deacon and Urs Fischer. Deacon's work incorporated organic lines that formed shapes that appear to be heading in an upward motion, whereas Fischer's work used heavy lines to create a sense of very erratic movement. Looking further into similar works led me to find Alexandra Wejchert's work seen below. It is an array of lines and shapes that move slowly due to the way it has been hung, the shapes are also very organic like that of leaves on a branch.
Works referenced from lecture:
Deacon, Richard. (1983) For Those Who Have Two Ears #2 [Wood & Adhesive].
Fischer, Urs. (2006) Mackintosh Staccato [Epoxy resin, pigment, enamel paint, wire, & aluminium].
Wejchert, Alexandra.(1921). Untitled [Steel and Stainless Steel].
Further Development
I went on to explore various ways of using literal movement. The first image below displays a work that could be adjusted by the viewer, they are able to manipulate the pipe along the wire sculptures organic lines. The other images look at another wire sculpture that is manipulated by it's surroundings, the wind assists in moving not only the organic lines that form a loop, but also the additional two circles and was the work I choose to focus on improving for the final piece.
Notes taken during experimentation and research of line and movement.
Final Work
My final work incorporates wire and string, it is an example of both line and direction. The movement between the lines formed by the wire is organic and flow peacefully in comparison to the erratic nature of the string that has intersected to form a lively sense of movement. The work as a whole was situated on a tree within the CI Precinct and this meant the composition as a whole incorporated the literal movement caused by wind, allowing it to be accelerated or halted at any given moment. I found this was important to consider, as initially, I was far more focused on creating the sculpture itself rather than reflecting on how a particular environment it inhabited could elevate its purpose.
Task 1.2: Line & Site
For this task, I choose to incorporate Tony Smith's sculpture within an area of the CI Precinct using Adobe Photoshop. I was drawn to Smith' ability to make a hard-edged work appear organic, as though incorporating the structures and lines formed by the things within their surrounding environments. I felt it would suit the modern aesthetics seen around the new section of the CI Precinct, playing with if it was capable of standing out as it's own volume when placed amongst walls that lacked colour much like the sculpture causing them to be deemed unemotional.
Smith, Tony. (1962). Free Ride [Painted Steel].
Final Work
I attempted to ground the sculptures within this image by adding shadows and feel it worked however definitely has room for improvement, that would come from practice. The piece as a whole though has the sculptures being incorporated as an extension to the low rising wall, adding a huge amount of volume. It would seem that I had also felt the need to incorporate the organic lines with similar lines formed within the CI Precinct walkway.
Task 1.3: Plane & Balance
I began this task by brainstorming what I would typically come across that showed literal balance, for example, a see-saw in a park or a ruler between desks. It was through this playful sense of exploration I developed the more refined concept seen in my diagrams below. I wanted to look at how well a flat object could rest on a circular surface.
Research
This weeks lecture I found works shown by Katherine Gili and Tim Scott to be most inspiring. I found that Gili's use of irregular shapes and cantilevered arm compliments Scott's incorporation of multiple planes and wanted to look at other artists who combined these. I came across Giuseppe Palumbo's sculptural piece seen below did just this, It reenacts a literal depiction of balance, however with the varied planes being both straight and curved it plays with the potential for movement and imbalance if anything was to slightly shift.
Works referenced from lecture:
Gili, Katherine.(1948) Column [Steel].
Scott, Tim. (1979) Kajuraho II [Steel].
Palumbo, Giuseppe. (2016). Balance [Bronze and steel].
Final Work
The work below depicts a combination of varied planar forms whilst also representing literal balance using both cardboard and sheet metal. The cardboard uses fulcrum to depict balance, as it rests on the curved sheet metal. The variation of materials also allowed me to explore a variant of planes as the sheet metal could be bent into a curved plane, combined with this by having both curved and straight planes a sense of fragmentation can be seen in the final composition.
Task 1.4: Plane & Site
Using planar objects from around the CI Precinct, I looked at how they could be combined on Adobe Photoshop to form a spatial work that incorporated both plane and site. The objects I took apart were; a drain cover, a recycling bin, a bollard and the underneath of a concrete seat.
Final Work
The final visualisation is one that complements its surroundings by being scaled appropriately and could easily replace the bollards all together. These four planes have been combined in a way that balances each other out, with none competing against the others to stand out.
Task 1.5: Volume & Proportion I
In this design, a number of volumes have been stacked on top of one another, but there has also been a variant in the scale to depict a numerous array of proportions. Balance has also been explored amongst these volumes, however, I found that this did not shine through the design.
Final Work
For the final production on SketchUp, I choose to separate a piece of the below design and incorporate it within an outdoor setting. I chose a space in the CI precinct that would add emphasise to the sculptures planes, I found that by enhancing the shadows the SketchUp work as a whole was brought to life.
Task 1.6: Volume & Proportion II
This task involved creating a spatial work that would convey volume and proportion, I used MDF boards and cardboard to do so for my final work. However initially I simply sketched out ideas seen below, looking at the negative space that can be created when planes connect and how this could relate to volume.
Research
Richard Long's spatial work transforms the limestone from being just blocks of stone, into something symbolic. This has been done by using stones in an array of proportions and having them compressed inwards almost forming a singular volume. The audience can feel a pull towards to centre of this work as the circular volume draws upwards with the majority of its height being within its centre.
Long, Richard. (1991). Kilkenny Limestone Circle [Limestone].
Final Work
Within this work it is clear how negative space formed by the interconnecting planes has created volume, whilst the literal shape the cardboard and MDF forms are volumes of their own. The shadows formed within parts of these negative spaces additionally take on a dense heavy look, grounding the work. By not using multiple layers like what i experimented helped to bring a focus to the proportion of the work itself.
Task 1.7: Interval & Repetition
This task explored the combination of intervals and repetition, I chose to use a combination of cardboard and bamboo to form my spatial work. The initial conceptualisation for my final work can be seen below and looked at how lines can intersect to reflect the shapes around them, whilst also forming to create larger volumes than they are capable of on their own.
Research
Upon researching I came across Choucair's sculpture below, a playful take on lines and how they can form shapes and volumes whilst evoking a sense of movement. Though somewhat basic rectangular shapes when on their own, each form having been combined with a multitude of other forms has created an array of organic curves as they interlock with one another.
Choucair, Saloua Raouda. (1966-68). Poem In Nine Verses [Aluminum].
Final Work
This work plays with much like with lines much like the Poem in Nine Verses, the bamboo intersects to recreate the image of a rectangle. In doing so they create repetition of not only the rectangle form, but also a multitude of new volumes.
Task 1.8: Interval & Site
This work was created using SketchUp and demonstrates both interval and repetition. Extruding shapes depict varying intervals depending on the orientation of the work.
Final Work
Task 1.9: Sitework
For this task, I was exploring compression within a work that would incorporate a part of the CI Precinct. I considered the slats making up the walls of some buildings and the many poles around the campus almost squashed between the roof and floor of the buildings they support, as well as little nooks I came across. I knew I wanted to incorporate clay, as I felt this was the most malleable of the available materials and would allow me to depict a sense of transformation that many 'compressed' works depict, as pressure transforms the material into a new form.
Research
I found that Baldaccini's work below was a clever example of how materials can be transformed under pressure, being literally compressed can transform them into seemingly much denser sculpted work. It was something I wished to explore within my own final work.
Baldaccini, César. (1970). Compression Portable [Silver].
Final Work
My final work is focused on depicting compression within an area of the CI Precinct, I found myself drawn to the walkway along Z9 as it has a series of benches that jut out from the concrete wall that separates the path from the garden. I also felt that found that my concept of compression meant something tightly condensed and almost shrunken within its surroundings. The work is created using; clay, MDF and wood that I cut down to the same size lengths. The site itself (being the bench) literally causes the wood to compress the clay balls against the MDF board. I had considered using a singular ball of clay and piece of wood but found that it did not have the same impact and was in fact too small a work within this site. By having the three pieces of wood the lines form a repetitive notion, whilst also forming a stronger shape than the singular line on its own.
Overall Reflection
These tasks have helped me to see my surroundings in a new light, we are constantly amongst planes, volumes, patterns and intervals that could be enhanced. I'm looking forward to exploring this further and feel that I should look to creating either a large scale work or one of greater volume, as looking back on these tasks I note they remained to a certain scale. I feel this was due to the time it took to not only create the final product but to also gain an understanding of the subject the work needed to explore.
