Task 3 Post 5 – Collaboration

Taking influence from Jim Dingilian’s bottle art has both inspired and allowed me to work as part of a collaboration in order to perform experiments involving a different approach to drawing.

Using candles to create black soot on materials, but holding the flame fairly close and moving it around (making sure it doesn’t ignite) gave a surface in which tools were able to be used to etch away using a subtractive process to form a specific drawing. This changes peoples perceptions of common drawing methods.

The use of cardboard, glass, steel, plastic and mirror allowed us to experiment on different surfaces to see which worked best. I found thicker cardboard the most effective as the soot stayed on the surface and didn’t smudge as easily as glass. The mirror proved quite difficult but results were able to be achieved. Steel gave a good reflective effect in the background rather then just a plain colour, and plastic was ineffective as it created an uneven surface due to the heat of the candle causing it to melt or soften. The drawing tools we experimented with were the toothpick, cotton bud and pin. Through these objects we found that both the pin and toothpick allowed fine, intricate and more sketch-like designs to be produced, where as the cotton bud allowed a solid and thicker line.
Using watercolour paints to influence and highlight the part of the soot which was etched away allowed the attention to be focused more on the detail, although it did slightly being to peel.

We used the concept of nature, as it is something we are commonly negotiated with and as a concept which contains many aspects and detail within it. This allowed us to continue this theme within the zine, and relate it to both Sylvia Plath and William Shakespeare as famous peoples influence and inspiration are placed upon us.

The zine came together, which each page having relation to nature and our experimentation. With each member contributing to 7-8 pages having their own input with influence from one another we were able to make the project flow as a whole. Calling it ‘The Wild Window’ as it reflects the natural environment and the way in which we perceive it. It includes drawings, sketches, quotes etc in both digital and analogue form and allows us to present our research and findings.

Overall, I think out group worked successfully and efficiently in order to complete this project. We all collaborated ideas and participated in aspects of both the zine and the experimentation  and gave each other opinions and suggestions to improve what we had started with to our final drawings. 

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Task 3 Post 4 – Collaboration

Progress on the zine has begun. After organising that each member of the group will undertake the role in producing 7-8 pages each within the zine. Each person contributing and having input of inspiration and ideas, to enable each page of the zine working together to make it flow as a whole. We used the zine to reflect the aspects of nature, influences and drawings we undertook within the experimentation and zine construction processes. It is the centralised concept which that was collaboratively produced as the main focus for the drawings produced.

I found the zine and process of experimentation to be very interesting. Using candle soot as a drawing mechanism was not something I thought I would do, although I enjoyed experimenting with it. Seeing some of the results vary, having some failures in terms of mediums allowed strengths to be produced and focused on. Seeing the results allows us to develop ideas further for any future uses. The designs that were produced all reflected the concept of nature which was our main focus. I found this process very intriguing as I had never before seen this form of drawing and having unknown that it was involved in the original pigment source of inks and dyes. I found the use of different objects to draw with interesting as it enabled different strokes and lines to become formed.

Below are four of zine pages which I worked on. I incorporated quotes from well known authors which reflect the concept of nature whilst also incorporating the aspect of trees and their branches along with the photo of the candle and tree to reflect our starting sources of inspiration.

Another aspect of the experimentation I decided to incorporate was the use of a coloured background behind the black soot causing it to become visible as the soot becomes etched away. I used watercolours to paint on the surface of cardboard before coating it with soot. It was clearly shown through the drawing and was of successful appearance, although if closely seen in certain areas the paint began to slightly peel.

Task 3 Post 3 – Collaboration

The second component was the equipment used to draw on the candle soot on the surface of certain materials as discovered in experiment one. I typically focused on using both the cotton bud and the pin.

I found through experimentation with different shapes and designs the way in which each tool impacts its medium. I discovered the use of the pin allows small intricate detail, with the appearance of what almost seems like sketching as it allows small and thin lines, whereas the cotton bud was useful for thicker and more solid lines useful for things such as tree trunks rather than the imprint of leaves.

The drawing materials allowed the soot to be taken off the surface, which opposes to the normal pencil drawing upon the surface. This changes the idea of what people perceive as the normal way to draw and create a more interesting design and texture upon the surface. Although through the process of this, I discovered the pin or cotton bud must be held without your hand touching the page as the soot is easily smudged.

I repeated this drawing with different designs and aspects of nature each time. Overall this experiment was fairly good although each member of the group did an individual design bringing them together was an interesting aspect to see the different designs contrasting one another but having clear sign of relation. We were able to connect over the social media platform of Facebook to show our varying results.

Task 3 Post 2– Collaboration

The group idea in which we proposed was to experiment with candle soot on different surfaces such as cardboard, glass, steel and mirrors and to allow drawings to be produced on the surface by carving away at the soot. We followed closely to the theme of nature with aspects such as trees, leaves and plants having large influence. This project aims to draw upon a eccentric method of drawing, using tools such as cotton buds, toothpicks and pins rather then just ordinary pencils. After we successfully experiment concepts from it will be incorporated into aspects of the zine, folding out. Before becoming photocopied and bound by twine.

First we conducted the experiment using cardboard which we found in the arts building of uni, using different thicknesses to discover which the soot worked best with.

Firstly I used the back of a cardboard box, it seemed to allow the candle soot to stay on the surface. Secondly I used a thinner piece, closer to paper. This caused it to ignite as the heat touched the surface and therefore deficient for the proposed task. Third was a plastic container and fourth was a piece of laminate paper, this melted due to the heat of the candle although the soot was on the surface the uneven texture made it to hard to work with.

Task 3 Post 1– Collaboration

Task 3 – Collaboration

Brief: To examine the effect of soot from candle smoke on different materials such as cardboard and glass. The aim of this was to see which material was the most effective when used for drawing on.

Materials:
• Cardboard, glass, steel and mirror (to be distributed within the group)
• Watercolour paint
• Drawing materials – pin, toothpick and cotton bud
• Candle
• Match

The concept of using candle soot to draw originated from Jim Dingilian’s bottle art. Where he uses a tiny paint brush attached to a dowel rod to etch away the soot inside an empty glass bottle to create detailed scenes.

We used the idea of his work and collaborated to form our own ideas and work together with individual contributions in the forms of processes, methods and techniques. The subject matter of the drawings which we intend to produce captures the essence of nature by using candles as a main drawing tool. Soot is the fine black particles, chiefly composed of carbon, produced by incomplete
combustion of coal, oil, wood, or other fuels. Over past centuries it has been found as a source of pigment in inks and dyes.

In regards to the group I believe our group has worked corporately and efficiently to this point in time. Each contributing an equal amount to the group project as individuals worked on 8 pages of the zine, and 3 drawings each. Through the social media platform we intend to keep in contact and up to date with each others progress to form our collaborative project.

Assessment 2B – Kate Scott

Using food colouring (red, blue and yellow), dishwashing detergent, vegetable oil, milk and water along with a camera to document my progress my aim was to determine whether or not you can create prints on paper using these items.

I used small glass bowls, with a small amount of liquid (enough to cover the bottom), and added a squirt of each food colouring from the droppers, and used the skewer to touch the surface which each time had been dipped into dishwashing detergent once. I would then lie a piece of paper on the surface of the liquid and slowly lift it off to see the pattern formed.

With research behind the way in which milk reacted, I decided to test the same idea again but instead of using full cream milk to use low fat milk. This created the reaction to happen slower, as there was less fat for the detergent to react with and this also created small dot-like particles to form on the paper.

To show the materiality inherent within my experiment after mucking around with video’s and photos I decided to base this on the idea of a stop motion. Which is a manipulation of small increments between individual photograph frames to make it appear to move by itself played as a continuous sequence – bringing inanimate objects to life.

The video above is both a representation of my process and results.

Mapping Summary Post

To reflect upon the research mapping assignment which I have been undertaking in CAVA for the past 4 weeks, I have learnt that different approaches in mapping can convey different ideas and messages. As the course has progressed I have discovered the different ways mapping is apprehended in concern to its visual representation, meaning not only is mapping used as a tool for directions somewhere but is also used to represent notions of our lives.

Through the development of my understanding of mapping, I have undertaken many different approaches and experiments to represent the way in which it can be used as a tool for visual representation in different contexts. I have developed and researched maps using:
– Typography (word maps)
– Using objects to represent something (litter-map)
– Food maps
– Memory maps
– Sensory maps (using sight, touch, smell, hearing, taste)
– Concept of mapping through thoughts, emotions, social interactions and the environment
And the way these can be produced either through a digital or analogue medium to enable the concept to be understood by someone who may view the map that was created for a specific purpose.

Through the assignment and workshops it has enabled me to be creative and view certain aspects of life using a different perspectives. Although my blog posts may lack a bit of detail in the process of my experiments, I think this will allow me to furthermore develop/work on my blog with more depth in the near future. Along side the quality of the photos that were taken, may need to be clearer.

Mapping can be defined as a “graphical representation of a procedure, process, structure, or system that depicts arrangement of and relationships among its different components.” In my project I have chosen to use mapping to represent things that influence the way we think. Using aspects from workshops I undertook in my practicals and the use of Gina Riley’s images as a backdrop to the map I have created. The research I conducted on certain aspects which may effect the way we think as we progress through life or even things that influence us on a daily basis. Through my research and brainstorming of ideas, I found the following aspects the most influential in regards to things that influence the way we think:
Feelings, perception, media, language, experience, events, self-talk, actions, thoughts, beliefs, relationships, family, religion, ethnicity, age, environment, past, future, present, health, senses, people, education, freedom, equality, wealth and death.
I have connected these aspects by placing them into three categories;
i) positive (+)
ii) negative (-)
iii) neutral (+/-)
This represents the way I believe the aspects control the way we think. Whether they help us think more positively, negatively or if the positives and negatives balance out leaving them as neutral. I have used warm colours (red, orange and yellow) which are seen as active and stimulating to represent the positive aspects, cool colours (purple, green and blue) which are seen as restful and quite to represent the negatives and I have overlap the cool and warm colours (perceived as more rainbow) to give a more neutral effect to those perceived as being neutral.

This is the final image which I produced for my mapping activity:
Things that influence the way we think

Week 4: Mapping Research

(Retrieved from: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/281686151665892104/)

This litter-map was made in the US to represent the amount of trash within a specific area. It has been created to try get a message across to children to clean up the Earth and reduce the amount of litter. It has used litter to produce the shape of the US.

(Retrieved from: http://hiphopisthefuture.com/post/80787520266)

This map has been produced by Matt Dojny and represents his E.S.P (extrasensory perception), meaning things he has detected by his mind rather than his physical senses. He has used contour lines to represent his thoughts.

Combining the ideas of the above maps, I have decided to produce a map of the litter found in a local park. I have used contour lines to represent the space around the rubbish, leaving where the rubbish was found white. The larger white spaces may also be used to represent objects such as play equipment or a gardens edge. I used a white sheet of paper to represent the area in which I had chosen to map, allowing me to draw in the litter/objects. I then used a black pen to mark the contour lines around these findings. Below is the map in which I produced as my results for these findings.

Week 3: Mapping Reseach

(Retrieved from: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/11470174025396391/)

Above is a map produced by Kazutoshi Murata. It uses makizushi (sushi rolls) to represent the Pacific Ocean. With inspiration from this image I have chosen to conduct an experiment using pizza to represent Australia and the states within.

By viewing a map of Australia, I cut the pizza base into the shape.

I then used various toppings to represent the states of Australia, with tomato sauce covering the whole of the pizza base. (Toppings included: ham, salami, spanish onion, cheese, oregano, cocktail onions, capsicum and garlic).

Below is the final results of the cooked pizza representing each state of Australia. Using; ham to represent Western Australia, cocktail onions to represent Northern Territory, oregano to represent South Australia, cheese to represent Queensland, spanish onion to represent New South Wales, capsicum to represent Australian Capital Territory, salami to represent Victoria and garlic to represent Tasmania, allowing a visual representation of Australia and its states to be clearly and easily interpreted by a viewer.

Week 3 Workshop: Mapping Allsorts

Today in Kims workshop, we were introduced to the aspect of exploring the idea of mapping through observing specific aspects of space, by using various materials and following a certain instruction.

The first instruction I was given to follow was to create a social map. This meant that I needed to map any interactions that occurred between people in a given location for a set period of time noting how location of the interactions impacted upon them. I mapped the social interactions in the studio garden from around 10am-11am.

The second instruction I had was to sit still for exactly twenty minutes and map everything I saw. Below is the image in which I produced within the twenty minutes that I spent in the studio garden.