EDAM week 8: Orthographic Drawing and 3D Model Making

 Week  8 of EDAM with new tutor Ute Kreyman  and a very different approach to drawing from the expressive  approaches of previous weeks.  The theme  for the 3 week project was  looking at different types of  analytical,  orthographic drawing techniques (paraline, axonometric)  and making maquettes  as a support for drawing/ photography.  

 We  were particularly looking at the concept of ' crating'  looking  at how artists like Chris Burden  had used this in 'small Skyscraper ' (above)  to play with sense of scale  and in work by Oliver Zwink ( below) 

  Looking  to see how a pot or vessel for instance could be simplified into a series of stacked boxes or crates , adding the curves a later point once dimensions established rather than building the volume  up in for instance a series of spirals  ( as I did  in week 6) 

Or comparing the spiral form of Antony Gormley's  ' Feeling Material'   with the  use of cylinders/ boxes to simplify the shape in the human form ( below) 

After a demonstration by Ute of   freehand axonometric drawing using 45 degree angles  we developed templates  on which we placed sheets of tracing paper to build up  shapes ( circles, spheres, cyclinders etc ). I was thrilled to learn how to draw an arch !

We then built up imaginary compositions of buildings such as town square, using this as a starting point. 

Definately  out of my comfort zone tho' I  have used   accurate drawing techniques before , particularly when I was drawing up patchwork piecing patterns  or preparing draft illustrations for Phil Seaton to draw properly  in our book ' Growing Orchids from Seed' 

Mainly when  I do  drawing/ painting./sewing  I think  of the skills  I learnt from my mum  but   with  this technique it was my  dad I  was grateful to. He was  a design engineer  with a keen interest in woodworking, building all kinds of useful and decorative items (His father was a pattern-maker on  the Glasgow shipyards involved with refit of Queen Mary  and my great, great grandfather was a cooper!) . I've still got and use some of his tools including the carpenter's  t- square, a lovely thing in hardwood and brass  made by 'I & H  Sorby'  and have a large stock of pencils used for drawing on drafting film. 

  But I digress !  The last hour  of the   class was building  spaceships out of household packaging materials we'd brought from home.  I was running out of steam  ( still suffering  from   cold)  so I was grateful when Sandy  suggested we  pool resources and  join forces   with Shabana,  

 This was our collaborative effort   ( which was used as an example of how we might use lighting  next week to emphasise different aspects)

  We then produced models of our own:( Sandy's above, Shabana's , below)

 

 Mine ( above) was definately minimalist   in comparison to  some of the imaginative structures produced. 

  They look rather forlorn stored safely above the cupboard until the next session !

  I've been too busy to do any drawing  this week but I have been thinking  of applying axonometric
 ' crating'  to the photo  of my charcoally hand  and to the  coffee filter cone that was the inspiration behind this ' spaceship'

When  getting the Xmas decorations out of the garage , I found  the pumpkin sweetie  box we use with a LED  bike light in at Halloween  and  am thinking spaceship interiors.  

Tomorrow I'll be drawing  at the Science  Museum -  will it be rockets rather than  irons  this time I wonder?  Better take some graph paper and a ruler! 

EDAM week 7 : Projections, Scale , Process

A one week  project this week on EDAM course with Lucinda on scale  and process  using projections. 

I had to leave early as I was feeling unwell  with my first cold in 2 years.   After a few days with mornings in bed  feeling sorry for myself I'm on the  mend   tho' going through a lot of tissues....  So I was definately under parr  when it came to  collaborating in small  groups , trying  to make decisions  -  some nice work produced by others   but not by me ! 

Started off   with Lucinda  demonstrating different  way of using  acetates on OHP projector . I liked the idea of projecting images as large as possible and getting inside the painting/ drawing yourself  or putting a  sheet over yourself and having image projected on you or casting the picture around the room. 

  Our small group had fun layering acetates of  our drawings - quite different marks and styles, although  perhaps 4 people was too much - ( there were only a limited number of OHP's). Drawing onto paper from the projections and then switching it off , showed  some interesting results ( below)

  The introduction  of colour and  different kinds of marks

  Using a acetate photocopy of one of my photos of boats at Iron Wharf   gave a different dimension

 Then Janet added  some vigorous ink marks replicating the lines on  projected building

  Final piece after some more additions of colour - not great art or composition but definately a record of processes! 

 I used OHP  projections  as part of  Contemporary Painting  Studio  course with Lucinda -   it wasn't really a technique that worked for me  - I  prefer  to do manipulations etc in Photoshop. However they had  some  dinky little digital projectors  which some people were using  with tablets  etc and  that gave me the push to get round to replacing my laptop ( new one arrived today) and I'm on the lookout now for a digital projector that I can also use for talks. 

I've used a slide projector in the past to scale up my photos ( including sand  dunes in Morocco for quilted piece 'Erg Chebbi' ) so I'm keen to explore new technology.  

Anni Albers at Tate Modern: Tactile Sensibility

 A few weeks ago I visited  the Anni Albers exhibition  at Tate Modern.  I first became seriously aware  of her work in Whitechapel  Gallery exhibition ' adventures of the black square'  and then at 'Making, Unmaking' at Camden Arts Centre.   It  was a joy to see   a gallery space devoted to  textiles as art  ( and  for this to be recognized in  reviews of the exhibition  here  and here)   

What  struck me most was  how much the texture  added depth to abstract  work,  seeing the details and the variety of threads and 'stitches'   used in her 'pictorial weaving'  and  interestingly how fading of dyes over time made subtle changes.  She was such an innovator.  

 The larger installations , exploring the relationships between textiles and architecture  and the commission ' 6 prayers'  with their 'scriptural effect'  showed another dimension of her work

  Interesting use of metallic  threads - the silver threads in 'Haiku' (below)  reflecting back light in my  phone camera snap  ( you wouldn't be aware  of it in the  photos online)   

 I enjoyed her sketches and the fascinating  range of samples  and source material   for her  book ' On Weaving'   from student exercises using straw  and string  to fragments of  ancient woven pieces from cultures around the world

 In the final room  were samples of the types of yarn  she used and touchable swatches- reminders of how important the sense of touch is in textiles. I wonder how often they have to replace  them , or what they look like now after several weeks of  fondling and handling!?  

This was one of my favourite pieces - ' City' from  1949 ,  overlaid swatches of heavy threads  on a course hessian like background   giving the impression of buildings  In the words of  Nicholas Fox Weber,  the executive director of the Josef and Anni Albers Foundation, “You see neighbourhoods; you hear populations; you sense traffic rushing along.”

White Paintings: Tate Modern 'In the Studio' & Paul Feiler at Redfern Gallery

 Where possible, Fridays are now my 'London Gallery ' days : travelling  after 10 am cost £17.90 with a  Network railcard  in comparison to the  £47.80  travelling at peak time in the morning for EDAM  on Wednesdays! 

So far  I've  been to the Annie Albers at Tate Modern  and Oceania  at the RA  and with ' Black and White'  with Ashley Hanson  still in my mind , I've  been hunting down relevant artworks  while I've been in the area, discovering  a whole section in the 'In The  Studio' display  of  Tate Modern ( above) and  some exciting works  by Paul Feiler in the Redfern Gallery in Cork Street ( below) 

 Entering the prestigious  galleries in Mayfair  no longer scares me as much as it used  to - if you have a genuine interest in the work , I've found the  staff to be helpful and often generous with catalogues and cards etc .  At the Redfern, there was  roadworks going on outside and I think they were glad to see anyone!

 I sketched these 2  pieces : Oval and Blue ( above) and Porthleddon deep Blue 1962 ( below) to get  to grips with their proportions and compositions. Also to try and work out how many layers there were and in what order - I just loved the flashes of yellow, blue and brown  at the edges of shapes. What at first glance might seem to be a slapdash application of white  is actually   very carefully painted.  I was also very aware of the importance of edges ( as with Patrick Heron)

I  liked  the exuberance of the textured brush strokes  in 'coastal Walk 1959' above' summoning up a sense of place  and  his  sketches ( below)

 While  his earlier more organic work is more to my taste,  his later geometric 'portal' works ( above)  are mesmerising when you see them in the flesh, the subtle layers of colour drawing you in

 ( reproductions just can't do them justice)  The  title  'elusive space' for the exhibition  was very  apt. 

  The previous week, in Tate Modern while paying homage to the 'Cage' paintings of Gerhard Richter in section 'In the Studio'  ( I visit them every time I go there),   I revisited the 'Painting in White'  section I'd studied during the 'Ways into abstract painting '  course, particularly the work' holes'  of Shozo Shimamoto ' 

This time it was  the 'White Painting' by Michael Buthe   that grabbed me, reminding me of the work of Simon Callery  . I hadn't  heard of him before but   it looks like his work is well worth exploring further ( article here) 

Michael Buthe

Jack Whitten

Shozo Shimamoto 

Piero Manzoni 

Despite loving colour, I'm finding the exploration  of a neutral palette  very satisfying at the moment. It  allows me to explore texture, layers, marks  and composition and tone without the extra complication of  colour ( although I'm still struggling to  get to grips with charcoal). Time perhaps to look again at those gessoed/ primed pieces of old quilts I've been hoarding??