Progress and Achievement:
Prior to Art Foundation my practice was generally graphic design based with only my personal practice, experimental work and latter graphic work being textile and mixed media influenced. Being able to explore all the different workshops throughout the initial stage of the course I was able to find my individual and favourite approach to the way I work which evidently was mixed media textiles. Within the textile workshops I have learnt many new techniques such as; appliqué, crochet, embroidery, weaving and quilting. I have been able to create samples of these in small, set projects to spark ideas of future work and sampling. I thoroughly enjoy working on the knitting and sewing machines; using the embroidery foot as a drawing tool is a new favourite technique of mine. As well as this, I have learnt some lens based techniques such as filming, animation and the developing process in the darkroom. I’ve learnt many new and exciting approaches to art and design and found how my practice can be enhanced with further understanding and experimentation by intermingling other materials and processes. I feel I have achieved a greater perception of myself, others and the way in which we all work and feed off each other. Being with such a great, influential group of individuals has made self study in college extremely enjoyable and rewarding.
Personal Confirmatory Study – Aims and Objectives:
Dream and Fantasy
At the beginning of the course I got fascinated by the idea and theme of dreams. A dream is simply a succession of images, thoughts, sounds, or emotions passing through the mind during sleep. Simple - yet so complex. I researched thoroughly into dream art and psychology, making reference to the connection between dreams and the conscious mind. I found it fascinating and found myself studying in depth at dream meanings, references in film and media, music and their lyrics, also fictional stories such as Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz – all being set in a dream.
One hypotheses of a dream is as follows;
‘Dreams allow the repressed parts of the mind to be satisfied through fantasy while keeping the conscious mind from thoughts that would suddenly cause one to awaken from shock’
Vedfelt, Ole (1999). The Dimensions of Dreams. Fromm.
The idea of fantasy intrigues me and I delved further into my initial research with the idea of fairy tales and nursery rhymes. They all have a magical, folkloric and an enchanting nature. When read, they all appear as a dream as they could never be real. But with the intention of being aimed at children, they acquire that sense of wonderment and mystery. However the diversity is extreme, with some stories innocent and some rather harrowing. With this in mind, my work will be rather contrasting – with some pretty, detailed work pieces as well as some slightly disturbing work - unlike anything I’ve produced before. Through experimentation, I hope to create samples from influences; colour, mood, texture, pattern and design in order to inspire final piece ideas and development.
I enjoy the hidden morals and motifs associated within fairy tales and aim to improve my understanding with research at the initial stage of my project. My final aim will be to produce a number of textile pieces influenced by the theme of dream and fantasy by focusing on fairy tales. I feel a number of illustrative stitched images and textile creatures will be a few anticipated experiments. A final piece idea I have in mind is to create a mystical woodland display, creating trees and animals from fabric, wool and various textiles. This would represent the setting in which many fairytales are set, which is an obvious element that I found interesting in early research. However, I think my final outcome will only be decided through in-depth research, drawing and experimentation. I intend to gain more skill in overall textile development techniques and display methods in preparation for higher education.
Evaluation:
I have created a general dream and fantasy research book including notes, research pages, artist evaluations and ideas. I will continue developing this alongside a more specific work book focusing on the main area of study; fairy tales and nursery rhymes. I will use this as a reflective log where I can evaluate my practice and also as an aid to support change and adaptation in research, ideas and development. I will also take part in regular group reviews where I can present and talk to my tutor and peers about my project and gather important feedback. I will make mood boards and samples to reflect my ideas and hope to create a final piece that’s exciting and challenges my personal practise.
