Sculpture: A Rakes Progress

In 3D to finish this project off we were told to make a piece based on A Rakes Progress using one of the skills we have learnt this term. I knew i definitely wanted to try using plaster more as i liked the raw effect it created in the casting sessions. The first artist i thought of that works in a more organic and raw way was Rebecca Warren, after seeing her work at the Saatchi Gallery i really like how the female figure was exagerated to look overly sexualised that it almost made it comical even though it was touching on the subject of sexism and feminism. Although she uses clay and not plaster i feel the outcome can look quite similar.

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/rebecca_warren.htm?section_name=shape_of_things

From this idea i wanted to work from the tavern scene with the prostitutes surrounding Tom. I wanted to use the way that the prostitutues arent main characters and seem to blur into one as theyre not seen as important or as actual people with their own stories. I wanted to choose a part of the body that they would be noticed by but gives them anonymaty and seem more like an abstract object.

 

After making the basic shape with chicken wire i used skrim and plaster to build over it, i liked the effect it created when parts werent fully filled in and there were holes to see the chicken wire inside. Next lesson i need to make the other leg and decide what position i want the legs to be in and how to keep them in that position as theyre quite heavy. Also i want to exagerate the shape more by adding more plaster in certain parts.

Updated Costume Design

This costume lesson i tried to refine my sketches and ideas for my jumper to try to create a final design to work from. I mainly got my ideas from this picture i took in the ballgown exhibit in The V&A. I want to use similar techniques on the sleeves using lace layered over other material.          

My idea was to put the lace at the tops of the sleeves so i would cut the sleeves off entirely from the jumper and make new ones.

These were my second designs to get a better image of it as a jumper. I think i want to leave the jumper quite loose and baggy to make it more modern rather than the tight corsets worn of the time. I then want to cut the sleeves off and create new 3/4 length ones using a light see through pale material That are tight at the top baggy around the elbow and tight at the bottom. The i would like to put lace from the shoulder seam down to about ahlfway to the elbow but with lace that has a cut out shape rather than a straight edge just to exagerate the tight top half of the sleeve. I may try to embroider or free stitch a floral pattern in a V shape which was commonly used on corsets of the time to match with the lace on the sleevs.

This is my jumper so far, all i have done is cut out the neckline but once i sewed the seam to neaten it it made the edge go wavy but i think this made a nice effect. I then pleated a netted material in strips and sewed it around the neckline. i have also sewn elastic into the waist so the top stays quite loose and baggy but fitted at the waist. 

Costume Sketches from the Ballgown Exhibit

 After our visit to The V&A, in our costume lessons i worked from sketches and tried to copy certains styles and cuts from the designs to then make more modern. From this costume i liked how the sleeves were constructed and the shapes they made. However for my design from the 1700s the sleeves were tighter at the top and looser towards the bottom so i moved the puffed part of the sleeve towards the bottom.

 My first focus was to look at the sleeves of the costumes. from the 1700s they were usually tight at the top then looser towards the bottom but the tight at the wrist this then gave it volume and allowed it to go baggy.

I liked the idea of using lace on the edges like on the tops and bottoms od sleeves. This would allow me to make it tight at the top and bottom making it baggier at the elbows creating volume. I laso had the idea to layer the sleeve under the top making it a vest but padding it out so the top stands out from the sleeves to make it look more modern.

 These were more sketches i made for sleeve designs changing the shapes and cuts of them. Lots of the sleeves had lace and were usually to the elbow with ruffled or pleated light material. One of my designs i worked from the basic shapes of 1700th sytle sleeves but tried to make them mroe modern and relatable to today. Instead of smoothly graduating from tight to baggy i made the lines straight which i would use wire to strengthen the bottom of the sleev and keep its shape.

The V&A Visit

I really enjoyed our trip to London on Wednesday especially the Hollywood Costume exhibit where we werent allowed to take pictures but i wish i couldve! It was amazing to see the costumes up close that ive seen from films ive watched since i was small. The costumes seem to have a lot more detail close up than on camera and seeing the wear in them like the red shoes from Wizard of Oz was interesting.

The ballgown exhibit was helpful to look at for our costume sessions as some of the costumes showed good representations of the clothing they would wear during the time A Rakes Progress was based. I took a lot of photos so i can use them as refernces in my next costume design lesson.

Textiles Collage

In textiles we have to move on from experimenting with materials and still and move it more into our own pathway. At first i was unsure how i could go about incorporating 3D with my stitch research and also relate to a Rakes Progress but it reminded me of Yinka Shonibares work that ive looked at previously in 3d lessons.

His work represents Fragonards The Swing which is about women in the 1700th period but more to do with courtesans of the time, the first look at the image it looks light hearted and happy with a woman on a swing smiling, the sun is shining and the colours used are soft and romantic. Where as when you look closer you you see a man laid on the ground looking up her dress as she kicks it out as though she wants him to look. The man pushing her is said to be her elderly husband but is hidden in the shadows and cannot see the man laying infront of her. She is wearing a Bergere hat also  known as a sheperdess which relates to being virtuous and close to nature, which is ironic as she is corrupted and gives into temptations.

 



  Yinkas work refereneces the fabrics they use and the history they are meant to have. He shows the relationship between Africa and Europe with their political and economic history. He buys all his fabrics from markets in London that do cheap immitations of African fabrics and patterns. He comments that he likes the way they have a crossbred culture of their own and that its an artificial construct. Ilike his mix of cultures using fabrics, patterns, styles and eras, it makes a strong constrast and shows the links between cultures.

 

 

 



For my piece i decided to create designs for a set design/ installation to relate more towards my field of fine art. I wanted to relate mine more towards A Harlotts progress as i felt i could make it more modern but still have hints of 1700th style. After looking at Yinkas use of fabrics and patterns i wanted to use a traditional style of 1700th fabric/ pattern of floral and nature prints such as birds. Also pale romantic colours like pale green, pink and blue, skin like colours to relate to skin of the courtesans as they wear revealing clothing. I also wanted to look into class, how working class/ middle class will spend money on over the top tacky items for their house or clothing to look higher class and more rich, tryingto imatate the higher class to appear more cultured. From this i also want to include prints from all over the world as being seen with items from other countries meant you had the money to import them so it also showed your wealth.

 

After deciding on my materials and patterns i want to contrast this with modern and bold shapes in the room and almost make it abstract so that at first the colours distract you to think its an old fashioned room but to then focus on the shapes and see the contrasting edges. I think i got a good idea from making my collage as i was unsure at first wear i wanted to go, i think my collage stills looks a little confused like its a mood board for interior design but i want to make a further collage that has a more refined design concept and over all has a stronger design to make it more modern and abstract.

A Rakes Progress Group Painting

 The first painting we made didnt go very well, no one had a clear idea of what we were doing so everyone just did their own thing and had their own space so over all it looked mismatched and like a group of pieces of work so we started again and planned together how we were going to do it.

The dark background we made on the first worked well but we thought it needed to be darker to allow it to have a stronger contrast with the foreground. This time we used material instead of paper, this allowed us to use water on the charcoal which then it spread further and look messier. We used a mixture of charcoal, paint and ink to make different layers and sizes of text. We used small amounts of colour on the background that would stand out such as yellow inks and red paint, we also used glitter spreading it over certain words to highlight them but also create humour putting gold sparkley glitter over words like whore and sex. 

To make the figures we drew around eachother copying them from certain characters in the painting, i think the distorted and weird shapes you get from drawing around people works well as it exaggerates and changes the body shape and creates an anonymity for the identity of the person.

Our last problem was finding a place to hang the painting that was large enough. The only wall that would fit most of it we would of had to cut a part off, instead we folded the piece out away from the wall. Hanging it up gives a better over all view of the piece and i think it works well except there isnt anything to fully pull the piece together. I dont like how all the characters seem to be floating and theres no sense of gravity to the painting to weigh it down.

Tacky and Tasteful

After going on the trip to Chatsworth House and looking through all the photos i took i noticed i took a lot of pictures of ornaments and small objects that covered all the tables where as everyone else was looking at the large paintings and statues. In Chatsworth i knew the ornaments were probably veryyy expensive made of rare materials or were shipped from other countries to show culture and wealth, but even though i knew this i coulnt help remembering all the ornaments of women in big dresses, dogs and vases that my nan use to have all over her house.

My nan loved carboot sales and would come back each week with random pots and ornaments that were about 50p each that look similar to the things i saw at Chatsworth. i think this just shows how expensive taste from the upper classes was mirrored and reflected into middle class life where poorer families would replicate their homes on expensive and ornate decor to seem 'posher' and richer. Where as looking back now it reminds me of tacky cheap ornaments that seem so ugly and mismatched but i still love them! My rooms filled with mismatched styles of decor and ornaments that are usually from charity, carboots or stuff i got from my nans house.

When i went to the Harley gallery and into the Hope and Elvis studio, instead of taking pictures of their work i took pictures of the things on the shelves that reminded me of a strong British heritage but made over the top and tacky. The ornaments are usually hand painted so in its own way is a piece of unique art.

This tacky and distasteful style of home furnishings has become fashionable and popular within vintage style shops that replicate this but are mass produced and very very expensive to say you can go to the charity shop for similar stuff...they are similary painted with an airbrush or water colour effect that looks aged and vintage, these ornaments are from Urban Outfitters and are about £20 each.

From this i want to base my final piece for Rakes progress on an outcome that has references to taste but also combined with another element of the story. I'll take reference from Grayson Perrys Program 'All in the bets possible taste',

I took pictures of random objects in my room and house and want to use these as references and research for my final piece.