Some notes before reading my blog regarding the thought process of my final major project: habitat.
1. I am definitely not a big fan of sheet. To me, I like everything compact and all together. The intimate feeling of all my thinking are squeeze into one place somehow make me feel secure that I will not lose one bit of the story. So rather than working on a large, inconvenient scale like an A1 sheet. I prefer the enclosure of a sketchbook. So most of my entire process of making the final major process can be found in my carefully natured sketchbook.
thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoy it and it make sense to you!
Theme：Design a tangible and poetic outcome that derives from the idea "perfectly habitable for one"
While we were still doing subject matter as a project is pathway stages, I was very touched by what Izzie did for her project, looking at habitat. I found I was very intrigued what she did and researched. meanwhile that was the time, I investigated into Andy Goldsworthy in more depth by reading a book called 'Wood'
With the time approaching to make a decision on the theme I want to choose for final major project, I therefore decide to take on the topic Izzie previously did for subject matter, habitat.
Andy Goldsworthy shock me in terms of his ability of turning some of the most common, ordinary, unconspicuous naturally found object into something truly magical and beautiful. The extract of raw beauty from earth comes from his unique understanding and imagination of the earthly
material. and I think this founding influence me a great deal later on in the project
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| some of my note and thoughts after reading 'Wood' |
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| A drawing of mine base on a picture from Wood with the use of fern |
| Use of ferns in some of Andy Goldsworthy's pieces. |
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some other piece from Andy Goldsworthy with use of leaves in a magical way I also like Andy Goldsworthy's construction from wood branches         I think I took a lot of inspiration from Andy Goldsworthy regarding shapes and to some extent an mockery in constructive method. Although it might not be a vivid mockery, but I think his way of joining things together was lingering continuously in the back of my mind. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ some other artist i have look at and read about.  |
My tutor mentioned about david nash while i was looking at Andy Goldsworthy's work. so i also research into his works.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------But by brain storming into habitat, I realise there are so many different perspective I can define habitat as. So I struggle to find a specific part of habitat to base my project upon.
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| these pages represent my brain storm of the variety of different way I think of to interpret habitat. so it was really hard for me to choose a direction as there are so many choices. |
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Later on, I went back to the fundamental function of a habitat which is ( a safe and secure space for a species to live) and associate it with my own experience of living in halls of residence together. the room in halls of residence is quite compact, you have everything condensed into one place. The room continuously giving me the feeling of living in a shoe box, not an indication that it's small, but a suggestion that the room is very rectangular, the edge being perfectly lined up. And there are 5, 6 rooms in each corridor. so, you imagine individual with very different background, personality studying different course all inhabit together in this corridor only separated by a thin wall inbetween. all living in the shoe box. if you imagine it in a bird eye view, I think It will be quite a weird but interesting. people up for different task at the same time and almost same space. So on one hand side, it reminds me of people contained a in a rectangular shoebox, and this in terms make me associate with the idea of a shell.
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| notice on the near top right side where black dots are marked around the piece of paper sticked onto my sketchbook. this is how I highlight a conversation of tutorial with my tutor or just any other people by dotting it around with a black marker to make it obvious for me. |
After the idea of shell being a habitat, I draw this page of a snail. and then suddenly, I feel like I grasp the direction for this project: the idea of a habitat only habitable for one.
once again associate of living in halls or residence alone. I feel like I want to develop something base on this experience. the experience of living alone, in a space that feel like a shoebox, like a snail as everything important to me, everything needed to survive is condensed into this shell.
so here it is, the direction for the project, as written in the theme above.
Design a habitat perfectly habitable for one.
With this concept, I want to stress in particular the uniqueness and intimacy in terms of space only for one. The irreplaceable relationship between the host and its shell.
And then the idea of shell make me associate with a human heart, which commonly interpreted as the place for emotion, like a habitat for emotion.
Same to shell, its unique to its host and irreplaceable to another person (i don't mean heart transplant) but more of the emotion the heart contain with its host. also, it's a very small and intimate but compact place.
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Home is where the heart is
I also do this summary page once in a while just to remind me the how the story has progress to this stage.
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meanwhile,I had also play with paper as a material. on one hand paper is the easiest material to gain to make model. on the other hand, I just want to see the potential of this material
meanwhile,I had also play with paper as a material. on one hand paper is the easiest material to gain to make model. on the other hand, I just want to see the potential of this material
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| this is one of the earlier material experiment I did. |
playing with paper also unconsciously help me to explore the shapes and forms that i can possibly take on.
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although the theme is set as perfectly habitable for one, I still feel kind of confused as in what exactly am I look for. so this question keep lingerie in my mind. until one day this pops up.
when I say perfectly habitable for one, do I mean a person's inner power?
because a heart being the habitat to all kinds of fluctuating emotions a person experience, but really the function of a habitat is about providing a safe and secure shelter to protect people. so the key to create that safe and secure habitat is about balance yourself in the chaotic emotions with your own inner power ?
And with this statement, i feel like i reach the core of the project, something i really want to express.
and i feel like, nothing express this point better than this:
a yoga position called the tree position or Vrikshasana:
In Hindu culture, yoga implies connecting with supreme spirit, and it is believed that this is obtained through acentric practice, meditation and mental concentration
the tree position is about finding balance like a tree in the wind.
Virkshaasana or tree yoga posture teaches the quality of the tree. It teaches you to become strong, sturdy, balanced and grow continuously.
and then i draw something like this
a human scale shield like object on top of a person practicing the yoga position. like a defence to the outside world. and i feel this is a first glimpse to the look of the possible final outcome.
meanwhile, I went to Leeds for a weekend and in the Leed's city gallery, i saw this.
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| chalk cliff study Boyle famiy 1999 Leeds city gallery. |
to me it's an amazing experience. I think this is the first time i ever seen anything like this. a raw piece of rock framed and hanged on a wall.
so formally presented yet the work itself is as rough and almost savage as they are naturally found. it's a very intriguing contradiction. that's why i find it so powerful
but most of all. the most interesting part is that, unline a 2D piece of canvas. you can really view it from certain angle. this piece is a 3D piece presented in a 2D way and you can see it really 180 degree. so every angle, apart from when it reach the wall and hanged.
and i draw this piece with two different colour pen. one brown colour represent when i look at it from a normal front angle. the blue line represent when i stand at on side, leaning against the wall. Usually if it's only a normal canvas, all you see is the side of the frame. But because the rock itself has irregular surface, you can see bits coming out.
and it's this surprise regarding the different visual result from different angle, something different to most gallery hanged paintings, drawings etc. that make me feel very happy.
so, It bought something not new, but something i never put such an attention on into my mind-
the viewing experience.
i guess it's part of presentation but it's something more powerful because with the viewing experience, you stress the art from the audience's point of view and not just solely from the artist. and i think i never think about my own art from an audience's point of view.
now with this concept vividly struck across my mind, i think i understand more why usually i prefer interactive art. Because the viewing experience make me being able to engage with the art, really feeling it, not just looking at something distant and cold. but something I can relate to, physically. and so, i am very thankful to this discovery. Because it really does make me pay attention to the viewing experience- Something that can change people's attitude to a piece of art dramatically.
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the Yoga position also remind me of a series of sculptures I have seen during summer 2012 in national museum of china
the reason why i can associate it with my project is that this series clearly state a how a person regenerated from a state of being weak, vulnerable to a powerful, very embracing posture that shows he's ready for something.
and here i wrote, RAISE TO SHINE
because this is the generic feeling this series of sculpture give me. and that I wish that my piece of art will gave people this kind of feeling as well.
a space perfectly habitable for one that draws attention from people to focus on their own inner power and that after seeing this, they can feel regenerated, kind of raise to shine
so now after things i want to express is clear, and that i have a rough idea of it visually, i start to look at possible material
plants come into y mind in particular as it's a good reference both to the tree position, and a direct link to habitat as most people would associate it more ecologically. plants also represent an innate power of growing upwards, echo with the idea raise to shine visually.
but it will be a challenge to me as i never plant in my life. and both time taken to do it, the possibility for it to grow successfully. the condition it will have to grow in. maintaince. or do I just buy the plants, but will it be costly?
so there are some realistic challenge about if I am going to use live plants.
or is it better off if i just use representation of plants.
Mirror is another material, i am quite keen. because mirror is a direct reflection of a person. and as i am trying to draw attention for a person to focus on themselves, i feel like looking at a mirror, a direct confrontation with oneself, i think that will be quite powerful.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------some design idea
with this i still had the idea of having audience actually doing the tree position in the space i create that will use plants as the' brick 'to construct the space .
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at this point, i did a lot of research in terms of material, possible visual implication. as most of them are pictures, i open up an pinterest account as it will be easier to both research and store this information.
some print screen of my account in pinterest:
as i really want to use live plants, and buying them in large quantity will be very expensive, i will try and germinate it myself.
after talking to Margret, one of my course mate, who is an experience gardener, she tell me these seed will germinate rather quickly and easily as well. so ideal for my situation. here are some of it
Dill, Parsley, Cress, Cat's grass, Basil
some of the books i have been reading.
some journal work i did during pathway and exploratory stage that i found continuously inspiring.
Stewart Hygarth's work, this piece indicate the ideal shape i would like to achieve. however, it's rather difficult to achieve a prefect sphere in real life.
experimenting with growing plants in real life.
this is cress, i am growing here, it grow very rapidly. it buded on the third it's planted. and the the picture above is about when it's in the 5th day. However it also died very quickly. in about two weeks time. i am not too sure whether it's something i did that makes them wilt. or is it it's life cycle only spans that short amount of time.
here is some moss that i also intend to use to increase the diversity of plants. moss is also relatively easily to grow and find and it's ready to be replanted straight away
hanging some vase as intended in the final piece in my room.
cress at its maturity
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