Project 6: DRAWING and PAINTING

After few successful projects which were created as 3D work, there was time to concentrate on 2D realisations. This was not easy, I am more used to work in free space. I decided to work on large scale, which would give me more freedom. Here are few videos of my work. Each of them is created as a 'step by step' demonstration. I am also including some images which I consider as the most interesting of each project:

For the following piece I used a black background and white and metallic paint. I found some close ups more interesting than the final work in full scale. Some of the details reminds me of dramatic seas of British painter William Turner (maybe because I watched video about his work the previous night).

And here few pictures of 'Turner's seas':

This piece was made as a reference to ceramic piece 'Momentum' made by Barbro Aberg. The image was taken from artist's website, photographer: Lars Henrik Mardahl:

I started with black drawing and added different colours step by step. However, I found the first black drawing the most interesting:

Project 5: CONNECTING FLOCKS II.

I recorded a short video using moving spot light. I am also including few images of the finished project. Enjoy!

Project 5: CONNECTING FLOCKS I.

Welcome to my new project. After having fun with 'the cubes' I decided to go back to the basic idea with connecting bird flocks. I did not really know where to start, so I started with drawing. Here are few first sketches...

... and then the idea started to emerge...

... a bit of colour...

... and this is the final drawing before I started 'the hard work' on the final piece:

Then I made frames for my flocks. The shapes are made of cable covers (thank you, DIY Wick's!)...

...I stretched a fine net over the frames and pined up 'birds' made of slightly reflective green fabric and kitchen foil (thank you Guiney's!)...

... finally the 'flocks'. I decided to go with two shapes:

Now there was time to give my flocks a bit of life. But before the installation I came with an idea of reflecting the 'shapes' in a mirror. I was a bit greedy I suppose. I just wanted more flocks with no work! Well, mirror is a bit expensive and would not fit with the security arrangements at our school, so I choose kitchen foil instead. Here is my 'box' covered in silver:

Few attempts with the 'flocks' reflecting in the foil...

...with a spot light in dark:

The outcome was not too bad but I was not particularly happy with it. The 'flocks' were not visible on the foil. Well, more precisely, the only thing that was reflecting was the light! No wonder, the greed is a deadly sin... I had to admit that the idea with foil did not work and there was time to go back to basics with plain white background:

Now it looked much better, but there was still something missing. Maybe the spot light? Again??? Yes, again... the light with the shadows make the difference:

If you were able to read this post down to this point - then I would like to thank you for your patience. For better images and a video of this project, please have a look at my later post.

FUTURE MAKERS 2011 - Deserved break

After our first assessment I felt I needed a break. I went to see this fantastic exhibition. It is a pity that it did not have a better advertising and that it was so short. Worth to see, indeed... enjoy.

Project 4: SPLASH OF COLOUR

At this stage I considered the Project 4 almost finished. For me it worked, the silver cubes were moving the way I wanted, they only looked a bit cold. I thought that maybe a bit of colour would make a difference. I just did not know, how to make silver cubes coloured. Well, they pretty reflected anything that was around them, why would not they reflect colour as well? I went to a craft shop, bought few sheets of coloured paper and put it on the floor under the installation:

Then I recorded a new video. I like the result when each cube reflects the colour depending on the actual sheet below:

As the last step I decided to make the elastics of different length just to see what difference it will make to the movement of whole piece. I did not want to move them in complete chaos and I created some kind of pyramid:

The video shows that the length of elastic has huge impact on the actual movement of each cube. They do not move simultaneously and that is why they tangle very easily:

I prefer the movement of cubes when they are in the same plane. It demonstrates the movement of birds more graphically.

After the last experiment I finished working on this project. It was a success and there was time to move on something new.

Project 4: SHOW TIME!

After the hard work, there was time for a bit of fun. With a help of my digital camera and software for editing movies ( iMovie) I created few videos. The first was taken from below the piece and I hope you will enjoy it:

The next video was taken at night time with a spot light to emphasize the movement of the shadows:

I am also attaching this video. It shows interesting movements of shadows appearing on the paper wall from behind:

Project 4: WAVING BIRDS

The next project was based on a video that I recorded in Kilkee (apologies for the quality, I did my best). I liked the move the birds did - escaping the wave, they only popped up and returned almost at the same spot:

I did some further research on youtube and found this fantastic piece, created for BMW Museum, Germany:



I loved the choreography of the balls and the smooth movements on each piece. My idea was to create some 3D installation that would imitate the move of the birds in Kilkee, using similar elements as per the fabulous BMW creation.

I made an acrylic painting to investigate how the birds actually move:

Then I made few sketches of how the elements (birds) could be assembled together:

I decided to use cubes instead of balls - for the further investigation of reflection of light that flat sides of cubes might create on the around walls. The cubes are made of ‘mirror’ silver card (with a plastic ice cube inside) and there is a piece of elastic attached to each cubes. I choose elastic instead of thread - to emphasize smooth movement of the cubes:

and more cubes (81 of them)...

Then I created a frame where the cubes would be put on...

and with a help of a friend - we together set up the big frame (thank you Irene!)...

... this is proud me with a final product:

To be continued in the next post.

Project 3: AMAZING INTERSECTION OF FLOCKS

In a process of investigation on behavior of bird flocks I came across this video on youtube. I fell in love with it instantly. Immediately I knew that this was exactly what I was looking for. Also I realised soon that there was no way that I would record any video that would be even close to this one. That is why I borrowed it and based this project on observation on this masterpiece. It was recorded by Dylan Winter in Otmoor near Oxford. The music was composed by Johan Pachelbel, German composer of 17th century and was performed by London Symphony Orchestra. Enjoy!



After several viewings of the video I made few sketches on actual movement of the flocks...

... then I made few sketched in colour (thank you, Mary, for the brush!) trying to divide each flock from each other for a better explanation what was actually happening in this fabulous performance...

... then I create ‘blocks’ of flocks in coloured paper collage...

... and another one:

I tried to create some intersection effect using coloured cellophane:

Then I felt that there was time for some kind of 3D visualisation. I made few sketches of intersection of few free shapes:

I draw a picture of the shapes in colour that I wanted to use.

To create these shapes I choose a thin foam, usually used for craft:

Suddenly there was a space for playing with these pieces in my ‘BOX’. Here are some samples arranged with a white background...

...and here are some used with a black background:

I would like to say that I really enjoyed this process and would like to thank the cameraman for doing such a great job. With my limited knowledge of nature I would not even imagine that such a beautiful choreography happens!

Project 2: FLYING QUOTATIONS

This idea was based on quotations on movement presented by significant   personalities. I have chosen two quotations: "ALL CHANGE IS NOT GROWTH AS ALL MOVEMENT IS NOT FORWARD" by American Novelist Ellen Glasgow (1873-1945) and 'NEVER CONFUSE MOVEMENT WITH ACTION' by American author and journalist Ernest Hemingway (1899 - 1961). 

First I made few sketches...

...then I created 'quotes'. I cut black stripes and created the text using letters that I bought in a craft shop:

Finally I installed the stripes into my BLACK BOX. I was trying to create some kind of 'flying effect':

To be honest I have found this idea somehow over the top - maybe I just tried to be too smart. I do not like the result. It just does not work.

After all it seems that Ellen Glasgow was right: "ALL CHANGE IS NOT GROWTH AS ALL MOVEMENT IS NOT FORWARD".