Finally the End is in Sight!

This week off has given me lots of free time to think more in depth about the decisions I have to make for the final piece.

I narrowed down my ideas to 6, and after some conversations with my parents, class mates and friends I went down to one.

•  Me - representing the reader of the story - being Alice. Creating a series of paintings/drawings of me as Alice 
• Which connects to the idea of doing 2 paintings - one showing the reader and their real state - the other showing me in the place of Alice.
• A large piece depicting Alice in Wonderland surrounded by the portraits showing the expressions/emotions you feel when reading. 
• A series of pieces where Alice is removed and a mirror is in her place representing how the viewer can take the place of Alice by reading it. 
• Recreating Alice in Wonderland as if it where a real place - changing from the non-place - could still be a self portrait.
• Instead of different emotions - different races, cultures, ethnicities to show we all have the same reactions to the story. 

So I attempted the mirror idea, having a cut out shape of Alice and having the mirror show through. Too small for anyone to fit themselves in that shape would have to be super large or far away.

Drawing onto the mirror seems a better idea but it would still need to be super large so I have decided to scrap that idea... 

So my final idea is... The reader/self portrait as Alice double painting. 

So I have experimented with canvas, small versions, a pack of 6 worth £2 from the works. And I also thought about maybe changing from the iconic blue dress to my own clothes as if in full immersion.

I wanted to know whether to to use just one reader piece and one alice piece or many alice pieces. Or even just have 2 pieces but the alice piece depicting many scenes.

I found an artist last year that involved book pages within her paintings/works called Florian Nicolle/ Neo. 

It lead me to try it out for myself.

 

Its now down to the final details of presentation and how many there will be. Maybe also which scenes there are.

Final Questions and Hard Decisions.

Report

Writing a report about what I might do with my future is too hard. My indecisive nature makes it so difficult to choose between the many options there are out there. Looking into all of the outcomes is just adding more and more options... but I can't make it narrow down. I looked into employment, education, starting my own business and travelling and realising all of the options I could have is making the decisions harder and harder. But hey, I at least made it to the word count and narrowed down the fields. Although referencing a whole folder worth of print outs through Harvard referencing might just be the death of me.

Non-Place

Images to make as experimentation.

• me as Alice in different wonderland scenes
• paintings of facial expressions
• mirrors where characters should be
• paint on a mirror - "looking glass"?
• real life version painting
• story/quotes in image - connect to neo/ florian nicolle - artist. 

Does using me as representation come across? I want the piece(s) to be universal seeming so would using a self portrait as a representation of all readers come across well?

Cosplay photo-shoot idea.

queen of hearts - Black vest top, red cardigan with embroidered gold Q, black fascinator, red heart lipstick

white rabbit - Red jacket, yellow/ white shirt, photoshopped large ears, pocket watch, possibly a blond?

march hare - brown coat, large photoshopped ears, starbucks cup

mad hatter - Green hat, preferably top hat, thermos mug and cup

Alice - Iconic outfit, doll like makeup

make up artist - A friend of mine who is sitting a make up course, Allanah
photographer - possibly Rebecca or Rachel who is sitting a photography course, depending on who has the spare time.

places to take the photos/ different non-places. Buses, trains, stations, corridors, staircases?

Its going to be so difficult narrowing down my ideas. I think I need to discuss them with someone so as to bounce them off of someone with an unbiased opinion. 

I CAN'T MAKE A DECISION!

Even more ideas for Fiction just keep coming and coming... And I feel like I can't narrow them down...

More ideas

• Creating self portraits of me as the characters from various illustrated classics or a series from one story. 
• Me in the fictitious world made to look real - a collage of photographs of what the illustrations are in real life. 
• Create a comparison between old tales and Disney, just like my old essay. 
• Me in Disney versions of old tales. 
• A comparison of real life and fictional life. 
• Create illustrations for the yellow wallpaper - a story I read in higher English.
• Cut out character from illustrations and replace with mirror so viewer can see them as the character. 
• Could I even write my own  story to illustrate? I'm not particularly good at English. 

After a few discussions with friends and a couple of family members I have decided on using Alice in Wonderland as my story. The fact that the reader is taken to a non-place within a non-place makes it seem like the perfect choice.

So the thought is which one do I use for the final and the decision was to try them all. Seeing what ones make the most sense for the brief.

Firstly it is me representing Alice at the mad hatter's tea party - Disney version as it is the most iconic looking Alice.

Second, it is me trying to show the mirror idea by replacing it with tinfoil as experimentation. This is also when I started looking at facial expressions that could be used for Alice, shock and confusion are the best ones I feel for describing the nonsense that appears in Wonderland and sadness for certain scenes should be enough of a mix if I was to create a larger series. 

I have to start making final decisions soon or else I'm not leaving myself with enough time to create the final piece. 

My Concepts For Non-Place

Non-place has been a tricky brief to even comprehend and I have so many ideas of what a non-place even is... But I believe I've narrowed it down to a good few ideas that meet the criteria of what it seems to be.

Its about the journey - The emotions you feel when in these non-places, as you pass through. The facial expressions that show those emotions and what situations that cause them, situations that happen in non-places.
On it's own not so fascinating an idea but can be combined with another possibly to give it more depth.

Fictional world - How a fictional world is a non-place. You immerse when you read, become part of that world, travel without even moving. Best idea - select a book - well known/relatable
This is my favourite idea and I believe most socially accepted/known.

Installation work to change the mood of a non-place - If the mood of a non-place ranges from complacent to angry try to lighten the mood. eg. Bus station, bus is late, angry person sees image or light display to cheer them up. Create images of faces showing opposite emotion in same situation, an advertisement? "Have this item and you'll be happier."
Not my field, I wouldn't even know how to tackle it. Was just trying to branch out with my ideas. 

Unused spaces are non-places - Places that were not designed to be used such as under furniture, stairs, behind things. I could give them a function? Illustrate ideas for these places to be used.
Not very exciting... Would get bored working on this over time. 

Non-places within a set area - Photographic series of non-places within Glasgow. Non-places from a certain view point such as, homeless, child, someone travelling through/tourist.
The different view points is a bit far-fetched. Photography isn't my thing but I would have given it a shot. 

We create our own Non-places - We create non-places when we dream, as children when we play. They tend to be places that feel familiar, like you know where you are but they look completely different.
Apparently imagination is not really a non-place. Don't know how I would picture things like this anyway. 

Non-places dictated by use of time - eg. bus journey is 20 mins. Sometimes only proof you've been there is because time has passed. We don't pay attention as we walk by so what are we missing when we dont focus. Stop to smell the roses.
Have no idea how I would create this... 

History creates a place - places where I have history, that mean something to me because me and my friends used to go there. eg teenage hangouts, loitering spots - thinking spot, usual spot, court of miracles. show the real functions vs our functions for them.
Would be too personalised as no-one else would know what these places are or how they are relevant.

Always moving in a non-place - car, bus, train, walking through. What are our views from these non-places, blurred images or scenery mostly.
A bit boring... Not deep enough. 

I believe that fiction is going to be the best idea especially if I pick a classic book that everyone would recognise and would have the same kinds of reactions to.

Expanding on Fiction.

• Do I follow a few different books to show it happens with all of them or just one story all the way through?
• Include tv shows? 
• A lecturer gave me an idea of what if pages were missing, what would happen? Would the reader be trapped in this non-place? 
• Show different emotions for different scenes of the book, how the reader reacts? 
• Look into classical children's literature because they are going to be the best known? Could connect to my essay and maybe Disney's adaptations of these or one of the stories? 
• An evolution of books through the years or like 1800 to present or from childhood to adult hood, our generation?

Non-Place.... Whit?

Ok so our new brief is... "Non-Places"

"...the word 'non-place' designates two complementary but distinct realities: spaces formed in relation to certain ends (transport, transit, commerce, leisure), and the relations that individuals have with these spaces." - (Auge 1994:94)

So first and foremost I needed a mind map to work out my initial reactions to the brief...

...This then led to a full scale panic attack and migraine due to the sheer magnitude of the philosophy behind this project! I mean non places are dependent on the viewer, everywhere and nowhere is a non place because it depends on where you are going. Some are always non places, such as roads and such but Auge mentions airports and I mean yes they are not the final destination, they are the gateways, but I mean they are still a place, and you do so have an identity in them, you are forever asked to prove that identity throughout the process of the airport! So, yeah, my brain is having a melt down comprehending the immensity that is non places. 

My first thought was emotions felt in non-places. If people are always travelling through these places, what do they feel? I thought about expressing the many emotions felt by these many travellers by showing their expressions through paintings and drawings. By showing some of the most common emotions felt in non-places i could even relate them to certain situations so, if some couple are saying goodbye then there would be sadness/ love, if there was an argument there would be anger, if someone got a cute text while walking down the street they would be happy, etc. 

I started to look into colours that could connect of change peoples moods and even found computer based art that changes to match the viewers mood! So, if you are happy, the picture would be bright and cheerful, but if you are sad it would be darker and the brush strokes would change. AMAZING!

A few other ideas I had were - (too name a few) 

• Fiction - we immerse ourselves in fiction, feel like we are there, become part of a world that doesn't exist, this non-place.
• Mood changing installation - a sculpture/light show/animation/projection that can make someone feel more cheerful when seeing it. 
• Perspectives in Non-Places - from the views of a homeless man, a child, a tourist. So a homeless man sees the non place streets as his home, a child sees corners and unused spaces as adventures, imaginary creatures live there, etc. And a tourist sees it as a maze... (I don't like this one) 
• History creates the place -  So places that mean things to me because I have got a strong connection to them. Like, old hang outs such as fields and patches of grass and stairways. Mean nothing to anyone else but are important PLACES to me. 
• Always moving in a Non-Place - cars, buses, trains, all non-places, whizzing past places and other non-places so would be shown with blurred scenery photos. 
• Non-Places dictated by time - eg. bus journey is 20 mins. The only real evidence you have of being in certain non places is the fact time has past. What do you miss when you are not focusing in non places. 

And that is all the ideas I had all through the week and my final decision has been FICTION!

I plan to choose a classic book that everyone would recognize almost instantly and create a series of paintings or drawings depicting this story. 

NEED A FINAL IDEA! NEED TO CHOOSE A BOOK! AAAAHHHH! 

Developments and final piece(s)!

Ok, so I ended up with a selection of pieces ranging from the age of 4 to the present presented in evolutionary formats as to how our work changes over the years and so does how it is displayed. The first one features on a fridge door,surrounded by magnets featuring the alphabet. I tried to create words children would learn early on like cat and dog and such and the ones used to attach the piece spelt out "self". I found the first piece in an old autograph book from when I went to Disney World, Florida with my Grandma, cousin and great aunt. Apparently I doodled more than collecting autographs...

For the next piece I found a drawing from a folder of my primary 2 work, so when I was 6, depicting a scene of me and my sister and she apparently wants my toys or something... I wanted this evolution to be like it was displayed in my bedroom, as I feel that is the next step after the fridge in showing off your work. To do that I placed it onto a corkboard and stuck on some tickets that lead to my grandma's, some other (faked) drawings from around that time, and photos of my family from around this time or younger. 

Thirdly, I went for a QR code which led to a specific photo on my facebook art page of a self portrait that I created when in higher art (the first time around), so 5th year - 16. I feel like when you are a teenager your whole life comes into the public view with the use of the internet. You upload every thought, every achievement to your certain websites. For me at 16 it was facebook, so it became the obvious choice. (My dad tested the QR code and it worked so hopefully it works for others!)

And last but not least, I felt like when you reach your early twenties, you are a grown up, you are mature, you have real framed, final, exhibition pieces that are neat and tidy and so I created a recent self portrait to show the final evolution of my drawing skills and their presentations in a nice simplistic black frame with a pencil shaded drawing. 

And so I arranged them in timeline order from floor to roof, from fridge to frame and here is its final presentation! 

P.S. this is the view from the floor looking up as it was the only way to get all of the pieces into the same photo!

First week of Final Year!

After hearing of the splitting of our classes and losing our dearest Catherine, the new additions seem to be nice and have loads of different backgrounds.

Our first brief is that of "pencils"... 2 WEEKS TO COMPLETE A BRIEF TO EXHIBITION STANDARD!!!

"Pencils create marks by physical abrasion, leaving behind a trail of solid core material that adheres to a sheet of paper or other surface."

my ideas

"trail of solid" - Create a raised surface, make a structure of out of it?
                        - Make a line "drawing" 3D?
                        - Animation/ 3D structure/ 3D pen

"physical abrasion" - Tattoos - ink not pencils
                                - words written leave a physical mark
                                - labeling again like last years piece - like scars this time
                                - evidenced in Harry Potter - Umbridge detention

"sheet of paper or other surface" - walls, wood, on-top of paint, skin (abrasion)

What can the pencil create - buildings - architecture
                                           - masterpieces, drawings, paintings
                                           - joy - fun for all the ages

Pencils leave all kinds of marks
Kinds of marks they can leave : writing - words
                                                    dots
                                                    dashes
                                                    shapes                         everything is made of these - image made OF
                                                    colours                        pencils
                                                    lines
                                                    dark/lights

Final Piece Ideas

Make a monochrome image of the marks it can leave

video of me making a piece with pencil - focus on initial marks and how they create something more.
                                                                - imperfections erased easily
                                                                - speak or labels/ split screens?

Image made of pencils - scenery/ portrait?

pictures of the different marks a "pencil" can leave - dots, shapes, lines

growth of an artist through pencil sketches - series of about 3/4
                                                                     - colourful frames for emotions/background

colour full page of pencil then use rubber to create image - rubber is the abrasion

3D interpretation of a pencil drawing - with wire

pencil drawing on different surfaces - wood, metal, paint, etc.

MAIN PLAN 

Use the evolution of an artist and their work, showing works from over the years, toddler to child to teenager to now. Display on a fridge door like when your parents display your work proudly on the fridge door. If I can't get a fridge I can use a metal sheet and paint it to look like a fridge. Alphabet fridge magnets to attach them and possibly making my own magnets. 

Places to find fridges near me is recycling centres in cumbernauld and/or westfield. But it would be too difficult to transport that to college/stirling on a bus. 

Other things looked into...

adult colouring books

making magnets

kids drawing styles 

IDEA CHANGES!

Instead of all pieces being on the fridge try to evolve how they are presented as well as the skill involved. 

toddler image (aged 4) - presented on the fridge

child (aged 6/7) - put onto corkboard representing the bedroom wall

teenager (aged 17) - QR code leading to facebook art page - because teens put everything online

now (aged 21) - work presented cleanly and neatly in a frame, exhibition standard.