My Context:

My creative practice sits within the field of contemporary wearables. I am particularly interested in exploring ways to merge both fashion and 3D design. I aim to create work that is non-functional and purely for exhibition, weather this be on a catwalk, within an exhibition space, as part of a window installation or used in a fashion editorial.

Reflecting on a visit to London I have been able to put the work I create into context. If I were to continue making I would aspire to create work similar to Zoe Bradley. Bradley’s work is significant to my creative practice because she offers a bespoke design service where she creates installations to compliment a brand. Like me, Bradley is influence by the natural world surrounding her and her signature material is paper. Although many of the pieces she creates are for either advertising, installations, exhibitions or editorials she also has an online shop which sells commercial pieces. These pieces range from £60- £1,350. I was initially surprised by the massive range in price, but this has helped me to gain a better understanding of the context that I am currently working in. I had previously assumed that paper installations would be cheaper because there are no precious materials involved, however this research has helped me to understand that work is also priced on the hours that are put into the making.

Although I now have a better understanding of my the context in which my current creative practice sits it, I do not have the intention to set up my own studio or work individually within the creative industry. My long term professional ambition is to become an Art and Design teacher within a secondary school setting. I have undergone a number of professional experiences that have helped to confirm that this is the right career path, included a recent two week placement within a secondary school. To support my career in teaching I realise the importance of fully understanding my creative practice, this will help to form the knowledge that will underpin my teaching. I strongly believe that gaining a better understanding of my practice helped me to secure my place at Brighton University on their Art and Design PGCE. 

Short project:

I have approached this unit with the same reoccurring themes and objectives, however I intend to use this project to develop new and existing skills that will be beneficial to me as a teacher. Before I can explore new skills and use them within my project, I must first gain a better understanding and knowledge of the skills required to teach art and design. This became the basis of my short project.

Skills that I saw to be important:

- Different styles of visual recording 

- Model and maquette making

- Photoshop and illustrator knowledge 

- Understanding of photography 

- New technology (laser cutting)

- Breadth of artist knowledge

Initially my project started with a similar focus as my previous projects, using inspiration from natural repetitive forms and trying to use these within wearable structures. At this point it was crucial for me to question what it was about these objects that really interested me, this would allow me to decide what I wanted to focus my work on. By looking in depth at the honeycomb structure of bee’s and wasp nests I realised by focus was on the depth of the pattern and its geometric structure.

I began to translate this focus through drawing, trying to capture the detail of the structures pattern.

The most successful drawings were:

Although these visual recording sessions successfully allowed me to capture what it was about the objects that is important to me, these type of drawings were not allowing me to convey the depth or structure that I was influence by. I could achieve similar outcomes by just using photography because these sketches are simply copying the pattern rather than investigating something new, I also felt I was repeating myself by recording the same types of patterns.

Most successful photographs were:

These photographs provided a starting point for a translation of these qualities into initial designs. Rather than only using simple techniques I wanted to learn to use Photoshop as a way to create initial designs. 

Initial designs using Photoshop. 

I found that the programme allowed me to make quick, clean initial designs, however my designs need to emerge in a more hands of way rather than in 2D. In future I need to use my sketchbook and these types of designs more as a thinking tool and a way to work through problems rather than creating initial design, because my designs are material lead. 
To allow me to best translate my ideas it was crucial for me to stop designing in 2D and begin my research through material investigations. I wanted to use crafting techniques that would be available and achievable within a school setting as this is one of my short project objectives. To further my ideas I used the book ‘folding techniques for designers’. The use of this book allowed me to explore different forms and surface patterns and improve my paper folding skills. Some key designs were the ones that I could see potential to manipulate into wearable pieces.

Initial surface patterns.

Simply recreated these designs wasn't pushing them far enough.

From these patterns I started to adapt their size and structure, allowing me to create something that is more obviously wearable. Looking at artists such as Lianna Sheppard allowed me to visualise how I could make these designs more wearable.

Lianna Sheppard's work. 

I was drawn to the idea of dramatically increasing the size of the sample to create something more ‘avant-garde’. Previously I had been using the patterns from the design book, allowing me to reproduce the samples perfectly.  Drawing out my own patterns presented problems, trying to recreate one of my designs took longer than expected as I made many mistakes with the maths. Reflecting on this I should have practised the patterns on a smaller scale and worked out the exact measurements rather than trying to draw them straight onto an A0 sheet of paper, preventing so many mistakes.

Being inside the origami.

Folding these patterns was very time consuming, therefore I want to explore the process of laser cutting in the future. This is also a form of technology I saw being used within the technology department by some of the art students. Although this process could be expensive, by increasing my use of this technique it will help me both professional and creatively. By drawing the patterns directly onto the computer this will also help me to eliminate the chance for mistakes, I need to remember to cut smaller samples to check before producing a larger piece.

To further develop this project I need to experiment with how and where origami can be put on the body. Now that I have initial samples that have to potential to be translated into wearable forms I need to revisit my initial designs and create new designs that communicate more about how these pieces can be made.  I believe this will help me develop this short project into a full programme of study and will help to drive me to produce a more finished and professional looking wearable pieces than I have in previous projects.

After receiving feedback from the first review it was clear that I was lacking 3D experimentation and testing and that most of my designs were still being done in my sketch book, even though my outcomes are material lead. This was due to the time that I had taken out of university for my placement and the PGCE process.  With this is mind, I started to explore ways in which I could create wearable forms quickly and efficiently. By using the laser cutting process I was able to create a number of tests in a short period of time which I could then model on a mannequin. Initially I was using the laser cutter to engrave the lines of the pattern. I thought this would allow me to fold the paper neatly without it tearing. However, after weeks of testing the process I found the most effective way of scoring the paper was to use perforated lines. Reflecting on this I wish I had found this out sooner as it would have allowed me to more my designs on more. 

Testing perforated line thickness. 

After my feedback I reviewed my original idea of only taking direct inspiration from the wasps nest form.  I decided to expand my range of primary research to other natural structures that show repetitive pattern such as minerals and crystals. By doing this I was led to consider my pieces as modular. I could take a small section of a pattern and repeat in to create something wearable. This meant I was able to take the folding techniques that I had learnt and apply them to my own designs. I have realised that I need to increase the scale of my sampling to fit my sampling. My initial samples were lacking the dramatic impact that I am looking for.

Experimenting with increasing the size of my modules. 

Another key element of the feedback that I received was to expand the consideration of materials. By exploiting the laser cutting process I was able to test a number of different types of papers and fabrics efficiently. I found at this stage it was important to create a material file. This allowed me to keep track of the material testing and reflect on what worked and what didn’t work. At this point it the project it was important for me to question what I was looking for from the material and reflect upon the samples that I made.
What I saw to be important:
Makes a crisp fold
Holds a structure
Has the strength to hold its own weight
Laser cuts well

Material file, concentrating on paper weights.

A lot of my time was used sourcing these papers and fabrics. This including requesting swatch books from outside companies and then testing them both on the laser cutter and by hand scoring. This extensive research has enabled me to be more refined when making my final pieces demonstrate how I would produce my pieces to a professional level in the future. I have been limited to only creating small tests using these papers and fabrics because of the costs involved. However, this has given me an insight into the reality of how expensive paper can actually be. 



Tartlen Cotton sample.



Canvas fabric sample. 

Throughout this unit I found the most effective way for me to develop and resolve my work is through material testing and making. Although I see the importance of creating initial designs, my most exciting outcomes came from testing samples on the body and then adapting and developing them. I believe this happens because of the materials I use. Although I tried to show idea development within my sketch book, I found working directly with the materials allowed me to understand their limitations. 
However, from this project I have realised the importance of using my sketch book successfully visualise and communicate an idea. At stages I have found myself questioning the where on the body my wearables would best fit, this could have been done more effectively if I produced more quick designs on the body rather than making samples and photographing them in different places. Through my sketch book I developed a new theme or producing oversized collar like wearables. This new inspiration gave me a more refined direction for making rather than placing the paper anywhere on the body that looked right.

Collar designs.

Reflecting on the wearable collection that I have produced from this unit, I found certain pieces pushed the limits of the material more than others. The concept for my project began to change once I realised my work was more about exploring the potential of a pattern and how one module could create a collection, rather than producing a single oversized piece. Although I still feel my work merges together the worlds of fashion and 3D, my practice has become less about creating a statement piece and more about creating a collection that has further potential. Through extensive research into different types of modular origami I found ways of joining modules together without using glue. I was particularly interested in the method of slotting modules together. I feel this collection is more successful as it has the most potential to be pushed further.

Modular origami. 

These modules have the potential to be created into a number of different wearable forms. 

I have found that I most effectively manage my time when I assign certain tasks to individual days. In previous projects I have used ‘to do list’ as a means of getting things done. However, using a  timetable each week has allowed me to more efficiently use my time. This has helped me to plan when I need to book laser cutting slots and establish what needs to be done beforehand to allow this time to be used productively. As my creative practice developed I became more focused on the things that needed to be done each week and I was able to use this method to keep on top of this. Although I feel I have produced a collection that fits my context well, I believe if I had used this time management from the beginning I would have had more time to finalise my designs. This would have given me the time to produce a larger collection rather than just visualisations.

In order to fully resolve a professional body of work I feel I need to develop my designs into the more expensive materials that I have been testing. Now that my designs are more refined, I would be able to translate them into these materials without waste. This would enable me to produce outcomes that relate better to my identified context, as well as produce a collection that look more professional. This is something I feel I can undertake during Unit X.

I feel that my work is moving towards a professional creative practice. In previous projects I have only pushed my work as far as producing small scale designs or designs within my sketch book. For this project I have produced a collection of work that have the potential to be seen on a catwalk or within an exhibition space. However, producing work to a professional level that fits my context is something that I struggle with. I think this is because of my ambition to teach in the future, I have never considered myself an artist who could sell their work or create work for an exhibition.

I feel I pushed myself within this project to overcome this. Knowing that I am not aiming to produce work to sell has previous hindered me. I feel this collection was particularly successful because of the photo-shoot that I produced. This allowed me to show my work within my desired context.

To further progress into the next unit I feel I need to merge my professional ambitions with my creative practice. I think this will help me to push myself to create something more professional because it will feel more relevant to my future ambitions. In Unit X I plan to create a workshop that I can deliver to secondary school students, influenced by the discoveries I have made in the project. I feel I have the relevant skills and experience needed to create my own workshop because of the vast amount of previous experience that I have had.  Whilst working for Camp America as an arts and craft specialist over the summer I had the opportunity to plan and deliver my own sessions, so I understand the process that is involved. Running another workshop will help to improve my teaching skills which will help to support my PGCE course.

Overall I feel this project has helped me to develop new and existing skills that will help to support me in the future.