Sewing experiments

Sewing experiment 1: 

Using the sewing machine that was provided at school, I slowly followed around the eye stitching in a circular motion. This was effective but I feel that it was very un tidy and bits of thred were going different places as the sewing machine was hard to control with the detail that I wanted to achieve. I then moved on do doing the stitching manually.

Sewing experiment 2:

I found out that the sewing machine was hard to control and I wasn't able to get the detail I wanted to so I moved on to manually sewing the photographs. This was much easier I could tell that the detail that I wanted to achieve I achieved it within these photographs. Taking inspiration from Mauizio Anzeri I wanted to create a mask effect like he does but I didn't want the whole face to be convere. Secondly I wanted the sewing the connect each person within the photo by blending the thred showing a connection between the people within the photograph. I have gone in to great details with the sewing, weaving the thred to create a layered effect on the face and giving it more detail. Below are the sewing experiments that I created.

Maurizio Anzeri

Maurizio Anzeri makes his portraits by sewing directly onto the vintage photographs. His embroidered patterns cover the figures like costumes but also suggest a psychological factor revealing the persons thoughts and feelings. The combination of the two medias give the effect of different dimensions where history and future a merged into one. The images used are found, vintage photographs from history for example the Round Midnight is an early 20^th century glamour shot that at the time would have been considered provocative for both the girls nudity and ethnicity.

Looking at Anzeri’s photography, sewing work, I like how detailed the sewing is and how every strand of strong is places in a certain way with the string going the same directions changes from one to another. Secondly I like how it looks like a mask over the face hiding their inner thoughts like a protective layer. I also like that the photos are vintage, taking from the past and not edited to make them look old. Like my photos, they are all original, vintage and nothing is present. 

Photo Montage

I have created a photo montage inspired by David Hockney. I have printed out the same picture several times in different sizes to get this technique. I cut out the parts of the [picture that i wanted and then assembled them together using the original photo as a template but making the faces and the bodies look distorted but recognisable to the viewer. I think this experiment has worked well and i am pleased with the final outcome of the photo montage. 

David Hockney

David Hockney is a painter, printmaker, stage designer but the main skill that I am going to focus on is Hockneys photography skills and how they are inspiring my practice. He takes several pictures of the same subject with different angles and close ups then taking photographs and creating a photo montage from the photographs. Looking at Hockneys work, I like that even though its of the same subject but with different angles, you can still make out what the photo is and who it is. Also, the montage is a simple process but he makes it very affective by layer multiple images and creating a new photo from the old. At first, the photographs may be confusing to look at but when you look closer in detail, you can see the subject and the different angles used. I feel that to improve his work or what I think would do to make it better is to soften the edges of the photo, he could make all the lines meet not having bits of photo coming off the page. Although, it does make the photographs unique and creative and this is his style. Being inspired from Hockneys work, I am going to create a personal photo montage with the vintage photography that I have collected.

Board Experiment

Sticking to the theme of mix media, i have created a experiment board which consists of several squares that i have filled in using different media such as paint, string, coffee and different painting methods. I feel that this experiment was successful as i now know that i would like to take mix media work further within the project using paint and other media.

Here i used a paste with tissue to create a textured, 3.D affect on the experiment board.

I used old scraps of wallpaper which i then went over the wallpaper with a oil pastel to get the black layer on top.

Using paint, chalk and coffee to gain this affect on the ice cream section of the picture.

Different types of arts and crafts stuff which gave the picture the texture and tone. 

Richard Billingham

Richard Billingham is a artist and a photographer well known for his body of work called, Ray's A Laugh which is a portrayal of the poverty and the family which he grew up in. He took the photographs with the cheapest film he could find to give the photographs faded colours and bad focus which adds to the authenticity of the series of photos. The photographs start with the portrayal of heavy drinkers and chain smokers but as the series goes on, it emerges and seems that there is something seriously wrong with the mother with her mental needs. The audience get to see the deep, personalities of the family touching the audience and makes the audience feel some deep sorrow towards Richard and how he grew up. 

Looking at the photos in relation to mine, they are very similar in the way child hood memories were captures and the people around Richard when he was growing up. Deep emotions are portrayed within this photo, based around his family as well as my photos are emotionally deep and personal. Although Billingham has created the affect of the photo using cheap film to fade colours and not focus, my photos are original and from when i was younger so the quality of the photos are not at the best quality but adds to the vintage style of the photography. 

Comparing my photographs with Richard Billinghams, i can see the similarity of the effect of the photos and how vintage they look and they subjects within the picture are in a natural pose with nothing looking like it is fake. 

I like how personal the photographs are to the artist and how they show his child hood capturing moments in time where his emotions and family were going through tough times and how they lived their every day lives. Like my photography, it is very personal to me. I also like how he hasn't used the best camera available, he has used a old fashion, film camera that makes the photos look vintage without having to edit the photos in any way. I also like how honest the photography is and how he is not afraid to show how he lived his child hood and how his family acted when together within the same house hold.

Multiple image family photography

Taking the old family pictures that I had previously collected, I decided to layer each photo to create a story within the photograph. Each photo contain a different story and a different relationship to me.

This photograph is showing the relationship that me, my brother and my mum have and how it has evolved over the years. The background image is a older photo of me and my mother with the photo faded is myself, my brother and my mum. Having the older image behind is like having a time line on photos. It shows how times have changed and how new people have came into my life and tells a story of my life. Although you cannot distinctly see the portrait photos clearly, the background and the backgrounds items all relate to the photographs story. Capturing memories and events that have happened in my personal life.

This photograph tells a completely different story, the relationship between myself and my brother, Dion, from a young age. Dion has had a disability from when he was born and living with him has opened my eyes and made me appreciate the world and what I have and who I have in my life. This photograph shows the close relationship that myself and my brother had at young age. 

The layered photos are of a holiday picture and a photograph of when my brother was born. This is showing happy memories and how close all of my brothers were and how we have grown up together, staying close still. Dramatic changes are shown here including hair colour, how we have grown up and the relationship between us two. 

This photograph is of myself, my brother (Ethan), brother (Dion) and my mother. This is showing the close relationship that all four of us have with each other. Although at first the picture is hard to understand  with photos over laying making it difficult to see the photos, but when you look closely at the photograph you begin to reveal the emotions and the different photographs combined. You start to pick out different parts of the photo to piece together the bigger picture of our family.

Overall, I feel that this experiment has worked well combining old photos of my family, laying them on top to create an emotion filled story telling photography piece. Leading on from this photography experiment, I have gathered more ideas and how i could incorparate painting within.

Personal Family Photography

I have collected a verity of old, family pictures to use as primary resources for further work. I have selected these photos as they all have meaning behind them, the people within the photo mean something or have a close relation too and is showing a un staged emotion compared to if I was taking the photo myself. 

Jonathan Yeo

Jonathan Yeo is a British artist specialising in portraiture and collage. He didn't go to art school but took up painting while recovering from Hodkins Disease in his early 20's. Jonathan Yeo is an artist well known for his celebrity subject, from well-known politics, media, the art and even Kevin Spacey in role as Richard III, Grayson Perry as. Claire and Micheal Parkinson.

Looking at Yeo's work, I like the way I some of his paintings; he completed the face in such detail but leaves the rest of the painting with the prepped background. This gives it an un-finished look but because the face is in great detail, it doesn't make you question why. Secondly, I like the fact that he uses the grid method to draw the portrait but he doesn't erase the lines which they are still visible when the painting is complete. All of his painting have a strong meaning behind them even if the message is hidden. I feel that in some of his paintings, Yeo could have drawn and painted the subject off centre to make the piece more interesting and eye catching. Also, the glaze of the subject is more interesting when they are looking not straight at you but at a different angle.

Researching Johnathan Yeo paintings, it has inspired me to create a detailed painting on wooden board of similar to Yeo's painting style. Leading on from this, I would like to create something from mixed media about a subject and people that are personal to myself and make the art work have a meaning to it, instead of being just a painting or mix media work without meaning. Also a series of unusual pieces to unsettle the audience and place the mix media in a certain way to show emotion.

MULTIPLE IMAGES