Still in the Red

Still in the Red

Open Day

Another New Studio

Still in the Red

the studio in a convex mirror

Quick, said the bird, find them, find them,
Round the corner. Through the first gate,
Into our first world, shall we follow
The deception of the thrush?

TS Eliot ‘Burnt Norton’ 

Despite my best efforts the concerns I had when developing the geranium project  remain central to my practice and I feel as if I’m in a dialogue with the inherent nostalgia evoked, in particular, through the Four Quartets 

The work I started and discussed in my last post led to me making the space to build a large sculpture based on the three trees maquettes I’ve been making. The sculpture must have spaces inside its mass that are inaccessible to adults because that’s the truth of the actual location (I am working alongside on a VR project that will express this better). In order to clear apples from the garden I need to get on my knees and that act immediately changes my relationship with the earth. I am attached more strongly to the ground, limited in my ability to move and given a different view of things. It’s this feeling I carry in to making and essentially try to replicate in the process. The object is the manner of its making.

Still in the Red

The build process

In this case that starts with an external armature to which I can attach shapes based on those that have grown. Each of the stages is followed by a Polycam scan of the sculpture at that stage.

Still in the Red

with the armature removed

When I’ve got the basic form I remove the armature and make sure the structure can stand.

Still in the Red

with the armature removed

This, if you like, is the outline, and I can then build on this to fill out the form I envisage.

Still in the Red

adding form

I used cartridge paper to do this and I’d normally make this more rigid with resin but my current studio arrangements don’t allow for this. It’s always worth noting that the material determines the quality of the form.

Still in the Red

adding form

The form, once complete can be painted and in this case it will be red.

Still in the Red

First coat of Red

The piece is about seven feet tall and will intially be painted using two shades of red. I’ve managed to put the first one on so far.

First coat of Red

I’ve found time to work on some of the drawings and my sketchbook, this is the third red garden drawing

Red Garden Three

Still not finished.

Open Day

You’ll have noticed this at the top of the page, try to visit if you can, the other two are really good!

Circles Films

Circles Films

(Another New Studio)

Over the last fortnight I set up the installation area, for the moment a projection room, and played around with using both projectors each throwing to a different wall.

While I was playing with the projections I also produced the first piece of work I’ve made in the studio. A drawing of the birds nest I found when the neighbours trimmed the hedge.

circles films

first drawing in the new studio

A simple charcoal drawing on heavy paper. I made a polycam model of the nest itself

Then later made an AR test with the downloaded obj file. The obj, or format of your choice, can be downloaded here.

I wanted to break up the projected images in the installation and decided to make some large circles to to hang in front of the screens. The images below use a projection of the geranium project film and a new red film made from camera trap captures that came out in shades of red, played in sequence and on a loop.

Circles Films

Red Circles from the right

Circles Films

The geranium film projected onto the large circles

Doing so meant I emptied my portfolio so I displayed the Durer’s solid drawings that are in progress.

Circles Films

The Durer’s Solid drawings displayed in the studio

The video felt too small in the space and I wanted to complicate the surface so I used both projectors and set them with the films overlapping by about two thirds of their width. I added in a line of smaller circles cutting across the space.

Circles Films

Both projectors in the installation overlapping

I have a Vimeo Showcase of film snatches and a longer, 15 min film

There is a gallery page of stills from the  videos

And that’s as far as I’ve got

Durer’s Solid and Platonics

Durer’s Solid and Platonics

Durer's Solid and Platonics

Dodecahedron

In my last post Be a Bit Pirate AR I spoke about working on a small app using platonic solids and I have continued to develop that alongside other things since then. I made models of the solids to act as targets for the app and also used photographs to develop the apps using vuforia .

The models have been scanned using Polycam and can be viewed using this link

When I reached this stage I realised the project needed something else to make it hang together so I found my dialogues and took the appropriate quotations from Timaeus 

and made this version of the app.

I’m in the process of setting up a Google Play developer account so that it can be easily downloaded when it’s complete.

I made a model of Durer’s solid when I was building the other models, and a set of drawings.

Alongside this I applied for a couple of grants, the one I got is effectively a purchase award from the DGLAM Culture Fund, this was my accepted proposal.

The work would consist of a set of five black and white drawings of the platonic solids. Each of these would be linked to an augmented reality application allowing further illustration, animation and colour to be seen on screen when the drawing was viewed through the app. The platonic solids were named for the philosopher who proposed that the classical elements, earth, air, fire and water were associated with them. The enhanced virtual content, displayed through the app, would reflect Doncaster through the lens of these qualities; A virtual representation of the cube from the drawing in the bandstand at Hexthorpe Park for instance to reflect Earth. The application would show AR content from different areas of the city for each drawing.”

Most of the work I do can be seen on my website

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day; I filled sketchbook 9 on 13th April and have begun No. 10. The March drawings can be seen here

and the February images here

There is a link to the previous month’s Gallery on each page.

The drawings are posted to Twitter and Instagram each day.