Some Space in the Garden

Some Space in the Garden

Another New Studio

 

I made a trial VR space for the Woolgathering project. The close up fllower bed will be sited in the full garden and accessedby proximity as the player progresses towards the top of the garden. Wandering through the flower bed will eventually lead the player back to the normal scale garden.

 

I also made a 360 video version of the real flower bed to use juxtaposed with the sculpted environment. You can watch the video on Vimeo here.

I spent the rest of the month working on two big drawings of the four sculptures.

Some Space in the Garden

woolgathering view 18 10 2024

This is a big drawing done in pastels and water based media.

woolgathering flowers 1234 04102024

The final orientation of each piece will depend on the display environment.

Some Space in the Garden

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Some Space in the Garden

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Some Space in the Garden

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The pastels are varnished to keep the colours strong and the texture can be seen moire clearly in the details.

Some Space in the Garden

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Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The October drawings can be seen here

and the September images here

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

The drawings are posted to  Instagram each day.

 

Centre Apple Tree

Centre Apple Tree

Another New Studio

I just completed the Contemporary Art Academy PG1 course with a session where the participants delivered an ‘elevator pitch’ summing up our practice using the insight gained from the course. This is obviously really difficult because it is hard to articulate in the first place and remains hard in the final analysis.

I said something like “My name is Ian Latham and I build mixed reality installations. These involve physical sculptures alongside virtual environments (worlds). I use found and reclaimed materials, branches, scaffold planks, insulation foam etc., to build objects and structures based on my suburban garden. The virtual worlds that work alongside these explore the process of creation using LiDAR scans of the sculptures at various stages of their creation. The juxtaposition of these objects with representations of the garden IRL suggest the process of growth that I’m exploring.”

There were lots of hhms and aahs along the way, a few digressions and an element of self deprecation that was described to me as apologetic. All in all it was a great experience, it’s good to meet a group of peers and discuss the work rather than the life of being an artist.

I made this video for the presentation but in the end didn’t use it as we were trying to present ourselves as if we encountered someone while networking.

 

Centre Apple Tree

Red Garden Six

Since the last post I finished Red Garden Six with the addition of the red tree in the foreground.

Centre Apple Tree

Red Garden Seven 07 06 2024

Red Garden Seven 10 06 2024

I also took Red Garden Seven through two more stages. I’m not entirely convinced by either of them but I am persuaded there is nothing more I can do with either.

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple 17 06 2024

I continued to work on the “Three Trees version Two” but it morphed into the “Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple” that will sit at the entrance to the virtual exhibition, and the physical one come to that.

Centre Apple Tree

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple

The exhibition will have “Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple” at or just past the entrance, a new piece “Centre Apple Tree” in the centre of the quincunx and the first version of “Three Red Trees” at the top left and the “Dancing Partners” at top right. The various drawings may be displayed alongside although part of me thinks they’ll be separate.

Two Red Trees – Pear and Apple – Detail

Centre Apple Tree

Centre Apple Tree

Centre Apple Tree

I spent the back end of the month building the new “Centre Apple Tree”

And drawing it.

We had an unusual spell of good weather, for June, as well so I did some drawing in the garden.

Climbing rose 21 06 2024

Garden 26 06 2024

Hydrangea 26 06 2024

 

Drawing

I’ve continued to draw every day;

The June drawings can be seen here

and the May images here

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

The drawings are posted to Threads and Instagram each day.

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!