Week 5 - 24th-28th October - VISUAL SCAFFOLD

This week didn't see the continuation of 'Fundementals' however I had important things to discuss in my one on one tutorial on the 25th. Firstly I asked for brief feedback just to check this Reflective Journal blog was up to scratch which she mostly agreed with however did highlight lack of evaluations of effectiveness for my outcomes which I will endeavour to improve on from here on. I also expressed my uncertain feelings about the ongoing development of our unit so far outside of the taught sessions. My tutor suggested I combine the skills learnt in my EDIT workshop with the footage captured in my OBJECT session, plus some extra films from my own time, to create an outcome which would satisfy both areas yet still push me to explore new methods and practice the skills I had already developed. I like this idea and feel it will summarise both projects neatly so decided to set this as a goal to achieve as soon as possible. She also suggested some useful contextual linking for my EDIT project and proposed me to start another blog for my Research File as well as my Journal. As a blog has worked so well for me in this instance I think it could be the perfect way to organise my research as well.



I also had my Drawing Workshop this week based around a title of 'Visual Scaffold' which involved creating a scaffolding framework around an object or trinket. As so much of my personal practice involves geometric shapes and overlays I thought this workshop could integrate with my self led work. I took in a fox skull I had found on a walk in as my trinket. First we had to draw our objects without looking at the paper, to help us focus closely on the forms and shapes created. Even though I tried to apply myself to this task fully I must admit the outcomes I was most satisfied with were the ones where I had a sneaky look at the paper from time to time, due to my perfectionist nature. I also liked the water soluble pens and the effect created by combining them with water, softening the edges and giving the drawings and ethereal appearance. 

Next we begun to build the scaffold. I tried to follow the organic contours of the skull in a geometric way, emphasising the forms already in place instead of masking them. I also had to make sure the scaffold could be removed when necesssary. I really liked the aesthetic of the framework however I felt like it didn't show up properly as the colours of the bone in comparison was also very similar. I decided that when taking the skull home I would spray paint the frame a block contrast colour to make the shapes more eyecatching.
 












The drawings made from removing the scaffold were visually interesting as they still conveyed form, but highly abstracted from the initial object. My typical practice is almost entirely figurative normally but this was an interesting and useful deviation from that for me, particularly as it still had its origins based in visual study.

I felt most satisfied with drawings that featured both the skull and the scaffold however. I would call these my final outcomes for the workshop as I think they demonstrated the techniques I had attempted to the highest refinement. They also were similarly linked to my typical practice yet I also feel like in this workshop I expanded myself into a new area of interest which I am really excited to explore.

Overall the in this workshop the actual skull itself with the scaffold built around it was most interesting to me. When I took it home and painted it red I realised the visual effectiveness of this as a sculptural piece. The framework was slightly crude due to the materials I used to build it however it made me consider how much this could be improved if I created machined frame from either plastic or welded metal, which could then be thinner, less obstructive and more decorative. I also want to consider the conceptual applications of this creative thread further.