26/09/18
For this workshop, we created a minimum of 16 A5 pieces of paper- each by using different materials; both man-made and from nature. I found this workshop to be really enjoyable as it took me out of my comfort zone of primarily using paint brushes in my work.
It is really interesting how one material can create a variety of different marks depending on the direction of movement and pressure applied. I took this idea through to my experiments by using materials such as broken CDs, pinecones, polystyrene and bubble wrap to name just a few!
To begin with I was worried about making mistakes but then realised that the purpose of the exercise was to experiment with new materials and not worry about what the end pieces will look like.
I found the use of certain materials like polystyrene to be really interesting as they seems to absorb some of the ink, creating an irregular, unrepeatable pattern. Therefore, making each print entirely different, and difficult to repeat.
I decided to display my favourite outcomes on a large piece of white paper so I could annotate them and describe the markings made using the natural and man-made materials. I like how all of the outcomes turned out, with them all looking completely different.
My favourite experiment is the one at the bottom right of the image above. I used a straw that was dipped in ink. To create this almost erratic effect I blow from the other end of the straw; allowing the ink to spread in a variety of directions almost like disease spreading. The use on white space helps to contrast the opaqueness of the Indian ink. As I blow the ink further around the page, I also noticed the ink becoming thinner, leaving a lighter shade in the outcome.
I really enjoyed this workshop as it it pushed me out of tmy comfort one, forcing me to think more creatively about the materials and marks I was making. Allowing me to think less of the final outcome, but rather on the process of making it.
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