21/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FORM - FRACTURE - FRAME - Process: layers

FORM: applying the fractured patterns to each of the various paper types, using either ink, correction fluid or pencil (only one piece). Allowing for four versions of each design.

 

15/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FRACTURE - Process: colour

Colour is noise.

To use or add colour to the pieces is to allow the noise to travel through the work. The desaturation removes the noise, quietness the city, the architecture, the inhabitants, the everyday; it's serenity, it's simplicity, it's meditation.To absorb the pattern in desaturated form is to see the layers, the texture and the meaning; to add colour to the buildings brings in other irrelevant meanings, symbolism of cultures and religions. Of course, white/grey/black have their own meanings too.. in this case they are rendered in the straightforward neutrality of non-colour, of tones rather than pigments. 

14/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FORM - Making: Screenprints

Screen-print testing in the studio on papers. Trials on Japanese papers to see how they respond to the ink before they are stitched. A couple of screens did not expose well as the Japanese papers were not transparent enough/the exposure wasn't long enough. I have exposed with tracing paper and printer paper before but not in this studio so I was reluctant to push the technician out of their comfort zone.        I used black ink and then as it ran out I blended in white to create a variegated effect and eventual subtleness of the print in white on the white paper. Time was limited so I managed 20 pints on the Japanese papers.I also created 3 'play' prints on standard A3 cartridge paper making noise by moving the screen around the paper haphazardly between print layers, I also did this while the ink was wet so ink was picked up and moved by the screen in the masked areas.Screen-printing seemed like a natural process for work lead by repetition and meditation. ink, print, repeat. I enjoy the quiet of the process, but also the way it can create visual noise through layering. However the prints themselves feel quite lifeless, flat and uninspiring.Initial thoughts are for the screen prints to be used a 'noise' or background, perhaps have elements of the fractures drawn out in stitch, embellished or embossed by the thread. Or to use them to create book forms, perhaps fracturing the pattern down further through folding.I opted to use a far more complex fracture for the screen printing, lengthening the process due to time taken to draw out the patterns. Perhaps a better option would be to screen print the simplified fractured patterns as overlays, but this does not sit well at the moment, they feel precious, like they need to be protected... perhaps even... 'elite', higher in status than the other fractured patterns and therefore tended to in a different manner.

14/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FORM - FRAME - Process: paper gathering

Gathering as many types of paper that has transparency to it. Will use with ink, graphite and correction fluid pen for experiments. Love the variance in opacity and the textures of the papers. Japanese paper has textural qualities similar to fabric. Acetate is slippery and clinical.Regarding thoughts of the work, is to make the layers seem 'touchable' to bring the city and its hierarchal levels 'within reach' - sensual qualities of materials important to re-import the sensuality of data removed from quantitive research.

13/11/2017 - Task 3 - Archives and Collections

Task 3: Archives & Collections - Project Space Art Jameel, Dubai, UAEProject Space Art Jameel, Alserkal Ave, Dubai UAE. Research studio: Annotations ‘Interdisciplinary practices of the early 80s, UAE’. Community programme, starting with the Project Space, the curatorial partnership with Campus Art Dubai, and the forthcoming Jameel Arts Center which will be a collaborative space working with the V&A, Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Prince's school of traditional arts. It will house a research library and focus on histories of the UAE and GCC.Why is this relevant to me?  The GCC is underrepresented by artists actually living and working here, it is often represented by artists that have experienced it, or claim heritage but are not based here (from my observations) it's a multinational place, literally full of people that do not claim citizenship but do invest in the economy and the culture. A place that has a large influence on my personal narrative and that of my family and has now become part of our heritage (birthplace of daughter). To understand the context you are working within is to come someway towards understanding the context of your own work and its readers - from commercial perspective can also aid in gaining viewership. But to be honest I didn’t take in a large amount of the information, the activity of the space enriched me more.The layout of the exhibition is explained in the beginning. It can be read succinctly panel by panel or you can choose to follow the connections demarcated by the different colour threads traversing the space. Literally mapping out a mind-map or spider-gram style research focus.Each panel holds a snippet of dialogue and the references that are made are highlighted around the panels. These include sounds clips, ipads for interactive research aspects, newspaper clippings, and various other texts and images.You can see here the threads linking the panels and traversing the space up and over.It was the representation of the threads of connection that struck me the most. The aspect of physically seeing the references connected through a conversation, a path that can be followed, the manner in which citations in written works should work. The physicality of moving across and around the space, like a treasure hunt to work out which paths linked where. It's a simple concept I have not seen in person before. It reminded me of the crime scene style maps and charts on TV, with locations pins and mugshots. But again, these tend to be constrained to one surface so a drawn line would suffice. I’m inspired to create a space where I can web between works to show their development.The tables in the center of the room contain arabic texts and examples of posters, worksheets etc.The back of the space contains a reading room. Within this space can be found an OHP with a collection of acetates displaying visuals and maps. On the large projector are videos of dances, performance pieces and poetry readings from the 80’s. A seating area is located at the back with headphones. As you can see there is also a wealth of literature for you to browse.The table contains numerous books in various Arab dialects, as well as english. Where possible they have obtained the texts in two or three languages. It is a collections of exhibition catalogues, poetry, reviews, biography, fiction and monoliths of Arab literature, and artists. There are texts on this table I plan to go and spend some time with: But We Cannot See Them ( a show last year I was unable to attend), Victims of a Map (a bilingual anthology of Arab poetry), Sufism and Surrealism.Around the edge of the room is a publication regarding the creative arts in the region that has been published for many years. It is unusual to have access to these kind of resources here as the library are not particularly well stocked. I would also like to go through the older editions of this publication to explore how architecture has developed and covered within it.

I’d like to add that Louvre Abu Dhabi opened on Sat 11 Nov 2017, first museum of its kind in the Arab region. Full of loans and pieces acquired of permanent collection. Commissions from Jenny Holzer & Giuseppe Penone. Have yet to visit but seems to be a largely westernised canon of art history, I question whether is holds an orientalist view or not, but will have to report back! 

It feels like it's going crazy here at the moment, Art Abu Dhabi was last week, the opening of the Louvre, this week is Dubai Design Week and then it is the Dubai Film festival is December. It is difficult to distinguish which things are important to attend.

11/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FORM - FRACTURE - FRAME - Process: fractured reassembled patterns

Following on with my process, I had photocopied previous fractured patterns, using a piece of square mount board I had collected in a drawer, I cut random squares out of these pieces. This resulted in crops of pattern that had already been through a process of building and releasing/forming and fracturing and were once again being fractured.As a consequence fragments of paper in slightly abstracted shapes remained. These were then pieced together to create an unrelated fragmentation.To re-form, these were transferred to the sketchbook to create a unified look.      An app called Scannable was used to create high contrast images, removing the noise from the page and paper texture. An interesting emergence considering that the images themselves are chaotic and noisy, but the feeling of the crisp background giving a quiet note to the pieces.      Comparing these to previous fractures, they have a lot of detail missing, are far more simple while still alluding to the repetition of geometry. How far can they be fractured and still maintain the essence of repetition?

10/10/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FRAME - Sketchbook: space notes

space and consumed space according to stats/databedspaces-apartments-                       -   floor plans?  sq ft per personvillas-office- space calculator - lawshouse - average living space per person - uk 38m2 in 1991, 44m2 2001 - UWErestaurant - personal space - flowing data.comeconomies of scale - elements of scale

07/11/2017 - Task 2 - FFF - FRAME - Sketchbook & Research: Thinking about...

Inspiration from other artists and designersThinking about...ceramics - cutting fractured patterns from the clay - like geometric lattice work but uncomfortable - weak, fragile, unexpected -  https://www.margaretkinkeade.com/      (screenshots of website)Micheal Coppers ceramic city blocks (https://www.michaeljcooper.co.uk/ceramics)    (screenshots of website)the fragility of time? life? but why? for what purpose?Rokni Haerizadeh -  But a Storm Is Blowing from Paradise (2014–15), he paints over printed stills from YouTube videos and television news broadcasts to create humorous subversions infused with melancholia and critique. (https://www.guggenheim.org/map-artist/rokni-haerizadeh) (https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/34596)paint over photos to create repeat patterns - use existing digital images to push them further.Heriot Watt - exhibition of architecture studies in AlSerkal - the use of the frame to manipulate the fabric in space - use this as a starting point to create installation maquette.