Project Four
End of Project Statement – ‘Press Release’
This project has been about how my work relates to the outside world, and the context with which it stands. During this project, I discovered that my work fits better in a gallery context; all white walls, big open space, large enough to walk around in and for there to be an artwork. But I also discovered that my work isn’t just about the exploration of the spatial environment, it’s also about exploring the mind, my mind, and how I see spaces and how I interact with them.
In this piece I used fishing line to create a support structure for the piece, and then laid out the string throughout the space. This created this beautiful architectural drawing within the space, among all the translucent wire. Creating landscapes within spaces is what I’m best at, and in the future I will be exploring my ‘true’ reason as to what my work is based on, the theme in other words. I shall also explore other materials and incorporate more of my imaginative landscapes within my installations.
NGCA – Baldock Pope Zahle
The NGCA is currently exhibiting Baldock Pope Zahle, showing the artists Jonathan Baldock, Nicholas Pope, and Maria Zahle. The artists have been chosen because of their inquisitive relationship to materials, and to also bring together artists of different generations. Although the artworks are diverse, each artist has used their abilities with materials to express their own circumstances and experiences into exuberant and highly emotive work.
Out of all the artworks, I’m more drawn to Maria Zahle’s piece. Her work traverses the 30 metre expanse of the main gallery, using rip-stop nylon. The sculpture zig-zags from the floor to the ceiling across the gallery, separating the space into two sections.
I find Zahle’s piece more interesting as it’s a piece which the audience can interact with, the viewer can walk around and through the piece, allowing you to take your own path, and guides you through the gallery space. I find her use of material unusual, why use a specific/expensive piece of material instead of a cheaper alternative? But the way she has used the material has amplified it’s properties of strength and lightness, showing how the way materials are used and exhibited can enhance their abilities.
Cheeseburn – Exhibition
Cheeseburn are holding an exhibition showing the shortlist of artists in the run for North East Young Sculptor of the Year Award. The artists (including myself) were given £300 to develop a proposal for a sculpture that would be installed in the grounds of Chesseburn. All the proposed artworks have their own identity and all show potential to win. Excluding my own entry, my favourite piece is by Anthony Hensman, with his proposal discussing the link between the physical world and the theoretical space. Hensman aims to install a series of concrete doorways, all barely within touching distance, and the inside layered with polished copper plates. This doorway is to create a link, a portal our conscious perception, the natural world, and a plausible infinity.
To vote for your favourite, follow the link to the facebook voting.
Cheeseburn – North East Young Sculptor of the Year Award
I entered a competition back in November last year for a chance to win £5000 to build a sculpture for the grounds of Cheeseburn. Around Christmas time I got an email saying that I was one of the nine people that had got short-listed for the competition. When the new year came round, I was given £300 to research, design and construct my proposal idea for what I wanted to build if I was to win. Now, there is an exhibition on at Cheeseburn containing all the short listed artists proposals.
My proposal is to create a large perspex structure that will dominate the space, and will be an almost alien sight on the grounds at Cheeseburn. Whilst the sculpture will dominate the space, I want to encourage the visitors to take a closer look at the structure and discover the 3D printed objects displayed within. These 3D printed objects will consist of alien like devices and shapes, while some will be representations of the grounds themselves.
The winner will be chosen on 30th May 2016. To vote for your favourite, follow the link that will take you to the facebook voting.
Project Four Update
I’m still in the experimental stage playing around with materials trying to find the right balance of light and dark, and what goes with what. My tutor gave me the black vinyl material which I have then cut and hung. I’m very fond of the appearance that the tinfoil gives the wood, and how its bounces the light around. Again, this is still in the experimental stages, I really should be a bit further on with deciding on what I’m going to use, and where I’m going to set up a more permanent installation. But for the time being, progress is going well, I just need to start refining ideas and materials.
Project Four Update
I’m still continuing my exploration of the spatial environment and experimenting with different materials. I have started to use tinfoil in an effort to try and make my work represent space satellites/stations. I have always been interested in space technology and have started to use my this within my practice; exploring space in the form of technology and the spatial environment. In future installations I will be exploring this interest in space technology further by making more accurate representations of space crafts.
Project Four Update
This week I put up another installation within my space. Right now I’m just experimenting with different shapes, designs, and layouts to help with future progress to my practice. This installation is very minimalist, where I’ve not used many materials, but I find that even with few materials, they can spread far and can still consume a large amount of space. This installation uses the advantage of height, where most of the materials are spread, the rest of the materials are suspended in a tight bundle around eye height.
After playing around with these designs and layouts, I will be experimenting with creating longer installations, as space has become available within my space, so I will be taking up the opportunity to use as much as possible, before it’s taken away from me.
As always, I hope you enjoy.
Project Four Update
This week I have set up another temporary installation within my studio. I have recently been drawn to create minimal installations which require few materials, and don’t take up too much space, trying to condense the work. I aimed to make this one float above the floor and decided to try some new elements within it.
I will be experimenting with creating objects which look similar to space satellites / stations. My intentions is to start creating ‘new world’ like objects to go within my installations, space satellites will be used as reference.
As always, I’m experimenting with different formats and designs for my installations and will continue to do so for the next month or so. Then I will move on to focus my work to one of the designs. Next week I will go into a more in-depth description of where I stand with my practice at this current moment. Enjoy.
Project Four Update
This week I’ve have been pretty swamped with meetings lectures and a photo shoot. So the only real outcome from this week is my Shaun Space crit which I had on Thursday. Every week three students are asked to exhibit a piece/series of work within the university, to which then the whole class has a critique about the selected works. This is a great experience which my university provides, as it allows us to experiment with different display designs, and also helps to gather new ideas from fellow students.
So this week I offered to be put into the space and created the sculpture/installation you see in the images. This is a new experiment for me to try and localise the installation, keeping it tight and small. I left the crit with a collection of new ideas and focuses which I’ll be applying to my practice in the coming weeks. I’ll be experimenting with creating a standalone piece which will in turn, move my work from an installation to a sculpture. Enjoy.
Project Four Update
This week I have made a new temporary installation in my space, I am continuing to use new materials and experiment with different techniques in which to display the installation. With this installation I have used the wire to form a space/wall in which the viewer is able to walk around. I have also suspended a section of wood which is only supported by the string from the ceiling, the other end is laid on the shelf.
I have also been experimented with Photoshop with creating space-like scenes. I have worked out a simple and quick way in which to create these scenes, and I intend to improve my skills to make more detailed drawings. These drawings are being uploaded to my Redbubble account, where you can buy these drawings in various items such as t-shirts, mugs, cases, etc.
http://www.redbubble.com/people/railstonartwork/works/20789257-space-drawing
http://www.redbubble.com/people/railstonartwork/works/20801448-space-clouds
http://www.redbubble.com/people/railstonartwork/works/20808864-cosmic-colour
Beginning of Project Four!
Finished project three, so no it’s onto project four.
I’m going to be continuing from my last project which is about the exploration of space. In my feedback from my assessment, I was told to move on using and experiment with new materials and try new spaces. So I’ve started with the new materials by adding wire to the equation. This is my current temporary installation in my space; I enjoyed using the new material as its boosted my enthusiasm to make these. I aim to make a installation every week, and posting the result on Fridays.
I also made a new box which is new to the collection. I’m hoping to make a new box every two weeks, designing the box one week and making it the next. I aim to make a box which has a new way of opening, in comparison to my current collection.
Enjoy.
Railston Artworks 