Lifecycled Project

What lies beneath?

What lies in the depth of your tears? 2015

Watercolour paper, tissue paper, burning tool

Using Matthew Darbyshire's Blades House and its self conscious fictional character setting, this artwork asks questions about the human condition, the difficulties we go through existing in the world. Do we miscommunicate through an external display, camouflaging what lies beneath our skin? Does our self-consciousness need to project ourselves through material possessions disguise our true emotions, vulnerability and feelings of fragility and weakness? It is this idea that emotions are not tangible unless displayed by an overly physical symptom such as crying tears that I have explored. Each human tear forms a unique pattern when examined under a microscope, dependent on the emotion expressed by the person producing them.

I translated these fragile patterns of emotion through experimenting with delicate paper surfaces using burning, scorching, charring techniques and processes. The reaction of the papers to heat created a unique alchemy, transforming the paper into living tactile surfaces, blistering with the stains and traces of human contact.    

Card Project

This was collaborative project setting up an enterprise to raise funds for a residential. As a group we decided on greeting cards, our inspiration was vintage combined with floral patterns after market research. This was highly successful raising in the region of £200.  

3D Project

This final 3D piece was influenced by Patrick Dougherty and the skeleton structures at the Manchester Museum. I worked on site to experiment with different structures using paper straws then developed the piece once I was back at college.

Observational drawing of Skeleton

This is a zoomed in section drawn with fine liner of observational drawing from human skeleton.

Fashion Designs influenced by Andrea Zapp

I was highly influenced after meeting Andrea Zapp of her process using images recorded from her travels made into printed fabric and used for her collection of dresses. She discussed how the images dictated the cut of the garment on occasion.  Using a pinhole camera I made out of quality street tin, I took photographs of Manchester city centre, developing the images in a darkroom following the chemical process. Using a monochromatic palette I feel the patterns were made more vivid. 

WW1 Fashion Designs

I was influenced by the first world war due to centenary celebrations. The colours and patterns were very much influenced by David Bomberg who was an English painter and very well-known from his war paintings. I modernised the style of the garment to attract a younger audience whilst still paying homage to the first world war and it's importance to modern day living.

Feathers

This feather design initially started as a drawing then was scanned and developed on Photoshop to produce a variety of patterns.