The Messy Little Artist: Window Display - Specialist Pathway Process Diary. (27/11/2014

Brief Day.

I got he brief for the Specialist Pathway Unit today. It consists of three options...

1. To use an existing book called "The Cunning Little Vixen" by Leos Janacek. Making your own adaptation, making props, costumes, or set.

2. 'Live' project, construction of a miniature for Rochester Castle for an exhibition called "The siege of Rochester Castle".

3. Own context driven project that will involve the construction of props, costume or scenic elements.

I always find I better on my own projects, so I'm very happy to pick number three. Next up is deciding what to work on?

Looking back to look forward.

To help decide what on earth I'm going to do, I wanted to look back on my previous work that I'm most proud of. I looked though my Flickr photo stream and noticed a common theme, most of my work is nature based, whether its taking pictures of natural things, painting natural forms or making things like my paper flowers. Without really noticing, I've spent the last 6 years + be inspired by nature in my work.

All images can be clicked on to view at their larger size within the window.

Images owned by Amy Akerman

Now I have realised how integral nature is in my work, I need to find a theme/book/play/film etc. to use as a starting point within it. It was suggested in the Brief meeting that we could do window displays, I rather like that idea. Choosing to design and create a window display would certainly push me out of my comfort zone, while being realistically achievable in the time given.

Questions...

1. What shop?

2. How big?

3. How many Windows?

4. What theme?

Window Displays

"Forefront-The Culture of Shop Window Design" (ISBN 3-7643-7192-7) Describes window dressing as an elite art form, capturing the hopes and desires of the onlookers in a single glass covered space, "Windows define us. They express our ideals, evoke our nature, catalogue our inspirations and make us laugh at all three."

Reading the first page of this book make me rethink the entirety of my project thus far. the way the author talks about it, the passion and the enthusiasm makes me want to do this right.

Here's where I got up to since the end of December...

Spring was the round about theme I decided upon, choosing to avoid the classic, yet overdone Easter window I chose to go for a more general representation of the season.

(Images owned by Amy Akerman)

Images can be clicked on to view at their larger size within the window.

Here is a selection of my primary images, the top row shows natural form images from winter, I feel acknowledging the contrast between Winter and Spring is necessary because of their connection as seasons.

The colours of winter are muted, especially in these photos, the frozen cobwebs are bright white against the natural browns, greens and yellows and oranges of the sunset.

In contrast the pictures from the lower row show the brightness the new life of the flowers in the spring.

(Images can be clicked on to view at their larger size within the window.)

Looking at past window designs for shops like Selfridge's and John Lewis (the window I have chosen to complete my project for) I created this double page on windows I either liked or thought I could take inspiration from. I noted that while the Selfridge windows each time were extravagant and bold, John Lewis' kept it more refined and safe. John Lewis often make seasonal shapes out of their own products I would like to take inspiration from this. Also in regard to the large picture at the bottom of the left image (source: Unknown), I really love the natural flow of the carved wood twisting around the space, like it grew like that inside the display.

(Images can be clicked on to view at their larger size within the window.)

I researched celebrations, themes, occasions and festivals to do with the spring months and found a multitude of possibilities. There are a surprising number of celebrations in the world during and about the spring time, most celebrate new life.

I very much like the idea of looking into the transition of Winter to Spring, it's what I thought of back when I first thought of using Spring as a starting point. This idea is perfect for a window display the transition can be shown over multiple windows, the content has the potential to be stunning, and will potentially push me into making large scale object that I otherwise wouldn't attempt.

Here is a small selection of the artist I have been looking at for inspiration. Andy Goldsworthy is an incredible artist who works directly with the natural materials around him to create both large and small scale natural sculpture. One of the other artists I looked at was Peter Randall-Page, who creates natural forms with sculpture, drawings and print. For my window display I would like to take inspiration from these two artists in particular, their sculptures inspired by natural forms.

My Images - Ice sculptures inspired by Andy Goldsworthy.

Using the objects around you.

Like Andy Goldsworthy I have always enjoyed using the objects round me in my work whether it's mark making with everyday objects or using book pages to create a multitude of natural forms. Below are a selection of images I have found, artists using everyday objects to create beautiful pieces.Examples here include Sayaka Ganz, who uses found kitchen utensils to create large scale animals. The other page is images from unknown artists, cutlery palm tree, a suspended installation of colourful pegs, toilet paper form, coat hangar star, pencil creature and a map dress.

As my theme is spring I would like to use everyday objects from the household to create natural forms.

Using every day objects.

(Images can be clicked on to view at their larger size within the window.)

The top two images are jay-cloth roses, middle heat melted spoon flowers and blue J-cloth snowflake and tea bag folded flower.

Everyday objects into natural forms - more 3D.

These six images are a few of my favourite more three dimensional forms. I took these photos on a mirror both because they look awesome and because I had an idea of using many intricate and individually unique cutlery natural forms displayed on a slanted mirrored sheet.

(Click to enlarge images)

These are three designs for a possible window display. I understand that my initial idea of one large mirrored surface covering the 4m Wide 2.5m tall space would be a huge undertaking, perhaps impossible as the perfect clarity mirror I would want for this would be extremely difficult and expensive to create.

The second image is six smaller tall mirrors positioned together, these framed mirrors could be simple or ornate. the frames give the piece stability and strength.
The final image is that of many small mirrors, the image depicts a very rigid structure but after thinking a moment I realised the potential of uniqueness. Like a snowflake each mirror and its respective flower contained within it would be unique. The mirrors would of course be different sized (as they would be sourced from charity shops and car boot sales) and would be fitted together however is aesthetically pleasing to the eye.

Think BIG.

Today I had a tutorial with Fiona Watt (my tutor), we talked about what I had done, and my prospects of the future of this project. We talked a lot about lighting and scale. Like in theatre a window display has to be noticeable from a distance, I agreed that my roughly four in squared pices were perhaps a little small and my mind began racing to larger projects.

Being a much larger scaled idea this natural formed 3D sculpture made of many smaller flowers would have the space inside of it to be lit. As well as making this stunning at night time, it would evoke a sense of natural power,

These two images are some larger scale floral shapes (around 30 cm wide) experimenting with how my white lamp lights up the cutlery. I really love the effect this has, how the different thickness's of plastic effect the shade. Now although these are bigger than my previous experiments, they're still not as large and impressive as they could be.

This is a quick sketch I did of an initial idea, a really large scale sphere with layers of spoons, lit from within. I think this is a really cool idea, for a dark display with a few of these really bright in a flowing pattern, like flying seeds or spores.

Here are some images I compiled that I could possibly take some inspiration from to make these lit spherical shapes. These are really close up images of seeds and other natural forms.

Different pieces of cutlery could make different shapes for instance, we already know spoons make great lilly shapes, I could make a really large lilly or a sphere made of smaller ones.

Forks make a kind of fluffy effect on mass, like dandelions or grass.

Knives are much trickier, I'd have to try out different things once I get there.

The drawing above makes me think of a lampshade, so I could try and make these forms around them, this would mean they stay spherical, have good support and are ready to put straight on a bulb.

after many hours of work I got seven lampshades done. I am happy with the majority but to get some variety some had to be different in styles so there was always going to be ones I prefer over others. I can hardly believe how many pieces of cutlery I have used, I estimated I have used over 5,000 items.

Final design for window display One of three. name "Winter"

This is one large form, made from many smaller forms, mainly forks and knives. As the winter window, it has a spiky quality. The cutlery in this piece would be mostly clear plastic (and some white), this evokes an ice like feeling, it would be lit with slightly blueish lights.

Final Design window two of three name "Transition"

This central window is the transition window is made of seven lampshades inspired by natural forms like seeds and spores. It depicts the flowing motion of wind spread seeds before and during the spring time.

Final design window three of three. name "Spring"

this is the final window of the three, it is the culmination of both one and two, the central form is a more floral version of the first "winter" window containing more spoons than forks.