Contstruction and deconstruction.

Material is very important to the work. I started using a plywood with much more layers so that I could work back into it, deconstructing it. Using a blow torch to burn through the layers and a screw driver to etch the wood, removing layers and sections of the wood.

I then print from the burnt wood, as can been seen in the image below, different tones are achieved with just the ash and the wood. An image is created from the destruction of the wood. And again the image continues to change as the ash falls off. 

 

Deconstructing Programming

Printing from a computer keyboard.

The work questions our conditioned thinking-how we are programmed. Our conditioned thinking is almost like the programming of a computer, we are programmed to think a certain way. The work questions this thinking and looks to the potential of breaking through such thinking are barriers.

Here I have used the keypad from a laptop to print from. This came from the deconstruction of a laptop, I want to experiment further with using such objects in the printing process.

Maquettes and shadows

I have been playing with creating these mental spaces and playing with the shadows they create. Maquettes such as the one below are simple experiments playing with line, space and shadow. No matter what the size the maquette is, light can be used to play with the shadow, creating large or small shadows. Space can be continually changed.

Liminal Space

In the last couple months, ideas on liminality have interested me. A liminal space represents an in-between space. It is neither this nor that, it is in constant flux. I use the modern ruin as a liminal space, it is a window into the past yet, we are seeing it in the present moment and it points to questions of the future. The abandoned building site, is a common modern ruin, both construction and deconstruction are represented

The work compares ideas of the liminal space in the physical environment (the ruin) to that of the mental spaces. The liminal state in the mind is one too of uncertainty and change, these states are times of questions. I am interested in this state as one of transformation. The death of old patterns, and the birth of the new. Both growth and decay co-exist.

The co-existence of opposites is central to the work. My etchings below illustrate this co-existence of opposites. Construction and deconstruction are juxtaposed.

Looking into a space.

The physical environment is constantly used to echoe the mental environment. The idea of the glimpse is important to me. Only getting a glimpse into a space, leaving space for uncertainty and questions.

Looking at the space in-between, isolating the 'empty space'.

Prints with Collograph plates in church gallery

Layering Screen Printed tissue paper with prints and fabric

 

Visually transparency is very important. I am working with layering my prints and structures, creating different levels of transparency. This represents being transparent to conditioned thinking and taboos, being open and fearless. I want the work to challenge conditioned thinking and the mental structures we construct. By layering the work, constructing and deconstructing, it takes away the familiarity of the imagery and creates an element of not knowing, creating questions.

Wax and Plaster work

The work plays with what is solid and what is not, questioning our perceptions. Looking at the mind, I want to question our thoughts, they concrete? The wax and plaster models explore this. The wax models contain elements of structure and prints that both protrude the models and sink into them. There is depth and an element of the unknown, I want people to question what is happening within these structures. I have hung the models by different materials to add a layer of tension, will they hold on? The plaster models are an excavation of the structures of the mind. I took the smooth plaster models and worked back into them, eroding them, revealing the layers and elements of structures underneath.

Layering and building

Building structures with screen printed masking tape, layered with tissue paper and acetate



Here I made a sheet of plaster so that I could screen print on it. 6 colour screen print.

 

I wanted to use a material that was malleable and had a reference to structure. Plaster is a strong material but can be easily carved back into and broken. I hope to work back into the plaster, breaking back into the structure.

Experiment with materials for Collographs

I wanted to build my structures on paper using collographs, I find that rough texture given by the carborundum suits my concept best. I also want to use the plates to build a 3D structure.

 

I used ply wood for this Collograph plate, I found this to be successful because of the grain achieved in the print.



This print has four layers, giving it a more 3D feeling, also breaking up the imaging, adding questions as to what is happening.

 



This is a section of the Steel plate I used to create a collograph.

 The rust on the steel plate created an interesting texture on the finished prints as well. On this plate of have mixed imagery of steel structure with delicate lace, questioning strength and structure.

ScreenPrint on Tissue paper

Fragility is important to the work, as I am questioning our perceptions of what is strength. I decided to print on tissue paper to express this fragility, the image I used is one that we would associate with strength and stability, steel scaffolding. Printing this on tissue paper questions the material.

I wanted to give structure to the tissue paper but I don't think the bamboo works so I need to experiment with other ways of making the tissue paper work in structure.

 

Creating Structures

 This year I want to work a lot in 3D, I began by creating simple structures with bamboo and wire, using paper and fabric. I enjoyed doing this but the there was no getting past the fact that everything looked like kites! I wanted a light weight feel to the structures but it wasn't really successful for my concept, as the first thing on would think of is "oh look at those lovely kites!"