Tag Archives: art

City: Moodboard & Theme selection

This post will contain information and images on the themes ideas for the Project City.

SUPERNATURAL CITY

Transform city found objects, and/or data, into representational or abstract forms, designs, and patterns for a large-scale public art installation.

When I think of cities, I think of man-made and natural aspects. I considered what can be seen in the cities, what can be felt in terms of how you feel etc. I decided to go on the direction of Nature for my City. Recently, I went to Chinese/Japanese Garden to see what I can be inspired from.

The first thing that came to my mind were ripples, how the water flows naturally could be turned or modified into an organic pattern following the movement or direction. After my personal trip, I went on Pinterest to gather inspiration and created my moodboard.

Inspiration Tab-Pattern Design
General research on Pattern Design on Pinterest. (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design/)

 

Moodboard - Ripples Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #1

The second idea I had in mind was textures. So I looked out for trees, the road and other materials I can find along the park for unique textures. Some trees that had scales growing on the trunk thus it lead me to think of bio-mimicry, and/or microscopic structure.

Moodboard - Textures Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #2 – textures
Moodboard - Microscopic Inspiration
Moodboard on idea #3

 Lastly, I researched on the different techniques to go create patterns. After browsing through Pinterest, I narrowed down to 2 techniques which you can find below:

My compilation of the different ways to create pattern using different tools (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-techniques/)
My compilation of the different ways to create pattern using different tools (Link: https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/inspiration-pattern-design-techniques/)

 

Moodboard on techniques
Moodboard on techniques
  1. marbling — I thought of using watercolour or milk with food colouring to create the cross section of the pattern
  2. monoprint — I thought of re-using the monoprint from previous semester, and do a few more to get variations so that I could collage them digitally.

In terms of colour, I thought of bright and contrasting colours like the last picture on the right from the techniques moodboard.

Typographic Portrait: Research research

From the previous post, I mentioned my attraction and interest on the technique of News Overprint. So this post will hold a slightly in-depth portion on my research throughout the project.

More inspiration pins on Pinterest @ https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/news-overprint-inspiration/
More inspiration pins on Pinterest @ https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/news-overprint-inspiration/

 

(above) I used these images as an example of how I could incorporate designs into my own book page.

 

https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/typography-inspiration/
https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/typography-inspiration/

 

(above) I used these images to help me have an idea how I want to make the typography stand out within the designs in the book page. I thought alot of contrast between bold and light, negative space etc.

 

https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/sol-lewitt-inspiration/
https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/sol-lewitt-inspiration/

 

(above) I refer to Sol LeWitt’s wall drawing line works to see how I could portray my personality by using just lines.

 

There are other resources that I came across with that I found to be interesting to add on as an inspiration:

The third image uses the same word throughout the work “HA”. The bold effect allows one to actually see what the message is, with its background faded.

 

The 2 images below consists of Pinterest research on artist Kurt Schwitters on his collage works and the technique of Ephemera:

https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/kurt-schwitters-collage-inspiration/
https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/kurt-schwitters-collage-inspiration/

 

https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/ephemera-inspiration/
https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/ephemera-inspiration/

 

Continuing research on ‘Connecting Lines’ — I wanted to look further from Sol LeWitt’s line works, example: on how I could use these lines to form shapes or typography?

https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/connecting-lines-inspiration/
https://www.pinterest.com/youmikaltsum/connecting-lines-inspiration/

 

And after these research, I’d try it out myself to see if it suits with the vocation or personality I chose.

#throwback: Agnes Martin

Major throwback to the first week of Foundation 2D.

This was a group research that Caroline and I did during the first lesson of 2D. We chose and was assigned one of the many artists — Agnes Martin. This research is a hand-me-down information from the slides that we did. (So basically I’m just transferring the information here.)

Agnes Martin (1912 - 2004)
“When I first made a grid, I happened to be thinking of the innocence of trees, and then a grid came into my mind and I thought it represented innocence, and I still do, and so I painted it and then I was satisfied. I thought, “This is my vision.” – Agnes Martin

 

Agnes Martin (1912 – 2004)

Martin was known as an American abstract painter, referred as a minimalist but considered herself an abstract expressionist. She turned to art around the age of 30, when she was a student at Columbia University in New York.

One of Martin's art piece
One of Martin’s art piece

 

So when I typed “Agnes Martin artworks” at Google search, I was perplexed, surprised and couldn’t really believe what I was looking at! The picture above is one of the many artworks of Martin’s. Look at how simple her artworks are — geometrical shape, and just lines by pen and a ruler. At that point of time I was thinking to myself “WHAT? That means if I were to just draw a single line in pencil and tell people ‘This is my art piece’, I would be famous too?”

HA HA HA (Dream on Ummi)

That was definitely a complete puzzle to me and that was the first impression of Martin’s artworks. She has this signature style of hers where she uses squared monochrome canvas, layered with gesso, overlaid with hand-drawn pencil lines and thin layers of oil or acrylic paint.

(More examples of her pencil-ed lines below…)

Agnes_Martin_Hiram_Butler_Gallery_a securedownload-2

Untitled-10

Let me share Martin’s techniques used in her artworks. Firstly, pencil lines. As you can see from the above examples, you can tell that she is a mechanical person. She actually has hand-drawn horizontal, vertical or in grid formations across gesso canvas. She stretched string across the canvas and uses ruler to draw. Then, her line spacing was mathematically worked out on paper, then painted between to form solid bands.

Secondly, colour range in her artworks. Martin mainly uses the primary colours of red, blue and yellow, and of course the most basic colour of black and white. She customizes the colours by thinning, mixing, lightening and darkening them. Furthermore, with these colours, she actually creates ghostly effect of the colours by bleaching them out. That is why her coloured artworks has those neutral, gentle yet faded colours.

1974, Martin’s artworks eventually moved out from the ‘monochrome zone’ and became more human and involving by replacing neutral tones to brighter colours.

In general, Martin’s inspiration are mostly from nature and emotions. She always somehow connects her artworks with her emotions deep inside. Therefore, if you were to re-read the quote at the top of this post, you could see how much she would relate nature with emotions and then transferring those characters onto her canvas.

So what do I think of Agnes Martin?

Personally, I like simple stuff. I was impressed that her just a few lines could actually mean something so deep. I actually have this motto of “Less is More”, and I think Martin portrays that as well.

Another round of trials

I always have these ideas at the back of my mind when I have some “me time”, so I decided to have another session of self monoprinting at my balcony.

Slide9 Slide10 Slide11

 

So I decided to try several techniques, as attached in the set of pictures above:

  • Top set contains the techniques of Decalcomania
  • Middle set contains mixture of inspired Jackson Pollock splattering of paint technique, standard monoprint, and the dripping of paint/ink technique.
  • Last set contains inspired Mehndi or Henna art (4th and 5th from the left), inspired Art Attack technique of painting over dried glue (first 3 from left) but it failed when the glue flattens as it dries up, and, technique somewhat similar to Sand Painting except the minus off the glue and the sand and replacing it with just baby powder.

*Just some reflections*

I had this thought to myself whereby I feel that most of the time when I do these monoprints and automatism techniques, my mind would be completely blank. Sometimes during the monoprint sessions, I would just loose myself into whatever I was doing, using whatever resources and not actually thinking what I want to achieve in the printing. For example, putting this and that on the mat. Or when trying out the Rorschach tests, I don’t try to draw anything in particular, I just spam inks here and there and that’s what I get.

On the other hand, while trying out the Jackson Pollock technique, I was splattering the ink while I was feeling rather upset, and as I splat more inks, the emotions followed and I actually felt better when I was done.

Definitely so, art is therapeutic!

Another quick video before you leave!

Artist in the making: Dzaki Safaruan

Follow up from the couple of previous post from when we were to post about a favourite artist or somewhat, I picked a 26 year old local Singaporean, Dzaki Safaruan.

26-year-old local Singaporean artist in the making: Dzaki Safaruan More about him over at (http://www.nafa.edu.sg/showcase/graduation-portfolios/muhammad-dzaki-bin-safaruan)
26-year-old local Singaporean artist in the making: Dzaki Safaruan
More about him over at (http://www.nafa.edu.sg/showcase/graduation-portfolios/muhammad-dzaki-bin-safaruan)

If one were to google him online, there is nothing much to find as he is not as famous as Ed Moses or the other artists that we know of from this assignment. But maybe I’ll just introduce him with what I know.

Dzaki Safaruan is a cousin of mine who recently graduated from NAFA for his Degree in Fine Arts. He has this “thing” for art since his secondary school times(?) and decided to pursue his love and passion for art right after. One thing for sure, he always has a sketchbook with him. Sometimes it would be as big as A4 size, and sometimes it would be the pocket sized sketchbook.

I have a few of his art works that you could look at and be as amazed as I am.

First of, just a simple painting that he did for my mum's birthday.
First of, just a simple painting that he did for my mum’s birthday.
This artwork was exhibited for his Diploma's FYP. As far as i know, he did alot of printmaking and this is one of it. If one were to actually zoom in on the artwork, they are actually collages of comic arts.
This artwork was exhibited for his Diploma’s FYP. As far as i know, he did alot of printmaking and this is one of it. If one were to actually zoom in on the artwork, they are actually collages of comic arts.

 

This was done when Singapore's first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew pass away. It was situated at the open space behind JCube Mall during the farewell periods. As you can see, he used black ribbons to compose a graphic face late Mr LKY.
This was done when Singapore’s first Prime Minister Lee Kwan Yew pass away. It was situated at the open space behind JCube Mall during the farewell periods.
As you can see, he used black ribbons to compose a graphic face late Mr LKY.
Translated caption reads "A strand of thread (from prayer rug) per day, in the end becomes..."
Translated caption reads “A strand of thread (from prayer rug) per day, in the end becomes…” It was his art piece for the final year project. Basically what he did was consistently pulling a strand of thread from the prayer rug each day. All these strands then was formed back into a rope.
(http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/hour-at-the-museum-after-printmaking) This is another interesting art piece he made.
(http://www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/arts/hour-at-the-museum-after-printmaking)
This is another interesting art piece he made.

His works are amazing, with all the precision lines and details. Recently he gave me an advice and ideas on how I could make my monoprint exciting from his experience. I tried one and its result:

He told me I could try to use baby powder instead of sand and pressed it down as it will give texture. So I painted the paper with black ink, and 'showered' my paper with powder then pressing it down.
He told me I could try to use baby powder instead of sand and pressed it down as it will give texture.
So I painted the paper with black ink, and ‘showered’ my paper with powder then pressing it down.

 

P/S: You can find out more on his work on FacebookWebstagram and/or Instagram!