illusion of screens

The idea of using layers and screens for my design is something I want to focus on and use for the catwalk. Ideally I would like to use them in a way that the model could disappear and reappear along the length of the catwalk so it take away from the notion of a catwalk and makes the aspect of walking equally important as the clothes themselves. I want to take the audience on a journey as they follow the route the show is taken but for all times it to be unexpected and not what people expect to happen. For this to be possible I need to think though a lot of things and consider all the logistic of it and how I would actually make it happen. The idea part is something I am finding quite easy and exciting but the reality of making it work and actually trying to put all these ideas together and design something im really struggling with. So I think I need to start thinking more practically and actually start to put ideas down on paper and hopefully it will start to flow more naturally.

Sue Timney Exhibition

For my project I want to turn south Bermondsey station into a temporary venue for fashion shows. I was undecided of what designer I wanted it to be used for and wasn’t sure how I was going to relate it to the area, because that’s what I wanted it to do. I wanted it to have meaning and there be a reason why the event was taking place there.

I did a bit of research and found that the fashion and textiles museum is locate in the area, not far from London Bridge. This is a small museum that exhibits different designers work both textile and fashion. So I decided to visit this as it might give me a idea if I could use the designers who have there work displayed here as the reason for doing my show. I could maybe use it as a venue to have a show before the work is put on display?!?

I really enjoyed the exhibition and did find it very helpful for my project. The work she created was designed for both fashion and interiors and I liked the way she overlapped the two and made them flow together. She showed she was an all round designer and didn’t limit herself by the types of design that existed but rather let her talent and creativity depict what she produced. This mean there was a seemly transition throughout her work and this is something I would like to model in my design.

Coming from a textile background I really enjoyed her work and the way she used printing and pattern to create texture and depth on the fabric. The use of black and white and the overlaying of pattern gave the illusion of depth and made things look 3D. I like the idea of using optical illusion and I think this is showing I could play on when creating the set for my show. It would add to the experience but also make it very unexpected so would shock and amaze the audience.

I did like her use of black and white and I think this is something I will continue through into my design. Her use of patterns and texture is also some thing I will strongly consider using to bring her design through into my work. The main thing I took away from the exhibition was the effect of creating depth through illusion and layering so this is definitely something I am going to carry on looking into and see what would be the best way to bring this into my work.

But overall it was a very inspirational exhibition and so is going to make a strong foundation for my work and I begin to start designing myself. 

susan hiller exhibition

At Chelsea we are fortunate enough to be located right next door to Tate Britain and have the opportunity to visit the exhibitions for free! which is something i dont feel i have taken enough advantage of and so i decided to visit the Susan Hiller exhibition and see what it was all about.
Hiller uses a wide range of medias to create her performance based work which take the form of installations, film, photography etc.
i found the exhibition fascinating and although it wasnt my kind of art, i did find it amazing how she was able to engage and interact with the viewer and so many of the installations really drew me in by making me curious and uncomfortable. 
my favourite piece in the exhibition was the one shown below. it was situated in a dark room so when you enter you are suddenly struck by the mutter of hundreds of voices all taking over eachother. as you enter further and begin to interact with it you realise that each ear piece is playing a different recording and they are all in different languages. it was very unnerving and when stood in the middle you felt mixed up in so many conversations. a very interesting piece.

my site

the site i have chosen for this project is south bermondsey station. although this isnt technically a forgotten space, i feel like it is somewhere people would pass through without taking any particular interest in. there is also alot of waste land either side of the track that could be put to a much better use.

this i an image taken from the platform showing the site and the wasteland either side.

'performance space'

this is the title of our current project and so what i am working on at the moment. we have been given the task of designing a performance space along the railway viaduct between south bermondsey and london bridge.
although i really like the brief and am excited at the fact that the work we are doing now is alot more spacial, i am over whelmed by the endless possibilities the project allows and the more i begin to research and think about an idea, the more i realise that almost everything that happens around us could be considered a performance. already i have started looking at things differently and opening my mind to the various ideas and forms performance can take. this is exciting as concepts and ideas i would have never initially considered are coming to mind and i feel like i am exploring things alot more as a designer.
so lets see what i can come up with!

Blogging?!?

ok so we have been asked to keep a blog throughout this project and beyond to reflect on the work we are doing but also so we can communicate with fellow students and interact with eachothers work. for me the idea of blogging seems really unnatural and constantly reviewing and commenting on my work in such a public way isnt something i find easy or would normally do so starting this blogg is something i am really struggling with. 
how to start it?!? what to include?! what to write?!? i have no idea! i think this is mainly because i dont understand the concept of blogging and why anyone would want to do it?!? it just doesnt make sense to me! and so i have goggled it in the hope that if i understand blogs a little bit more then i might find writing mine a little easier! 

Wikipedia says.....'A blog (a blend of the term web log)^[1] is a type of website or part of a website. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order. Blog can also be used as a verb, meaning to maintain or add content to a blog.

Most blogs are interactive, allowing visitors to leave comments and even message each other via widgets on the blogs and it is this interactivity that distinguishes them from other static websites'

so basically a blog is an online diary or journal and for the purpose of my course it will be a place for me to pull together the different things that inspire me from websites to galleries, and to constantly review and reflect on the work i am doing in a open and public way! 

so here goes.......