Testing in studio

This week I have done 2 test shoots that I feel are a major step forward from the original testing I was conducting. The images below show testing of cotton wool, and fillers earth mixed with coco powder and flour to achieve a textured and cracked look. Originally it was my intention to partially cover the face with cotton wool and although  I am very happy with the effect it gave I will further experiment with covering the whole face. Also I will need to make sure I cover the whole eye area to achieve the look of  'second skin'. The second test using fullers earth I feel was really effective. Although the model unexpectedly had facial hair, and  I feel it would have worked better without. Overall I  am  making a lot more progress with my ideas and I will continue to conduct further shots in the studio this coming week.

 

 

 

 

Monday 17th February Tutorial

During this tutorial I showed Sharon more of the testing I had been conducting over the past few weeks with various different materials as I hadn't been present for the previous two weeks. The feedback that I got was that all though I had been testing materials I had not been thinking about the choice and application of the materials enough and I had been too literal with my testing. I felt at this point I needing some motivation to kick start some ideas and although I knew where I wanted to go with the project I feel I hadn't taken advantage of the time I had to properly and freely experiment. It was suggested that I had lost track and that perhaps I should refer back to my original photographs of textures etc as inspiration for my work. Sharon showed me the works of several artists who she felt had achieved a similar look to what I should be aiming for. Looking at the works of Thomas Rusch, David Faggiano and LucyandBart really inspired and motivated me to propel my ideas and vision and make the most of my time conducting proper test shoots in the studio. The way in which they use  materials pushes the boundaries of beauty and fuses makeup and art to create something that is visually stunning and experimental. Thomad rusch exemplifies to me how cosmetics can be used to create something dynamic yet the concept is very simple. Lucyand Bart and David Faggiano take the use of materials to the extreme, the outcome is very surreal and the textures and surfaces they create on the body are stunning and effective.

Lucy and Bart

 

David Faggiano

 

 

Thomas Rusch

 

 

Tutorial 2

 After looking at Li Edelkort as suggested by Sharon, I gained a lot of insight into trend forecasting and how my concepts could relate to a trend book. However I do not want the produced book to be specifically a 'trend' book, I want it to represent my personal love of texture and unusual materials whilst being a point of inspiration, although I understand the importance of having a focused purpose for the end product. I have looked into other online book publishing companies such as swallowtail.co.uk and Pixum.co.uk. However I will aim to visit a printers in London in the next few weeks in order to personally discuss my options. I have tested some new materials - wet and dry crepe paper, small metal hooks and double sided sticky squares. I am aware that I need to test completed looks in the next two weeks to see how effective the materials will be through the lens in a studio environment. 

I have also looked  at the works of sculptures Anthony Cragg and Richard deacon as inspiration for my ideas. They have particularly inspired me to think about form, shape and line and think in an abstract way about my work. The book Unmonumental:The object in the 21st Century features artists  that use the object to create art and sculpture. This in particular has been inspiration in thinking about form and the use of the object/materials  in a new way. The book Patterns 2: Design,Art and Architecture features a wide range of patterns and designs found in architecture, sculpture and lighting for example and forces us to look at pattern and form, line and shape that exists in everyday aesthetics. 

Self-determined targets for next week:

• Test shoot on models in the studio creating a 'look'
• Contact potential photographers/Models

Experimentation

Initial  experimentation for this project has been based around collecting everyday materials and applying them to the face. Initially I was drawn towards the idea of using egg shells to create a dynamic surface on the skin, show the fragility of the material. I began by using larger fragments of eggshells to created a patterned effect on the skin. However after the initial one to one tutorial I was advised to think about how I can use and apply materials in a unique way that hasn't been done before and that pushes the boundaries of aesthetics in makeup. With this in mind I crushed the eggshells and ground them into an almost powder substance and re-applied them to the skin. The result was extremely effective and differed from the first application in that the result was much more ambiguous and the material used could not immediately be recognised. This is something I will have to focus on throughout the project to ensure I produce work that is innovative and fresh.



First experiment

Second experiment

Testing of other materials such as wet and dry paper, cotton wool and pencil sharpening can be seen below.