Research- Unit X
My research for Unit X has taken a variation of forms. The
group theme we have decided to concentrate on is titled: ‘The Truth Beneath the
Barrier Reef’ in which we aim to shed light on the underlying issues that may
have been overshadowed by the idyllic perspective that consumerism globally
promotes.
I individually aim to specify in consumerism relating to the
idyll that is fed to the tourist industry of the Great Barrier Reef and how a
lot of the damage/death has been overlooked to continue selling the
dream to visitors in order to continue making a profit. My initial concept is
to create layered prints/mixed media pieces that explore the idea of artificial
idylls having a ‘murky’ or ‘dark’ secret hiding just beneath the surface. I believe
at this stage the use of colour will be a very meaningful factor in my
compositions.
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| Examples of my drawings concentrating on the abstract surface textures of living and bleached corals. |
A documentary called 'A plastic ocean' was recently shown by the MMU environmental department which greatly influenced my ideas behind development.
Another very influential research example was an article written by diver Richard Vevers for 'The Guardian'. He described the dying coral as having 'the smell of a million of rotting animals' which was hard hitting. The bleached coral being described as an 'animal' instead of a plant made me re-evaluate my initial perception of the reef, and feel empathy for the damage society is ignorant towards.
I initially found working within a group challenging, mainly
because everyone had such diverse ideas and concepts, as well as different styles
of working. It is also difficult to keep some group members motivated and
present at each meeting which makes it hard to work effectively as a group. A
huge positive in my personal opinion has been working outside my comfort zone
and allowing myself to be completely open minded and create developments that
are not just print based. The constant sharing of ideas makes group work a refreshing
and energising process to partake in.
The key aspect we want to highlight as a group is that the
Great Barrier Reef is depleting and it’s not from natural causes as many are led to believe. In some ways, we are hoping to educate people about the process of
coral bleaching and what is actually causing the sea temperatures to rise.
Techniques we have explored so far are print,
embroidery/mixed media, weave and knit; an exciting and broad range which we
intend to amalgamate into interesting outcomes. Currently I have drawn
inspiration from print designer Dries Van Noten, whose contrasting botanical prints
with neon overtones show futuristic takes on the normal floral repeat pattern.
I hope to reference some of her concepts in my own designs as the layering of
the dark and acid-tones relates to my idea of an undertone of reality beneath
the artificial idyll.
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| Dries Van Noten A/W 14 |
As a group, we intend to concentrate on textural developments due to the nature of the coral we are researching. This also will
be interesting to explore when using samples to explain the process of coral bleaching. We have discussed using chemicals and paint to manipulate the colours and textures further.
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| W Magazine March 17 |
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