Evaluation
I found that everything I looked at for the project was helpful and informed my ideas but, the research I found most useful was looking at the artist Saul Bass which led me to looking at work inspired by Bass as well as minimalist posters. Researching the history of film was helpful because I feel I’ve now gained greater understanding of the hows and whys, but it didn’t really help me come up with what film posters to recreate and as the project was getting on and as I was participating in the Fine Art project and mainly concentrating on the Oxenholme project, the idea of a big series of posters was swept under the carpet. The most useful research I did was looking at the minimalist posters as they inspired my final pieces. I thought that the minimalist style for posters created a clear interpretation of the films they depicted and used techniques and effects that make your mind recall iconic poster designs which was what I hoped to achieve.
I‘Creative Review Magazine’, as well as other art magazines, have been helpful to me for sourcing artists and it was from reading one of the issues that I discovered Saul Bass and what made me look into his work. During the project, whilst we were in Manchester, I went to the Whitworth gallery. I really enjoyed the gallery and whilst there I saw a video of all the famous Hollywood kisses that someone had sped up and changed the colouring so that the only thing that illuminated the couples where the strands of light they were made up of, I thought this was brilliant and a very interesting take on romantic Hollywood scenes the sped up footage and the back ground music turned the entire thing into something quite sinister.
During the project I feel as though I’ve learnt new skills and techniques through the workshops and my own personal study. I learnt how to make GIFS and video editing whilst studying at home along with learning about actions on Photoshop whilst doing the Oxenholme project and building skills in editing my photos; some through Dan’s workshops and personal study. I also learnt how to screen print which I didn’t know before, as I only knew how to do photo screen printing. Through the Fine Art project with Alice I feel like I know have a better grasp on measuring objects using the measuring technique, though I haven’t grasped connecting that to drawing the human figure. I also feel a lot more confident in using watercolours and have rediscovered my love for painting after making my final piece for the Fine Art project using acrylics.
I’m really happy with my final outcomes, more so the ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ pieces than ‘Gone with the Wind’. I’ve also really enjoyed the life drawing sessions during this project, especially using different techniques to create a representation of a model – my favourite technique so far has been using ink and drawing with the ink using feathers; I find this to create a more painterly kind of outcome and the edges of the brush strokes better that an actual paint brush. I think I’ve really improved in my drawing skills this term.
In the future I’m really going to spend a lot more time on my sketchbook and finishing it completely. During the project I felt a lot more inspired whilst I was doing videos of my journeys and then at the very end of the project looking at Singin’ in the Rain. I felt that my attention was split in a sense as I was constantly having Ideas about Oxenholme. I really enjoyed the Fine Art project and, however stressful, I’ve really enjoyed the Oxenholme project too.
I think my final piece is innovative because, to my knowledge, ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ hasn’t been reinvented in poster format, the way I have done it, before also I think I’ve incorporated my own style in the pieces and with my favourite that proclaims: ‘Gotta Dance’, I feel as though I have embodied the style of the 1920’s, which the movie is set in, into the poster and captured the essence of the film as well.
I thought Ailsa’s final piece for the project was incredible and a very successful outcome. I liked how linear her process was; going from a face mask to a dress/bodice with a lower face mask incorporated into it. I also liked her concept of disease and how she didn’t want to do something typical for the project. I think that linking such a concept into fashion to create her final piece; a full bodice, was brilliant and an incredible piece of work.
