O C T - D E C
In chronological order, photos and notes on my process of making this term.
1
First experiments using concrete. Really happy with how they have turned out, surprised at how successfully they worked. Dropped paint into one of them but actually when I removed it from the mould I preferred the side that had been cast in the cardboard.
2
[The first two images are of work I created last year using plaster and mesh, I wanted to use this knowledge of materials and processes to create a more developed experiment now]
Continuation of concrete experiments. Wanted to introduce other textures into the concrete so:
Continuation of concrete experiments. Wanted to introduce other textures into the concrete so:
- Created a mould out of wood to in an attempt to create a wood imprint.
- Placed copper at the bottom of one.
- Pushed metal mesh (left over from last year) into one.
3
I want to try and imitate a cracking and crumbling wall. I've hammered the concrete with the mesh inserted to break some away, surprisingly it stayed together better then I thought it would.
I'm slightly disappointed with the turn out, I wanted more of a crumbled effect rather than just some empty mesh. I do like the cracked effect however, as the mesh adds extra infrastructure, the concrete can crack without falling apart.
I've painted onto the concrete with oil paint.
--The added stability that the mesh adds will be really useful if I try to increase the size of the pieces.
I'm slightly disappointed with the turn out, I wanted more of a crumbled effect rather than just some empty mesh. I do like the cracked effect however, as the mesh adds extra infrastructure, the concrete can crack without falling apart.
I've painted onto the concrete with oil paint.
--The added stability that the mesh adds will be really useful if I try to increase the size of the pieces.
4
With the success of the previous copper concrete experiment, I wanted to mix some more textures into the concrete. I placed some left over materials from last year in the base of the moulds. I also left one empty as I want to play around with painting onto this and making the paint crumble.
I'm still architecturally led, and am enjoying the exploration in industrial materials.
I think these pieces worked out well. I like the subtle imprints from the cardboard moulds and the mixing of textures. I like the 'organic' nature of the pieces.
The aim is to introduce more industrial materials: I want to add plaster, wallpaper and paint onto the concrete in the same manner as artist Erik Sommer (see research).
I'm still architecturally led, and am enjoying the exploration in industrial materials.
I think these pieces worked out well. I like the subtle imprints from the cardboard moulds and the mixing of textures. I like the 'organic' nature of the pieces.
The aim is to introduce more industrial materials: I want to add plaster, wallpaper and paint onto the concrete in the same manner as artist Erik Sommer (see research).
5
I've been using mostly cardboard moulds because:
I created one wooden mould in an attempt to create a wood cast, but the cement broke in half during the removal.
I watched an episode of Grand Designs the other night, where the architect built the kitchen island out of concrete using a very simple wood frame.
I'm really keen to get an imprint of wood onto the concrete. I need to add some form of grease between the wood and concrete without it effecting the imprint or the structure of the concrete.
- They hold together well as a mould.
- They can be torn away easily from the concrete without leaving any remnants behind.
- They leave a nice subtle imprint on the concrete.
I created one wooden mould in an attempt to create a wood cast, but the cement broke in half during the removal.
I watched an episode of Grand Designs the other night, where the architect built the kitchen island out of concrete using a very simple wood frame.
I'm really keen to get an imprint of wood onto the concrete. I need to add some form of grease between the wood and concrete without it effecting the imprint or the structure of the concrete.
6
I've added two old metal poles at the edge of the mould and a piece of weathered wood. I also experimented making a piece placing the concrete the other way up (so it dries in the air, not being cast). I then smashed this.
7
Using heat and moisture to make paint crack and peel
8
Experimenting with more building practices I have plastered some of the pieces.
9
Further experiments with metal and other pieces of set concrete. I want to see how adding concrete from a different mixing batch, and cast on a different texture would look. I don't mind the effect and the mix of textures, but i dont like that the casts arn't square. I feel that because the layout is trying to be somewhat formal, it has to be very square. If not, it looks too botched.
10
Experiments on a larger scale. Now I know how the materials work, and what works best for me in terms of casting I feel I can appropriately scale up. The only issue that I haven't overcome yet it how to hang the pieces. I made some make shift holes into the back of this to hang it on the wall, which has worked... although it is very balanced on and not very stable. The photo's of the piece were taken about a month apart. You can see the changes in colour of the concrete.
11
Experiments with concrete on wood. The filing in of gaps and cement as its own painting medium. The middle photo is of the remnants of my first attempted wood cast that the concrete smashed out of. I quite like the juxtoposition of the painted cement, wood, and messily applied newer concrete. I like the idea of development over time in the pieces, the adding and removing of material, and the obvious layering of mediums. In the third image I have sandwiched cement into some cracked wood. I like the idea of the natural, oragnic material being patched up by the cement. The filling in of the gap which is obviously not uniformed and juxtoposes the textures.
12
Moving further forward with industrial materials I am experimenting with the creation of a wall on small scale. I've stabilised the cement with metal mesh, and wallpapered on top. I then painted ontop of the wallpaper, and once everything was set removed sections of the layers. I was going to cut off the extended mesh but I sort of like the continuation of the piece in a way that is less '2d'. It pushes the piece further into a sculpture form. I also did the same on some wood, hit it with a hammer to crack it, and ripped off some wallpaper.
13
So far I have struggled to find an appropriate system of hanging my work onto the wall. This was an experiment in how I can mount the pieces onto the wall in a way that will carry the weight of the piece and be invisible. This method actually worked really successfully! I cut a small bit of wood in half at a 45 degree angle, hammering one half into the wall, and one into the back of a cast works well as a weight distributer and is practically invisible once on the wall. I use the larger nails, and let them protrude out the other side. This adds another surface for the cement to stabilise itself on, and once everything is set, gives greater strength to the piece. In this cast I put in a concrete wood imprint experiment and some aluminium metal offcuts.
14
This was mostly an experiment on how much weight this mechanism can carry. The end cast is not my favourite but the piece is extremely heavy, and actually stayed on the wall without bother.
15
I created these casts with an old paint bucket. I left the cement in there to set and then smashed it out. I love the texture this has created. For some reason It didn't dawn on me that smacking a hammer on it to get the cast out would shatter it... But I like these sharp shards. I don't really know what I will do with them, but it led to some interesting arrangements and photographs. I'm considering pushing into more sculpturally lead pieces, but don't want to loose the focus on textures and materials in the work.
16
Further experiments with casting. I also placed some of the shards of concrete into one of the casts to see how it would turn out. I don't mind the effect, but it isn't exactly how I had hoped. Though this does leave room for some interesting developments.
17
Putting the pieces up in their own space. I've recieved alot of feedback about how much better the pieces look surrounded by white space. I also agree that the pieces are only finalised and works of art onces they are mounted onto the wall, otherwise they are simply concrete slabs. This is something to take into account for future terms. I think bigger work, and smaller work looks better aesthetically than medium sized pieces. They either need to be small, and intriguing - or large and immersive.
18
More experiments with shards. This bucket had alot of dried paint at the bottom and has created some really great effects. I like the smooth, almost glossed finished the bucket has created on the concrete, and the rippling/marbling effect of the paint. I've experimented abit with how to lay these out on a juxtaposing background, scattering them around to create a textured yet lineal finish. Although i'm not a massive fan of how they turned out, it seems that they've been liked by others around me. Next term i'd like to further develop this, I really like the cement on the metal background. I think it would be interesting ti attempt something like this on a larger scale with more sculptural elements.
19
Now that I have an effective hanging mechanism, know exactly how the materials work (dry and mix); I want to create a series as a sort of 'final piece'. Recycling left over pieces of metal I have, I've created these 3 casts. I use metal in the cast because metal has an iridescent reflective quality that exudes allure and intrigue; while still holding strong as a hard, cold, industrial material. These properties work well against the grey roughness of the concrete, and each texture appears to compliment the other. On these casts i've left alot of the left over cardboard on them. I like the remnants of my manufacturing process, and the additional texture this adds. In some sections the cardboard in sunk into the concrete; and adds another dimension of layering. Because, for me, the production of my pieces is about the process, I enjoy that there are scattered remains of this present.
20
I want to see if I can replicate the effect of the shards from the paint bucket into a piece. I painted onto the most readily available plastic surface I could find, but unfortunatley this was unsuccessful. I also cast on the top of the paint bucket lid in a hope that some of the dried paint would attach itself to the cast. Next term this is something I want to experiment further into, and find out why it happens in some cases and not in others. Because this didn't work, I added some large black stripes with paint to add another characteristic to the pieces. Inspired by the work of Celia Euvaldo and Arjan Janssen (see research), I love the intense, obvious brush marks that move the viewer along the lines. This is also something i'd be really interested in pursuing next term on a larger scale. I like the contrast of paint and concrete.
21
Inspired by the work of Erik Sommer (see research) i'm trying a process of layering cement and paint. These pieces are ones that I will continue over the coming months before removing layers and sections. Im trying the technique on some of my older pieces because the layering process has already begun on these and I'm curious as to how other materials will work against eachother. Some of these I painted with spray paint while the cement was still wet, wondering wether the moisture would cause something interesting to occur on the paint... it didn't.
22
My plan for the future is to go bigger, and much bigger. This means overcoming alot of logistical issues like weight, structure, stability. I'm looking into experimenting with frames and inserting polystyrene into casts to counteract weight issues. This is something I'm really excited to develop though. With size comes impact, and when working in such an aesthetic manner focusing on materiality - I need size to create an immersive environment.