AS Coursework; Bruce Munro Artist Research

As part of my research into light, and artwork that uses light incorporated in the pieces, I looked at Bruce Munro and his light installation pieces that he constructs on huge scales. 

The main formal elements I focused on were light, colour, pattern and line, I and carried these inspirations into some prints I did. I dyed little pieces of calico and then used a print inspired by my photographs to print on these, then decorating them in different ways, through weave, couching, and embellishing with beads. 

AS Coursework; Light Observational Drawings

After focusing on artists such as Bruce Munro and Sophie Hedderwick, I decided to look at the way light could be used to manipulate an image, and how the contrast of light and darkness created shadows and reflections. 

Taking inspiration from the way my artists work, I took my own experimental photographs of everyday items such as a shoe and a chair, and draped them in fairy lights to make them almost seem to glow. I then made experimental drawings from these, in both pencil drawings and water colour quick media experiments, focusing on colour, light, shadows and shape.

AS Coursework; Light Experiments

Extending on this idea of using actual light in my work, I created some textile media experiments, and then tested all of these, threading fairy lights underneath the textile experiments and also through, seeing how they would reflect the light or glow. 

Some media’s I used included batik, print, felt and weave, and I liked the way the light both shone through the materials, and lit up some of the fabric prints too. One of my favorites was the Angelina threads, I liked the sparkle effect they gave off and the way they reflected light off the piece. 

AS Coursework; Molar Stars Refinement

After looking at the stain glass windows that Harry Clarke produced, I decided to refine the molar work pieces I had created in his style. I used a star shape as this had been a main focal point in my photographs and drawings, and then created molar work stars with different layers of felt, batik and Angelina fibers. 

I then refined these again to make them smaller and have different patterns on them, and then these were used in my final design ideas. 

AS Coursework; Light Design Ideas

I used all of the artist’s inspiration, my photographs and drawings, and also the experiments I did with the lights to inspire my final design ideas. I thought of quite a few and finally chose to create a tutu skirt, incorporating the molar work stars I had made. 

However after making it, the piece didn't look right to me, and I wanted to start again but be more free with my work, so I cut up the skirt and redesigned the piece into a dress, using the panels for a corset top and creating a puffball skirt like the shapes seen in Bruce Munro’s work.

AS Coursework; Lights Final Piece

My second final piece was a lot more complex that my first, with more techniques being used such as a bit of pattern cutting, papier-mâché and working with wax, and a bigger piece was created. 

 I used the panels off the skirt of my old tutu to create a corset like top, coating the panels in papier-mâché before tearing them to give it an illuminated effect. I used tissue to stuff a puffball skirt I created, and used fairy lights both inside the ball and on top of the corset to light of the piece, incorporating my inspiration from the artist research I had carried out.