WEEK 1 - PRACTICE

The first week back and the deadline of the summer task offered an opportunity for us to reflect and consider the direction of our work for the Practice unit, whilst also getting a second opinion from our peers. I feel that the summer task has given me the direction needed to carefully consider the fundamental qualities of my final year practice. 

Following initial visual research undertaken in Amsterdam and New York, i have documented events and narratives concerning 'Pride', LGBT activism, and queer identities. As I learned from last year, drawing is the absolute essence of my practice, and there for essential to both my concept and process developement. Through hand-made sketchbooks and a mix of colourful mediums I feel I am successfully capturing the energy needed for this project, although I know I must develop a lot more illustrations to resolve my ideas.

'Concept' board from the summer task, detailing the direction of my practice this year.

Continuing on from the live brief I undertook for Touchstones Rochdale in the Locating unit, I am in full swing of production of a final costume garment for the exhibition in October. Contact with the gallery has been essential, and I'm enjoying the engagement with an event outside of the MSOA campus. An external deadline has been exactly the push I needed to get a running start at this year. 

Second toile, using a raised natural cotton to imitate the fell for cotton velvet. I have a lot to work on to make the over-all feel of the garment more contemporary and visually exciting.  

Following my PDP tutorial with Mark, we both agree that it would work in my favour to have both projects run simultaneously until the two tutor review, but to focus mostly on the Rochdale project. The making of a final piece is helping me realise the processes I intend to employ this year, and is giving me a greater understanding of the potential 'costume' can play within this context. 

Pattern cutting is something I have intentionally avoided for the past 2 years, and I am surprising myself at how much I'm learning by forcing myself to realise my designs into a 3D form. As I develop the shape of the garment, I am understand the potential of embroidery and print placement, which will be the true teller of the narratives I have created for the exhibition.  

Fashion/Costume illustration to develop print and embroidery ideas. I want the piece to read as a collage of collective and personal narratives.