The formal elements

Shape

Shape refers to any area of a imagined or real object which is defined and rendered by other elements such as texture, line, colour, space or light. Like line, shape is an important element in both the rendering and seeing of art, it is used by the artist for three fundamental purposes.1. To suggest or represent a physical form.
2. To achieve order, variety, and harmony in the composition.
3. To express different qualities of moods and feelings.
I decided to relate the element of shape to the Alexander Mcqueen shoe as the shape of the piece is what makes it original and a statement piece. The extreme high heel and the rounded narrow front of the shoe distorts the image of a foot and also makes the model walk in a new manner. The shoe is surreal and compliments the animalistic and also surreal garment of alexander mcqeen that accompanies the shoe.

The formal elements

Light


Light can determine a mood of a piece and the illusion of a piece. Lots of light and bright colours will insinuate a happy, positive feeling and the use of light can make the illusion of a three dimentional appearence on a two dimentional surface. I chose my sample of snake skin and the drawing of a snake to explore the element of light as i think that the drawing has light and dark areas that create the illusion of a shiny surface on the snake skin and also a three dimentional effect. My sample uses light in a more literal way, I have glued on reflective materials os large pieces of glitter to actually reflect light to give a shiny effect to the snake skin. I put both images up as i wanted to eplore the illusion of light and physical, actual light and how these can be acomplished through work.

The formal elements

Space

Nothing exists without space. It can be two dimentional or three dimentional. Space can be the placement of objects that can give the illusion of space,and the overlapping of objects on the picture plane can also create space. I have chosen this piece by Eley Kishimoto as it does not leterally express space but I personally think it has a strong feeling and connection of space. The garment is incredibly abstract and somewhat confusing. the placement of the leather is odd; it looks like it should be a waistcoat, and the red circle is extremely distinctive and works as a focus point to bring the garment together. The piece is also made surreal throught the make up on the model and the shoes. I think that the garment gives an illusion of space as the leather and the red circle is sparcely placed on the dress in strange a strange composition. the Red is incredibly bright; contrasting to the transparent soft white and so the red alsmost looks three dimentional, also another illusion of space.

The formal elements

Line

Line is much more than what it simply is. It is also a vision and a feeling. Line consists of marks that can be drawn, or it can be the external edge of a form or shape. The two main types of line are straight or curved. I chose my drawing for the element of line as i think the lines between the shapes are distinctive and pulls the hole image together. Without the lines, the drawing would be random floating objects with no meaning, however the line join each segment and brings the picture together. The lines wotks particularly effective in this piece and I also liked how the lines almost look like thin rivers flowing into eachother between the islands (shapes).

The formal elements

Form

Form has multiple meanings, it has volume and mass, it is the literal materials 'the form it is made of' or can be a composition of a form. I have chosen another garment by alexander mcqueen; I think that this garment represents form well as it has two diverse forms that have been put together to create one piece. the smooth, reptile red dress and the hard angular armour suit underneath. These two forms put together makes the garment have a multiple of meanings and gives a whole new dimention to the piece.

The formal elements

Texture

Texture can be both emotional and physical; emotional - creating the illusion of texture, physical - actual texture on surface, rough, smooth etc. Texture gives a piece body, detail, and surface. I think this piece by Gaultier illustrates texture extremely well through detail ans intricate layers of leather and coarse stitching. The texture of the garment adds a whole new illusion and meaning to the piece. The illusion is the egsaggeration of the female form, hips bust and shoulders are enhanced by the edgy shaped angular sculpting on the garment. The meaning and initial impression of the garment reminds me strongly of reptiles from the layered and joined pieces of intricate leather shapes.

The formal elements

Colour


Colour is the most emotional element of art as it directly affects the emotions of the audience; which determins the mood, thought and actions. In previous centuries colour was termed the sensual part of art because it attacked emotions directly and had no boundaries or rules. I chose this paerticular piece by Alexander Mcqueen as he explores colour hugely in this garment to create the effect of an exotic reptile feel to the piece. Without the colour and the reflective materials, the garment would not have the same meaning and; the colour is what creates the mood atmosphere and part of meaning of the piece.

Exhibition review, Alex Box Make; Up Artist and articles

Alex Box; Make Up Artist
On Wednesday 4th November I attended an exhibition called Alex Box; Make Up Artist in Kentish town. I had read a short summary of what the exhibition was about and saw a couple of images but was still unsure of what to expect.
I decided to attend this exhibition after seeing some images of Box’s works. I also thought it related well to the theme of my project as the use of bright colours and unique patterns on the models faces were animalistic and also distorted the human form which was also another aspect that I was interested in. The type of artist was also an important quality to me and so I wanted to see an exhibition featuring an artist that was different and experimental. The gallery space contained some of Box’s greatest works and was an exhibition featuring only the single artist; making Box’s work the main focus of the exhibition.
“Each creation is an instinctive response to the moment, the model and the mood to form a moving expression of the many faces of beauty.”
There was no particular theme of the exhibition and I was quite fond of the fact that the range of work was not limited and all unrelated, creating a wide range of varied works. Personally I felt that not having boundaries or themes meant that the work was more free and that each piece had an individual meaning, a different quality from the other works; unique. My initial reaction to the exhibition was different to what I had imagined it to be. The gallery space was incredibly blank; white and sparse, yet at the same time it was a very small. There was a small collection of large photo’s of Box’s works which were placed far apart and some high up on the walls. However the audience was still able to engage with the works as the space was intimate and rather small.
“Her collaboration with Rankin who shot the images for the book, and her work for designers including Gareth Pugh and Karl Lagerfeld, creates a powerful fusion of art and performance with fashion.”
I had bought the book at the gallery and I was astonished to discover that Box had worked with so many famous designers and for many catwalks, she is not only a make up artist but also projects “a powerful fusion of art and performance with fashion” through her works; she is definitely someone to aspire to as she is a successful and a unique artist. The exhibition definitely made a lasting impression on me as I had never seen anything quite like it and was a whole new experience that I have gained all together.
The piece that I chose to base my gallery sheet on is made up of a combination of blues and pinks that are painted onto the face in intricate patterns and shapes. The main reason I chose this piece is because I was amazed by the detail and the thought of how long it must have taken to create. I was almost instantly drawn to the piece as the beautiful, complex patterns stood out to me as soon as I entered the exhibition. I interpret the piece as having a strong connection to reptile skin as the use of bright colours and the composition of the patterns frame the face and create an illusion of being a part of the skin. The detail in the patterns also look like they could be scales as each segment is close together and uses a lot of shapes that are similar to reptile scales. I knew that this piece was the right selection for my gallery sheet as all the qualities of it contributes and relates to my work and I am particularly drawn to the use of patterns that are placed only in certain areas of the face to create the right effect.
The piece and the exhibition itself has given me inspiration and has also made an impression on me and as from now, I am considering using similar patterns in my future work and also to perhaps create make up designs which I can then take photographs from as part of my selection of own photo’s using artist influence.

Articles
Alex Box (Short article from SHOWstudio)
Make-up Artist
A Fine Art graduate from Chelsea College of Art, Box exhibited installation art at her degree show which explored the relationship between the body and enviroment. Her career as a make-up artist has developed this relationship through the correlation between art, science, nature and the magical. Box's work has featured in a variety of publications including Vogue, Numéro, W, Another Magazine, Dazed & Confused and i-D and has worked wth designers such as Peter Jensen.

Dazed digital.com The dust may have barely settled on his Rankin Live exhibition but Thursday saw Rankin host the launch party for Alex Box by Rankin, a wildly colourful collaboration with the conceptual make-up artist Alex Box.

Throngs of people made their way through the back streets of Kentish Town to converge on Rankin's stylish new Annroy studio and gallery space. Guests included Erin O'Connor, Gareth Pugh, Amy Molyneaux, Jefferson Hack and Anouck Lepere, and the party rocked well into the night.

Box is a graduate of Chelsea College of Art and has worked with designers such as Gareth Pugh and Karl Lagerfeld. This is the first extensive collection and exhibition of her work, which employs various different mediums to merge fantasy, fashion, science and illustration. In this unique collaboration with Rankin she has created a powerful, visually stunning series of images that push the conventional boundaries of her discipline.
Annroy Presents Alex Box Exhibition
(Daily News on www.designtaxi.com)
30 Sep 2009
In the first ever extensive collection and exhibition of her work Alex Box gives full access to images which radically unsettle and deconstruct conventional images of beauty in fashion. Using everything from pigment to post it's to magically transform her models Alex opens up the human form to a fantastical and expressive range of new possibilities.

Her unconventional approach to make-up emerged from her Chelsea art school experimentations in sculpture and performance, Alex Box’s mature work uniquely merges fantasy, fashion, science and illustration. Almost anthropological in her exploration of the face, Alex liberates each image from the constraints of reality in arresting images which are colorful, humorous and sometimes disturbing.

Hosted at Annroy, Rankin’s new Kentish Town gallery space, the exhibition moves from dark Berlin cabaret to kaleidoscopic clown. Each creation is an instinctive response to the moment, the model and the mood to form a moving expression of the many faces of beauty.

Drawing, sample, monoprints...

Here is my first completed pencil drawing from an image taken from my visit to the Natural history museum.

I then went onto making my first sample in response to my photo's and and artist images. this sample was made using different bits of fabrics cut into scale shapes which i then added reflective materials onto. my idea was to create a snake skin effect with the added sparkle immitating the wet and shiny effect on the snake skin.

Finally, here is my double page of monoprints and artist research that i have completed over the half term holiday.



Thought of the day- clean your mirrors

Exhibition

I will be attending an exhibition at the Annroy gallery. the exhibition is photography of the abstract works of a make up designer, Alex Box. the reason i selected to attend this particular exhibition is because i was instantly inspired from the instance of seeing the main image of the exhibition and i believe it is important to be interested and aspired by the artist that you are going to explore about. i also think it relates to my project and theme as it distorts the human form, making the person look animalistic and the bright colours and patterns also relates well to the vibrant colours and patterns of reptile skin.
Book launch and exhibition
In the first ever extensive collection and exhibition of her work Alex Box gives full access to images which radically unsettle and deconstruct conventional concepts of beauty in fashion. Using everything from pigment to post-its to magically transform her models Alex opens up the human form to a fantastical and expressive range of new possibilities.

Her unconventional approach to make-up emerged from her Chelsea art school experimentations in sculpture and performance, Alex Box’s mature work uniquely merges fantasy, fashion, science and illustration. Almost anthropological in her exploration of the face, Alex liberates each image from the constraints of reality in arresting images which are colourful, humorous and sometimes disturbing.

Hosted at Annroy, Rankin’s new Kentish Town gallery space, the exhibition moves from dark Berlin cabaret to kaleidoscopic clown. Each creation is an instinctive response to the moment, the model and the mood to form a moving expression of the many faces of beauty.

Her collaboration with Rankin who shot the images for the book, and her work for designers including Gareth Pugh and Karl Lagerfeld, creates a powerful fusion of art and performance with fashion. She imaginatively investigates fashion’s many modes of representation and as such is both a critic and a confidant. ‘The minute you obliterate somebody’s spirit, you’re abusive”

These images by contrast show mysterious, moving and exotic creatures, empowered by their abstraction and the endless possibilities of transformation...
though of the day-wear a lonely hairband

more designers on reptiles...

Here is a garment by Alexander Mcqueen. A dress with a bold print of red and black coloured snakes, relating to reptiles.
The most recent collection by Alexander Mcqueen uses vibrant reptile skin, patterns and prints on his garments and shoes.

More focused, reptile related designers.

A garment by Eley Kishimoto using reptile skin in certain areas giving the piece the edge against the flowy fabric.

Gaultier manages to create a reptile-like appearance without actually using reptile skin.Transparency and layering become essential to create a depth and give this dress the sensuality it needs. In this case though, Gaultier uses the intrinsic qualities of the material to transform the body of the model, creating protective-aggressive shapes around shoulders, breast and hips.


thought of the day: wear your pyjama's to school.

Designers for inspiration and creating links

Third blog entry

Here are some images of the works by designers which will lead onto further inspiration and links to future work...

Designer: John Galliano

Connections:the texture and composition of the beading work on the garment is similar to the textures and patterns of the skin of reptiles. Personally, i think that it relates to reptile skin as it reminds me of the shapes and surface of animal skin and i think that this effect is created through the colourful background of what appears to look like a bold pink coloured satin from the fabric of the dress with the earthy organic colours of the beading work of golds, creams, whites and browns which would represent reptile skin as their skin colour is colourful but the actual scales are a transparent earthy colour covering the shiny bright skin, similar to the satin. the fact that the beading consists of shells and other beads which could be made out of natural sources also links back to organic materials and nature, in fact shells itself has once come from a shellfish which is an animal, contributing to the animalistic theme and where all the materials came from. the styling of the models hair also compliments the animal-like textures of the garment as her hair has been crimped; creating a rippled texture which could be similar to the surface of a shell or just simply reflecting and complimenting the beading textures on the garment. the hair being slicked back flatters the dress as it has enough boldness from the texture and oversized bun, but doesn't draw attention away from the main focus. the styling of the hair also highlights the neckline of the dress and the jewellery as the hair pulled back exposes the flesh around the upper area of the body. the makeup on the model is simple but still enhances her bold blue eyes and the eye shadow used is a sandy blend of natural colours which work well with golds in the beading work and also the gold used in the jewellery. the jewellery worn by the model looks bone like which creates a tribal feel and again adding to the animal theme of the piece as it relates back to where the materials came from in which this case would be from a part of an animal's skeleton. i think that the mood and atmosphere created by the piece and the styling of the model as a whole is safari, animalistic and tribal; the ethnic style of the beading work and the bone-like jewellery which add elements to create the mood as the style of fashion in this case is similar to what some tribal people might wear and where they came from relates back to animals and also the patterns of beading work and hair relates to animal skin as i have commented on.

Designer: Eley Kishimoto

Connections: The helmet makes the model look detached from reality and lookind alien or animal like. the print on the garment is again reminding me of scales and animal skin.

Designer: Vivienne Westwood

Connections: the fact that the models arms are being tied behing her back distorts the image of a human body which then turns into a whole new image and brings a different meaning to the garment. the garment intself is quite animal like as personally, i think that the tule looks like bird wings and the whole piece put together makes the model look like and animal.

Thaught of the day- put jam in your cheese sandwich.

Progress

Second Blog entry

My original starting point was a screenprint of a crocodile by Yayoi Kusama which i could't get on the net, but it was in very bright colours, and in a comical, bold style. using this as a starting point then inspired me to start looking at animals and collecting any bits and bobs that caught my eye on the way...

Here are some friends i stumbled across the other day...







Collection of bits and bobs...





And then moving on to some drawings that i did from images in a book of animals...
Snake;Biro













Parrot;Pencil

That's the sketches that i've done so far.









Here are some photo's i had to take in relation to a sculpture that we first made at the beggining of term. So i've put up two that i like wich show connectios between
the sculpture and my set up scenary...









Scupture photo Set up photo

As you can see, the connections are quite loose but i wanted to include animals in my photo, so i chose this odd looking cat which still relates as the shot is quite zoomed onto the eye...
thats all for now, will update again on progress of work

Thaught of the day: Give your guinea pig a bath

Textiles A levels

First blog entry

Yayoi Kusama

i am taking art and textiles for AS levels and am told to start a blog as part of critical astudies when i repel technology and will struggle...

i decided to start my textiles blog first and have included a couple of images of my chosen artist.

this a starting point of a project but later i wish to base my work on a few of my favourite designers and artists such as Gustav Klimpt, Alexander Wang, Vivienne Westwood, and many more

i like vintage clothing, customising; sewing and painting on old clothing. i am privilaged to have a mother with a digree in fashion who sews me clothes in my chosen design using bargain fabrics from sheperd's bush.

Thats a little about what intrests me which i will update from time to time also following my work on textiles and what inspires me.

Thought of the day- dip your twiglets in milk.