Posted by Agnes Iley , Saturday, November 13, 2010 9:10 AM
Tutor Report Form
| Student name: | Agnes Iley |
| Student number: | 506379 |
| Course/Module title: | Textiles 1 |
| Assignment number: | 1 |
Overall Comments
A great start to the course, Agnes. You first assignment shows a clear understanding of the connections between mark making, drawing and textile based work. All your work is beautifully presented and very well executed. Well done.
Feedback on assignment
Project 1: Making Marks
Your reservations regarding your drawing abilities are actually working in your favour by making you seek unusual and creative solutions to the course requirements. You have indeed shown that the term, drawing can be interpreted in a much broader way and less conventional way than you have maybe previously thought. I thought that the use of the Picasso painting was an excellent way of really focusing and making you look very hard at the different qualities of line in the portrait. You analysed these very well indeed and this is something you could maybe return to in order to strengthen this skill.
I also liked the way you used and manipulated digital imagery to experiment with different linear qualities. There are close links here between the ways in which you approach hand and machine stitching. Could you take this further by using these computer generated images to inform textile samples?
My usual way of working is with digital imaging and creating my textile samples from there. On the one hand I was unsure if this was allowed for the assignments of the course and on the other, I really want to learn new techniques and taking the digital route feels a little like taking the easy way out.
I will try to find a balance between the two.
A useful point of reference here might be Op Art painters such as Bridget Riley and Victor Vaserely. The preciseness in their work has similarities with your own approaches.
The names Bridget Riley and Victor Vaserely didn’t ring a bell with me until I googled them and saw their work. It brought a smile of recognition, I am sure that as a teenager my schoolbooks had book covers made from Bridget Riley printed paper. And of course I have seen Victor Vaserely’s work as well.
I’ve always been interested in the “optical illusion” in art, especially when it comes to creating movement.
The collaged tissues piece is lovely. I like the way you have combined the papers in an informal and free way. Again, further exploration through scanning and digital manipulation would yield rich results for future textile work. If you can get hold of a copy of Surfaces for Stitch by Gwen Hadley, I think this may inspire you to take this approach further. Similarly, the bleached papers had a strong ethnic pattern feel to them. They made me think of Javanese batiks.
Unfortunately Surfaces for Stitch appears to be out of print. But I did get Gwen Hadley’s latest book, Drawn to Stitch. This book could have been written for this OCA course, it is almost scary how the book follows the course assignments.
And backgrounds (although probably not as in depth as in her previous book) are part of the material as well.
Project 2: Developing marks into stitch/making textures
A great deal of experimentation going on here! I’m glad you have discovered oil pastels. These again will help you to free up your work a little. You could try using it more thickly on the paper and then scratching into the surface. I will send you a scan of a sketchbook page to look at and you will see what I mean.
I love the examples of your sketchbook pages you sent me.And it shows me that I still got steps to make when it comes to “moving freely” when it comes to drawing. The scratching in crayon is a great suggestion.
I visited an exhibition by Edvard Munch this week and although I primarily know him from his paintings and of course one in particular. I was in total awe by his drawings, litho’s and his dry needle work. Where he scratched the scene with a needle in a layer of paint.
With very simple lines he managed to create very moving pictures.
I immediately had to think about your recommendation of scratching into the wax.
Something I will definitely try.
I was interested to read your comments about re discovering the joys of hand stitching. I too had a similar moment a while ago and found that the slower pace had a good rhythm to it which was quite refreshing after years of machine embroidery. I think it sometimes allows you time to reflect more deeply on what you are hoping to achieve.
By contrast, your bobbin sample was highly controlled and very textural. A brave choice to work a circle. I liked the finished piece for its control but I wonder what might happen if you took a slightly freer, more random approach? How about using your tissue collage as a starting point for bobbin work?
I can see so many possibilities as well, finding time is the main issue at the moment. But you are absolutely hit the nail on the head here……I am a control freak when it comes to my work. And one of the reasons for taking this course is that I would like to work in a freer more spontaneous way.
Your black fabric samples were a joy to look at. They were all very well executed and the restriction of your colour palette to black, white and silver allowed the focus to remain very much on the surface quality. I loved the whip stitch squares. Changing the direction really emphasized the surface you created.
The faceless crowd.
Please don’t tell me again that you can’t draw! The starting point is a wonderful example of drawing from imagination. Ok, so you call it doodling but you captured the spirit of what you were trying to express perfectly. Think of drawing as being for different needs and purposes, drawing from observation, imagination, memory, to record ideas etc. Here, you have used it very effectively to inform the development of yours ideas further into a very competent and original sample. Subsequent experimentation with a range of fabrics, stitch, colours etc enabled you to successfully achieve what you set out to do. The preparatory work shows a considerable ability to select and then refine your choices coupled with a high degree of technical skills in the final execution. Do you know the work of Patrick Caulfield? The outlining of shapes and the blocking of flat colour in your work reminded me of his paintings.
I wasn’t familiar with the work with Patrick Caulfield, but just spent some time looking at his website. And I do like the colour blocks and outlining he does.
My favorites are “N Along a twilighted sky” and “Pot plant”.
The batik sample was equally successful but in a very different way. You again made excellent use of colour analysis though observation to inform your choice of thread. The selection and combination of stitches was effective in suggesting the bark texture. Two days was a labour of love but well worth it in my opinion. I would like you to put examples of your work onto the OCA website so that other students can look at them. Can you digitally enlarge the bark sample so that you can see the quality of stitch close up?
All the work I’ve done for this assignment, I’ve uploaded to my folder on the OCA website. The pictures will enlarge when you click on them and show the stitch in more detail.
Sketchbook
Your project work was very well documented and you were selective in terms of your response to the requirements. This is a skill which usually takes new students a while to achieve. Your presentation is first rate and lent a very coherent feel to the assignment. For your next assignment, I would like you to think about extending your sketchbook to include work outside the project requirements. Have a look at the OCA’s guidelines on keeping a sketchbook. You can use it to record observations, annotate your drawings to suggest how you might use them in the future to inform the development of your work, refer to the work of other artists etc. I suspect that you are a very meticulous worker but it’s OK to experiment in your sketchbook.
If you saw me work you would never guess I am a meticulous worker, but yes I am. I work in complete chaos, doesn’t matter if it’s artwork or office work. But still…the end result has to be meticulous.
I will try to refer more to artists that inspire me, or don’t (sometimes I think it’s just as important to discover what you don’t like) and will include some more of the work I’ve done outside the assignments to my sketchbook.
Learning logs/critical essays
I really liked the way you tackled this and I felt that you gave me good insider knowledge in terms of the way your ideas progressed and developed. You made excellent use of self evaluation in order to identify aspects of your personal development with a good deal of constructive and positive criticism. Again, where possible, try to make links between your own work and that of other artists, designers and craftspeople. How have they influenced your work? What do you like/dislike and why?
Suggested reading/viewing
See above and also, Alice Kettle, textile artist, particularly in relation to the dense machine stitching.
On a recent trip to England to visit relatives we took a trip to “The needle mill museum” in Redditch. They had an exhibition by Alice Kettle and friends.
I absolutely loved her work and her 2 books ranked high on my birthday list.
“Machine stitch perspectives” arrived yesterday and “The eye of the needle” I’ve ordered directly from her website and will hopefully arrive sometime next week.
Other
You mentioned having a mount cut for your work. Have you thought of buying a mount cutter? I have one which is very easy to use and will cut an angled edge like the one on your mount. It is called Logan Team System and consists of a steel rule and an angled replaceable blade in a holder. If you are intending to do a lot of window mounting, it will save you a lot of money. I think mine was about £35.
I looked at cutting systems in my local art shop and they were very expensive and seeing as this was my first ever framed work I didn’t mind buying it.
But it is definitely something to look into for the future!
Although this first assignment is diagnostic, you may like to think about whether you would like to submit your work for formal assessment at the end of the module. Even at this early stage, I would be very happy to support you.
Is the next assignment date realistic? We can negotiate if necessary.
When I was looking for courses my only objective was to find a course that would help me develop my creative skills. When I realized that a degree was actually an option, I started feeling ambitious. But I’ve made myself a promise, I will keep doing courses as long as I feel it’s fun. I’ve got a very hectic and busy fulltime day job and when it starts to feel like work then I know it’s time to stop. But until then I’ve decided I would like to keep my options open and to go for formal assessment.
I am delighted that you are willing to support me in this and will be very grateful for any help you can offer me!
I shouldn’t have any problems making the next date. I am looking forward to a 2 week holiday around Christmas and some undisturbed playtime!
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