[FCT: TOUCH]
Brief: Material Manipulation. Consider the following bank of descriptive words with a view to choosing a minimum of between 10 and 15 to use as initial inspiration and to underpin your investigative making.
With each chosen word, create a small translation of how it makes you feel, or think, using paper or any other chosen material. Think about the inherent implications of the word and how you might transpose your feelings and thoughts about it through a material led response.
WORD PROMPTS / MY RESPONSE
SOLID / There! You can’t shift it
FRAGILE / Protect
TORN / Sabotage – Changed it’s realisation
BRITTLE / Bit useless – Snaps
ROUGH / Texture – Elements
ANGULAR / 1980s – Organised – Annoying
ASYMMETRICAL / Cool – Visually pleasing (for me anyway)
PERFORATED / Breathing
HEAVY / Dominant
SCRUNCHED / Finished – Waste – Revive
DELICATE / Powerful accents
COMFORT / Soft – Place to rest
FOLD / Hide – Structure
LIGHT / Free – Elusive – Pure
WRINKLED / Perished – Dehydrating – Changing form
EXPOSED / Brave
RAW / Reality
ENERGETIC / Alive – Movement – Purpose – Over stimulated
LIMP / Worn out – Overwhelmed
SECRET / Hidden qualities
SOFT / Friendly parts
GRIP / Aggressive
GENTLE / Considered
SMOOTH / Easy
DRAPED / Poetic
Colour was circumstantial. I was concerned with texture, form and the physical gestures each material selection could make.
I quickly discovered in the act of making a translation (basically a quick visual note to propel me to the next stage of making) that less is more. Doing too much brought too many elements to the translation and would potentially paralyse further dialogue when positioned with the other pieces.
The materials themselves had an inherent energy. For example the wire used for “Energetic’ was difficult to manipulate. It moved independently, and resisted manipulation or being held into position.
This makes me think of ‘Tempo’ when drawing or painting. How when you work quickly and expressively to put energy into the work, you have to accept the independence of the marks and let go of the need to control them.