A7: Artist Research
Guidance, support and help for A01 & A04
Assessment Object 1 (AO1) ● AO1 Develop your ideas through investigations informed by contextual and other sources; demonstrating analytical and cultural understanding. Assessment Objective 4 (AO4) ● AO4 Present a personal, informed and meaningful response demonstrating analytical and critical understanding, realising intentions and where appropriate, making connections between visual, written, oral or other elements.
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A7: Artist Research For this assignment you are required to conduct a range of tasks (outlined below) over an 8 week period. The purpose of this assignment is to help, guide, and support your practical and critical/contextual work in one or more areas. This assignment fulfils the assessment objectives in the following ways: ○ AO1 – You will show how your ideas have developed by writing about your own imagery and that of other designers and artists, and put your findings into practice. You will study the work of, and make samples similar inspired by a variety of artists/designers such as; Nicholas Hlobo, Kayla Coo, William Morris, Georgia O’Keeffe, Karen Rao, and Carolyn Saxby.
○ AO4 – Your final outcome will be in response to a chosen artist/designer. You must incorporate techniques and processes explored in assignment 1 (A1) and the connections of the artists/designers you have studied.
○ Make sure you visit the department website to learn more about the assessment objectives.
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Task 1 – Research and reference material. Task 2 – Analysing the work of other artists/designers. Task 3 – Presenting your research. Task 4 – Your Personal Response.
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A7: Artist Research Task 1 – Research and Reference. The theme of this project is ‘The Environment’. Think about what it means to you and collects images and textures based on your exploration of this theme. ‘The Environment’ could be personal to you; it could be abstract; it could be organic; it could be urban; it could be technological or even futuristic? Most importantly, take risks, be motivated to find really exciting new and interactive ideas, be productive, and lastly be an independent thinker. In this task you are asked to research the work of 4 artists/designers that link directly to your chosen direction. (Don’t forget the artist doesn’t necessarily have to be a textile designer; their artwork may be of the same subject matter which you then translate into textile art using contemporary textile techniques.) Try to explore a range of techniques from felt making, and machine embroidery to fabric manipulation. Consider creating two distinct pages in your sketchbook for each artist/designer. Your pages should evoke the mood of your theme, and can be touchy feely, textured or/ you could even present this assignment on a presentation board. Remember this research will be your source of reference throughout the assignment, so they must be strong, imaginative and original. This is an opportunity to explore your creative talents, there is no wrong answer! Making the links to artists/designers is crucial to this assessment objective.
You will gain extra marks in this task by taking your own photographs of interesting textures or surfaces; collect imagery from magazines, books, from the internet; collect textured fabric and paper samples; even collect real objects which relate to ‘The Environment’. This could be something organic like bark or moss along a woodland walk; or a bunch of flowers found in the countryside.
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A7: Artist Research Task 2 – Analysing the work of other artists/designers. When we listen to you in class and read your thoughts on art, we are looking for two things: 1. Your own ideas about the work of art (not copied from a book or the internet). 2. How the work of art you are looking at can help you with your work. Here is an example to help you: Weeping Women, 1937, Pablo Picasso. 1 – Describe what you see: “The woman is holding a white hanky which has lots of points and angles.” 2 – Give evidence from the picture to support your descriptions: “The woman is holding a white hanky which has lots of points and angles. Picasso has shown this is seethrough; by revealing the face through the hanky.” 3 – Speculate why the artist used these techniques: “The woman is holding a white hanky which has lots of points and angles. Picasso has shown this is seethrough; by revealing the face through the hanky. I like the way the white area draws our eye to the middle of the picture. The points and angels are spiky and help to emphasis the emotion on the woman’s face.” 4 – How will it help you?: “The woman is holding a white hanky which has lots of points and angles. Picasso has shown this is seethrough; by revealing the face through the hanky. I like the way the white area draws our eye to the middle of the picture. The points and angels are spiky and help to emphasis the emotion on the woman’s face. I think I will experiment with his use of line, shape, bold colour, and composition in my own portrait to express a sense of stirred emotion.” Lastly HAVE I……? 1. Looked at, at least, four different artists/designers? 2. Analysed the cultures they portray? 3. Written about their work looking at meanings and techniques? 4. Found out about the times when it was produced? 5. Tried out the artists/designer’s techniques and materials by copying them? 6. Produced my own ideas by using their influence? 7. Talked about how their work can help me with my ideas?
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A7: Artist Research
Content: 1. What is the work about? – The title, the national origin and dates may give you clues to the artist’s inspiration or intention. Brief biographies (if supplied) offer valuable contexts with which to view work. 2. What do you suppose is the artist’s intention? 3. Is the subject matter incidental or a vehicle for social, religious, moral or political content, of either artist or client? 4. Is the subject observed directly or imagined? 5. Is it representational or is it deliberately exaggerated/distorted, if so why? 6. Are meanings alluded to through the use of symbols or metaphors?
Form: 1. How is the work arranged? Describe the composition with reference to foreground, middle ground, background and focal point as appropriate. 2. Is this in keeping with its content? 3. What kind of colour scheme has been used? Is it harmonious or one of contrast. Does one colour dominate? 4. Is there one principle shape or is it composed of interrelating combinations of shapes? 5. Are there recurring shapes, lines, rhythms, forms, etc. which determine the designs of the work?
Process: 1. How was the work made? What materials have been used? 2. Might the artist have made supporting studies, sketches, photographs, collages, maquettes, etc.? 3. Can you see evidence of preliminary drawings in the canvas/paper? 4. Was the work executed rapidly or over a long period of time? How can you tell? 5. What skills did the artist have to produce such a work? www.twava.co.uk
A7: Artist Research Mood: 1. Does the work affect you in any way? Does it capture a mood or feeling/emotion/atmosphere? 2. Does it convey feelings about life/nature? Can you imagine the artist’s feelings whilst producing the work? 3. Is it noisy, quiet, disturbing, soothing, joyful, depressing, relaxing, etc.? 4. Is the mood it conveys the feeling it arouses – is your mood of the moment or has it affected you directly? Which qualities affect you? 5. Are there connections between the artist’s/designer’s work and yours? (the same subject matter, style, colour, technique etc.) And also note any differences between the artist’s work and yours.
Task 3 – Presenting your research. After you have conducted thorough research and exploration, you need to ‘present’ your findings inside your sketchbook.
Consider: ● ● ● ● ●
Making a titlepage? An introduction page? (what is your research/ work is about) An information page? (to provide facts and knowledge about the artist(s)/designer(s)) Provide examples of artwork created by the artist(s)/designer(s)? A 'Link/ Connection' page? To explain how/ why you believe that your chosen artist(s) 'fit in' with your current project (A1), and also more importantly, how your chosen artist(s) and/ or their work has inspired you to create your own 'Personal Response' (Task 4). ● A conclusion/evaluation page? Providing a short 'summary' of what you have learnt/ discovered during your research, and how your own work has developed because of this. Before you present any of your work, try to make your sketchbook pages interesting by using background effects, colours etc. ● Give some thought and care to how your information is displayed.
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A7: Artist Research Task 4 – Your Personal Response. In this task you are asked to experiment and create a piece of textile artwork in response to your chosen artist/designer. To begin with you may wish to: ● Experiment in the style of this artist/designer by replicating a piece of their artwork. ● Experiment with different materials using their technique. ● Experiment with different processes machine stitch, hand embroidery, print or image transfer. This will help you to invent, prepare, explore, develop, and create a ‘response’ to the theme ‘The Environment’ with links to the work of others. The subject for your personal response should be your own idea/work, and as long as you can justify the link/connection to ‘The Environment’ anything goes! All development work should include a strong level of annotation: ● Why did you do it? ● How did you do it? ● How does it relate to your theme/project? ● Were you influenced by an artist/designer? How/Why? ● Was it successful? ● How would you improve it next time? ● Comment on atmosphere, mood, colour and composition?
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A7: Artist Research Do you have a smart phone? If so you can use the camera on your phone to access online resources to help you with this assignment. All you need is a QR code reader app, point your phone web browser to one of readers below: ● ● ● ● ●
http://reader.kaywa.com http://get.beetagg.com http://www.quickmark.com.tw/En/basic/download.asp http://europe.nokia.com/support/productsupport/nokian80/phonesoftware/smartphone For iPhone users. Go to iTunes and search for: QR Code reader
Once you have a reader/ app on your smart phone. Simply take a quick snap of the code below, and you will be redirected to the required resource, directly on your phone.
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