MIKAELLA MILIKOURI
MIKAELLA MILIKOURI mikaellamilikouri.weebly.com mikaellamilikouri@cytanet.com.cy
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LIST OF WORKS Guilloché #1 2014, Adobe Illustrator CC
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Guilloché #2 2014, Adobe Illustrator CC
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SpiroRings 2014, MDF, gloss paint, cotton yarn, 180 x 150 x 5 cm
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Installation view from left to right Black Spira #24 2014, MDF, gloss paint, cotton yarn, 150 (diameter) x 5 cm Gray Ring 2014, MDF, mat paint, cotton yarn, 120 (diameter) x 3 cm Red Spira #15 2014, MDF, gloss paint, cotton yarn, 120 (diameter) x 5 cm
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Installation view from left to right Red Spira #15 2014, 120 (diameter) x 5 cm Black Spira #24 2014, 150 (diameter) x 5 cm
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Red Spira #15 (detail view) 2014, 120 (diameter) x 5 cm
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Guilloché #3 2014, Adobe Illustrator CC
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Dark Spira #19 2014, MDF, acrylic paint, wool and cotton yarn, 100 (diameter) x 3 cm Spirograph design 2014, fineliner pen, 24 x 12cm
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Guilloché #4 2014, Adobe Illustrator CC
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Installation view Spirograph designs 2014, fineliner pen on wall Multicolour Spira #12 2014, MDF, acrylic paint, wool yarn, 100 (diameter) x 80 cm
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The making of Spira #12 (video stills) 2014, 50 minutes
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A Spira inside a Ring 2014, MDF, acrylic paint, wool yarn, 120 (diameter) x 3 cm
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Guilloché #4 2014, Adobe Illustrator CC
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Line drawing (detail view) 2014, cotton yarn, wool yarn and fishing wire, 150 (diameter) cm
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Line drawing 2014, 150 (diameter) cm
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StretchLines 2014, wool yarn and whiteboard gridding tape, 9 x 4 x 6 m
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StretchLines (detail views) 2014, wool yarn and whiteboard gridding tape, 9 x 4 x 6 m.
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StretchLines (installation views) 2014, 9 x 4 x 6 m. Other artworks by John Steed and Charlene McNair.
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Mikaella Milikouri merges art and design through drawings, sculptures and installations which defy the expectations of the making process. She is more interested in the actual method of making an individual artwork, rather than the finishing and establishing of a practice. Whereas other artists base their practice focusing on concepts and ideas, Mikaella does so using a toy: Spirograph. The Spirograph is considered as the simplest way to make beautiful symmetrical shapes, patterns and pictures. In fact, it is only easy to be used if you completely ignore its instructions. Mikaella’s sculptures look like massive circular toys. They investigate the relationship between the artwork, the location and the viewer’s perception. Following spirographic methodologies and equations, the artist creates new rules that lead to accurate and elegant artworks. Her work is developed through thinking, playing and learning. Based on mathematical possibilities, she recreates spirographic shapes in the form of sculptures, adding one more dimension to them. Instead of pens, she uses different kinds of threads. Taking the right decisions and following series of numbers, she creates 3-dimensional works that reflect her favourite toy. Although her works are very fragile, they acquire fixity, confidence and energy due to their symmetrical structural nature.
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Mikaella’s work is focused on sculptural ideas, questioning how they manifest themselves through mass, materiality, colour and form. She divides her sculptures in two categories: the Spiras and the Rings. Her Spiras are often framed with wooden Rings and always numbered. These numbers indicate the number of pins that have been used to create each piece. The artist also examines the visual illusions as part of an artwork. Ignoring the first instruction of the booklet: “Put a sheet of paper on the baseboard”, the artist creates spirographic designs directly onto the wall. Her drawings make the viewer notice a structure on the wall, which does not really exist. They testify the ideas of physical existence balancing between two and three dimensions. On a similar basis, Mikaella uses different kinds of threads to create Spiras onto the wall. She likes calling them drawings, because of their flat linear nature that often reminds of chalk lines. These threaded drawings are heavily influenced by spirographic drawings. Mikaella also creates immersive installations, in which wool yarn becomes large-scale chalk drawings. After observing every dimension, she renders her delicate materials as 3D threaded installations that suggest volume across the space. No limit to the different designs you can make! For more fun, please refer to the Instruction Booklet. It knows everything that Spirograph can do…PLUS!
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From start to finish‌ this is the complete guide to design-drawing with Spirograph. With this book and your imagination you will be able to create a whole world of wonderful shapes, patterns and pictures. There are three basic pieces that you have to consider first; the wheels, the rings and the racks. The large numbers on these pieces indicate the number of gear teeth on each piece. On the rings, the upper number represents the number of teeth on the outside, the lower number those on the inside. On the rings and wheels there are numbered holes, into which you insert your pens. The tiniest holes are used for pinning down the piece you’re using.
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This is an example of a design made with a rack pinned in only one position and using only one wheel. It’s nowhere near as difficult as it looks: just follow these simple step-by-step instructions. 1. Put a sheet of paper on the baseboard. Place rack No.150 on it vertically. Fasten it down with a pin through each of the pinholes. 2. Take wheel No.80. Place it so that hole 1 lines up with mark 10 on the rack. 3. Take a pen and rub the point on a piece of scraP paper to get the ink flowing smoothly. Place the point of the pen in hole 1. Roll the wheel around the rank to draw a pattern. Slow down as you go around the ends so the teeth will stay in contact. Don’t press too hard. Remember to keep your pen straight and upright. Carry on until you get back to where you started. 4. Lift the top of the wheel and reposition it so that hole 1 lines up one tooth to right of original pattern. Draw another pattern. 5. After each pattern move the wheel to the next tooth. Remember to always line up hole 1 before drawing a pattern. Keep repeating step 4 using holes 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1 - 1. 150
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Amazing! These are just a few of the designs that can be made with Spirograph! Change wheels! Change colours! Make a million marvelous designs, each so beautiful your eyes won’t believe what your hands have done! Spirograph! So much fun you will never wanna stop! Spirograph! The world’s most fascinating new toy! Taken from the TV commercial “Spirograph” by Kenner, 1967 12
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The making of Spira #12 2014 Duration: 50’
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SPIROMANIA! Get the fever; the fabulous fever of Spiromania with Spirograph! Taken from the TV commercial “Spiromania� by Kenner, 1973
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Grab a wool ball. Follow Spirographic equations. A linear drawing should appear.
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StretchLines Suggesting volume across three walls of the exhibition space
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MIKAELLA MILIKOURI