Read through my blog starting from the bottom of the page working your way up and then answer the following questions ? Thank you! Final outcome
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I am extremely please with my overall outcome of this project. A lot of time and effort went into it and I think it can be seen in my work and thought-out my blog. However all this did not happen without a few challenges that I had to over come.
I enjoyed almost every aspect about this project, but what made it even more enjoyably was that I was able to work on it independently while getting supported when required. Another reason I loved this project was because it gave me an opportunity to learn about my family history and while doing so I learnt a lot about myself too. The fact I was able to make my work personal allowed me to put a lot more passion and emotion into, which I don't usually do. It just made me work 10x harder. On the other hand I did face a few challenge on the way. Some of them were learning curve. For example time management. Even thought it may seem that I was able to time mange by the fact I was able to do an extension, I did struggle with my time management as a lot of the work I ended up doing it during the last week before of the time that was given, For my next project, whatever that may be I will try and use an time sheet to make sure I keep up to date and mange my time more wisely . Having said this, I did have thing happening at home, which was out of my control. It that effect my usual working scheduled as well as my daily routine. Even with everything I am happy that I did manege to meet the deadline and produce the work I did. The main changes/decision that I made in my project were: 1. what I was communicating - originally I was going to tell a the story of one of my ancestors but, this changed and instead I focused on the idea of belong. I answered and I asked the question "where are you from?" 2. The size of my final outcome - I said in my proposal that it would be roughly the size of an A3 paper but then decided I wanted it to be bigger. This would have been a challenge as the biggest size the printer prints is A3. It meant I would have has to print it in 4 different section and then piece it together, which I would have done if I had the time. It require a lot of time as it has to be put together accurately. As I didn't have enough time to do it in I kept to my original plan of making it A3. My part of my outcome was to communicate with my audience. In order to evaluate how successful this was I planned to leave a survey for people to fill before I wrote my evaluation, However I have decided to put the survey after my evaluation of the whole project . To sum up, I think that it was successful project and I am excited to share my work and get feed back on it. I wanted to take my designs one step further and thought ways my designs could be used. While some research I across the company Timorous Beasties. It was set up in 1990 by two Textiles Designers who met while studying Textiles design at the Glasgow School of Art. When browsing through all their products and designs, looking for inspiration and came across these wall-coverings/ wallpaper. I found these two wall-coverings linked to my theme and design the best .The one on the left because its city based - relating to place - and the one of the right has geometric shapes and my design is in the same shape. Being inspired by the design in the right I made my design into a repeat pattern to see what it would look like, . I think the outcome (image below) works really well because in addition to the message and question I am communicating, there is another message behind it. Where all the directions meet to me it is say that no matter where u are from we are all one, we are united as one human race. This can be Linked back to Islam, Islam is about unity and peace, it is a religion for everyone, This can be clearly be seen in Makkah especillay during the 5 daily prayers when everyone, from all over the world comes together and prays all facing one direction. Facing the Kabah. During the prayer, status, wealth, race etc. is all forgotten and everyone is equal and united in the eyes of Allah My pattern is currently in the process of being printed on a long role of paper. These are the books I used. I look through them and found parts of designs I liked that could used in my print. I traced them and scanned it into photoshop. .These are the different elements that I will used for my print Making of My Design/PrintThis is my final outcome.
I went to the V&A fabric of India Exhibition (03 October 2015 – 10 January 2016). The aim of this visit was to learn more about Indian Textiles and Prints. I was unable to see the whole exhibition as I did not have enough time. I was not allowed to take pictures so I quick studies of sections of design patterns that I really liked. I noticed that floral patterns were used widely and colours were bright; Red, orange and Indigo, from memory, was used a lot. I Learnt about the different textiles techniques - Print, Dye and Embroidery - used in traditionally in Indian and neighboring countries. I brought the Fabric of India book. I will use this and my sketch in my design development. To learn about my family history I spoke to my parents and grandparents, and realized that I have a very complicated and confusing family history. However in all the confusion there was one particular part that interested me the most. I know that my dad side of the family have always been Muslims from the time of the prophet. I also know that my mums side were originally Hindu. I was curious to learn about who in my ancestry converted and what was the story behind it. In order to learn about this I spoke to my great-uncle. Speaking to my great uncle I learnt that it was my great-great-great granddad, (mum's,dad's, great-granddad) who had converted. He lived in an Bodhan (Navsari, Gujarat, India) and at the age of 16 he left home and traveled to Rangoon (Ayeyarwady, Burma) where he lived with a Muslim family and set he own business. At the age of 25 converted to Islam when he married to a Burmese women. Later in life, he was once traveling by horse and cart and fell off, seriously injured the family decided to move back to India in order to get better treatment. Upon arriving at his home village he found he was not welcomed by his parents or sibling and was forced to settle in a village called Vesma (Navsari, Gujarat, India). and continued his family there. I learnt about my great-granddad who I have met, twice in my life, before he passing way in 2008. He had traveled a lot to places like Burma, South Africa and parts of Europe. He worked as an accountant and spoke flaunt English in his youth. My Granddad was also born and raised in Versma but moved to England around the age of 14-16. He studied here for a few year and had numerous jobs including being a taxi driver before becoming a Driving instructor. He married in India, and called his wife, my Nan, over My Mother and her sibling were all born in London. My Dad had also moved to the UK from India when he married my mother. My Father also travels a lot especially to Saudi Arabia at least 2 or 3 times in a year and has been doing this for the last 15 years. From what I have gathered travel and migration played in important role in my family as well as my family history in one way or another. I feel like it is part of who I am, not only in the fact that I enjoy traveling and seeing new places even if it is within London but also where I come from and places I associate with. Proposal UpdateAfter doing research into my family history, I realized it will be hard to show a the story of one my ancestors. In this case it would have been the story of my Great-great-great Granddad. Instead I have become more interested to explore the idea of belonging.
My great-great-great granddad would have probably considered him-self from Burma and India. Both my parents would say that they are British Indian and I would say that I am British Indian too, as I was born in London but still follow the Indian culture. On the trip to the Mosaic room, Dia Betel asked 2 question linking to her work. They were where are you from? and where is your special place? Being inspired by her work "I come from here" and the work of the other artist I have looked at. I want my work to answer these question and show people where I belong in this wold (in terms of belonging to a country). In addition to this I also want to ask the same question(s) to the audience of my work. Dana AwaetaniBorn 1987 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Awartani's specializes in Geometry as well as illustration, tile work and parquetry . Her work explores the relationship geometry and nature. I like the way she have used geometrics and florals in her design work to create a decretive design. She mainly uses harmonious colour palette and blue seems to be a dominate colour. As I have seen at the V&A blue was used a lot in the Middle East and South Asia. This project looks at the link between traditional Islamic art and contemporary practices. So far I have researched the main areas of Islamic art; geometric design, floral design and calligraphy through workshops and visiting the V&A. I went to the mosaic room where I was able see how Islamic art influenced contemporary art practices. I have also looked how how religious painting in Christianity has inspired contemporary artists to help widen my understanding of the link I am exploring.
I was really inspired by how Dia Batel uses her own background and shows whats important to her in her work. It got me thinking about my family history. I will show this in my final outcome; a fabric wall hanging. The print on the fabric - which I will create I will mainly create on Photoshop, printed on to transfer paper and will be heat-press on - will probably use elements of Islamic art, mixing this with prints from Indian textiles and bring in a more contemporary element. It will roughly be the size of an A3 piece of paper In order to do this I will carry out more research. Firstly I will need to learn more about my family history and then focus on one particular area, which I will use as a starting point for my development of the context of my print. I will do this by talking to my parents, grandparent and other relatives.. I am also going to visit the fabric of Indian Exhibition. This is will help me to learn more about Indian textiles. From my research and drawings i will be able to develop my print. The target audience could really be anyone depending on where it is placed. However I say it would be more of a interest to those to liking works of art from/learning about different cultures. In addition I will need to do a risk assessment to make sure that I am working in a safe environment not only for myself but others students who will be working in the same studio. I will have to consider the cost to produce my final outcome. So far all the resource I need I already have access to in college, however I may need to buy a few things as my project develops. If i do need to buy anything I am going to try keeping within £20-25 budget. In order to make sure that i do not overspend I will keep a running total of all my costs. In order to review my work, I will get people to look and leave comment on my blog or get people to fill in a questionnaire or poll. this will help me review how successful I was in communication my message and meeting brief and proposal. I am really excited about this project as it allows me to put a lot of my own ideas into it and explore a theme which is personal to me, which I do not usually do. It allowing me to connect with my work on a more personal level while still being inspired my the Jameel prize and Islamic art. What is a project brief and why is it important ? Video notes: BRIEFLY
I attended the Articulation Discovery Day at The National Galley, where we looked at links between two pieces of work made 200 years apart; The Annunciation by Sienese painter Duccio and 'Duccio Variation No.3' by British sculptor Sir Antony Caro. We had a talk by the curator, Caroline Campbell, met an Artist, Katie Aggett who told us about her view and opinion on the works of art, We then to the Reseach Center and Archive and finally worked in groups to do further research and presented our findings. When walking to the room I didn't think the works of art linked in anyway but, once we start to analysis them, the links between the two works of art became much more clear. Some links, similarities and difference:
Who dose this discovery day link to this project? Firstly a part of the project I am doing explore how traditional religious art has inspired contemporary artists. What I have been looking at is exactly that. The only difference if that is Christianity instead of Islam. Being part of this has widen my understanding on what it means is to be inspired/influenced by traditional religious art and how culture and society can also play a part in the work that is produced. Geometric patterns play a major part in Islamic art. Used as a decorative element on all types of objects, products and architecture. The most important aspects of Islamic geometric design are repetition and variation. The image on the left is the decorative tiles wall on a building. On the right its tracings from the image showing how symmetry is used. We then went on to looking at regular and semi-regular tessellation. . We started developing small designs using a circle using a compass and added lines to create other geometric shapes within the circle. I then scanned in my work on to photoshop created a repeat pattern and then added colour. We went to the V&A to look at how calligraphy, geometric shapes and floral patterns are used in the permanent 'Islamic Art in Middle East" and 'South Asia' exhibition. Floral/Plants Floral and plant based patterns were used long before islam and tented to be popular. As time passes the stylised element becomes more dominant. Geometrics Most Islamic ornaments used geometric shapes. Artist were trained to us compasses and ruler. Other worked more instinctively, repeating what they had already learnt. Geometric patters are like plant based deigns, they both have religious and secular context. Geometric elements can be recognized by the regularity of the patterns or the proportions of the figures or letters. Calligraphy Islam is based on revelations which are contained in the Quran which is written in Arabic. The importance of this text contributes a high status to Arabic calligraphy in Islamic art. The content of inscriptions varies depending on the context. I found that sometimes they use more the one element in the design for example, using geometrics and floral or even calligraphy and floral deigns These are my observational sketches that I did that the V&A.
Tracing Landscapes is a multimedia exhibition, showcasing the work of Dia Batel. She explores the meaning of place and belonging in an age of migration and immigration. The work in the exhibition has a destructive aesthetic quality, each replies or speaks about contemporary social, cultural and political concerns. It shows her personal refection on memory, identity and belonging. We were extremely lucky to have Dia Batel talk to us about her work and explain the meanings, ideas and concepts behind the work that was in display. Dia Batel is influenced by culture, history, politics and her personal story of being a refugee. All her work uses calligraphy, which is one of the main elements of Islamic art.
We then watch a video which was about Dia Batel's Grandmother reflecting on her memories. She talks about things she has lost, her memories of Eid, the people she has lost, memories of school, among many other things she remembers about her homeland. It is a home video which is personal. I found this video quite moving, firstly because it reminds me of the time I visited my Great-grandma (Mum's Nan) in India at the age of 11. I do not remember the stories she told clearly, however I remember them being about her childhood and life experiences. She also told me stories about the first time I went back home and visited her at the age of 2 and half. I remember sitting here and listening , thinking that I want to grow old and not regret the life I lived and be able to remember as much she has at the age of around 90. It inspired me to learn about my family history. The reason this memory was triggered by this video was because of the way Dia's Grandma is sitting and talking about is almost exactly like the ways that my Great Grandma would sitting and talking to me. Secondly, because of the amount of detail she gives. It is incredible you are able to feel almost how she is feeling. I often find that it is hard to capture emotions that are extremely personal and present to an audience. For me this is not the only piece of work that does this but a lot of Dia Batel's work in the exhibition does. However it may be because we has an artist talk about her own work, it enhances the emotions we feel. This is my sketchbook work. We thought of a place that have importance to us and explored calligraphy. We then moved on to doing studies of Dia Batel work. I chose to look at "On Being" and "Alphabets of The Arab World" Plant motifs and patterns were used to decorate architecture and objects from the earliest Islamic period. Plants appear in many different forms in Islamic art ranging from single motifs to extended patterns and natural depictions of flowers to plant forms that are heavily stylised. What is Islam?Islam is a way of life that has been taught to us by Allah through his messenger, the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him). These teachings were revealed over many years and were complied into the Holy Qur'an. The teachings of the prophet (Hadith) and the Sunnah (actions that were liked or practiced by the prophet) help Muslims to understand and practice upon the teachings of Allah. Islam is build up the 5 pillars: 1. Shahada (declaration of faith - the oneness of Allah and the Prophethood of Muhammad (phuh)) 2. Salaah (5 daily prayers) 3. Zakaat (charity) 4. Suwm (fasting in the months of Ramadhan) 5 Hajj (pilgrimage) and the 6 articales of faith - the belief in : 1. One Allah 2. The holy books 3. The prophets 4. The angels 5. The day of Judgment 6. God's decree - that all good and bad is from Allah The Islamic Faith
Art and Design Islamic art has a number of distinctive design elements, which are often combined in the decorative scheme on a single object, these include:
- Rich colour - Decorative patterns - Calligraphy - Floral or plant designs - Geometric shapes and designs - Symmetry The Jameel Prize is an international award for contemporary artists who are inspired by Islamic art and traditions. The aim of this prize is to raise awareness of new work and to explore it as part of a debate on Islamic culture and the roles it plays today. For this project, I will be studying the link between Islamic traditions of art and crafts and how it is still very much alive in contemporary art. To explore this, I will be looking at the "The Jameel Prize," visiting The V&A and The Mosaic Room. Before developing my own theme and ideas using my research as a starting point.
Work shops include: - Plants/floral designs - Calligraphy - Geometric patterns |
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