Pathways Project

So, that’s the end of Conceptual studies and Drawing classes as they are now merging together, under the umbrella of the Pathways Project. This Project is an attempt to help us hone in on what we plan on doing for the next two years. A part of this exploration is to do a presentation showing artists that personally inspire you from each of the three Pathways: Visual Communication, Contemporary Art Practice, Applied Design Craft.

For Contemporary Art Practice I chose Edward Hopper as my first artist. His paintings charting the life of small town America are so visually striking with his contrast between dark and light which never fail to draw you in. Yet, I think the reason I like them so much is the fact that they have a true sense of voyeurism, you feel as if you are looking into the someone else’s life, and as a person I am quite nosy.

The second artist is an installation designer called Onishi Yasuaki. His work concentrates on the 3D structure of volume or sound, which he creates using hot black glue and drips onto lightweight tissue paper. The finished structures look striking and immense despite being such a simple method.

Guy Larabee is the third and final artist in my category. Larabee is a sculptor with a trademark medium of book carving; he cuts a variety of mountainous scenes that have a sense of the sacred to them. His stimuli for these sculptures are based on the erosion of cultures and our dependence on technology, often overlooking the traditional sources of knowledge – all very deep.

So on to the next category, Visual Communication. I personally don’t see myself in this category; I am seriously lacking the technological touch. But, I really loved some of the work from artists who work in this pathway - the first being the renowned graphic designer, Saul Bass. Having created some of the twentieth centuries most memorable movie posters from ‘Vertigo’ to ‘The Man with the Golden Arm’ he truly set his name in stone as being an incredible designer. The secret to his work was his talent for distinguishing the most important symbol of a story, turning that into the face of the movie rather than the stars who were in it.

The second artist was a photographer by the name of Emir Ozsahin. Being relatively unknown in the world of photography I found his work to be immensely undervalued as their atmospheric resolution and unique approach to storytelling makes them stand apart from any photographer I have seen. Each photograph acts like a memory, like a slither of Ozsahin’s life, and I think that by using a lens/camera that is susceptible to light leaks was ingenious. I strongly recommend looking at his work.

Daniel Mackie was the third artist for this Pathway, an award winning illustrator he created a collection of drawing in 2011 that brought about international recognition. The works were inspired by prints from the Japanese Uki-o period, naval tattoos, and childhood tales. He took a variety of animals ranging from a chicken to a tiger and brought them to life with vibrant colours and designs, something that I can only aspire to.

Considering that Applied Design Craft is my personal preference for Pathways I find that there are not many artists that I particularly like in this group. But, I have some old favourites, which include Edith Head. A costume designer that truly defined the golden age of cinema she worked on over 1,000 movies, won eight Oscars and managed to produce some of the most elegant dresses that cinema has ever seen. Words cannot say how influential Head has been in shaping fashion of the 1950s and 60s, but it becomes clear when you watch some of her work , which includes all of Hitchcock as he used her exclusively as his designer.

Derek McLane is the second designer I chose, his work mainly concentrates on set/spatial design. Having designed the set for the 80^th Academy Award Ceremony, he has been declared as the must have designer of modern theatre productions. I personally enjoy the use of lighting within his scenes, as there is an element of pop art in all of his work.

Last, but not least, we have Petra Storrs, a London based fashion designer who has worked with Paloma Faith, Lady Gaga and various other artists. She produces incredibly modern designs that have a look of the extra-terrestrial to them by using almost impossible materials such as mirrored perplex or latex. I find her work fascinating and I would definitely mark her as being one to watch.

Looking at all these artists has been really fun actually, but, my resolve has not been shaken. I am a costume/fashion/set designer. I know what I want to do.