‘Loops and Rings’, Bargehouse, Oxo Tower Exhibition

Reflecting on my Christmas holiday project, I was inspired by the ideas of tacky children’s decorations - predominantly the paperchain. I find the chain such an interesting form, the way each loop is intertwined into the next, locking and supporting each loop in an endless sequence. The paperchain originated from a variation of tinsel garlands during the 1600s in Germany and later during the Victorian era transitioned to the paperchain used to decorate Christmas trees. Anne Hardy, as part of Tate Britain’s annual tradition, created post-

apocalyptic Christmas decorations. “The Depth of Darkness, the Return of the Light’ was an installation piece using, lights, sound tatty materials such as ripped banners to project the ideas of the fragility of human existence. Hardy’s ‘decorative’ installation juxtaposed the grandeur of the gallery exterior to that of an eerie yet engaging environment. I drew on from the ideas of the decoration being used as a tool within an installation to invite viewers to actively participating in the art.

Our exhibition was taking place at the Bargehouse, Oxo Tower in London – this is a large industrial environment so for this project I felt it was important to be ambitious with scale and the form my installation took. I had previously experimented creating a paperchain through connecting soft sculptured rings to create a small chain. (Cutting the material into an abstract ring with a cut through it, machine sewing, stuff and hand sew each open ring into the next one, just like a paperchain). I replicated this process, however, this time making the rings larger and the chains longer for the work to not get overpowered by the space. I wanted to expand on the squishy chains, making several chains of various sizes that would be hung from the ceiling using original ceiling hooks and attaching the soft sculptures using S-hooks. I originally thought about the chains weaving across the ceiling and walls, instead (taking in consideration the weight of the sculptures) I decided it would have greater impact being hung from the ceiling and long enough so that the chain would trail along the floor – weaving through the space to create a continuation of playful colours and shapes to create an immersive, sensory environment. I managed to sew 70 ringed of varying forms and sizes, I wish I were able to make more to make even more impact in the space, however, this was as many as I could make during the time period. Even though my idea began with the ideas of children’s craft and decoration I am recognising the prevalence of interaction within my practice, I want the viewer to be able to touch/ play and so my work demands a physical and emotional response.

Collaboration – For this exhibition piece I decided to collaborate with Felix Edgar. Her work observes re-writing childhood movie character regarding beauty, a person of colour’s perspective and lack of positive representation. Felix’s crochet and performance work has the intention to invite people to sit, stare and have conversations, whereas, mine invites play and touch. We wanted to explore varying forms of interactivity, intertwined using lights and my sculptures leading to her work. I particularly wanted the chains to extend and orbit around Felix’s work, unfortunately, I did not make the chains long enough for this to be possible and instead they led to her direct and used separate rings within her work.

I was part of the installation team for ‘Inertia for Superior Souls’, as I was creating an installation piece, I felt it was important to be involved in the curatorial project.

My work was planned to go on the third floor of the Bargehouse – a large, open space with large windows. I think the natural light is important in highlighting the colours and forms in my installation, therefore I decided to place my work in front of a large window and between two pillars. The rings would not be too spread out because I had only managed to create five chains in total, so by condensing it to one area of the space allowed the work to flow together in a more condensed environment. This part of the space also had a few pre-existing hooks in the ceiling which made my installation a little easier, I did have to add a couple of extra into the ceiling with assistance from a technician as not all were where I wanted the chains – really began to think about placement here rather than just accepting features of the space. In each hook, I attached an S-hook. Due to the fact I wasn’t completely sure if I had made enough, I brought strong string which I created a large loop and knotted onto the S-hook to let the chain hang lower. However, this looked unprofessional and overall made the work look messy. I instead managed to hang the squishy chains by the S-hooks without any other material – testing the strength on the chains by pulling them slightly to check for any falling hazards. Fortunately, the installation was not a tricky process and it was done quickly so I was able to assist others in their installation.

In reflection of ‘Loops and Rings’, I am overall pleased with the outcome of the installation. Especially within the time period I set myself to do I think it was an ambitious piece which reflected my themes of sensory environments and play, as well as the use of the haptic ‘decoration’ that the installation created within the urban space. The contrast between the harsh environment with the colourful squishy chains, I felt, was one of the strongest parts of my work. I wanted to draw the viewer in to unusual yet visually and pleasing environment that invited and I think I have achieved this to an extent. As with any work in an exhibition setting, I think it is often off-putting to the viewer to physically engage with the art and perhaps I need to play around more with my installation placement to make it more inviting or that my work is better suited in an environment that is less formal and with fewer people.

CHRISTMAS SURVIVAL AND INTERVENTION

For this context, I set myself aims to complete over the Christmas break to create a series of work, experimenting with material in an unconventional non-studio setting as well as beginning to formulate an idea for the Bargehouse Exhibition at the beginning of February. I have recently found that in my practice I often use the same processes over and over again so I wanted to use this context to begin to rethink what I want to make and say. To kick off my project, I experimented with a new medium - needle punching. This process consists of threading yarn through the needle and pushing it through monks cloth in a repetitive action to create a continuous line. Using the needle in different ways (such as reversing the side of the material you are stitching on) alters the texture of the stitch. I didn't have a set thing I wanted to produce from using this process, my focus was on experimenting - making random, abstract forms on the surface using different coloured wool. I found this process very therapeutic due to the repeated action, which made me think about using needle punching as a collaborative process with a group of people and then documenting it - something I could experiment with. Needle punching also became a way of me thinking through thoughts I had around interlocking forms in a practical way (thinking through making), moreover, I could imagine this being on a larger scale. It could become a sensory mat or wall piece, stitched together to make one large form - immersive in sensory reliefs and colour. I would like to use this process again in some shape or form and it helped me to think about other processes I would like to try.

As it was a Christmas project, (perhaps I took it too literally!) I began to think about this celebration in our homes - in focus the decorations that are put out at this time of year. I was interested in the home-made decorations, the tacky ones you would make as a child that stick around, with a cheap, flimsy dynamic, however, become part of the decorative traditions. I found an old decoration that I had done when I was 4, a crudely-made 'L' in salt-dough and slathered in red paint and glitter. I wanted to reflect this by making new 'tacky' decoration that possibly had an interactive quality. I started to create 'decorations' taking on random forms, made by the hand using air-dry clay and painted in gaudy, bright colours to produce connotations of a bright children's toy and also to be inviting. In each of the forms, I poked two holes so that I could later sew them together to create a new formation or to hang them. I liked that the making was visible which emphasised the making process and the lack of seriousness in the sculpture. However, I don't think they were particularly successful because the forms were so ridged they did not provide any scope to play and would have worked better with a more tangible material where the shapes can be manipulated through touch - even pulled apart and put back together. I want the work played with not to be viewed. I got to the stage where I didn't know how to move on from this experiment, so I began to think of the areas I wanted to achieve from this one of being tangible and interlocking. I had some leftover silk clay from previous work and made a model, actively thinking through making. I rolled the clay and made miniature rings, connecting each one into the next, much like a paper chain (another 'tacky decoration I have been influenced by). The chain had an interesting fluidity to it, how one form liked to the next and the continuation made a repetition of forms that could be endless.

Following on from this idea of the chain, I began to recreate the forms on a larger scale using a variety of fabrics with different coloured and sensory qualities. I cut and machine-sewed several rings (that were cut down one side for linking) which all took on a different abstract form. A couple of the rings were re-used from my V.23 Biscuit Factory exhibition to reduce material waste and I was interested in re-purposing the sculptures into a new dynamic. I then stuffed and stitched each sculpture together, into the next to create a large squishy chain. For a first experiment, I am really pleased with the outcome and can imagine them being suspended much like a decoration as well as being interacted with by pulling them apart and making new chains. I am interested in the bright colours, abstract forms and their squishy quality due to the toy stuffing I used. This work could be experimented with further and on a larger scale, furthermore, could form the basis of my net London show exhibition.

'Play Well' @ Welcome Collective

This exhibition documented the history of play, toys and the transformative dynamic of play upon children. It also observed the relationship of the child and adult during play, moreover, how play is used as a tool for recreational and learning purposes both in a school and home environment. The exhibition ranged from the display of toys/learning games from different generations, interviews with children and interactive work for children to play. I went to this exhibition twice as there was so much information to take in, due to the fact it wasn't a typical exhibition and focused heavily on research. I was really inspired by some of the work in this exhibition and how I can document and explore play further in my practice.

'Boys and Sculpture' by Eva Rothchild was on display in the exhibition on a large monitor, the screen was so big that it almost felt, as a viewer, that I was watching through a window of the interactions taking place at that moment. The work "investigates the particularly physical interaction boys have with their surroundings and with making things". The video consisted of a room filled with several elaborate and abstract sculptures. One by the one, the boys would enter into the exhibition space, walk around and were given permission to interact in whatever way they chose. It was really interesting to observe how at the beginning when there were few boys, who treated the sculptures with respect by walking around and just looking at the work. As more boys entered the space, it was clear to see that there were conversations taking place about the sculptures, some began to prod or stroke the sculptures almost in an act of defiance. Eventually, towards the end of the piece, the boys had completely 'destroyed' the sculptures - pulling them apart, kicking and throwing sections of the sculptures until the space dramatically altered into chaos. The boys we not told how to interact with the work and so it became a realistic documentation of how they would disrupt the work through play and intrigue. The sculptures became secondary elements to the social experience and participation of the children. It really highlighted to me the importance of interaction, perhaps I need to think more of the relational aesthetics of the work rather than the outwards aesthetical properties of the sculpture. I think it would be interesting to get people to interact with my work and to observe how it alters/ brings new meaning to what could be described as dead objects in the exhibition space - activation of the work through play.

The exhibition featured a few documentary-style videos which I thought brought insight into how and why children play. 'Interviews with children from Argyle Primary School in Camden' - groups of children were asked the same set of questions around the idea of play, such as "what would you do without play?" which some replied "I would be sad|" or "I would be very bored". The children were also asked to consider why they thought play was important and the response was often about having fun and one girl mentioned how play plays a role in learning. The most interesting question for me was "Do adults need to play?" where one responded "I think they need play, they need time to play and relax from working" - which got me thinking about what age we stop 'playing' as such. The contrast in play of adults and children (perhaps with the same toys or sculptures) would create an interesting piece. Another video that was interesting was the commissioned short film as it drew upon the relationship of the student and the teacher in early year education. It documented the processes of learning in conjunction with play that put children at the focus of the creation of the work. At one point (see picture) the class were using a large lightbox where they could place everyday objects. The image from this lightbox were then projected and the children were able to create their own constructed world and their creation displayed - presenting the design of their imagination. I really liked this idea of the children making a visual landscape and this is something I could explore using soft sculptures or other objects.