Summative Project Report / Evaluation

Within Extended Practice, I feel that not only has my work and practice been completely transformed but it has improved a vast amount. Since starting the module my work to me, is visually unrecognisable to the work that I am producing now. Not only have I thoroughly enjoyed extended practice but through my dedication and intensive planning I feel that I have produced an excellent body of work. 

Following on from my practice in second year I stayed well within my comfort zone and produced work on a similar visual appearance and skill. I completed the Travelling Man fan art brief as a safety zone for my work to sit within. The line drawings along with the digital colouring was something that I felt very comfortable with. I wanted to see how my work would fit alongside other artists in an exhibition setting. Although rewarding to see my work in this regard, I didn't feel content with the direction that my work was heading in.

Continuing on my from the Travelling Man brief I completed a series of other small briefs following similar guidelines for the execution of my practice. Again, I was not completely happy with the outcomes, I felt a sense of confusion as to where and how I wanted to continue with my creative output. I enjoyed the concepts and ideas that I was producing but I was really struggling to find a method and effective use of media to be able to accurately portray my ideas in a way that I felt was successful and strong enough to take me forwards with my practice.

Following on from the completion of a number of small briefs I visited ‘God’s Own Junkyard’, for me, this was a major turning point and a completely transformative moment within not only extended practice but for my whole life as a creative at the moment. The mass of objects all curated together in a format that seemed to work despite their seemingly random appearance really appealed to me. As Europe’s largest neon light collection it was so inspiring to be able to walk around this visually stimulating experience. As a result of this visit from this point on within the module I felt so motivated and excited with my practice. I produced a series of sketchbooks documenting different media and imagery from pop culture and 90’s to 2000’s themes, this method of creation and experimentation really worked for me, I found it so playful and really allowed me to get my ideas and thoughts down into a physical visualisation. Through the creation of the sketchbooks I was able to produce a series of more refined pieces of work from these initial ideas and playful sketches. I continued with my new found enjoyment of moving image and GIF creation that I had begun to explore within my COP work at the time, again this use of media worked really well for my practice and I could physically see the improvement in my work. 

Gods Own Junkyard

Sketchbook Experiments and Play

 Through constant research and pure enjoyment of the topic and ideas that I was exploring, the project grew and developed into something that I was thoroughly loving to create and produce. Through peer feedback and tutor reviews I was being told that it was clear that I was enjoying my practice as a result of the standard and quality of the work being made. The result of the internet bible including myself dressing as the Internet Virgin Mary felt almost as a summary of all of the aesthetics, ideas and themes that not only was I intrigued by but also that I have been trying to produce since the start of my time here at University. Again, within the Internet Bible I was extremely happy with how the imagery, colours, and quality of the book was all so representative of what and how I wanted my work to be looking like, feeling and being viewed as a body of work. The opportunity for me to be able to create my own props and set design for the photoshoot was a really exciting chance to explore and learn more about the potentials for my interests within creative art direction to be developed further. 

IMAGES OF FINAL INTERNET BIBLE

IMAGES OF FINAL INSTALLATION INCLUDING ALL PROPS.

From addressing the issue of not being happy with the outcomes that I was producing at the start of the module to feeling beyond content and excited to continue with my work at the end of the module, I feel that through my research, motivation and ability to challenge and push my self into new boundaries, I have been able to produce a large and excellent body of work that stands out and is starting to truly represent what I love and enjoy as a practitioner. 

VIDEO OF ALL EXTENDED PRACTICE ANIMATIONS:

Portraits

PORTRAIT 1

My first portrait was created during a time in my practice where I felt confused about where my work was heading. Although I was enjoying the ideas and concepts that I was exploring within my practice, I didn't like the way that I was producing the work.

I used a Gif in order to be experimental and give a suggestion to myself for a potential direction that my work could head towards.

PORTRAIT 2

My revised portrait at the end of extended practice is a complete transformation of my practice. Not only has the concepts and ideas that I have been exploring changed but I have had a complete transformation of the methods and media that I have been using to create my practice.
I am really happy with the direction that my work has head and I feel that it is a clear step towards my interest in creative direction.

Self Initiated Brief - Design Boards

The project 'Praise the Wifi' explores the similarities between the internet and religion in a humorous, colourful and nostalgic style exploring imagery and ideas from the late 90's and 2000's. Websites are compared to places of worship; checking social media can be seen as the equivalent to prayer; uploading to the cloud is compared to heaven. The project has been bought together in 'The Internet Bible' a book featuring 60 full colour artworks including creator and artist Emma Knowles self directing and styling a shoot as the internet Virgin Mary with photography by Erin Williams. Other works include collage, 3D artworks and illustrations all exploring the nostalgic internet imagery combined with traditional religious text and ideas.

Smaller Briefs - Design Boards

SUMMARY POST 4

Briefs Completed / In Progress:

Travelling Man Exhibiton

The Hamster Poster.

Fashion Student Collab.

Self Initiated Brief

Nest

Energy Brief 

Earrings Brief 

The direction of my work at the moment has been leading towards a collection of items and things that all work together forming something, perhaps an installation, a book?

I really like the idea of a collection of my work on a physical form coming together to form a book or a bible, a religious text that people follow in the same way as the bible? It could include images, words, teachings ect, all made by me with my work. this would be an amazing chance to create something physical.

The book could be a part of an installation, a shrine? The shrine would revolve around this book, about the internet being a religion. I could follow religious imagery and iconography in the same way, perhaps candles? crosses, jewellery all in the same way that religion does but recreating it in a way that follows in the internet. The classic internet symbols will replace or cover up the existing religious imagery.

I’m feeling so enthused and excited by this project I’m finding it hard to keep my ideas realistic as I can definitely see this project continuing after university.

I began my collecting all of my images together and I could start to see how they would work alongside each other as a book, this was a really exciting concept as it was something that I have been wanting to create since first year.

 Through research and considering my past work that had been a success such as my self portrait gifs from COP, I decided that I wanted to incorporate this element into my current practice as it’s something that not only have I enjoyed but something that was very successful. 

Through intensive planning, preparation and research I decided that it would be extremely relevant, humorous and interesting to dress as the internet version of the Virgin Mary and include these images within the book with collage aspects and screenshots from my moving image pieces. To fit in with the aesthetics and imagery that I have previously been exploring I created a number of mood board and design ideas in order to create the perfect photoshoot.

I began to create relevant props for the photoshoot and investigated into how I could make a candle in the form of some of the imagery that I have been working with and using, this was a really enjoyable process and it was really interesting to investigate a different method of creating artwork in a different department in the university. I also managed to get a hold of old computer parts which I spray painted and decorated in the aesthetics that i have been exploring within my work, all of the props and objects for the photoshoot or 'shrine' turned out really well and I was incredibly happy with them!!

I also contacted a third year student on photography through Instagram who's style would work well alongside mine in order to create effective images. Before the shoot itself I created a number of practice images in a similar way to how I roughed the photos for my COP work. Taking a series of photographs with different poses and styles allowed me to understand what worked and what didn’t, I then knew what would be effective for the final shoot in the studio. 

Following the photoshoot I was extremely pleased with the images, I felt they really conveyed the aesthetics and ideas that I had set out to achieve. I was planning to use different coloured lighting to create an almost supernatural effect within the photos, however this didn't work due to technical issues, however, I feel that this didn't change the way that the images are seen.

 Following this, I have been putting the images together within the book or ‘Bible’, through investigation and research into the topic again I came up with the idea to place religious commandments or ‘verses’ just like the bible however the verses state website names and the commandments are common pop ups that are often seen online. I enjoy my work being slightly humorous in this way and I’m really excited for the final outcome to come together.

I have been editing the images to create GIFS and short animations. My work is all coming together and I'm so happy with all of the effort and professionalism that I have put into this project.

FINISHED BIBLE POST: https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/the-finished-bible.html

SUMMARY POST 3

Briefs Completed / In Progress:

Travelling Man Exhibiton

The Hamster Poster.

Fashion Student Collab.

Self Initiated Brief

Nest

Energy Brief 

Earrings Brief 

I have been so inspired ever since my visit to the God’s Own Junkyard and since the creation of the sketchbooks I feel that my work is really starting to change and develop into something that I’m actually motivated and interested by. This is so exciting.

Since my visit and excitement I have started to research artists that explore and work with similar aesthetics, ideas and colours.

Artists and illustrators such as Aliea Murawski and Alex Wallbaum, Jess Audrey, Jennifer Mehigan,

Signe Pierce, Nicole Ruggiero have all been a great inspiration during this project, they have enabled me to begin to see art and my course as a whole in a completely new way. As a result of looking at Aethelir magazine and completing very intensive research on a lot of artists and designers I was able to fully realise the aesthetics and ideas that I truly love and enjoy not only viewing but creating myself.

AETHER MAGAZINE BLOG POST:

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/04/aether-magazine.html 

I have loved this complete turning point within my work and from looking at my practice this time last year compared to now I have realised how much more confident and excited in general I am about the course and my future as a practitioner.

Following on from this research I felt really inspired to learn a completely different skill to enhance my work an enable me to create a wider variety of images inspired by my sketchbooks.

I took it upon myself to re-teach myself after effects to enable my gifs and animation work to be on a completely new and professional level compared to my photoshop gifs.

RE-TEACHING MYSELF AFTER EFFECTS EXPERIMENT:

Following on from this I also taught myself how to create 3D rendered images. This is a technique that I have been seeing in a lot of artists that I love and although it was a long and very challenging task I feel that through determination and a lot of hours staring at after effects I was able to produce a very high standard of 3D animation.

3D LEARNING BLOG POSTS:

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/learning-to-create-3d-images-on.html

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/02/3d-illustration-advancements.html

This was an amazing feeling during this project, not only did I feel so proud of myself for taking a risk and completely transforming my practice but for the first time in a while I felt really pleased and happy with the visuals and aesthetics that I was producing within my work. I felt so excited to come into uni every morning to create a new gif and I would be staying for around 9-10 hour days most days but they just seemed to fly by!!

Praise the Wifi from Emma Knowles on Vimeo.
Floating Crosses from Emma Knowles on Vimeo.
Rainbow Curser from Emma Knowles on Vimeo.

Following on from my new methods of creation and experimentation I received a request to collaborate from two second year graphic designers. They sent me some of my work and requested that I worked in the same way to produce an image to the word ‘Energy’. I only had 24 hours to complete this small brief, however I really really enjoyed being playful and experimental with my imagery. I felt that this was a fairly easy and pleasant brief to complete as it was based on previous imagery that I had explored. I was also very pleased with the outcome as it is completely different to my previous ways of creation.

OUTCOME FOR ENERGY BRIEF

My first one on one tutorial with Rachel was the biggest turning point in my whole project. I showed her my work and practice so far with the imagery and ideas that I have been exploring and expressed how I felt a bit lost without a meaning or specific idea for where my imagery was heading.

We discussed how a lot of the imagery within my work was based on religion and the internet and how I could perhaps combine this idea and base the whole project on making imagery that compared these two topics. 

I LOVED this idea and following this I began to research and produce ideas and thoughts that I could potentially explore.

TUTORIAL AND RESEARCH POSTS:

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/tutorial-with-rachel.html

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/paul-yore.html

https://e-knowles1518-sp.blogspot.co.uk/2018/03/facebook-church-installation.html