Week 2- initial designs

Today I started by setting up a space to put my work on the walls, Becca suggested we do this so we can start to feel like we are working in a studio. Doing this helped me to organise my thoughts on the project and pick out the key elements of what I have gathered so far. So far I am finding the 'poor' images with the gathered rubbish most inspiring. However I am struggling with how to use these at the moment with designing as they give me more textural ideas rather than garment shapes. 

To try and overcome my design block I started drawing from the work of Caroline Achaintre which I saw at the Tate last Thursday. I wanted to incorporate the elements I liked most which were the block panels of colours and the fringed detail. I also used images of homeless people and incorporated elements of their clothing such as jumper necklines, layers of jackets or elasticated hems with the fringing and panels. I am quite pleased with these initial ideas, I am trying to push my ideas forward thinking about layering in my looks to make them more interesting. However I do need to think more about the rich element of the project, I am finding it easier to research the poor and I think these incorporate some of the roughness I wanted. I also now need to work out how to pick out shapes for garments from my research and start to experiment as I think I need this to start the design development more successfully.

These could lead me to experiment with knitwear to create designs like this using fringing and layering colours together. 

(All images: Authors Own, 25/3/15)

My Favourite Images- Poor

(Nick Hedges photograph, http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/photography/11128331/Make-Life-Worth-Living-Nick-Hedges-photographs-for-Shelter.html, accessed: 25/3/15)

(Image from book, Landscapes for the Homeless (1995), Anthony Hernandez)

(Nick Waplington photograph, Scan from leaflet)

(Page from Jim Goldberg's Rich and Poor book, https://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K7O3RB0TS0F, accessed: 25/3/15)

These are my key images for the poor side of my project. They show the emotion and hardship that I would like to get through in the clothes as well as the rough and raw attitude I want to clash with the rich.

Exhibitions

Tate Modern

I visited the Tate Modern to see the room about Arte Povera. It is an art movement where work is created out of everyday materials such as wool, wood and metal and is interested in changing physical state. Jannis Kounellis' piece made of wood and wool, fascinates me most, it gives me ideas about fabrics and textures from the mixtures of colours. To me it also reminds me of denim, a material I may now explore as well as wool which could create a contrast to denim. 

(Photographs from the Tate Modern, Authors Own, 19/3/15)

Tate Britain

At Tate Britain I went to the Nick Waplington: Alexander McQueen exhibition. Although this wasn't directly related to my project I found it extremely interesting. I found how the Alexander McQueen photographs were combined with photographs of rubbish exciting, the contrast is something I could use in this project. It added a rawness to the exhibition which is something I really enjoyed and would like to influence my project.

Also going round the 500 years of British Art display here, I found some artists I would like to explore a bit more in this project. I found Caroline Achaintre's work very interesting, the large abstract textiles on the walls were rough and playful and I liked how the wools were loose and how the colours mixed. I also found Karen Knorr interesting and relevant for my project, the two series of photographs at the Tate focused on the wealthy in London in Belgravia and Gentleman's Clubs. They are quite similar to the work of Jim Goldberg but the focus on the wealthy is good as this half of the project I haven't found as much research for. 

Museum of London

I went here to gain some historical background to my project. The section called Peoples City focused on the 1850s to the 1940s and showed the divide between the rich and poor. It was clear back then that there was a massive divide especially in London which was very obvious. I found Charles Booth's survey maps very interesting from this which showed how London was split living wise between the rich and poor and how there were clusters or communities of each. This is quite similar today similar to housing estates but I think it was more divided on a larger scale then than now. 

(Section of Charles Booth map, Authors Own, 19/3/15)

From going to the exhibitions it has given me some more ideas for this project mainly in terms of possible fabrication and surface ideas. I think now I need to collate all the imagery I have collected and taken and work on creating some clear mood boards of my ideas so I have a less messy idea of how to go forward. Once I have my mood boards I am going to create some surveys enabling me to collect opinions on rich and poor stereotypes and also how money makes people feel. I want this personal level also how it makes me feel to run through the collection so I also need to start thinking about how this makes me feel and how I want to show it. 

Initial Research

To start my initial research I started to gather initial imagery and articles which relate to my topic and plan how I can gather more.

I have started to gather articles relating to the political side to rich and poor as well as watching documentaries I have found. In particular I have found the documentary/film Born Rich (2003) as well as the television documentary Rich Kid, Poor Kid (2008) very interesting. Born Rich showed the life of some very rich young American heirs and their opinions on their wealth, it showed often how they are sheltered from real life. They believe money is one of the most important things and how their life resolves round it. Although it also showed that the money doesn't make them happy and how it can stop them from discovering their own dreams as they have all the money they need. Rich Kid, Poor Kid showed the stereotypes that the poor and rich have of each other. It was very honest told through teenagers eyes.

I've also started to gather imagery both what I have taken as well as online, mainly of homeless people on the street. These show the emotions mainly through facial expressions as well as general ideas of people, through what they are wearing and what possessions they have.

(Images, Authors Own, 18/3/15)

Finally I am starting to incorporate artists and movements. Initially I am looking into Jim Goldberg, the art movement Arte Povera and the book Landscapes for the Homeless. At this point I am quite pleased with how my research is going, I am going to exhibitions tomorrow to gather further artist research and to gain some historical research into art and poor. I think this will help me start to think about how I can begin to experiment from my research as this is something I am struggling with at the moment.

(Images from Jim Goldberg Rich and Poor book, https://www.magnumphotos.com/C.aspx?VP3=SearchResult&ALID=2K7O3RB0TS0F, Accessed: 18/3/15)

The Start

RICH AND POOR

This is my topic I will be exploring for my final major project. This subject and idea has been on my mind since the first project in September where I thought about combining rich and poor fabrics like silks with denims. I also think money (what makes us rich and poor) is so relevant today. It is everywhere. There is always someone with more or less around. So I want to explore this, what makes us 'poor' or 'rich' and whether money is what makes us happy. Even just being 18 I can see around me the differences in people around my life. People have bigger homes and go on fancier holidays. This doesn't affect my friendships but I find it really interesting to see this in everyday life and how it makes people act.

The gap between the rich and poor today in the UK is also growing. They are becoming further apart, so what is the difference between these extremes? And is the divide greater now than in history, what is it that makes today different to 100 years ago? Finally I want to see if there are similarities between the two sides of society. Psychological problems like depression can exist for everyone whether there is money or not creating a clear link between the two.

These are all starting points to begin my project.

Project Proposal

In my final project I am intending to explore the theme of rich and poor. I am hoping to explore the emotional side to the different sides of society, stereotypes of both the rich and poor as well as look into history and the contrast of the classes to today. As well as this I intend to explore if there are similarities in both the poor and rich as well as how law and our treatment of the rich and poor differs. In this project I hope to create a final collection as well as a 3D outcome to show at the exhibition. 

To explore this theme I will need a range of primary and secondary research. I am going to try interviewing a range of people who have different wealths to get opinions on how they are living to see if it is money that makes them feel content in life. I also want to ask a range of people about their ideas of rich and poor, to get different stereotypes. I could also use street photography to gain personal observations on my theme as well as explore as many exhibitions as I can. 

Techniques I can use in this project are stand work, using found garments and deconstruction as well as using paper/calico to generate silhouette ideas. To generate design ideas I can think about collaging and quick sketching. Also in this project I can explore the photographer Jim Goldberg specifically his 70s/80s project Rich Poor as well as the art movement arte povera.