Ongoing studio experiments

Inverted lined paper

Ongoing studio experiments - month to view

I have been experimenting with using pre-existing patterns and structures to provide me with a basic framework to work with.

I used a sheet from my month to view calendar as the basis for this watercolour. 

Ongoing studio experiments - dotted paper

I have been experimenting with using pre-existing patterns and structures to provide me with a basic framework to work with.

I used a sheet of dotted paper to as the basis for this watercolour. 

TRIGGER Install at the Observatory, Kielder Water and Forest Park

After much preparation, today was the big day; installing TRIGGER at our chosen site by the Observatory at Kielder Water and Forest Park.

On arrival we surveyed the ground where we had planned to site the work. The area around had become rather overgrown with grass and cotton plants, but we were surprised to find that the exact spot that we had marked out  previously for TRIGGER was pretty much the same. Even the 4 twigs we had put in place to mark where the structure was to go were still in place!

We began by measuring out the area where the posts were to be instead, and dug the holes for the poles to be inserted into. The ground was very soft, and we were able to scoop out the material (it can hardly be described as earth!) with our hands. The smell was overpoweringly disgusting, and I dread to think what it was that was producing such a pungent smell!

We then measured the each pole and marked the place of the pole that should be at ground level. We also measured the depth of each hole and calculated how much of the bottom of the tree pole we needed to saw off in order for the post to be the right size.

Having already determined which pole needed to go into each hole, our next task was to insert each pole into each hole. Thankfully we had a very willing and able troop of helpers at hand!

Once the posts were meeting at the top, we inserted the bolts into the holes we had drilled in the posts on our last visit to Kielder.

Amazingly, the bolts fitted into the holes with very little difficulty, and the structure was rather secure. With a little bit of wiggling and readjusting, we were able to get the structure upright and level.

We then unwrapped the box which already contained the speaker and USB. The solar panel had been attached.

We hoisted the box up inside the legs, and tightened the jubilee clips to hold the box onto the posts in the correct place.

Before we tighten the jubilee clips securely, we ensured that all levels were even and that the box was in the correct place and at the right angle. We also tested that the audio was working properly to ensure that we wouldn't need to take the box off the posts. All was good to go!

We poured water into each of the holes in the ground and poured postcrete into the holes and waited for about 20 minutes for it to solidify. 

We tightened the jubilee clips and bolts and then applied the finishing touches such as the bands of coloured tape at the top and bottom of the posts. We also added a couple of additional stripes to the box to make it more eye catching.

We spent some time adjusting the volume of the audio. After a good wipe over and few last touches of black paint we were able to stand back and enjoy the results!

We would like to thank everyone who helped with the install, and everyone who assisted us on the way. It has been a pleasure working with you and we hope that you enjoy the resulting artwork.

More details of the launch and exhibition duration will be issued shortly.

TRIGGER progress in preparation for install C

With the TRIGGER install date confirmed for tomorrow, Tuesday 7th June, Pipi and I have been finishing off as much of the structure as we can prior to install.

Over the past week we have spent hours applying layer after layer of white paint, sanding each layer  to create a smooth brilliant white solid surface on which the fluorescent paint would lie.

When we were working on the piece for the KIELDER OFFSITE exhibition, the fluorescent paint had proved to be difficult to work with. It dries incredibly quickly making it very hard to blend strokes into each other.

Unfortunately, despite our efforts to create an ultra smooth white surface on which to apply the fluorescent paint, the paint did not apply evenly and we were unhappy with the quality of the finish. It appeared patchy, and was not very fluorescent.

We therefore decided to change the base colour of the box to black instead of the fluorescent yellow. We would add fluorescent yellow and orange tape to the box to brighten it up and make it more eye-catching.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

We placed the equipment on a shelf and sealed the speaker and cabling into the top of the box.

We then added the solar panel to the top and side of the box in order to catch as many rays as possible.

Fingers crossed!

TRIGGER Model

With the help of wood workshop technician Joe Sallis, Pipi and I have used CAD to transform our various drawings of the TRIGGER structure into an accurate plan for our structure.

In order to work through any practical problems with the assembly of our artwork we made a scale model of the structure.  In doing so, we were able to establish the order in which we will need to install each piece of the structure, and make some decisions regarding the design.

Domestic, commercial and gallery display

I think a lot about the way in which artworks are installed and the way in which the viewer approaches the artwork and navigates around the space. 

I have always enjoyed looking at interior design and window displays in shops, and recently have been thinking about the similarities in the approaches used in shop displays and those used by artists.   There are strategies to attract people into a shop, encourage customers to buy certain products and direct them through the store in a particular way. The same could be said of artists in the way they install artworks in galleries in order to attract viewers, and then prompt the viewer to look at certain areas and move through the space in a given way.

Recently I have begun to think more about display systems used in domestic and commercial settings and how they could be used in galleries.

Thomas Sopwith's wooden geological teaching models

Thomas Sopwith was an engineer and surveyor. He used his experience of being the son of, and apprentice to a builder and cabinet maker, and produced a number of wooden geological teaching models. 

Wooden geological model (number VIII from the 4 inch set), for illustrating geological rock structures

The different types of wood represent different geological formations, highlighting the orientation of mineral veins and coal seams under the ground. The models are based on measurements of mining districts from the North of England.

http://www.hps.cam.ac.uk/whipple/explore/models/geologicalmodels/