Latest work and thoughts for going away..

So I'm due to leave in less than two weeks, scary stuff, the dissertation is at a bit of a sticking point and all I want to do is go away and soak up Istanbul.

In my studio practice this year I've been sculpting, a new venture for me since last year I focused very much on projection/film/installation. My initial pieces were small moquette sized works made from wire, latex and paper, focusing on colour and sweeping forms. Colour in particular I neglected last year in favour of clear light and reflective surfaces so I'm loving working with it again, my palette being strong, blocky primaries and secondaries.

When it came to working on a larger scale my materials changed, partly due to what I could source (latex is very expensive!) and I ended up creating a piece based on one element of a moquette, in steel rod wrapped in fabric. The finishes of these new materials were quite different to the clean cut aspects of the smaller works and opened me to looking at a new aesthetic. The use of fabric gives the piece a sail-like appearance, lending itself to folds and drapery rather than the taut flat appearance of the stretched latex.

It is from here that I want to focus my work on in Istanbul, a major port in itself and famous for its traditional fabrics. I'll stick with the idea of creating more of these 'sails', using forms/shapes I discover in Turkey, adapting my colour palette to suit my surroundings and especially looking for different fabrics to use.

First blog post of my life...

So I thought I'd set up a blog to keep while i'm away in Istanbul for 4months working and playing, I've never kept a blog before so here goes nothing...