Dorothy Cross

Dorothy Cross used found and already existing objects and manipulates them to create new objects, re-energising everyday objects. The effect of her work is confusing, powerful, disturbing and occasional funny. She has created sculptures that include religious figures such as the Virgin Mary and then used materials such as cows udders to make her point of a Nurturing Mother (virgin shroud)
This piece is the hind of a cow, an old wedding dress which is draped over a statue of the Virgin Mary and then the udders have been formed around the head of the statue to create a crown.
A bit crazy but inspiring as to what point you can make with your choice of materials.

This is very important aspect which i need to carry into my work. The choice of materials, I'm now thinking about using really  boring rustic materials such as string? to make something beautiful and contempoary.

Bangles, Re-materialising

These are my first attempt at making bangles by using old materials, old bangles and giving them a new life.

This first bangle involved several strands of material that I plated and weaved to create this effect.

After creating this bangle I realised that f i wanted to progress further i would need to use thicker material to give the bangle strength and to hold its own shape.

Here I used 2 materials that were the same pattern and then an individual one. I like the colour combination and think this bracelet is more appealing. However i used thicker material which was harder to weave but the overall it created a much stronger bracelet.

Here i developed the idea further by creating a plait made from 4 strands of material instead of 3. This made the bracelet a lot thicker but also created an interesting effect because it is a lot more busier and chaotic.

The Materials Sourcing

I sourced all my material from a dress maker who had collected strands of material from as early as the war. These are pieces of material she could  not throw out but had never found a use for. Therefore influenced by postmodernism values I am using these 'wasted' strands of material to create items of jewelry that beautiful and giving them a new purpose.

I went to a charity shop to source the thin metal bangles that form the frame of the bracelet, I also had some old ones of my own.

The Making

It is a simple process that i have improved through trail and error, however i think they create individual and interesting designs. I simply measured and cut the material into strands, i braided the material whether using 3 or 4 strands to create a neat plait.

i then secured one end to a bangle, stretched the plait to make it taught and then weaved the plait inbetween the two bangles. This took a couple of attempts to get the correct thickness and to create a neat pattern.

I simply repeated this process adding on about 4 plaits per bangle to make it tight and secure.

Improvements

1. Thicker Material

2. Iron the plait before weaving

3. Strong bangles to act as a sufficient frame

4. Create new designs and develop further

Preserved Shop, How, When and Why

I recently asked a Preserved Shop a small vintage retail bussiness some questions on the influence of facebook on there bussiness, inspirations and how they started, here is a summary of the answers....

I started with just doing local markets at weekends and fairs while i was studying at university, then when i finished uni i had 3 years of experience to start up!

Facebook is the best promotion for the shop and any business! its free,plus you can use it as much as you like and how you kike to promote your business.. I also use twitter and link the 2 together ...

The website takes a long time to build up! i've had it for over 2 and a half years and you've got to be very consistent with it making sure you promote well with flyers in the shop and at fairs etc...

All what i sell is vintage and one off, I pick the stock from a range of suppliers from all over the world.. I like to hand pick stock so that i get the best quality and style for my customers,,,,

Finally my influences are a range, I love the Biba shop from the 70s and I love Barbra Hukilini. I am also influenced with fashion trends, as people are constanly in fashion as well as wanting something as unique, That's were i specialise in better, as its all one off!!

Power Of Making V&A

Cornflower, Centaurea cyanus , this ring made by the designer Nora, Fok has been created by weaving and knitting thin strands of nylon that have been dyed in bright pigments. Personally I like how striking the ring appears but it is actually very delicate due to the soft, translucent nylon material. Foks, inspiration for this ring developed from the cornflowers that were growing in her garden, you see the similarities in structure and form between the ring and the natural flower.

This dress completely captured my attention at the exhibition, how could something that appears so striking and beautiful be made out such harsh  material such as pins. Made by the designer Susie McMurry I think she has captured the idea of opposites, creating something beautiful out of ugly materials.
I would like to carry this idea into my project, make some slick accessories out of wasted materials or materials that you would not associate with being transformed into a beautiful item.

Reflective Summary

Initially I wanted to create something physical as this project enables me to explore different processes and materials that I would not normally investigate in illustration related projects. Therefore I wanted to challenge my self to create something completely different. My idea is influenced by the characteristics of post-modernism; in particular the idea of re-materializing already existing art or objects. I have carried out lots of in-depth research into process, artists and as a result I plan to create a series of contemporary accessories, which have been reborn from existing material. I have discovered that social network sites have become a key element of business to promote there products and therefore I aim to create a blog on which to display these accessories.

During this project I shall learn about different procedures of making accessories and will learn by trail and error in discovering the processes. Hopefully I shall develop new skills that could possibly influence future work.

This project is a challenge and I am very interested in making slick contemporary designs out of old material, I am very engaged in this project and will continue to research designers and experiment with my own designs.

Peer Review Summary

I found our group discussion very helpful I received specific feedback into what elements of the project need more attention and which areas worked effectively. The group responded well to my idea and thought it was a successful link to the brief; we also discussed further ideas such as creating packaging. Personally I think discussing our ideas in a group enabled us to influence each other and give particular suggestions to add to each project. Overall I think this discussion was a great Success. 

Ideas with Materails, Designs

This is a mood board i created with vintage fabric, just to experiment with different atmospheres,tones and colours.

Experimentation with material into the different shapes i could create the beads, fabric etc for earrings.

Another Design..

Experimenting further with material to create a pendent.

A Starting Point

These are very simple designs that I have made which I shall develop through the process of the project but this just gives a taste of the accessories I want to create. I shall elaborate on the idea but currently  I'm thinking of multiple flowers with thick fabrics, beads and exaggerated fascinators. Furthermore I would like to create a bracelet a pair of earrings, necklace and possibly packaging.