#ass2

Artist Inspiration: Mid-Century Textile Design, Bauhaus and California design. 

I continually find Mid-Century design as a source of inspiration and wanted to consider both mid-century abstract and overall aesthetic of Bauhaus and California design. 

California design is an amalgamation of styles and influences including Bauhaus, Scandinavia design, Japanese interiors and the Californian love of the outdoors. ‘In this abstract arrangement are the glowing colour, originality of treatment and simplicity of design that typify the California look.’(Kaplan and Adamson, 2011).

While researching abstract art and artists, I explored many textiles and textile artists of this period. Although an integral part of the Bauhaus and California design movement, women were very limited in the mediums they could choose to explore. In her book call, Paola Ardizzola describes how women were pushed into more ‘feminine’ pursuits. ‘Bauhaus female students were"channelled" towards those disciplines in which the collective imaginary mostly recognized the role of a woman. "We are absolutely against giving them an architectural education" wrote Walter Gropiusin 1921 about women. Therefore, Architecture was substantially forbidden to women.’ Ardizzola, Paola. (2019)

This is part of a much wider issue with both women in art and the distinction between ‘art’ and ‘craft’. Despite requiring a breadth of experience and expertise, working in any form of textiles is often considered inferior to classical art mediums. As a woman, an artist and a printmaker, this is a topic that resinates with me and is part of my insecurity around being seen as ‘legitimate’. In her essay, “The Dinner Party: Curator’s Overview,” Maura Reilly discusses this phenomenon: 

 ‘Throughout the history of art, decoration and domestic handicrafts have been regarded as women’s work, and as such, not considered “high” or fine art. Quilting, embroidery, needlework, china painting, and sewing—none of these have been deemed worthy artistic equivalents to the grand mediums of painting and sculpture.’ - (Reilly, 2007) 

Anni Albers

"Dotted" Weaving (Albers, 1959) Free-Hanging Room Divider (Albers, 1949) Wall Hanging (Albers, 1926)

One of the more (relatively) well known textile artists of the era was Anni Albers. Her experimental woven textiles used a wide range of materials, including the unconventional, such as cellophane, cord, lurex and acetate. It’s interesting to consider where such wallhangings fall within the spectrum of abstract art. Unlike traditional expressionism, these pieces could take weeks, months or even years to complete. Although seemingly random (“Dotted” Weaving for example) the woven fabrics would have required extensive planning.

(Tate, 2018)

Trude Guermonprez

(Photo of weaving instructor Trude Guermonprez in 1956,) Temple Rodef Shalom Ark Curtain Trial (Guermonprez, 1964)

Guermonprez produced experimental woven textiles mainly on commission basis. She worked at Black Mountain College along with Albers, teaching weaving. Her work was influenced by her immediate environment and I wanted to take this principle and apply it to my own work. 

‘Guermonprez found inspiration in the California landscape, taking her pond farm weaving classes to the beach to record the structures and textures of rocks, shells, and driftwood, which would be incorporated into textile designs.’ (Kaplan and Adamson, 2011) 

Gunta Stölzl

Wall Hanging (Stölzl, 1964), Tapestry "Black/White" (Stölzl, 1924)

Starting as a student at the Bauhaus School, Stölzl later became the only female master amongst her male peers. Her development of the weaving department lead to a change in style from pictorial textiles to modern industrial designs. As a mentor she taught many textile artists including Anni Albers. 

I am particularly drawn to her Tapestry “Black/White”, The colours feel industrial mirroring the frequent use of concrete of Bauhaus architecture. The varied sizes of the weft and warp create images of windows, bricks and balconies.

Influence within my work

I wanted to pay homage to the women of Bauhaus and California design by using varied lines within my linoprint layer within my abstract print for Assignment Two. The geometric shapes and patterns within the woven fabrics, despite being reminiscent of buildings and windows, also feel spontaneous and quintessentially abstract.

References

Albers, A., 1926. Wall Hanging. [Mercerized cotton, silk].

Albers, A., 1949. Free-Hanging Room Divider. [Cellophane and cord].

Albers, A., 1959. "Dotted" Weaving. [Wool; compound weave].

Ardizzola, P. and Niglio, O., 2019. Women at the Bauhaus, reconsideration of the myth. Book Call. NA.

Guermonprez, T., 1964. Temple Rodef Shalom Ark Curtain Trial. [Woven silk, metalized plastic film wrapped around a viscose rayon core, and flat metalized plastic yarns].

Harvard Art Museums, 2019. Women of the Bauhaus. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/2ndKZUzmHZI> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

Kaplan, W. and Adamson, G., 2011. Living in a modern way - California design, 1930-1965. Cambridge, Mass: MIT Press, p.27.

Los Angeles County Museum of Art, 2011. Kay Sekimachi: California Design. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/3jK1fHlmTEg> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

1956. Photo of weaving instructor Trude Guermonprez. Portland Museum of Art, Haystack Mountain School of Crafts. Portland.

Reilly, M., 2007. The Dinner Party:
Curator’s
Overview. [online] Maurareilly.com. Available at: <http://www.maurareilly.com/pdf/essays/DinnerPartyEssay.pdf> [Accessed 28 March 2021].

Smith, T., 2014. Bauhaus weaving theory. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press.

Stölzl, G., 1924. Tapestry "Black/White". [Half-gobelin technique. Flatweave, partly with reversed harness Warp: mercerized cotton. Weft: wool, rayon and metal thread].

Stölzl, G., 1964. Wall Hanging. [Double-weave technique, Silk].

Tate Modern. 2019. Anni Albers – Exhibition at Tate Modern | Tate. [online] Available at: <https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-modern/exhibition/anni-albers> [Accessed 27 March 2021].

Tate, 2018. How to Weave Like Anni Albers. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/pXd1e4vekZI> [Accessed 2 April 2021].

Assignment Two: Abstract prints

I have been looking at the ongoing photographic project by Clarissa Bonet called ‘Stray Light’. Constructed from multiple photos Bonet’s images looks at the light cast within urban environments from different homes. The dark buildings fade into the night sky creating a constellation like image. In the city you rarely see the stars due to the light pollution, Stray Light, highlights the beauty within the city. 

These photos strike differently when viewed through the current pandemic. Many people have been isolated, unable to go out or meet with friends and family. Within the photographic project Individual homes are viewed simultaneously, this creates a sense of shared experience and community. We are all alone together. 

Stray Light (2014- 2018 C. Bonet)

I wanted to use Stray Light as a starting point for a series of abstract prints. breaking the print down into two key layers. The first a more expressive abstract monoprint and the second a black layer making up the buildings. The negative space allowing the monoprint to come through, like the windows in Bonet’s photographs. 

Initial designs and planning

In Abstract Expressionism: The Mystical Experience. Art, Levine describes Action Painting as conveying the personality of the artist from their mark making. ‘Action Painting can be viewed as a surrender of the self and individuality.’ (Levine, 1971).  I wanted to attempt to ‘think less’ for my first layer, focusing on going with my gut rather than trying to plan it. However for the printing to be successful I needed to plan the process and layers. 

Abstract art and Jazz

Norman Wilfred Lewis 

Arrested Fractions (Lewis, 1961), Untitled (Lewis, 1977), Cathedral (Lewis, 1950), Untitled (Urban Abstraction) (Lewis, 1949) City Night (Lewis, 1949)

Lewis was a figurative painter before becoming an abstract expressionist in the 1940s. Although a contemporary of Pollock, Klee, Rothko and Kooning, and despite his active involvement in the movement and his work being featured in exhibitions alongside many credible abstract artists, he does not appear in any of the historical narratives of the time due to being African American and a civil rights activist. Growing up during the Harlem Renaissance Lewis’s work was influenced by the city he lived in, his community and music, specifically jazz. 

The vertical stokes within his work create crowds of people, the movement of music and cityscapes. The use of bright colours overlaid with black in Cathedral and City Night resonate with what I hope to achieve in my  printing. In a audio recording for the MoMa curator Ann Temkin discusses the use of line within City Night (Lewis, 1949)

‘You have the buildings that line both sides of the street and indeed the very thin lines that you see going from the coloured vertical on the left to the colour vertical on the right have been interpreted as the laundry lines or perhaps the power lines that go from building to building in a city.’ (Temkin, 2011)

Lewis’ use of rectangular forms and bold shape is a stylistic aesthetic often associated with Jazz music. Developing alongside each other Abstract Expressionism and Jazz music became synonymous with one another. This has continued to inspire the creative world, more recently with animation. 

Drums West, Jim Henson (1961)

Monsters Inc Opening Credits, Disney Pixar (2010)

It's Just Some Crazy Jazz, Sergio Blanco (2018)

I love colour, and the contrast between high colour and black. I wanted to consider this within my mono-printing keeping the movement fun and joyful.  

Monoprint plates

I used A3 sheets of acetate as my printing plate and a range of materials. Traditional oil based ink, craft ink pads, water, string, thread and sequins. I had various brushes, rollers and tools to make additional marks on the plate also. 

The inked plate prior to printing.

Drying monoprints.

Finished first expressive print layers

I really love the expressive prints, the colours and movement within them. It made it harder to plan for the next layer as I was anxious I may ruin the prints!

First attempt at second layer

My initial idea was to continue using the acetate as a plate to create the areas of black. I cut the acetate into uneven strips, inked each piece and used various tools to remove areas to create the windows. 

One of my monoprints unfortunately had some marks in the boarder from residual ink on my self-healing mat. For this reason I decided to use it as a test print. I later used it to help register the lino layer for the other prints. 

Photo has been edited to try and recreate what it looks like in reality. Unfortunately it is too big to scan. 

I was not happy with the result of the acetate monoprinting. The saturation of the ink was poor, so that the overall print didn’t have the impact that I wanted. For this reason I decided to change printing method and create a linoprint as I knew I would be able to create a stronger image. 

The impact of the print was not what I had hoped nor what I had in my mind. I decided to do additional research into the mid-century aesthetic I had in my mind. I was influenced and inspired by mid-century, Bauhaus and California design. My subsequent research and reflections can be accessed here. 

https://ramonaprintmakingtwo.tumblr.com/post/647827952041689088/artist-inspiration-mid-century-textile-design

Subsequent designs

I wanted to ensure my designs weren’t static and had versatility. For this reason I chose to cut the lino into different strips, much like the weft of the Bauhaus textiles. 

Usually when I carve lino I have made strict plans prior to carving. Using tracing paper I will transfer the design to stained lino often going over the line work with a pen if I’m unsure of the layer I am on. Stepping away from methodical approach to carving, for this design, I just made cuts where I felt they should go. 

Final Prints

Final Selection of Three Prints

Reflection

These are the three prints that I have selected to submit for assignment two. A key element that links the prints is the visibility of the string imprint within the monoprinted layer. When mixing the ink for the black lino layer I cut it with extender in order to reduce the opacity of the ink, this allowed the negative of the string to be seen throughout the print. I wanted to create an abstract print based on Bonet’s photo series, depicting the glow of windows in the night sky, but also to represent the sense of connection and community. The string becomes symbolic of the ties between individuals creating something larger. 

I am pleased with the prints overall from a technical standpoint however there are some parts that I need to improve upon. I’m still getting used to my new press and learning about the correct pressure. Unfortunately I didn’t notice as I was working but there are embossed marks on the outside edges of the top and bottom corners where I had additional lino (in order to prevent ‘jumping’). There are also tiny marks on a couple of the prints which I find incredibly frustrating. I have been trying to improve my practice to ensure my workspace remains clean, my hands remain clean, no enough apparently! I could use disposable gloves in order to keep everything clean however this is something I would like to avoid as it is wasteful. 

 References

Blanco, S., 2018. It's Just Some Crazy Jazz. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/tcUgV0PkveA> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Bonet, C., 2014. Stray Light. [Series of photographs].

Disney Pixar, 2010. Monsters Inc Opening Credits. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/nOCc8D2rbkQ> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Henson, J., 1961. Drums West. [video] Available at: <https://youtu.be/9RysUNvQZTE> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

Levine, E., 1971. Abstract Expressionism: The Mystical Experience. Art Journal, 31(1), p.22.

Lewis, N., 1949. City Night. [Oil on wood].

Lewis, N., 1949. Untitled (Urban Abstraction). [Brush, ink and wash on cream wove paper].

Lewis, N., 1950. Cathedral. [Oil on canvas].

Lewis, N., 1961. Arrested Fractions. [Oil on canvas].

Lewis, N., 1977. Untitled. [Oil on canvas].

Mir, S., 2016. Filling Out the Story: On the Art of Norman Lewis. [online] Hyperallergic. Available at: <https://hyperallergic.com/281487/filling-out-the-story-on-the-art-of-norman-lewis/> [Accessed 3 April 2021].

RATIONALE

I was dreaming of an ordinary goldfish swimming around and the next thing you know, appeared a 3 body-less heads connected at the edge of each side floating around. The head consists of a pair of fish eyes and it’s little tiny mouth that can barely open. Oddly enough, the nose was nowhere to be found maybe hence the body-less figure in absence of the lungs.

CONCEPT The dream model is based on these 3 elements which will be explained below.

In feng shui terms, seeing 3 goldfish swimming in the aquarium represent the growth and development in life. It takes times, effort and patience to piece everything together and get to the top.  -improvement

Being restrained and trapped inside the aquarium leads to endless cycle of repetitive of daily routine.  -repetition

As an odd out always sparks the interest of others to wanting to know more. “ kepo” -curiousity

DREAM MODEL

STONE- the effort and patience to reach the top

WIRES- the endless cycle of repetition; the up and downs

BOLT & NUTS- the curiousity in different direction 

PRESENTATION BOARD

CRIT

REFLECTION

It was a pretty exciting journey for this project. It is an interesting topic too,  having to recall all your dreams and sketch them out every night then comply it all to turn it into a concept.