Document and Layout

My concept for my cubes and package was to portray my interest in Asian cultures, in particular the Japanese culture. I wanted to incorporate my love for origami, as well as keeping within my interpretation of Japanese aesthetic. The shape of my package and restraining device is based on a Japanese box in which sweets are displayed and served; the different types of sweets were kept separate by walls within the box. Keeping this in mind I began to think of my cubes as potential representations of the food within the original box. From this I decided to have half my cubes hold and display different origami, as an abstract representation of the sweets, I also decided that for simplicity the other half of the cubes would have a simple design printed on them. By this stage I had decided that the packaging would be made out of black card, to provide a simple backdrop for the origami, which would be the focus. I also did not want too many competing features, so that I could keep the simplicity that is found in the Japanese aesthetic. I then looked into the design that would go on the printed cubes. I wanted them to reference but not overpower the origami. To this end I created for highly simplified designs each relating to a different origami cube. These designs were then repeated on each side of the cube, and printed black on black, again to keep within the simple and clean aesthetic. The lid was also kept very simple and minimal, a flat square lid that would sit directly on top of the box. Having now completed the cubes and package, and seen it all put together I think that it does effectively show my interest in the Japanese style and my love of origami.

Mesopotamia at Melbourne Museum

The Mesopotamia exhibition at the Melbourne Museum was a fascinating insight into the culture and lives of people living in what is present day Iraq. Many of the ideas and teachings of this time have carried through to today. The Mesopotamians invented one of the first forms of writing, now known as cuneiform. It began as small pictographs, which were then transformed into symbols. They wrote using a reed stylus to make the impressions in clay. There are over 600 signs/ symbols that make up this language. This writing covers many of the art works of the time, from statues to wall reliefs to tablets of writing.

A cuneiform tablet

The Mesopotamians were also highly skilled in their art forms. They created incredibly intricate carvings and engravings for various purposes. One example is the cylinder seals, which were stone cylinders that had a design engraved on them in reverse. The cylinder would then be rolled on clay and the design would appear the right way and in relief. Most of the seals were about 2-3cm tall and up to 2cm in diameter, but they were incredibly detailed and intricate in the designs. These seals were also very cleverly made with a hole drilled down the centre, so that the cylinder could be worn on a pin or cord.

Examples of cylinder seals

Herbert Bayer

Herbert Bayer is most well-known for his design of the typeface Universal. It "represents an attempt to construct a sans serif typeface on consistent principles." (Rowland, Anna, Bauhaus Source Book, p. 14) These principles were to construct the entire typeface out of circles and straight lines. This was very much in line with the Bauhaus ideals of modernism and simplicity. The ideals of the Bauhaus stayed with Bayer long after he left the Bauhaus, and travelled to the USA. His later works still had a modernist feel, despite the many years since his Bauhaus enrolment.

Herbert Bayer. One Reversed, 1969, colour screen print on paper

Bayer’s One Reversed, is a colour screen print. Although one of his later works, it still references his work at the Bauhaus, particularly in the use of the circle shape and the choice of colours. The combination of the chromatic colour change and the circular shapes give this print the impression that it could be seen as a colour study or an investigation into colour and shape. Despite being a flat piece of work, there is a sense of movement in the concentric circles and somewhat competing colours. There is a tension in the centre of the composition as the blue cross appears to be on top of the bright white yellow circles, however, the yellow circles move forward in the visual plane as they are warmer than the blue.  This tension gives the print a focal point, from which the eye can continue to explore the composition.

Herbert Bayer. Articulated Wall, 1986

Bayer was commissioned by the Denver Design Centre to design and build the Articulated Wall in Denver, exactly like the original (Bayer designed and built for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics), only taller. The original stood at 60 feet, the new one stands at 85 feet. It was constructed of “32 pieces of pre-fabricated elements each measuring 41' x 5'2" x 2'7".” Two million pounds of concrete were used to create this sculpture. Whilst the sculpture is the one pure, bright yellow colour, this actually adds interest as the shadows of the blocks above create many tonal differences on the blocks below. Because of the inherent nature of shadows this means that the tonalities are constantly changing and creating new designs on the wall.

Brent Harris at NGV

Looking through the Brent Harris Exhibition at the NGV the piece the stood out most to me was The Stations (1989). Having been brought up as a Catholic I am very familiar with the Stations of the Cross, and I remember as a child seeing them depicted around the church. Each scene was depicted in a fairly life-like manner with clear figures and lots of detail. This goes back centuries to the Middle Ages when majority of people couldn't read or write, so to explain the stories of the Bible (in this instance the Stations of the Cross) detailed paintings, drawings and stained glass windows were created to teach people. These were often very ornate with a great deal of colour.

This is quite different to Brent Harris' The Stations. Whilst he takes the same reference story of the Stations of the Cross, his depiction is quite dramatically different, as is his audience. Harris has taken his prints right back to very simple compositions made up of basic rectangles and a few curves, in black, white, and greys with a tinge of red here and there. Through the use of highly abstracted compositions Harris captures the emotion and pain of the Stations of the Cross, and brings them into a new context, for a new audience.

Yayoi Kusama (NGV)

Whilst at the NGV I happened upon Yayoi Kusama's Tender Are the Stairs to Heaven (2004). It is tucked away in a small room in the middle of another. The piece consists of a fibre optic cable bent to create a floor to ceiling ladder. Beneath the ladder is a large circular mirror that holds it to the floor, there is another mirror above holding the ladder to the ceiling. The fibre optic cable of the ladder is constantly changing colour giving the otherwise dark room and ambient glow. When you enter the room there is a buzzing emanating from the ladder; this combined with the changing lights gives the room a unique atmosphere that removes you from the rest of the gallery.

This piece is more than something to look at; it is an interactive experience that depends on your interaction with the elements of the piece. If you stand and look from a distance the ladder appears to disappear a small distance into the ceiling and floor. As you get closer and look down into the mirror the floor appears to drop and the ladder appears to continue eternally into the ground. Similarly as you look up the ladder appears to continue rising and leading up to infinity. To really grasp the power of this piece is has to be experienced, and it is the experience that matters.

Light Works at NGV

Light Works at the NGV is a photoghraphy exhibition, with pieces ranging from photograms to large scale installations and digital light-based technologies. There were a few pieces that particularly caught my eye. The first were two Bill Henson photographs from his Paris Opera Project (1990-91). Untitled 31/85 (1990-91) is a large photograph. In the lower third of the composition is the dark silhouette of a forest, the focal point is a diagonal white blue flash of light, possibly lightning. The photograph is simple but very dramatic emphasised by the movement of the white blue light. The second Bill Henson was Untitled 36/105 (1990-91). The focal point of this photograph are the twilight orange clouds against dusty blue sky. They are obscured by silhouettes of trees and dark clouds in the foreground. This photograph has an almost sinister and drak feel to it, but at the same time it is very peaceful and serene. (click images for a larger view)

Bill Henson Untitled 31/85 (1990-91)

Bill Henson Untitled 35/105 (1990-91)

Another photograph in the exhibition was Adam Fuss' Untitled (1991).  It is a very large rectangular photograph, and the composition consists of many eliptical shapes that begin very large (cropped out by the edge of the frame) and continually get smaller towards the centre of the image, ending in a decent sized round white elipse in the centre of the image. The outer elipses are a very dark blue purple and they gradually get lighter towards the centre of the image. The photograph gives the impression of a tunnel and at the right angle the rings almost look like they are moving.

Adam Fuss Untitled (1991)

Unexpected Pleasures at NGV. Part 2

The next section of the Unexpected Pleasures exhibition at the NGV looked more at jewellery in a creative sense. A number of the artists in this section had developed a signature using the aesthetics of modernism. Simple, clean lines and an absence of decorative detailing is what makes this work powerful. One artist featured in this section was Johannes Kuhnen, whose work I recognised from his talk at AgIdeas. His Interchangeable Pendant System followed the modernist’s interest in modular components. Made out of anodised aluminium and stainless steel his pendants have a wonderful simplicity about them, but they are also very diverse in with so many options for different colours and colour combinations.

Mark Edgoose's Ring and Box no.1 looks at jewellery when it is not being worn. When not being worn the ring becomes part of the box which then forms what looks like a miniature scale sculpture. I found the concept of having the ring constantly seen as a piece of work whether or not it was being worn very intriguing, and in this instance quite successful.

Mark Edgoose Ring and Box no.2 (2010)

Mark Edgoose Ring and Box no.2 (2010)