Ryoko Suzuki - "Bind", 2001
http://www.ryokobo.com/contents/bind.html
https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/global_feminisms

Ryoko Suzuki is a contemporary Japanese artist who uses photography as her main medium to construct images which comments on the designated social roles of women living in contemporary Japan. I was especially drawn by one of her art collections titled "Bind". This artwork depicts a series of photographs where the the artist wraps her head with tightly wound pigskin that has been soaked in blood. Initially, I thought that the material being used was either rubber or string being dipped into red paint or ink. This can help create a stain on the face, thus creating a 'smudged' effect. When I discovered that she used pig skin that was soaked in blood, I was very shocked by her choice of material as well as her way of displaying the theme of sexuality. Just by looking at the photographs, it made me wonder how uncomfortable it would feel being trapped in pain. Moreover, it was clear that the pigskin was wrapped tightly around her head, given that it distorted the structure and shape of the artist's face, her features become warped and almost unrecognisable. Referring to Ryoko Suzuki's statements, she said that the pigskin refers to her childhood memories, and the blood symbolises female sexuality. She explained that she had been betrayed by adults; giving her the idea that "pigs are cute". But in reality, looking at the way humans breed pigs in the pig farm - there was absolutely no cuteness in them. The main purpose of the "Bind" series was to portray the artist's inner self, a grown-up who left the world given by her parents and other adults who acquired her own thinking.

I chose this to be part of this project's research because it strongly relates to the theme of womanhood and feminism. Since I wanted to show a woman who can lead her own life and voice out her own opinions in my artwork, I think this would be a very good starting point to help me further develop my ideas. To portray the voice of woman and their rights in society. I believe that the idea of covering or masking an individual's face would help convey the theme of identity very clearly.

Johnson Tsang is a sculptor who mostly employs realist sculptural techniques accompanied by surrealist imagination. His works involves the interpretation of subconscious to reinterpret reality. Most of his sculptures and public artworks are made of either ceramics or stainless steel. I've never worked with ceramics before, neither was I familiar with making three-dimensional sculptures using clay or plaster. Therefore I was intrigued by how realistic yet surreal the his works were, given that they all derive from his own imagination. The artists pushes the boundaries of the viewer's imagination by integrating two elements in his works: 'human beings' and 'objects'.  a series of sculptures featuring human faces, captures the fluidity of both physical motion and human emotion while challenging us to see the world in a different way. I really liked the way the artist captured the facial features of the human's face, thereby depicting the fluidity of both physical motion and human emotion into his sculptures. When I looked at the sculptures, I couldn't help but notice how extraordinary an 'supernatural- looking' the sculptures were. Moreover, the way that he presented the facial emotions of the human's face helps create an unearthly appeal, which made the artwork even more aesthetically appealing to the viewers. 

I was especially drawn to one of his series titled "Lucid Dream". The series of sculptures features and expressive and emotive topsy-turvy faces. He predominantly focuses on face distortion to explore his imagination, thus remaining the undeniably dreamlike and unsettling lifelike sensation in his works. The sculpture that I was most attracted to was titled "Here and There" which depicts a face of a woman. Part of the face was 'missing' as if it was destroyed intentionally, leaving cracks and holes on the smooth surface of the sculpture. I paid attention on the fine detail of the cracks as well as the interior space of the sculpture and noticed that there were sections of the clay which make up a crumbled wall of worn house. I was not only fascinated by how delicate and fragile the whole sculpture looked and this made me think of the fragility of woman. When I looked at the sculpture, I thought of the face as a resemblance of 'womanhood'. It was as if the facial expression was portraying the woman's confidence and faith. However, the cracks resemble the fragility of a woman, which symbolises how easily women can get hurt and weakened by comments that arouse in society. I felt that this relates to my project as it reflects the theme of femininity in a way which comments on how fragile and easily broken a woman can be in different environments and circumstances.

Johnson Tang - "Here and There" (Detail)

Resources
https://mymodernmet.com/johnson-tsang-lucid-dream-ii/
https://www.ignant.com/2017/02/07/johnson-tsangs-mind-bending-sculptures/

Buckminster Fuller, Dome Over Manhattan, 1960

The Ideas Factory project predominantly focuses on the notion of Art and Design as a provocation, ideas of the future and invention as a practise. During our contextual practise session, we explored on the role of an artist and designer and their purpose in society. I was particularly interested in Buckminster Fuller's work - Dome over Manhattan. Buckminster Fuller proposed a project responding to environmental changes in society. His work involves a geodesic dome spanning Midtown Manhattan with the air of reducing air pollution. It was a sculpture invented primarily for the post-nuclear world. The idea of using a geodesic dome to enclose a space is much stronger and more efficient than other ways of enclosing space. The reason why I chose this as a part of my research for this project was because of it's futuristic and mathematical concept. I think that by using a futuristic way to perceive a social issue can help develop an interesting outcome in regards to my final project. The main point of 'futuristic' is to "think outside the box" - In simpler words, I wanted to look at a certain situation in many different ways. As such, the word "feminism" can be interpreted in many different ways based on the responses from audiences and viewers, these responses may be different from my own responses, hence the outcome of this project may be interpreted differently. Moreover, the word 'futuristic' also reminds me of the words 'function' and purpose'. In today's society, new inventions are all created with a specific function and purpose for an intended audience. This made me think of creating an outcome which embeds a certain message towards an audience. The 'message' behind the final outcome would be the function of my creation. 

When I saw the image of the dome surrounding the city, it almost felt like there are two different 'worlds' in the photo. The photo not only shows the size and scale of the dome, it also contrasts with the size of the city. Which in matter of fact, it would take many years to actually build the dome for its function to reduce air pollution in the world. This made me think: multiple domes are made to enclose a space in the city, then would this really help regulate weather and reduce energy lost? Or would this affect the lives of people, knowing that they would be 'trapped' in a space. Overall, I thought this would be a good experimentation process for me to learn about patience and time to develop an idea, but also look at how the creation itself can deliver its function to help issues in society.

Birds-eye view of dome

Nora Fok - "Armadillo", 2007
http://www.norafok.com/archive/?i=Armadillo
http://www.mobilia-gallery.com/artists/nora-fok/

Nora Fok is a Jewellery designer who expresses her ideas in a personal and unique way. The reason why I chose to use her works as part of my inspiration for this project was because of her choice of material and making process. Most of her jewellery pieces are made out of nylon. I never knew jewellery could be made using an elastic, lightweight material. Moreover, I had never used nylon as a material in my work before, so I did a lot of research regarding to the methods and making process of Nora Fok's jewellery pieces. I was very interested in the way she could morph the material into something that can be worn on the body. She did this by using a variety of textile techniques, the work is knitted, knotted, woven, tied and looped into necklaces, earrings, bracelets as well as rings. Some of Nora Fok's works are simple yet very fragile; at the same time there is an ethereal dream-like sensation being brought up by the piece. In her other works, I can't help be associate it with chemical molecules being bonded together into one structure. It seemed like her works were very scientific and mathematical. As shown in the image below, you wouldn't be able to tell that it is a piece of jewellery until being worn on the body. I really like the way she translated her ideas into delightful delicate and intricate compositions which also explores the theme of nature. I think many of our inspirations come from what we perceive around us, therefore, her concept made me realise the importance of environment and nature. I think that I could adapt this concept by using my own inspirations from the environment surrounding us, and integrate it into my final outcomes

Visually, this piece caught my attention because of its shape and structure. I think she really used the space that was provided for her and translated this idea by creating a jewellery piece which encloses the space around an individual. Therefore giving the individual a private space to relax. Moreover, I felt that this jewellery piece would also be suitable as a sculpture piece due to its size and scale. The fact that it surrounds the individual's whole head and neck causes a sense of restriction, preventing him/her to move.

Nora Fok - "Space"

I was inspired by Jizhi Li's collection of jewellery creations titled "Perfectly Imperfect". Her collection explores her interpretation of what beauty and body image is. In addition, she focuses on how people view beauty standards as well as our body. The artist believes that jewellery is a form of ornamentation on a body which is used to distract attention away from the imperfections and flaws on our bodies. Hence, her intention in creating these jewellery pieces is to frame parts of the body to redecorate their imperfection. I believe that her work is intended to empower those who wear. She further said that these jewellery creations are also made for people with disabilities. In my opinion, I think that this is a very affective way of defining 'beauty'; by covering the flaws on our beauty and replacing it with something beautiful. This not only enhances the individual's confidence, but also raises awareness about the consciousness. 

I also found it interesting how the artist had intentionally restricted movement of different parts of the body. For example, one of the designs was made to be inserted inside the mouth. This restricts the facial emotion of the individual, it also restricts any additional movement of the face. I found that the distortion of the face helps emphasise the scars and imperfections, at the same time the design and patterns helps bring out the beauty within them, thus making them be more confident with their own body. Another example that caught my attention was the leg piece. It looked like fish-bone and had a very skeletal shape and structure. The sharp, pointed edges looks dangerous, and it also restricts leg movement but the main intention of this creation is to replicate what it feels like to have a disability. This made me think about how important these flaws and imperfections are on our body, as they define our identity. It is what makes humans special, hence having the confidence to display it to other viewers.

I really enjoyed looking at Aleksandra's jewellery collection - "Beauty in Disease". She explores the beauty of an illness within an individual by using the body as a canvas. I liked the idea of associating the disease with the body, as if implying that there is also a hint of beauty lying under a afflicted, fragile human body. As seen on the first photo with the model wearing a neck piece - the way that it is placed onto the ears of the model makes it look simple and aesthetically appealing to the audience. I also liked the use of patterns that make up jewellery creation. I think the patterns are made to resemble the artist's interpretation of what diseases look like. I also like the fact that the jewellery surrounds the whole neck area of the model, this not only restricts the model's movement of, it also makes it seem like the disease is "spreading" to the rest of the body. 

The other two jewellery creations were also made out of sterling silver, I was surprised by how thin the silver was, it almost looked like lines of wire which flow continuously on the surface of the body. I really liked how the lines reach from one points and to the other end as if there's no end to the line. When I looked from afar, I felt that the jewellery creation also illustrates a tattoo style which I thought was pretty interesting. Visually, I really love how the jewellery design was so simple, and clean. I felt that by following this idea, it made me want to develop an outcome which is both simple yet aesthetically appealing when being worn on the body.

https://www.vice.com/en_au/article/d7xbmq/yoolhee-ko-creates-futuristic-jewelry-fit-for-istar-treki

I chose to do further research on this artist - Yoolhee Ko not because of her jewellery designs, but the way she presents her jewellery in the photoshoot. I was intrigued by the composition and layout of the photo. I almost seemed surreal and it reminded me a little about fantasy. As seen in the first photo, the backs of a model is displayed to the viewers, whereas the body seem to have opened, making it look like the model is wearing another suit, which in fact, is just the skin of his body. I really liked how the designer used this way to reveal the jewellery that she designed, it also really matches the idea of having sharp angles. Given the blackish, greyish background, the jewellery shines bright, thus attracting the viewers attention to the creation.

Yoolhee Ko is an avant-garde Korean jewellery designer who builds jewellery that predominantly involves sharp angles and geometric accessory designs. The collection as shown in the images is titled "Reflection" which is composed of visually striking prism-shapes accessories for men. It is said that the collection attempts to explore the notion of cognition through memory. I think that it is important to recall memories from the past. Using artwork to show these memories of the past is a great way of showing a part of yourself. In this case, I believe that the designer is trying to tell a story of what reflection could represent by the beauty itself.

Emre Yunus Uzun is a Turkish interior designer. He designed a set of tables titled "Arche" - a collection formed by three different pieces: A vase, candelabra and a bowl. These objects are often heard and seen in homes, hence they are made to decorate the interior space of a house. What I found interesting about the designer's artworks is that he uses a minimalistic approach to redesign classic objects to transform them and give another point of view. Just by looking at the shape and structure of the objects, the designs are formed by many arched shapes. Hence, I think that the designer was inspired in arched forms, therefore naming the collections as 'Arche". I was intrigued by the structure and shape of the vase, since it was completely different from what I think a 'normal' vase looks like. I felt that the vase alone may not attract the audience, but when the plant is inserted into the vase, it seems as if the plant has 'completed' the look, thus presenting it's function for people to appreciate. Similar to the candelabra, the interior of the object is empty which clearly reflects the simplicity of the product. The more I look at the product, I more I fall in love the its simplistic design and minimalistic features.

Resources:
https://morewithlessdesign.com/en/arche/

Saif Faisal created a collection of cork trays which composes three different trays; a square, a circle and an enlarged peiece. These three pieces were specifically made for different functions. His designs were mainly inspired by ancient wicker trays due to its versatility and resistance with different objects. In my opinion, I think there is a very big difference between the ancient wicker trays and Faisal's own creation as his products had integrated a nice essence and purity to it. I thought that the trays looked very clean and minimalistic - which was why I chose to do further research on Faisal's product designs. Furthermore, I think the material that was used in Faisal's products were very eco-friendly, considering the fact that they were designed to be hung near windowsills. It reminded me of nature as well as holds an contemporaneous expression. I think that the cork trays really fits in with this project since we were told to create products that allows fruits to sit in a space, perfectly enclosed. From this, it really challenges on the use of material as well as the shape of the product thereby fitting with the function that it was made for.

Resources:
https://morewithlessdesign.com/en/cork-trays/

What I found interesting about this lamp was that it was made to seduce the user to touch and interact with it. The lamp invites us to play with it and to feel the gravity of the magnet. I like the simplicity and minimalistic features of the lamp which further creates a geometrical union. Overall, the main purpose of the lamp is to show initiate pleasant interaction between the user and the product where humanity can be reflected. The user can relax and enjoy the company of the lamp as if it's their 'little friend'. What I like about this lamp is that it's shape and form is very different from other lamps, which is why this makes it unique. Moreover, the structure also shows the unity of symmetry and tension - which I believe is important in the disciplines of product design.

Resources:
https://morewithlessdesign.com/en/l3/ 

Dominic Wilcox - "Brush Hooks" - 2011

This work was part of Dominic Wilcox's exhibition titled "Object Abuse" where the artist created an entirely new product from an everyday object that we usually see in our lives. The idea of using paintbrushes was inspired by his memory of them getting harder as people forget to clean them after being used. I was very surprised at how he was able to use an everyday object as a whole new source of product. His minimalistic style is very inspiring. I think this style is worth adapting into my works. It made me wonder what other objects or materials can be used alone or solely to transform into a new product. The material not only becomes emphasised due to it's simplistic design, it also helps grabs the viewers attention. I feel like this could also be a sculpture or installation which can be displayed in an exhibition. I believe that the brush hooks would complement well with the white wall, while performing its function as an ornament or decoration.

Bruno Munari, Design as Art,  London: Penguin Classics, 1966

I found it fascinating how the artist can make a simple fruit such as an orange or vegetables - one tiny pea, and write a whole descriptive analysis on it. I found his choice of words very interesting, For example, with the orange, he uses the words "segments" to describe the different pieces of the orange. I think this would be a good task to try during contextual practise when we have to bring an object that can be easily disassembled and assembled back together.

Left: Pulp Fiction
Right: Panther, Cat, Mouse
https://www.dutchuncle.co.uk/noma-bar-selected-images

Noma Bar is an Israeli graphic designer, illustrator and artist. His works are predominantly composed with simple, flat colours with minimal detail and negative space. When I looked at his illustrations, I can immediately see different forms of cartoon all in one poster. As shown on the left image, Noma Bar made an illustration based on the movie "Pulp Fiction" where Jules Winnfield is on top, and Vincent Vega is at the bottom. I found it fascinating how two colours can create such a great contrast. I think that Bar's works really plays with our brains and challenges us to interpret the illustration by identifying the different shapes in one illustration. Another examples of this concept is shown on the right image. At first glance, I could only see two anima - the white panther and the black cat. However, I I looked closer, there also appears to be a small mouse, which was just right at the cat's 'mouth. I really like how Noma has played with the size and scale in this illustration. He further uses black and white to create contrast between the animals to make each of them stand out more easily. I think this can be easily adapted into my works for my illustration project. Knowing that we are allowed to us only red and black paper, it would be fun to integrate different subjects together to form one piece of artwork.

Saul Bass - The Man With The Golden Arm"
https://letterformarchive.org/news/saul-bass
https://www.indiewire.com/gallery/saul-bass-movie-poster-movies-vertigo/screen-shot-2017-08-09-at-11-44-14-am/

When I first laid my eyes on Saul Bass' works, I was immediately attracted by the use of bold colours and crooked shapes. Saul Bass is well known for his minimalistic movie posters. As shown in the image above, I really liked how the typography was positioned to surround the hand. He also changed the shape of the hand to make it more cartoonistic. When I read the typography, it almost felt unrealistic and mysterious at the same time. Moreover, I think that Bass has successfully delivered a narrative/story through his posters. The small features such as thick black lines and bold swatches of colour further helped seduce and focused the viewer's attention to where the illustration was centred at. I think that his style of working with illustration is very striking and influential; it almost looked like an advertisement which captures the viewers gaze immediately.

Jean Jullien - "This Is The Modern Life" (Modern Life)
https://www.justaplatform.com/jean-jullien/

When I first looked at this illustration, I immediately knew there was a relation to interaction and communication. I think that Jullien has perfectly portrayed a real life situation that would happen at any time in a supermarket. As shown in the image above, the cashier looks like she has finished her work and is waiting for the next customer. But a male is seen on the right where the artist has labeled "self service" - This kind of resembles an awkward situation where you knew that the cashier is free, but you rather ignore the cashier and choose to go to the service label. I guess the artist is trying to portray the ignorance in human world, thereby showing our social and asocial behaviours, the relationship between people and how we communicate with one another. It almost feel ironic knowing that we would laugh at the illustrations, but also knowing that these situations really do happen in real life.

Charlotte Bracegirdle, "Veil", 2010
http://www.charlottebracegirdle.co.uk/artiststatement.html
http://www.charlottebracegirdle.co.uk/2010_photo_Veil.html

In this project, we focused on the method of removing and adding textures from or onto the original artwork. Charlotte Bracegirdle approaches her work by using appropriation. Appropriation is the process of borrowing elements to create a new form of artwork. The artist explained that appropriate means to properly adopt, borrow, recycle or sample aspects from found images. I found this idea very interesting as it requires a clever contemplation of integrating two or more different things together to form a new piece of artwork. The main concept of Bracegirdle's artworks is to appropriate pre-excising images from Old Masters and 20th century photographic printed reproductions. As shown in the image above, she paints over a section of the photograph, and reveals other aspects of the image - the grass field. This changes the initial focus (grass field) to new elements that were already present but not noticeable before. I am fascinated by how much you can remove from and image and still have something to see, even better - generating new elements to an original image making it stand out from the initial image.

Frank Bowling, "Dan Johnson's Surprise", 1969
https://www.whitney.org/collection/works/477

In this painting, Frank Bowling used the technique of layering to paint the map of South America. Originally, he was interested in the tragic side of human behaviour, hence he tried to reflect this in his work. However, as he developed his works, he realised that colour and geometry was the two most important disciplines in painting. He was inspired by the shape and form of the maps, and thought that they were very engaging to an audience. Hence, he decided to paint maps of South America and Guyana. What I liked about Bowling's work was that he didn't go overboard with the abstractness in his painting, instead he left a clear outline of the maps to indicate viewers of the subject matter. I think that our inspiration would mostly come from the things we see around us, therefore I think it would be inspired by things that surround us.

Idris Khan, every…Bernd and Hilla Becher Prison type Gasholders - Lambda digital C prints
https://www.skny.com/artists/idris-khan
https://www.victoria-miro.com/artists/14-idris-khan/

Idris Khan's works investigates the theme of memory, creativity and the layering of experience. Many of his works involves the process of creation and erasure as well as adding of new layers while retaining elements of the original work. He is well known for his large-scale works which conveys repetition and superimposition. I found it interesting how the artist takes a series of works by other artists and compressing them into one image. The layering of the images not only makes the work look semi-translucent, it also shows depth and contrast. It would be interesting to try out this method of layering different images onto one another, creating a blurred effect.

Hostile Architecture, Anti-Homeless, spikes

I had no idea what this was when I first looked at the photo, only when I heard more about it during contextual practise, I learnt that it is a form of hostile architecture known as 'Anti-Homeless'. The spikes that make up this architecture is intended to prevent homeless people from sleeping or sitting on the surfaces. This may usually be present near exhibition locations or clothing shops as this would disturb passengers when walking past. On the one hand, I felt a bit sorry for the homeless people, knowing that it would be considered quite a harsh punishment to force them to stay away from certain places and locations. On the other hand, I think this is quite a reasonable way to prevent homeless people from sleeping on streets. The number of homeless people have been increasing rapidly, hence the issue of homeless people sleeping on streets would be inevitable. Hence, I think using this hostile design is the best way to keep homeless people from sleeping on restricted areas. I think it would be rather uncomfortable if people were to sleep or sit on the spikes due to its rough texture.

Basque Health Department Headquarters in Bilbao / Coll-Barreu Arquitectos

I am amazed by the size an scale of this architecture building. Weirdly, the building sits between two other architectures; however it surprisingly creates a nice effect. The building is composed by platonic structures, and the lines help create a composite form which generates an interestingly-shaped geodesic structure. I really liked how the building interacted with the light from nature; since the building is made out of glass, the light is reflected, therefore creating a stunning reflection of nature. It also interacts with the regular and irregular forms - when an individual looks at their reflection, it becomes distorted. I think that this is a very helpful and useful strategy to engage interaction with people walking past the building, whiles reflecting the surrounding architecture around it.

Zaha Hadid - Heydar Aliyev Centre, 2007
https://www.zaha-hadid.com/architecture/heydar-aliyev-centre/

I was always interested in Zaha Hadid's architectural works; I remembered researching about her works for my extended essay that I had to write during my IB course. The design of Heydar Aliyev Center mainly establishes a continuous, fluid relationship between the surrounding environment and the building's interior. I was amazed by the size and scale of the building as well as the flow of the building's facade, it seems to resemble water, or even a mountain. This made me think about whether the building could be inspired by nature. Since we always assume buildings to be sharped edged with vertical and horizontal lines, we tend to forget about other shapes which include round surfaces. I think Zaha Hadid approaches architecture by creating unique designs involving a sense of fluidity and flow.