The brief was to create four designs for cushions with ideas
interpreted and developed from a selected exhibit at the Yorkshire
Sculpture Park. Through research and media explorations the final
designs where to be hypothetically sold at the Yorkshire Sculpture park
shop.
Through doing this brief I have discovered and artist that has become one of my favourites, she is Niki De Satin Phalle. I originally got inspired by her work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park when I saw her piece ‘Buddha’ which I then went on to research as inspiration for my cushion designs. I found that she takes a feminist approach like I do and instantly she became my focus; I found some of her other works such as her ‘Nannas’ which are large brightly coloured sculptures based on the female form; they are voluptuous and symbols of femininity. She also took inspiration herself from Gaudi’s Parc Guell in Barcelona and created her own monumental sculpture park which she based on the Tarot cards.
One of her most famous feminist pieces is ‘she: A Cathedral’; it is 80ft by 30ft. This piece is very individual and bold both in its colour and forms but also in its nature. The way it has been designed makes the viewer pass through the woman to see the rest of the pieces by entering the vagina. This is still quite a statement today, but in the sixties I imagine this was quite outrageous.
After finding this research I needed to start using her works to inspire me. I was particularly drawn to the surfaces and patterns she created in her sculptures. From this I stared zooming up onto images of her work and drawing from that to make my own designs. Some I painted some I collaged, and then I started interpreting them into embroidery. I chose to work with leather because not only was it complimenting my designs, but I also saw it as a way of expressing gender roles within my work. By using leather I was suggesting hypothetical questions such as ‘Is leather seen as feminine or masculine?’, ‘Is leather classed as feminine or masculine by its texture and appearance or by its colour? e.g. to a person that classes leather as masculine, would a piece of bright pink leather still be seen as masculine?’
The final thing I needed was a context for my designs to be presented in, and I found the perfect one. A brief that was asking for designs to be used for something known as ‘Humpties’ which are foot rests much like a cushion. The brief laid out requirements and templates, which I followed and used as my way of presenting this project. I scanned my embroidered samples inspired by Saint Phalle into Photoshop and refined them ready for the templates.
I am really pleased with the research I did for this project and for finding an artist that I love, however I would have liked to have spent more time on my designs to make them stronger. I really struggled to manage my modules together, at the time of this brief, and know I could have done better with the practical side of the designs if I had had more time, although I am quite pleased with some of my drawings.
Through doing this brief I have discovered and artist that has become one of my favourites, she is Niki De Satin Phalle. I originally got inspired by her work at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park when I saw her piece ‘Buddha’ which I then went on to research as inspiration for my cushion designs. I found that she takes a feminist approach like I do and instantly she became my focus; I found some of her other works such as her ‘Nannas’ which are large brightly coloured sculptures based on the female form; they are voluptuous and symbols of femininity. She also took inspiration herself from Gaudi’s Parc Guell in Barcelona and created her own monumental sculpture park which she based on the Tarot cards.
One of her most famous feminist pieces is ‘she: A Cathedral’; it is 80ft by 30ft. This piece is very individual and bold both in its colour and forms but also in its nature. The way it has been designed makes the viewer pass through the woman to see the rest of the pieces by entering the vagina. This is still quite a statement today, but in the sixties I imagine this was quite outrageous.
After finding this research I needed to start using her works to inspire me. I was particularly drawn to the surfaces and patterns she created in her sculptures. From this I stared zooming up onto images of her work and drawing from that to make my own designs. Some I painted some I collaged, and then I started interpreting them into embroidery. I chose to work with leather because not only was it complimenting my designs, but I also saw it as a way of expressing gender roles within my work. By using leather I was suggesting hypothetical questions such as ‘Is leather seen as feminine or masculine?’, ‘Is leather classed as feminine or masculine by its texture and appearance or by its colour? e.g. to a person that classes leather as masculine, would a piece of bright pink leather still be seen as masculine?’
The final thing I needed was a context for my designs to be presented in, and I found the perfect one. A brief that was asking for designs to be used for something known as ‘Humpties’ which are foot rests much like a cushion. The brief laid out requirements and templates, which I followed and used as my way of presenting this project. I scanned my embroidered samples inspired by Saint Phalle into Photoshop and refined them ready for the templates.
I am really pleased with the research I did for this project and for finding an artist that I love, however I would have liked to have spent more time on my designs to make them stronger. I really struggled to manage my modules together, at the time of this brief, and know I could have done better with the practical side of the designs if I had had more time, although I am quite pleased with some of my drawings.
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