# data[].attributes.body
Studson is a crafter and model maker that likes building miniatures, models, and dioramas inspired by video games tv, and movies that he likes. He posts detailed step by step process videos to his Youtube account where they get millions of views. With his practice being incredibly time consuming these miniature sculptures can take months and month to make. Part of his creative process is hunting, collecting and gathering rubbish, parts and packaging he can see transformed into something else or feels will hold a purpose in the future for a specific part of something he is working on. Unique shaped bottle tops, toothpicks, textures in plastic and nuts and bolts are some of the few things Studson hoards in his studio to begin his projects. Not only is ability to make something out of nothing incredibly inspiring but his way of working is similar to my own with collecting materials being a major part of my idea generation.

# data[].attributes.body
Thinking back to childhood to childhood i remembered a lot of media that served as inspiration for the concept of the work. This included movies and shows such Arther and the invisibles, Arcane, The borrowers, and Arriete.

# data[].attributes.body
I went for a tour around Work and Play Scrap store in Tooting where tones of waste is collected from large companies, shops, workers and more. It is sorted through, categorized and displayed in the scrap store in hopes of being repurposed or used as materials by underfunded artists, craft clubs and more. I got myself an annual membership and have been a handful of times throughout this unit to both source materials and spark ideas.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
Scrapstore

Arts and crafts re-use charity

Charity Number 1041641

Scrapstore is a fantastic treasure trove, presenting waste and surplus goods as arts and crafts materials to inspire creativity. You will find paper and paint, textiles and trimmings, buttons and bubble wrap, wood and wondrous props, foam and fine wire and so much more. Stocks vary each week with donations coming from eco-friendly and many big-brand companies.

​

We've been around for over 30 years promoting the green agenda and sustainability. We cut carbon emissions through diverting materials from landfill and incineration.

​

We reuse over 60 tonnes of waste each year through our Scrapstore, outreach work, volunteering and artistic

adventures.

​

Click here (pdf) to download our introductory leaflet or here to take a virtual tour of our Scrapstore .

​

​

Openi ng times
Tuesdays and Thursdays 11am - 5pm

We will be open every first Saturday of the month

11am-4pm.

​

​

​

Please note that for health and safety reasons we cannot allow children aged under 12 in the store.

​

Donations

We are only taking pre-approved donations until further notice. Please email us with your request on info@workandplayscrapstore.org.uk

There is more information available on our Donations page.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
The Scrapstore promotes the re-use of resources for educational, artistic, play, creative, social or therapeutic activities.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Abi Palmer, invents the weather (rain), 2023, video piece

# data[].attributes.body
I really enjoyed this video piece by Abi Palmer where she recreates rain inside her home in a playful, meditative manner for her two house cats. She performatively unpacks the sound, texture and smell for them to explore. Documenting her journey like a diary, updating her progress and exposing her ritualistic understandings and explorations as she gathers rain, and even creates a cloud in her home. Her work inspired me massively and reminded me that art has the ability to embody something that cannot be communicated, to express and show an element and materialize bodies of though.

# data[].attributes.body
We made a mind map of all key words relevant to our project to try and piece together a suitable title for the exhibition.

# data[].attributes.body
This is our risk assessment above.
It was important to consider all the risks particularly when exhibiting in an offsite space where customers and workers could be at risk.
We took any hazards and risks into account during set up and made every effort to minimise them.

# data[].attributes.body
Red lighting-warm, inviting

spotlights - draws attention to center piece

Lighting transforms the space- otherworldly

Small stand alone builds placed by lamps- little pockets of more to see lit up by domestic lighting- lamps associated with the home- conveying this is a home to mystery creatures of some kind

Overhead lighting slightly dimmed- tea lights placed in windows and doors able to be seen in the slight darkness

The glow of the downstairs exhibition space inviting from above

# data[].attributes.body
The red lamp lighting which backlit the main central installation made the tower seem other worldly and magical.

# data[].attributes.body
We played this radio station throughout our show. Their music was meditative, ethereal and transportive. It reminded me of the Minecraft background music, something we occasionally listening to during the crafting process. It was inviting and curious sounding and definitely well supported the themes within the room.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Touch me & die Radio · Playlist · 50 songs · 34 likes

# data[].attributes.body
We wanted a short title that matched our publication well, a question or a statement, something curious that would draw people in and excite our target audience. We went with 'Maybe we could live here?', it fit in well with our short story by being a repeated sentence throughout and offered a narrative to view the work from the added to the fantasy element of imagining it could be real or you could be transported there.

# data[].attributes.body
With under a month to plan, produce and curate an offsite show, including finding an affordable space, find others to collaborate with, make artwork and work on publications i was concerned that time would be an issue. People had previously found it hard to work in big groups, communication being difficult and not knowing one and other meant it was difficult to lean into each other strengths. As a result, myself and a few other peers who’d worked together previously, decided it would take a slight weight off of our shoulders if we were to collaborate. I had worked with everyone in my group before and 3 of the 4 members of my collective i had worked well with for the previous on sight show. It meant we were familiar with each others practices, knew we worked well together, knew we lived nearby each other and knew we could find common ground on how to collaborate as a whole.

# data[].attributes.body
key requirements-

. lots of floor space for our installation

. affordable/ free

. public/ local/ family friendly

. not too busy - safe from tripping hazards/ navigating around the work

. easy to transport the work- fragile/ could easily tumble down and break

# data[].attributes.body
We began discussing our personal intentions for Unit 7 and what we liked and disliked about collaborative working for the previous units. We all shared a common goal of wanting this unit to be a time we could have fun throughout the creative process, discussing themes of play, childhood imagination, fantasy and world building. With this being our last chance to work on the course collaboratively we decided to reject individualism and make a massive art piece collectively.

# data[].attributes.body
Local venues recommended in 1:1 tutorial

VFDalston Opencall

Springfield Park cafe

Woodberry Downs/ Wetlands Colehouse Cafe

# data[].attributes.body
The venue we were most interested in was a cafe called The Muddy Puddle. It was located at the end of our street and so transportation wouldn't be an issue. It is also a popular cafe for the locals and is very family friendly, located next to Clissold park. In exchange for encouraging visitor to grab coffee or food we were offered the space for free.

# data[].attributes.body
They had a nice garden with some platformed areas with overhead protection from the rain and they also had a cozy downstairs used for music events. Due to not wanting to reduce seating upstairs or in the garden and the risk of the work being too in the way we wanted to use their music room. Fortunately the week of the exhibition this space wasn't going to be in use, so there was a lot of free space for us to take over the whole room.

# data[].attributes.body
We needed to start thinking about the publication and what we could do. I used some of the paper i collected from work and play to do a series of brusho ink and bleach experiments. The aim for these was to spark ideas about backgrounds for potential posters or collaging for the publication background.

# data[].attributes.body
Passing a paper back and forth we did a few drawing exercises based on the common themes we'd wish to explore for the off site shows. This was to help to pin point shared perspectives and generate ideas for our exhibition. World building and fantasy was clear in the drawings and definitely steered us in the right direction to begin thinking about our project.

# data[].attributes.body
reflecting on this piece of text:

is there a need to differentiate 'Co-art' and 'collaboration'?- regardless if the works produced display clear separations of artist's individualism or involves 'anti-compromise' processes, the art is still a 'collaboration' of skill to come to a final outcome.

i believe the speculated need to subcategories is due to consumerism. - where value is placed above process, a more enriching experience for the artists being overlooked in place of materialistic value. - Aesthetics over journey

For example, Andy Warhol and Basquiat's collab in 1985 at Tong Shafrazi Gallery showed clear separations between the artists participation to the paintings. Ronnie Cutrone states 'Basquiat thought that he needed Andy's celebrity, and Andy thought he needed Basquiat's new blood'.- C-art- outcome over process

needing what the other lacks doesn't diminish need to collaborate but suggests being labelled as co-art is when the collaboration is done so in a manner where outcome is goal

Contrastingly, Marina Abramovic and Ulay refer to themselves as 'parts of a two headed body' named, 'The Other'.

rejecting individualism in this manner shows that process is valued over outcome. - experimenting with limits and bonds

is the attempt to push the category of 'co-art' to place higher/equal value on it - becoming a movement

audience, opinion, value

a side effect of traditional values?= 'no painter may put his hand to the brush other than Piero himself, thus attributing symbolic value to Piero's genius, raising it far above the skill of any of his studio artists.'

" Still only Ruben's signature could authenticate a work produced by his studio."

# data[].attributes.body
fantasy

imagination

childhood

play

collective

world building

immersive

story telling

sculptural

material

# data[].attributes.body
Instead they were used as wallpaper in and around some of the model houses and offered more colour/ texture within the piece.

# data[].attributes.body
To begin making we mainly started off by assembling small furniture out of things we'd collected like mini make up pallets, small glass bottles, beads and bottle tops. This helped us each establish what kind of spaces were were wanting to build. I started off by making a kind of re-imagined model of my childhood home. This felt personal and fun, i covered my bedroom walls in glitter just like 7 year-old me would've wanted and even draw my cat in the window which was something special and sentimental to me. It was a very entertaining process of hunting for the perfect part amongst piles and pile of bits and finding the perfect fit. It was refreshing to make art that felt like no time had passed, that was leisurely yet fully consuming and i did through out the process find myself transported the the realm i was crafting or allowing myself to adopt that child-like imagination i once had. Allowing myself to be a kid and crawl around the floor, to cut, stick and tear was the fun i needed to have with this project and i really feel the end results show the love we had for this project.

# data[].attributes.body
Paul Nobel once architect and town planner, archeologist and cartographer, social historian and activist, creator, is an artist who tells stories through image making. 'Noble invented and described a melancholy urban vision somewhere between Claude-Nicolas Ledoux’s revolutionary utopias, SimCity, and the postapocalyptic wastelands pictured in the daily media.'

His works are a mesmerizing display of a contemporary society, suggesting themes of overpopulation and industrialism through fantasy-like excesses of pencil drawn, stacked towers filled with unconventional shapes.

His work above in particular fed the desire to make something stacked in excess and my research, and collective conversations thus far have solidified the want to make a fantasy world of some kind.

# data[].attributes.headline
video journal- documenting bodies of through through moving image

# data[].attributes.subject
video journal- documenting bodies of through through moving image

# data[].attributes.body
Living back in London for university has meant i live really nearby to where i was born in North London. There are a lot of places i am very fond of when i think back to being young and i felt revisiting some of them would spark some ideas for my project and also help me feel more connected and positive towards that part of my life. I went back to my favorite playground, the woods near my old home, my mums favorite coffee shop, and wondered the streets of my old area reminiscing about happy childhood memories. Alongside this i also documented moments of reflection, piecing it all together in a way that told a story personal to me really. It allowed me to understand the growth i had made, and allowed me to gather a lot of intense thoughts and feeling into one place to help begin making.

# data[].attributes.body
'Through processes of accretion, erasure, and extraction, Ellen Gallagher has invented a densely saturated visual language in which overlapping patterns, motifs, and materials pulse with life. By fusing narrative modes including poetry, film, music, and collage, she recalibrates the tensions between reality and fantasy...' ( https://gagosian.com/artists/ellen-gallagher/ )

I really liked the presentation of her 'Osedax' project and how the subtle hums of animation are ever present in her works. I really like how she portrays narratives in this film work through image based story telling. Pathways and movement are created in unconventional ways working materially. I am also fond of the space she chose to project her films. Simple yet effective, the dark room with the fading in projections mimic the essence of the depths of the sea where this narrative takes place. Exploring ecology and materializing bodies of thought, Ellen's work served as great inspiration for my on site show project.

# data[].attributes.body
Toilet roll inners became towers, paper cups were little tents, small bottles and lids stuck together became tables. We were all talking about what had inspired us to make each piece, what childhood movie or game etc we had thought of, studio Ghibily, Adventure time, Club pinguin were some of the few.

# data[].attributes.body
I visited the young V&A to get some inspiration for this project. This installation work above by Rachel Whiteread titled 'place (village)' consisted of her 20 years of collecting vintage doll houses. She was inspired by the museum of childhoods collection of doll houses both as a child and when visiting as an adult. It was interesting to see the tiny houses displayed as art rather than play things and the range of styles from Tudor cottages to Georgian mansions allowed you to stand and admire the change of architectural styles over the years.
https://the-gingerbread-house.co.uk/rachel-whiteread-place-village/ this article reads:
‘All the lights are on in this deserted, ghostly, town (village). The emptiness of these miniature homes evokes forgotten memories and echoes of past inhabitants. This densely displayed community of 150 mismatched dolls’ houses has an absence of people and worldly things, suggesting a powerful sense of isolation. It is always night-time in the village.‘

# data[].attributes.body
i attended an evening workshop for abstract experimental looping animations with Eye to Pencil who encourage self expression through drawing and various other practices.

# data[].attributes.body
Paula Pavaitt is an eco friendly artist, local to my home town in Essex. Her work involves beachcombing for wood, driftwood, glass and metal to repurpose into stunning miniature costal scenes. She takes a lot of inspiration from the sea side town she lives in and sells her sculptures in local art galleries, markets and her online shop Sea Shore Nine.

# data[].attributes.body
Jacob Swanson is a story board artist who usually works with illustration and animation. His story telling ability is carried across all mediums as proven above in his 'Brotheron' sculpture. I loved how the viewer is able to travel around the work and follow along with a story board all around the piece. Its exciting, interactive and allows the viewers perspective to differ based on their position. I admire his ability to become a kid once again in order to allow his curiosity and imagination to take the wheel. World building is something i visit a lot within my own art practice and story boards/ books were a great way for me to get inspiration for drawings and paintings as a kid and could be a great use of material for publication uses, conveying a setting and portraying a narrative for what i create.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Jacob Swanson on Instagram: "(Continued from Part 1) "Brotherton." Acrylic and colored pencil on cardboard. If you're a kid, this sculpture is for you, and you already know how to read it. If you're a grown-up, start the story at the Lightning Strike and work your way down. As you do, I invite you to become like a kid once again: explore your own creativity and curiosity, crawl around on the floor, imagine yourself as a tiny person in a colossal world. Above all, have fun. #comics #experimentalcomics #cardboardart #cardboardconstruction #sculpture #puppetryarts #puppetryworkshop #miniatureart #miniatureart"

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
150K likes, 529 comments - jacobswansondraws on February 17, 2024: "(Continued from Part 1) "Brotherton." Acrylic and colored pencil on cardboard. If you're a kid, this sculpture is for you, and y...".

# data[].attributes.headline
Animation workshop collaborative experiment 

# data[].attributes.subject
Animation workshop collaborative experiment 

# data[].attributes.body
We did an exercise to collaboratively make a 1 second (12 frame), abstract animation. This involved working around a table of 12 people and using tracing paper, embellishing the mark making from the person before me in the rotation. I then added my own personalization and (shown in the first image beside this), to carry on the flow of working into each others images in order to have the animation flow into each frame. It was interesting to see how being a small part of the making process made the film possible. Seeing the stills as moving image, and as a whole new medium really excited me and the potential of what drawing could become. This is a new technique i have learnt that i would love to explore further.

# data[].attributes.body
We then moved onto doing our own 12 frame (which makes a second in animation) short animations using this process shown above. Everyone's one second animations were then to be pieced together to make a short animation and working collaboratively but individually this time throughout the making process intrigued me on how the end goal would differ from the first exercise.

# data[].attributes.body
Francois Monthoux is a Swiss painter and sculptor whos creations are often inspired by mediaeval iconography and childlike imagination.

His website reads:

'Since i was a child , i like to create and invent. I like to express myself with all possible media drawing, painting, video, sculpture, video games, and by all possible means. I am passionate about History, Biology, Philosophy, psychology. I like to understand the world around me, but i also like imaginary universes that allow me to escape reality. I imagine worlds populated by strange esoteric creatures and infernal machines. I am fascinated by insects, because they make me dream.'

I was absolutely mesmerized by his sculpture above, i followed along with his construction journey posted to social media, with both the intricacy of the piece and moments of unfavorable weather conditions it took Francois many many months to make. Both his concept and relationship with the work was inspiring to me. I liked the idea of also creating a new land and tapping into a childlike mindset to generate new ideas, unconventional structures and characters. Watching the way he created with such enthusiasm and zero pressure felt like the relief i needed to feel a part of the work.

# data[].attributes.body
The four of us all lived very nearby which made working from home most practical and making hours up to us. As a result, we were able to work spontaneously all together, sometimes into the night if were hit by a flurry of ideas. It was easy to transport materials and resources when we needed to start making. Furthermore, working from the comfort of a bedroom at home, crawling around on the carpet, sharing ideas, found materials and having fun, felt like the most appropriate process throughout such a carefree piece.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
Collaborative collaging animation with Eye to Pencil

# data[].attributes.body
This is the finished collaborative animation utilising mainly collaging and drawing. I find it exciting how stills can become moving image and how the materiality creates un-replicatable mark making and shapes. For my 12 frames I used a lot of recycled card, textured paper, magazine cuts outs and pencils to make a short story about feeling a bit like a fish out of water where I am now and being in a big city. I really enjoyed this workshop and was excited to continue experimenting with this technique at home. I took my frames home and intended to edit them, use them to collage whole new frames and continue the story on. The images were pieced together using a software called boats that I was able to download for free on my laptop. All you had to to was scan each frame and upload them in the correct order. It felt like an easy carefree process that could be done holistically with a methodic after process that produce a high impact outcome.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
Collaborative collaging animation with Eye to Pencil

# data[].attributes.body
A lot of my small drawings in my sketchbook became inspiration for my on site show project.

I had done a few doodles about being under the sea, i think i must have felt i needed to be somewhere that was my own. I had read somewhere that axolotls have something called neoteny, where they don't naturally go through metamorphosis so they can stay like their young selves forever. I felt like i missed out on some of my childhood and so sometimes wish to go back and live it.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a piece of writing out of my journal i felt inspired by. i copied it into a grid to help contextualize a sort of storyboard to act as a guide for my image making. It helped when piecing together the frames in my animation and acted as a reminder for what i wanted to convey.

# data[].attributes.body
It was definitely beneficial knowing each individual in my collective and not only their practice but way of working. It made assigning tasks stress free, discussions easy and back and forth, and gathering materials with others in mind meant we had no lack of resources. For example, when writing the short story for the publication i kept visual layouts and drawings in mind alongside the text to later discuss with Soyeon who i knew was fond of illustration and would do well bringing the story to life. We all knew Freya would enjoy doing admin and was very familiar with the local area so discussing ideal spaces and wants for our space with her got the ball rolling quickly. I am good with coming up with ideas and concepts so a lot of the discussions were me pitching ideas based off of the collective visions such as story book leaflets and how to technically piece the structures together and keep them standing whilst stacked up. Isabel was very hand on with the craft, filling gaps and seeing potential for objects to be made out of the junk we'd gathered with a lot of her work revolving around collaring and composition.

# data[].attributes.body
To allow the miniature sculptures to be stacked on top of each other and stay standing i had the idea to re purpose this old garden planter frame i had as a kind of scaffolding.

# data[].attributes.body
I drilled a wider platform to the top shelf of the frame to have the most detailed two houses a few of us worked on and joined together as i wanted it to be at eye height for the viewer to be able to see inside and see all the intricacy. It also gave the illusion of the sculpture being stacked in a messy overflowed way which i wanted for commercial, fantasy feel.

# data[].attributes.body
I have always struggled with insomnia and found drawing a great relief that allowed my mind to quite down and switch off. During a lot of sleepless nights i'd imagine i was under the sea, when all i could hear was my heart beat and the room was too dark to see my hand in front of my face, then i could imagine i was anywhere, for a moments escape.

# data[].attributes.body
Carrying on from that i once again visited work and play Scrapstore to gather materials for my project. I felt drawn to interesting textures, translucent materials, pearlescent films and wispy fabrics. Taking inspiration from my previous series of drawings and poems.

# data[].attributes.body
Using a stack of recycled card I experimented with paints and brusho inks to create some backgrounds for my frames. I used a lot of blues, greens, purples and blacks to match the theme of my idea. I sprayed some pages with water and sprinkled some brusho powder on top for it to naturally disperse the colour like in chromatography. This allowed all the colours involved in making the solid colour to be visible and I think did well at capturing the essence of all the colours that can be seen in the sea if you look hard enough. I also experimented with mark making using paint and making abstract movements with my paint brush. I also sprinkled brusho into some of my paints for a different effect as I smeared it across the page, and also sprits water across a painted page, and sprinkled brusho ink on top to combine the two techniques and have various experiments for my backgrounds. I really enjoy experimenting and so this made the process further enjoyable for me. I also like making art that is slightly out of my control like the disbursement of the inks and I think it supports the uncontrollable property of the sea.

# data[].attributes.body
I experimented with two different types of black card and bleach to create this interesting resists. I enjoy experimenting with mediums that are part out of my control. It leads to surprising outcomes and discovering new techniques. The carefree, fast paced motion of creating this resists reminded me of the motion of water or how seaweed dancing in a current. I thought it would serve as interesting backgrounds in some of my frames and potentially spark further experimental ideas.

# data[].attributes.body
I used the cut out resist as a transitional frame to symbolise a change of environment in my animation or a plummet into the unknown.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
An Ancient Mappe of Fairyland created by Bernard Sleigh in the early 20th century

# data[].attributes.headline
Fantasy: Realms Of The Imagination At The British Library

# data[].attributes.subject
Fantasy: Realms Of The Imagination At The British Library

# data[].attributes.body
I wasn't able to attend the Fantasy exhibition in person, but through others and online i felt drawn to a lot of pieces within this show such as the Fairland Map by Bernard Sleigh above, and a lot of costumes and props such as Gandalf's staff from Lord of the Rings.

# data[].attributes.body
This handmade card at the Camden arts center made me think of fairytale movie opening scenes where there's a huge storybook on a pedestal where the story is to come to life from. It felt like a fitting idea to start thinking about our publication/ descriptions of the work from as we were actively trying to bring our imagination to life. I think it would've also excited our target audience which would be young kids and families, making the work more engaging for all ages.

Adapted from The Art of Illuminating as Practised in Europe from the Earliest Times, William Robert Tymms (1860).

Printed with vegetable-based inks on a carbon-neutral press using 100% recycled carbon-neutral paper

# data[].attributes.body
childhood underlying dark themes faced during adolescence. Drowning in a world not made for you (neurodivergency?)/ the struggle for youths today

A cat named Penny living in a desensitized, unstable world has to find a new job after she gets fired in order to make her dad proud.

This had a really great storyline and the angle everything was drawn in really helps portray those feelings of depression, disassociation, and anxiety that penny was feeling.

# data[].attributes.body
This video piece by Anne McCoy titled 'Mobilise the Poets', was edited in a pop art animated, crafty style. The visuals looked very captivating against the video work. I'd be interested to try this technique by embellishing video stills and i am interested in combining craft and film.

# data[].attributes.body
This interdisciplinary creative goes by Heartsh6ker and i felt really inspired her mixed media videography and photography. Using a more contemporary look to Anne McCoy's piece, focusing on aesthetics and stills.

# data[].attributes.body
The use of lamps around the space to light up sections where houses were displayed gave the space a domestic, cosy, homey feel which we wanted for maybe we could live here. We put tea lights in open doors and widows to make the space feel alive and lived in and inviting to the audience.

# data[].attributes.body
We placed three towers I’d made either side of the main build to diffuse the bulk in the middle of the space into the small stand alone houses on the outer edges of the room.

# data[].attributes.body
Tiny little washing lines, leaves and flowers were used to decorate the set up spaces. It made the tiny homes appear lived in and added an exciting mystery of who could be living here for the younger audience. It’s also helped the journey around the room flow well into the next set up as you walked around the space. Noticing hidden details and houses in far corners of the space.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is one of the poems in my journal i felt would serve as great inspiration for my work. It details my emotions and how I'm feeling burnt out, juggling all that's going on in my life.

# data[].attributes.body
Harry Sung also has a similar art style with a focus on the human experience, urban spaces, often using his videography and editing style for music videos, combining both digital and analogue techniques.

# data[].attributes.body
world building

Found/ recycled materials

Fantasy place

Re-visiting childhood

‘Play’ as process

# data[].attributes.body
I took part in a spray painting workshop at Leeke Street Tunnel where with an instructor we were given the tools and talked through various techniques to make our own painting inside the tunnel. The design i chose was from a small drawing in my sketchbook and is about how my partner has been a huge support system for me. It was very exciting to work with a medium i don't usually, i was surprised how much control the spray paints offered me and i really enjoyed layering and shading with them. After the workshop we were given a full tour of Leeke Street Tunnel with some interesting history about the site, some of the artist who's work was visible and the community of artists there. We got to see some of Robbo and Banksy's original artwork and how to navigate the space should we want to come back and paint.

# data[].attributes.body
We were wanting to use story telling not only for the formula of our work but to encapsulate the work as a whole. We used small second hand children's books and painted them in bold bright colours to leave us with a base for our publication which would feature a short story in place of a description for the work. This felt more playful and carefree such as the process of creating the work and definitely more suitable for our target audience which was young children and families. It was also a more creative and fun way to display descriptions for our work and easy to follow along for all ages due to illustrations made by Soyeon and conceptualized by me.

# data[].attributes.body
This is the first draft of the short story i wrote for our publication. I used iambic pentameter in the style of a children's book or nursery rhythm to write out story in a stylized manner that felt suitable to go along with the work.

# data[].attributes.body
With material being a key aspect of the work we decided to take some close up shots of what we had made so far to use in our poster.

# data[].attributes.body
I experimented with some of the pictures we took of the sculpture work by layering them in Procreate and playing around with merging effects, negatives and collaging. i wanted to convey that manic, layered, material element of the work through our publication poster. To further stress the importance of material throughout our show and to insure information was clear on top of the busy background i edited a piece of cardboard onto center frame for our title.

# data[].attributes.body
I wanted to carry through this material element with the title font so played around with using magazine lettering for 'Maybe we could live here?'. After some discussions we agreed it didn't support the child-like nature of our show and further editing was needed.

# data[].attributes.body
We went with a different background that we all much preferred and Soyeon photoshopped on a different title format in a cotton sock-like design. We liked this much better and it even sparked ideas for finishing details on set up to make some miniature washing lines and clothes to make the space feel liked in by little fantasy/ storybook creatures like the little animals in our publication storybook.

# data[].attributes.body
With The Muddy puddle a minutes walk from my home (our studio), we braved the morning weather with bin bags and cling film defending our work from the rain. It took a few trips to get everything there and was a speedy stress free process as we had hoped.

# data[].attributes.body
We were making on and off for weeks until every spare corner in our apartment was filled with our cardboard creations.

# data[].attributes.body
We had to trek back to work and play for more materials as we went through them all quite quickly due to the maximalism we ended up going for once we started making. I was very happy we found this place and I was able to get a membership. It’s a charity that supports a lot of underfunded artists, small creatives, craft clubs and small businesses. I have been back a few times since for resources.

# data[].attributes.body
To keep the large structure balanced and secure we attached a lot of the more precarious houses to the frame using string and used curtain weighs hidden under the bottom panel houses to weigh it down from the bottom due to it being more top heavy.

# data[].attributes.body
This grass panel I also sourced from work and play was used to hide the weights and frame work of the piece to give the illusion that there was nothing holding it all together.
We also chose to use it in order to add to that element of fantasy. It doesn’t make sense in the indoor space however I think it’s effectively bleeds into the carpet. I cut pieces away from it during set up and scattered them a bit to diffuse the material into the empty space and make it seem like a more organic patch of grass for it to be sat on.

# data[].attributes.body
Smaller houses were made using remaining materials to fill gaps and join larger structures together. We aimed to use everything was had collected and did so successfully.

# data[].attributes.body
We placed electric tea lights in a few open windows and doorways for an ethereal glow within the dimly lit space. Along the warm yellow lamps and red backlighting it created a dreamy appearance for our fantasy scrapyard land. It made the tiny homes seem inhabited and well supported the meditative atmosphere within the space.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a flick through of our publication.
The short children’s story features three animals a crow, toad and polar bear who all feel maybe they could live in the scrapyard town.  The crow lost his home due to the trees being cut down, the frog’s bog was filled with rubbish and the polar bears home wouldn’t stop melting. The story lightly touch upon the climate crisis and aims to get the audience thinking about the effects it has for our animals. It introduces wanting being kind to the planet to young children hence our use of recycling and repurposing throughout the entire show which is a demonstration of how something can be made from nothing.

# data[].attributes.body
We placed all the publications around the room on coffee tables and beside some of the works to encourage the audience to pick them up and take a look whilst viewing the work.

# data[].attributes.body
Walking into the downstairs space of the cafe you have to go down a spiral staircase and past some black out curtains. This really added to the feel of stumbling into a fantasy land. It also happened to be the way to the toilets so had a lot of people pleasantly surprised who weren’t aware of the show.

# data[].attributes.body
To go beside the centre piece in the room and diffuse the artworks out into the edges of the space I made three towers of different sizes. Thinking about what younger me would’ve wanted to make/ live inspired these pieces.

# data[].attributes.body
Some of the more worked on intricate, stand alone houses we placed around the space on tables where people could sit with the work and on desks and sides on the edges of the room. This meant there was a lot to be seen everywhere you turned whilst walking around the space. It decorated the room so everything felt cohesive and constant.

# data[].attributes.body
It was nice to have some houses at eye level on tables due to the intricacy of the work. You could look through windows and doors into room and seeing all the detail up close felt like peering into a doll house alive and lived in by tiny little creatures.

# data[].attributes.body
This is the downstairs space in The muddy Puddle. The playful lighting and decorations suited our show very well and the lamps, rugs and sofas gave it that domestic, cosy feel we wanted to have. There was a lot of space to fill so we decided to dot work around the room and create a inviting atmosphere to encourage viewers the explore the room.

# data[].attributes.body
The piece could never have come together without our collaboration and couldn't have been done individually as discussions shaped the process and agreements had to be made. Ultimately, i think collaborating for this piece made more possible, and the work stronger due to being curated from multiple perspectives. We had fun working together, we had fun through the making process, it felt like a big arts and craft play session and the enthusiasm for the work was evident from the final outcome and the success of our show.

# data[].attributes.body
best example of what collaboration could do

shows the benefits of working collaboratively

successful portrayal of entering somewhere mystical

# data[].attributes.body
projector

HDMI adapter

extension cable

drill (in case need to put up shelf for projector)

# data[].attributes.body
For my project proposal i stated the need for a dark space to accommodate my projection. My first choice of space was B217 as it was a small bedroom sized space i felt would be suitable due to being able to control the lighting without disrupting others and to install my projector on a wall directly across from my fabric rather than on the floor or in front of it which i felt would be distracting in front of the screen and also more of a potential hazard. I also felt i would be able to transform the entire space, reflective water moving on the walls, floor and ceiling inspired by Ellen Barratt, or giving a the space a dark blue glow or black out inspired by Ellen Gallagher.

# data[].attributes.body
I used sandy materials and pearlescent buttons that could look like shells and imagery of a sand castle to symbolise the shore and home at the beginning of my animation.

# data[].attributes.body
Unfortunately i got given a large brightly lit space and so i had to make do and consider ways to resolve this issue. Firstly, instead of using transparent fabric i used a dark black fabric to ensure my film would be seen with all the lights on in the space. I also used some green fabric to cover up some lockers I stacked to place my projector on top of. It matched the materiality of the work and set up and fortunately the high walls allowed it to not be too distracting from the film being screen.

# data[].attributes.body
I played around with draping some repurposed mesh against my background fabric to give it that sense of being a dream or from a memory (like how the film piece from the Lebanese theatre inspired me), and to further impose that use of collage however i felt it was too distracting against the film, making it not clearly visible when i had put so much effort into all the 34 frames. I had originally considered projecting against just translucent fabric to try and have a dreamy effect symbolic of a memory.

I was surprisingly happy with simplicity of the plain black fabric however i knew i wanted something slightly more to add to the presentation and make it feel more immersive.

# data[].attributes.body
one of my initial ideas was to place a fan behind the fabric and have it moving gently in order to mimic the appearance of the moving image being projected onto moving water. I also wanted to present the importance of material in my practice and utilize the fabric to its fullest potential rather than have used a screen. On the first day of set up i had a friend wave the fabric as my film was playing and i decided i really wanted to include the movement of the fabric. I last minuet ordered a fan and placed it the next day directly under the center of the fabric to make a soft wave in the fabric that alluded to the materiality of the set up as well as my work, and made the projection look as though it was on the surface of water, making it slightly more interactive like i had hoped.

# data[].attributes.body
For the previous few units, I have been exploring ‘play’ as process, aiming to adopt a more care-free way of creating. This involved a lot of thinking back to childhood, using old photographs, belongings, spaces and memories for inspiration. Not only did this encourage me to utilize vulnerability within my practice, but provoked a lot of reflection about where I am now.

This current project delves into my personal transition to adulthood. Unpacking suppressed feelings by revisiting significant places from my childhood, documenting them in a video diary manner and reflecting on my feelings about home and childhood through drawing, journaling, and poetry. Building off of this, using recycled materials, pencils, paints, and inks, I materialized bodies of thought in a playful, abstract looping animation, detailing my desire to escape to another place. The ocean themed film is a metaphor for my craving to sink to the bottom of the sea, to be alone, experience quietness, stillness, and to feel weightless from personal struggles, responsibility and once again feel that sense of security you have as a kid.

# data[].attributes.body
As to not loose the materiality and intricacy of each frame I wanted to include a few of my favourites beside my work. This allowed the viewer to see process to final product and appreciate the effort put into the piece. I then decided to embellish my four chosen frames with lines from one of the poems (attached above) that I wrote and took inspiration from. I liked having a hidden passage of text to go beside the work and it set a narrative for the viewer to perceive the work. Having the poetry felt powerful as it displayed the venerability I was conveying more clearly and offered the opportunity for the audience to relate to the piece in their own personal way.

# data[].attributes.body
Thinking back to childhood and my love for building forts i built a large one in my home out of blankets, sheets and furniture in attempts to build a safe space, separate from my everyday space, something that felt fun and protective, hiding me away from my problems and worries. Using a 3D scanning software i made a 3D video documenting the structure and the space to convey what it felt like to be inside it, exploring the inside, outside, around the room and the composition as a whole. This exercise allowed me to start thinking about different materials, their limits and potentials for spaces and process. The ephemerality of the work suggest a fleeting feeling of relief and how play must come to an end.

# data[].attributes.body
I am very fond of Ellen Barratt's work and how she explores the interplay of light and space through photographic processes and installation. Barratt's perception of light intrigues me and how she views it as on the edge of materiality. Her work is very immersive and experiments with layering, dimensions, shadow and reflective materials. Ellen's work has me thinking about world building for my own project and has me thinking of potentials for the space to both draw an audience inside and to transport them somewhere else.

# data[].attributes.attachment_caption
nowness #NOWNESSexperiments: See a crumbling Lebanese theater set the stage for a haunting ghost opera⁠ ⁠ “Shabah E… [Video] | New media art, Performance art, Scenic design

# data[].attributes.body
I felt very inspired by this projection work being screened in an old Lebanese theatre after the civil war left it boarded up, derelict and forgotten. The intent was to restore the theatre by setting the stage for a haunting ghost opera. My perception of this work was that the materiality of the film on the large white sheet of transparent fabric made it feel like the faintness of a memory you're holding onto. Furthermore, the subtle, wispy movements of the sheet makes the moving image appear dream-like, something i would like to take in to consideration when thinking about the materiality of my own work and how i could give it the same interactivity between intent and material presentation.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
nowness #NOWNESSexperiments: See a crumbling Lebanese theater set the stage for a haunting ghost opera⁠ ⁠ “Shabah E… [Video] | New media art, Performance art, Scenic design

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Jan 27, 2022 - nowness #NOWNESSexperiments: See a crumbling Lebanese theater set the stage for a haunting ghost opera⁠ ⁠ “Shabah El Rih” is set in Le Grand Théâtre des Mille et Une Nuits, a historical landmark in the center of Beirut⁠ ⁠ Built in the late 1920s, it played host to international performances, films and was an icon of contemporary Middle Eastern culture⁠ ⁠ After the 1975 civil war, the building was eventually boarded up and forgotten. There was no attempt to revive the theater until the people’

# data[].attributes.body
Thinking about moving image and animation which is something I had been itching to try out, i attended a CGI and Motion Capture Workshop at Chelsea. to discover new digital techniques and possibilities for my next project. During this we learn about Rotoscoping which is a 1910s mocap technique, motion capture technology and websites we can experiment with when learning about this pathway such as metahuman, Unreal engine and Maximo. The university also recently purchased a Xsens Motion Capture Suit which we were lucky enough to get a demonstration of. As someone who gets a lot of inspiration from movies and videos games it was exciting to see the processes of how they are developed and how i can begin to explore that pathway on my own. With only three weeks to produce, contextualize and curate work i knew however that this wouldn't be a medium I'd get the chance to explore, learn and create with in the time frame. I also felt that working with material more tactile and hands on would feel more enriching and appropriate for my topic of choice, to get to be holistic and directly in control of the materials would feel more personal, relieving and venerable. I have always much preferred not working digitally as i like to be messy, spontaneous and one with the work. Never the less, i knew i wanted to do animation so i intended to have a more physical process even if it ended with it being digital.

# data[].attributes.body
I used holographic silver sticky back paper cut into tiny thin strips on streaks of blue card to mimic a wave of silver fish hurrying by in the distance.

# data[].attributes.body
As we get deeper fish become clearer and the backgrounds we various shades of green and blue from my paint and brusho experiments. The fish also allowed me to experiment with stop motion style movement as I would move them across the frame and scan in the difference every few centimetres.

# data[].attributes.body
I also included the imagery of the Axolotl to symbolise the longing I had to feel like a kid again.

# data[].attributes.body
I used string to mimic sea life forms such as seaweed and tentacles. I also played around the composition of the string under the scanner which produced interesting movement once the frames were put together.

# data[].attributes.body
The last few frames involve pieces of text reading ‘take me from my present’ and ‘find me something new’. This is referencing my desire to escape, to exist somewhere new and enriching. I often feel a bit lost in London, that it feels like a place to work, not live. I miss living by the sea, i miss being able to go for a walk and not see another person for miles, I miss the quite at night.