Book Stack Assignment
I wanted to explore how to make books stand out and create the most striking images. I experimented with various layouts and book arrangements to find the composition that resulted in the most eye-catching photographs.
Power of Light
In this book stack, I wanted to focus on the middle book, Iron Flame, as when looking at all the books of choice the bright tones of yellow stood out to me more. I wanted to find a way to highlight the vibrancy of the book cover. I decided the two dark coloured books would help create a contrast and fortunately, I was able to find titles which correlated to the Iron Flame book.
La Vie en Rose
This book stack was an experiment on composition rather than the titles having a link or connection. I wanted to play with the colours and the layout of the books to see if I could create an interesting photograph. I worked with different shades of pink book covers to see how well they matched with each other.
12 Rules
For the last stack, I wanted to focus on one book and I liked the way I could organise the books to make the white cover stand out. Instantly your eyes are drawn to the book title as this is the only text you can see. The book chosen also creates an interesting composition as it has many arrows pointing to the other books which cannot be seen. As the other books cannot be seen, I feel like it draws the audience in, as the photograph almost ‘hides’ the 12 rules for life as the titles for the other books cannot be seen.
Field Trip
I enjoyed our field trip to the art galleries as I was able to learn a lot about other artists that I had not heard of before. I found it interesting as a lot of art work was based on different topics e.g. culture, historical events and politics that I have not seen in the UK galleries.
Karen Tam- Scent of Thunderbolts, 2024
One of the first Artworks at the Toronto Biennial was the installation by Karen Tam. I really appreciated the scale of her work and the immersive experience she created. Tam’s work explored the themes of culture and experience, by gaining inspiration from Cantonese opera. The use of elaborate staging and spatial arrangement helps to mimic a theatrical stage set.
The next gallery was the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA). Many pieces here focused on heritage and culture but I especially liked one in particular. As I am also from an immigrant background, I found this installation heavily relatable and thought-provoking. I am unsure of the artist’s name but I learned during the tour that the work was inspired by the artist’s family’s migration journey. The use of ethically sourced, handmade fabrics to construct the piece added a layer of authenticity and meaning to the narrative. I love the large scale of the work as it shows the emotional and psychological weight of migration. To me, I see the work as a storybook or movie stills as each image is a snapshot of a scene, that conveys a story. Each picture is inviting the audience to reflect on the often-overlooked trauma and challenges that accompany the experience. This piece highlights the difficulty of migration, showing the impact it has on individuals and communities.
Assignment 2- Video Project
The Wild Table
For our video project, we wanted to set fine dining for nature animals. As humans, we overcomplicate many things, little things, such as eating. We focus on table manners and food presentation when in reality we only need the food in order to survive. Wild animals do not focus on these elements and instead, just find food and then eat it. For our project, we wanted to serve the animals their food but in a romantic dinner, setting to see how they react to us handing them their food and not having to hunt for it.
Artist Multiples- Idea 1
I have ideas about making a few types of “mood” stickers, which people can wear depending on how they feel so others know how to interact with them. Eg ‘Do not Disturb’ or ‘I’m in a chatty mood’. You change your sticker throughout the day depending on your goal for the day or how you feel. Even things that you want people to know without having to verbally tell them. For example when people have ” baby on board” or “beware of dog inside”.
Final Idea Assignment 4
My final idea for the artist’s multiple is to make daily reminders. People have many reminders and questions they ask themselves daily, I wanted to make these reminders into stickers and place them in public places so when people walk by they think about these questions. Some are as simple as ‘Did I turn the oven off’ but some I wanted to make have deeper meanings to make people think such as ‘ What was your good deed for the day?’ Or ‘Did you call your mum?’. So as people see these stickers they stop, look and think about these questions.
Final Book
My book is based on my multicultural background. I wanted to focus on patterns and fabrics from India and England. I wanted to see correlations and differences between the two, especially since textiles have been important for both countries for centuries. The book goes through the patterns and fashion to bring to light relations are influences. While researching I learnt some interesting things such as, that the Scottish tartan pattern actually originated in India.
