Initially, Sinae and I were going to use cardboard to make the models as it is easy to paint and shape. However, After creating my model's face out of cardboard I realized it was too heavy for the body.
to rectify the issue I tried to attach the heads to some wooden sticks however this was still unsuccessful.
Sinae then suggested that we create the faces using paper and it worked.
one of the final decisions we made was to enable the machine to function both magnetically and manually as this will create more interaction with the audience. The Gin o'clock machine's name originates from this idea that if the models reach 9 it can also spell 9in (Gin ) so it is a funny play on words.
During our group tutorial we were asked to consider the following things : the interaction between the audience and the machine ---> relating back to the narrative of attitudes surrounding alcohol we decided to place the man and woman together in order to convey a sense of closeness.
Time element - Nancy introduced this idea to us and from that we decided to design or use a pre existing mechanism that would make the clock move.
I also considered the character design of the man and woman. Collectively we decided to represent two different time periods to highlight to the audience the societies changing attitudes to alcohol.
My role was to create a modern depiction of a man and woman so I used elements of my designs to create a man and woman.
Another aspect I considered was time. In the narrative the person is trying to conceal his /hers drinking habit. when looking at the machine at first, it is not obvious why he /she is concealing the alcohol. Introducing the element of time challenges the status quo.
I was exposed to numerous machines with various functions. In the first session, I entered the "Made in Norwich exhibition " to rebus puzzles. By definition, a rebus puzzle consists of a group of pictures that cryptically tell a narrative of some sorts.
Rebus from around 1865
This image depicts the idea of longing through the use of imagery. The Rebus reads :" "May I see you home my dear?"I think this is an interesting route of exploration within my own work as the Rebus above demonstrates how to convey a narrative. it is possible to simply illustrate this idea or make it obscure just by using pictures.
Today I looked at the various ways the viewer can interact with a machine.
section of the ' The Doll's House' 3D fold out book by Annu kilpelainen
'In the Forest' by Louis Rigard
perhaps the idea of pulling a lever to create movement is something that interests me. Moving forward I would like to in-cooperate this element within the machine
When considering the character design at first we decided we wanted to create a character that had some humanistic qualities to it.
collectively as a group we decided that the figure firstly that the gender of the automata was not important. Secondly drawing influence from Rob Nicol's ceramic work I wanted to explore the use of colour on the machine.
Design development - machines arms cross revealing and concealing alcohol
still approaching this idea of concealment I wondered if on of the functions of the automata could conceal and convey. In my first design, the automata consist of a circular head - triangular body and rectangular legs. The arms are also rectangular and it's function is hold the bottle and book . I attached a set of paper fasteners to the arms to enable movement , and when operated from the back of the automata the arms simultaneously cross over concealing and revealing the objects.
back view of machine
Second position : machine's arms
fully extended
First position machine
in a stationary position
Third position: Machine's arms
in movement
I then decided to create a machete using paper. Although I stuck to my initial design a problem that I encountered was the placement of the arms. I did not position them in the correct place which resulted in the model looking awkward. Technical issues also arose from this such as the link in the right arm got caught on the other link making the machine difficult to operate.
back view of the machine : showing
the crossing of the pins
My initial designs considered the different ways I could reflect concealment using movement. I thought about the way in which the machine would operate; whether that be by physical interaction or magnetic or electrical power. This led me to think about all the machines I have been encounter in my lifetime ; the first machine being a 'Jack in the box '.
1st Brainstorm
I watched a video that demonstrated how the Jack in the box works. I found this very informative and wondered how I could apply the mechanics to my own
As I began to collate my ideas I started how I could apply the Jack in the box method to reflect the idea of concealment. In my second brainstorm I considered how I could recreate the movement of the jack in a box using different mechanics.
2nd Brainstorm
Jack in the box inspired design
In this design the machine works by creating two holes. The first hole contains the lever that is connected to a lollipop stick (body ) of the model. It works by the operator pulling the lever in a continuous left right motion, as it is being pulled the model moves from right to left. Unlike my "Jack in the box inspired design" It's purpose is not to conceal the alcohol but make the viewers aware. I did want the machine have some expect of movement however I want to explore how the movement of the machine reflects the ideas I am trying to convey. Initially I was exploring the idea of concealment but this brings to light other avenues of exploration to consider :
- societal behaviours towards alcohol.
- Time ? was their a specific time period where attitudes to drinking changed.
Time - is there or was there ever a time when their was a sociably acceptable time of day to indulge in alcohol ?
Gender- Where there any social implications for women when it came to drinking alcoholic beverages.
- Place -Did attitudes from alcohol differ from city to city e.g. London - Norwich.
I first came across Carlos Zapata whilst researching automaton. I was interested in his work because of the simplicity of the movements of his models. Initially, I was interested in concealing the ginger beer bottle, however, from seeing his work it has made me consider how other aspects of the model could potentially move to strengthen this idea of concealment.
As a starting point for this brief, we were asked to source an object that we have no prior knowledge about - in order to create a body of research. In order to fulfill the brief, I decided t o look firstly in antique shops. Although there was a wide range of products expanding over various decades many of the products could not be researched in depth due to lack of knowledge about - date of production , country etc.
however whilst browsing I came across a stack of bottles that looked rather interesting. It became apparent that these specific bottles were sourced from all over Norfolk and dated back to as early as the 17th century.
These are my three outcomes for the Remembered postcards. In each card their is a element of memory within them. For example the middle postcard has a extract from the 1935 Guide to Norwich. Churches can be found all over Norwich and I remember seeing a mother carrying her child to the place of worship. In this postcard I wanted to convey the idea of innocence. the extract itself is a list of churches open to visitors. I believe it was extremely important to consider that memory and remembered are closely linked and by placing two of the same images against a certain time period is effective.
The first post card is titled "the bearded man of Norwich" I think this postcard is quite comical as it seems to be a common trend for the men of Norwich to grow a beard. Placing this man in Strangers hall creates a dialogue between the viewer and image about change? perhaps 200 years ago a man with a beard was also roaming the building.
the final postcard on the right derives from both Norwich's once booming textile industry and the fabric store I visited. I have used a mixture of stitch and felting to recreate some of the textures I saw and felt in the store.
All 9 postcards
Layout
I decided to use a piece of board to present my work as I wanted the viewer to see the postcards as a journey through imagined, observation and remembered but also see it as a historical journey through Norwich.
Today I came across a cermaic piece by Grayson Perry I was interested because the image depicts a woman surrounded by exotic items. Perhaps this represents a significant part of history - in terms of colonialism. The woman in the image is wearing a shawl like material that also has this element of red.
Jane Austen - Grayson perry
To develop this idea of the paisley design further I designed my own greatly influenced by the paisley prints I observed at the Bridewell.
At first I thought a single Paisley would be strong enough to represent its historical link with Norwich. However compositionally this was very weak. I then experimented with the idea of three paisleys in the centre and after much consideration I decided to see through that idea.
Like all postcards within the observation series the element of Norwich red is a key feature.
I then played with the idea of representing the weight of the material by superimposing the composition onto the page in a repetitive manner.
-https://soundcloud.com/lorelle_11/historical-norwich/s-CNDSR- (Interview with owner of a shop is formerly a 600-year-old weavers house.) During the 17th century, Norwich was known for its weaving and textile industries. The most affluent product produced being "Norwich shawls. It has been said that the noble ladies would drape themselves with beautiful Norwich shawls. The set of postcards that are influenced by my imagination will have a deep connection to both the present observations I have made and the historical elements that are still evident. Having said this, I believe "Norwich red " is a crucial element within the design of these postcards.
Former Norwich duke street dye works
Former Norwich duke street dye works
Having visited the Bridewell Museum I gained a significant amount of information, the most being the cultural significance of the colour red. . In order to continue to develop the textile industries in skilled textile workers came to Norwich from Europe they were known as the Strangers. They bought with them there customs and traditions.
After visiting the Bridewell my interest in the Strangers developed even further when I came across a official guide of Norwich dated back to 1935. At first I was interested in the commentary given about the tourist hotspots in Norwich - I thought about the comparisons that could be made between 1935 Norwich and present day.
Official Guide of Norwich 1935
It was only till I delved deeper into the guide that I realised Certain elements of Norwich remained the same. In relation to the Norwich shawls I suddenly made the connection to the Stranger's Hall. I then found an archaic map of Norwich which caught my interest because of the various pathways that connected the city together.
In terms of my
Map of Norwich circa 1935
In terms of my design process I firstly drew out the modern stranger's hall. In comparison to the 1935 version not much has changed apart from the tiling on the roof. initially I wanted to recreate the strangers hall as we'll as the two other postcards of this series in stitch. But due to time restraints I realised this would not be possible. I wanted to make the historic connection evident so I included some red stitching -alluding to Norwich Red.
As a development I decided to include the 1935 map to introduce a sense of place aswell as time.
Handling session at The Bridewell Museum
in and during this time the East india company was established as part of the British colonial venture. The trade between Britian and other countries impact is evident through the inclusion of the paisley design that derived from India.
