Contextual Review

At the start of Past Two, we began the Fusion Project. In retrospect, this project was merely an introduction to the course, but I found this project to be the most overwhelming; I was too fixated on comparing myself to my classmates, which caused a lot of panic. However, by the end of the week, I noticed this pattern, just in time to make suitable adjustments before the next project, ‘Multiples’. This was a Live Project, focussing on Print. Confident at Fashion Print, I was able to regain my motivation, as well as uncover the work of Matty Bovan, and Helena Bullock. Collectively, I was in awe of their bold use of colour. Beforehand, I wasn’t too confident using colour, so I would stick to colour palettes, which was usually monochromatic. However, Matty Bovan’s designs, and Helena Bullock’s illustrations provided the confidence to be a little bit more expressive; this enabled me to work more freely, loosening up and creating work that I would not have thought initially possible. During this Live Project, I also discovered that I felt the most comfortable drawing with continuous line, as well as working digitally with my physical drawings. Throughout this experience, I discovered that my personal style was quite minimal, sleek, and polished. Upon reflection, whilst these qualities were ideal for a commercial competition, whilst constructing my Portfolio, this trait was very restrictive.

The turning point during my Part Two studies was creating a body of work in response to the theme, ‘Project U’. This was the project that I felt most connected to, and I would suggest that this is because I truly began to refine my individual practise, as well as understand myself, psychologically, as an artist. The intention of Project U was to create an individual body of research, in a similar style to Nicholas Daley. Daley’s father was a DJ, known as ‘SLYGO’, and from 1978 – 1982, his parents held a club night called ‘Reggae Club’ in Scotland. For His Spring Summer 2019 collection, Daley took inspiration from this, titling his collection after his father’s alias. Daley reworked the designs of the original ‘Reggae Club’ t-shirts, building a sense of authenticity, and pride, continuing his family tradition. Initially, I conducted Primary, and Secondary research surrounding the LGBTQ+ community. Now, I would argue that I was forcing this narrative, and this concept was somewhat predictable, and very much a surface-level approach. This is because, as the project developed, I noticed that I felt as if I didn’t have much of an identity outside of the Queer community. Overall, I am accustomed to remaining in my comfort zone, as identified whilst discussing with my classmates, and a couple of tutors. However, to produce a strong Portfolio, this project really forced me to leave my comfort zone. Thus, I began working more loosely, accepting, and developing the flaws in my work. As a result, I learnt how to draw more expressively, understanding the importance of developing shapes and lines, as well as how to use the loom, and knit machine. Moreover, outside of my artistic practise, this project caused me to identity that I am relatively closed off. Deep down, I do not take too many risks. This is heavily reflected throughout the cleanliness of my project. Consequently, I have identified that this mindset was delaying my artistic approach.

Thus, whilst developing my Portfolio, I chose to work back into Project U, identifying artwork that I felt that most insecure towards, and attempting to portray these responses in another light. This was so that I could develop, and build a strong narrative and concept, which was critical to producing a strong Portfolio. With support from my personal tutor, we were able to identify that some of the shapes and silhouettes that I had created. We noticed that my digital silhouettes resembled the ‘Rorschach test’, or less formally known as the ‘Ink Blot Test’. This test is playfully used to analyse one’s unconscious thoughts and intentions. I found this concept fascinating, especially as I have always relatively interested in psychology, and how individuals are shaped by their surroundings. I found that this concept was the epitome of Project U, and a concept that I would like to explore more moving forward. Ultimately, I would like to provoke thought amongst my viewers, so it could be interesting to explore whether the concept of the Rorschach test could be employed on a larger, 3D scale, like on a garment; it could be interesting to explore whether the viewer’s perspective could be dictated from the angle in which they are viewing the garment, or how one’s opinion could differ from a separate individual, despite being presented with the same visual.

Cherry, K. (2022) Does the Rorschach inkblot test really work?, Verywell Mind. Verywell Mind. Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-rorschach-inkblot-test-2795806 (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Dazed (no date) Matty Bovan SS19, Dazed. Available at: https://www.dazeddigital.com/fashion/gallery/25617/0/matty-bovan-ss19 (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Frothingham, M.B. (2021) Rorschach inkblot test: Definition, History & Interpretation, Rorschach Inkblot Test: Definition, History & Interpretation - Simply Psychology. Available at: https://www.simplypsychology.org/what-is-the-rorschach-inkblot-test.html (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Kheraj, A. (2021) In the past decade, 60 per cent of London's LGBTQ+ spaces have closed down, Evening Standard. Evening Standard. Available at: https://www.standard.co.uk/comment/london-lgbtq-spaces-closed-down-past-decade-b926448.html (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Nast, C. (no date) Nicholas Daley Spring 2019 menswear fashion show, Vogue. Available at: https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2019-menswear/nicholas-daley/slideshow/collection#1 (Accessed: February 13, 2023).

Contextual Review

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