LAUREN'S COLLEGE BLOG

BOOK PROJECT: FINISHED PIECE

Here are some photographs of my finished book project (taken in sections due to length of the piece). It consists of six pages, each with a quote on one side and a collage of found images relating to the quote on the other, held together with a pink ribbon. I chose to use a ribbon because it would allow me to hang up the piece so both sides could be seen, and allows for more movement and interaction than simply placing them on a surface or in a container. I chose a pink-coloured ribbon because I felt it tied in nicely with the romantic theme of the piece.

Overall I found this project quite challenging at times, and met several obstacles along the way. However, I am happy with the way it turned out and feel that I overcame the difficulties I faced quite well. I also enjoyed exploring collage more, as it is an area of art that I've always enjoyed. I feel that I learnt a lot about the importance of organisation and research from this project, both in the making of the actual piece and in keeping a sketchbook/notebook/blog detailing my progress. I especially liked using a blog to document my research, and will likely continue to use blogs to document various projects in the future.

ARTIST RESEARCH: LINDER STERLING

Linder Sterling was born Linda Mulvey in Manchester in 1954. A radical feminist and prominent figure of the Manchester punk scene, she is perhaps best known for her photomontages. These montages often combine pornographic images with images from women's magazines, particularly images of domestic appliances, making a point about the cultural expectations of women and the treatment of female body as a commodity.

I was drawn to Linder Sterling's work due to her clever and provocative use of photomontage, as well as the frequent use of flowers in her work, which also feature prominently in my own project. I also admired her use of symbolism (images of domestic appliances to represent the pressures and restrictions put on women, pornographic images to represent the reduction of females to sex objects, etc.) and hope to be able to get across a message through the use of symbols in my own work as effectively as she has in hers.

Examples of Sterling's work featuring flowers:

PICTURES OF BOOK PROJECT (WORK IN PROGRESS)

I have decided to fill my 'book' with quotes that I feel are both inspiring and relevant to my life, and decorate the opposite side of the pages with collages that relate to the quotes in some way. The quotes are all quite optimistic and romantic, which is accentuated by the flowers used in the accompanying collages (see post on the language of flowers).

Here are pictures of a couple of pages from my almost-completed book:

I have still not decided for certain what format I want the book to be in, right now I'm stuck between placing the pages in a box or hanging them from the ceiling. Pictures of the finished piece will be posted when I finally come to a decision!

LANGUAGE OF FLOWERS

"The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, was a Victorian-era means of communication in which various flowers and floral arrangements were used to send coded messages, allowing individuals to express feelings which otherwise could not be spoken."

The language of flowers is something that has intrigued me for some time now, as I find flowers extremely beautiful and love the idea of sending hidden messages to a loved one through a bouquet of flowers. Some examples of the 'meanings' behind various flowers:

Hibiscus: Delicate beauty, sweet disposition

Viola Tricolour Pansy: Pleasant thoughts, think of me

Milkvetch: Your presence softens my pains

Purple Pansy: You occupy my thoughts

Spindle Tree: Your charms are engraved on my heart

COLLAGE

Collage (from the French word coller, meaning glue) is an artform which involves assembling different materials/objects together to form a new whole. Many different types of materials can be used to form a collage, including newsprint, string, ribbons, cardboard, photographs and cut-up text from books, etc. Collage became an important element of modern art thanks to the influence of both Georges Bracque and Pablo Picasso in the early part of the 20th century. There are several different forms of collage, including decoupage, wood collage and photomontage.

One of the most common forms of collage is that of photomontage. Photomontage is the process of cutting and arranging together a number of photographs to form a new, singular image. This can be done by hand using scissors and glue, or digitally by using programs such as Photoshop. Some artists known for their use of photomontage include David Hockney, Man Ray and Robert Rauschenberg.

David Hockney - Pearblossom Highway

Man Ray - Observatory Time - The Lovers

Robert Rauschenberg - Untitled

ARTIST RESEARCH: JENNY HOLZER

Jenny Holzer (born July 29th, 1950 in Gallipolis, Ohio, U.S.) is a conceptual artist known for her text-based art. She received a BA from Ohio University in Athens in 1972 and, in 1975, enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design in Providence. During her stay there she began to introduce language into her work, and in the late 1970s began to display her 'truisms' (slogans/confrontational statements, usually containing political or social critique), printed on posters and flyers, throughout Manhattan. Throughout the 1980s and '90s she began displaying her messages using LED (light-emitting diode) signs in venues such as Times Square. This remains the medium with which she is most associated. Like most of her oeuvre, these works were meant to confront the viewer and spark debate.

Holzer has received several important awards throughout her career, including the Blair Award in 1982, the Leone d’Oro award in 1990 and the MOCA Award to Distinguished Women in the Arts in 2010. Some of her most well-known works include Lustmord (1993-95), Protect Me From What I Want (1999) and For The City (2005).