Tribal Paper

You know when you are having one of those days and you open up your email inbox just to see what's there, what you need to deal with? Yesterday I had one of those days and was more concerned with reading about the invoices I needed to put together, bills to pay as I went about logging in to my Gmail account. Then I came across a forward from a friend. These are the forwards you love to receive they literally stop you in your tracks and make you take a fresh look at what you love to do rather than what you have to do. This email introduced me to the work of Allen and Patty Eckman and their Tribal Paper sculptures.

The method is lengthy in time but the results remarkable. They are made using the following method:

'Cast paper sculpture has been around since the 1950's but should not be confused with papier-mache'. The two mediums are completely different. The artists first mix an acid free paper pulp in the studio hydro-pulper from two raw stocks, cotton and abica. Then the pulp is cast into molds which were made from original clay sculptures. The paper is then pressed under vacuum pressure or by hand in the mold where most of the water is extracted at the same time. The drying process is completed by evaporation while the paper is still in the mold'

They are astonishing and the extra fine details which are added towards the end really finishes them off. They look like they could break if you touched them and it's that delicate nature that makes them so inspiring.

This lead me to look up further paper sculptures and i came across this video with the work of Peter Dahmen and his pop-up designs. These are more simple than the work of Allen and Patty Eckman but in their simplicity is their beauty. The simple white paper casting shadows and shapes is what makes them so inspiring.

So from this simple email forward I have now started to search for other paper works of art and it has turned light bulb on in my head. I never thought of paper as a medium to create a sculpture from, more a tool that you use to help as you start to create your sculpture, something to sketch on, make notes on. How wrong I was.

Pre-Conceived Views

I haven't been here for a while, I'm sorry. I am still finding inspiration on

a daily basis and I really do want to come and share but I am self enforcing a time out. I am putting my head down and trying to get my portfolio website up and running. This is taking some will power because all I want to do is look around me for inspiration and then to design. Bare with me though as I can see an end in sight and I should be finished soon.

However if I am to be here for just a moment, here's something quick but inspirational. See the images below....how stunning is this country...can you guess what country?

This is Afghanistan!

Welcome to SallyLock.com

Hello. I have arrived at this new location for blogging and I'm in the process of moving everything over here from my old blog space. I have been blogging for about a year and like to blog to inspire, I want to inspire myself for my creativity and to share what inspires me with others. So I should be up and running shortly and I hope you come back and visit then.

See you here soon.

Cheerio,

Sally

Video Killed The Radio Star

During the week I have been introduced to a new Facebook video viral, with more friends than I would like to mention sharing the link with me and telling me how amazing it was. OK GO have a history of showcasing songs with very inspiring videos and are previously known for their choreographed dancing on treadmills in the video for ‘Here it goes again’. This got me thinking about other One Shot video's and what it takes to set these up. It seems like it should be easy without a schedule of filming, action & cutting, but it is the opposite and the preparation is intense. On something as complex as the recent video ‘This Too Shall Pass’ it is a one-time thing only. Of course parts have been rehearsed but the visual stimulation is in enhanced by the feeling that this is the first time anyone, even the cameraman, has seen this as a complete performance.

Looking at other examples I came across Feist ‘1, 2, 3, 4’ which I admit has always stopped me and hypnotise me to the TV screen whenever it comes on. I think the colours draw you in initially but then the dancing, while it is not perfect, is fun to watch and everyone seems to be having so much fun within those 3-4 minutes. Without doubt I think this song would not have had as much airtime if it wasn’t for the video.

Then there are the video’s by Michel Gondry who is infamous for his unique approach to shooting music videos. One in particular is The White Stripes- The Denial Twist. The tricky that is played on your eyes is intense and also admittedly slightly disturbing. You find yourself shifting in your perspective, not understanding the connection that scenes have, however this is a one-time shoot too. No cuts and not edited together, it is camera, prop and actor trickery. I think the video is amazing and a short glimpse into the abilities of Gondry and the genius work he creates.

The job of a music video is to create visuals as a backdrop for the music, it is about satisfying our visual sense while the music is stimulating our hearing. The two have to work in harmony and bounce off each other. I think we all have music videos which stick in our minds, some more recently and those that we still remember from 5, 10 or even 15 years back. The impact a video has on the success of how a song is perceived is huge. However don’t think that huge budgets are the only way to make a creative video. I will leave you with ‘The Get Out Clause’ who went around Manchester, England playing in front of 80 CCTV camera’s and using the UK Freedom of Information Act to then have the video footage released to them, simply done and on editing all this footage they had then created a very unique and inspiring video.

Manipulating Everyday Objects-は日用品を巧みに操作し

Sometimes there is so much pretentious confusion in the world of art and this often means the message that is trying to be conveyed and the true quality of a piece of work is lost amongst it. I also think that this, in part, is a reason why people shy away from showing an appreciation of art, especially when first starting out. You can find yourself being involved in an elaborate conversation about a piece of art where others around you feel that to 'truly' appreciate the work you have to try and find a deeper meaning and to comprehend this meaning they need to study and debate the artist's frame of mind, cultural persuasions and take the art beyond what it is. I have to admit that I find this side of the art world pompus annoying and am glad that artists like Banksyare breaking this mindset. Within his work there are some statements of modern culture and politics that show through at a very basic level. I think that this is where Banksy's popularity lies, in his direct and uncondescending connection with the viewing public. Of course there will be those who still feel the need to be accepted into this 'artsy' world and leave a wake of others feeling belittled by their conversation, which is a shame. I prefer to not talk gobbledygook just to impress and I am happy to appreciate the work for the emotions it creates within me, the thoughts it provokes and the visual and sensual stimulation I gain.

Yuken Teruya is a refreshing artists where this does not apply and I admire his work because of it's simplicity. The statement is also very clear but gentle and serene. It doesn't need to be shouted at you and cannot be over debated, it is what it is. Teruyas work has so much strength in conveying an important message so quietly and also it is gentle enough to allow you to reflect.

'He manipulates everyday objects, transforming their meaning to reflect on contemporary society and culture. Cutting trees out of paper bags and from cardboard toilets paper rolls he creates meticulous and intricate art works, small and enchanting worlds which relate to broader concerns.'

It's as simple as that, and with this simplicity and ease of understanding the appeal can reach a wider scope of viewers. It is not confined to those who like to have a deep discussion about hidden meanings in art, it's about interacting with you and I on a level which we understand. I don't feel stupid viewing his work, I don't feel like I missing the true meaning, I understand it and it makes me think. I also like how clever it is and that from rubbish that has been dropped in the street, found on a coffee table or thrown out of a house, Teruya created something that emits such a tranquil feeling. It is symbolic of what originally occurred, it becomes more than just a discarded bag that once held a McDonalds 'Happy Meal' it changes into a story that shows the journey that was required for the natural material to be transformed into a usable entity.

There is such beauty in the intricate detailing of Teryua's work, the 3D effect created by the small cuts, the small world that has been created inside a small bag. It is microscopic origami which is stunning. Teryua is still a young artists and I think there is a lot more to see from him and the more rubbish that is thrown away the larger his supply of art material becomes, so I am looking forward to seeing where his journey takes him.

I'm Late, I'm Late For A Very Important Date!

Some films come and go without anyone noticing, some come and create a buzz and you might even recommend them to friends to go see and some even win an academy award and then there are films that come along and blow all of these out of the water. These are masterful pieces of work for the film screen. The films where the acting is intense, where the work on the scenery, cinematography and the CGI pushes more boundaries then we ever thought possible. The next in this line is from the talented Tim Burton and his Alice in Wonderland. From the clips and trailers which I have already seen this looks to be such an awe inspiring film that will captivate you regardless of where your regular film interest lies. The 3D nature is also compelling on the eye and the mixture of subdued colouring and cartoon effect is mesmerising. Sometimes the colour is punchy and then in other scenes it is almost washed out with subtle tones, but this helps in depicting the emotion that is needed for that scene.

From these working drawings you can see how Tim Burton had the complete concept in his head already and his amazing skill is that he was able to put what he saw in his imagination onto the screen for all of us to enjoy. This is about having those who work with you all reading off the same page at the same time. A film is a collaboration of great skills and creative people but you do need a leader and Tim Burton is perfection in this. Burton has always created films that were full of strong imagery from Beetlejuice, toEdward Scissorhands and more recently Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street. He has his critics and a common complaint being that he uses the same lead actors but I think if you have the quality in acting of Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter to hand and then to not use them and maybe degrade the quality of your work just to appease those who criticise because of this, well that would be a travesty. So Tim Burton just keeps creating in his own style and the films become more impressive and maybe slightly more weird but even more compelling to watch. So on the 5th of March you know where you can find me.

Not Everything Is Black And White

There is something about photography which is thrilling, on a personal level for me it's not the task of taking a photograph but to see the work of others which i find so enthralling. The ability to capture a moment in time and for a photographer to see this shot and know what they want and then to be able to set out to achieve this is an amazing skill. We all have at some point taken a scenic shot of a sunset on holiday, the mountains from a distance or a city lit up at night and sometimes these have turned out to be lucky photographs which are visually stimulating. Or we've set our cameras up against a scene where the essence of what we were photographing was so strong that it was hard to fail at capturing a images of some quality. However a great photographer knows the picture they want to achieve, they have researched effects, and through trial and error and with a good level of experience they set the scene, they have their camera settings just perfect and take the photo of that moment knowing exactly what image they will capture, this is a great photographer. It's not just a lucky shot but an exhilarating image that shows a sophisticated and delicately refined skill.

Nicholas Hughes is such a photographer. He has captured some amazing effects which I find so compelling because most of us would have at some time seen these scenes ourselves and may have tried to take a photograph. However camera technology would have pulled us further away from achieving an image of what we see-through our own eyes and created an image which was taken over by the camera adding in stronger contrasting and light definition from automatic focusing on specific points rather than across a wide landscape of what our eye would actually capture. So with this we lose the emotion of the moment, the true sense of the environment and its creation of shade, light and colour. These moments Nicholas has captured and has found superb imagery through the lens of a camera.

His first series of photographs The Edge- Verse II are showing the slight differences in contrast when all surfaces are white. Those moments we recognise in snowy conditions where we've ended up moving ourselves or shielding our eyes in order to see something in the distance, the few seconds of recognition as our eyes search for some difference in light and shape in order to pick out an object, those moments we search for tonal differences to see anything beyond the blinding white. Nicholas has captured this perfectly and he has created the same feeling where some photos do take you some time to make out what they are and there is a relief found when we have a tree on the horizon to define the rest by.

His next series of photographs In Darkness- Verse I & II go to the opposite end of the spectrum and the moment when things become too dark to see. He has captured moments as the sun is setting and the landscape is just visible but about to disappear into darkness. He has used the natural landscape of the forest to show the shapes the tree's have and then start to lose as the light fades. And in another set within the darkness series he has also shown how the light fading can on a waters surface add more definition and highlight the rippling surface textures which are not normally so visible. Nicholas has brought a depth to his photographs, he shows how subtle the landscape can be and where it can lead to misinterpretation with fading light and minimal colour.