i started designing my final piece based on the work i did on my lino and batik. i played with the idea of creating cut out pannels where id place patterns instead but i felt that would make the design too crowded and busy.
these were my four final designs, they all incorporate the self portrait and organic shapes which i love.
this was my first mock up of my design. i tried to make it based on measurements of myself but found it to be quite confusing. i chose my colours and placements of the cut outs based on my design. i planned to create the pattern based on an item of clothing i already had.
because i struggled with measurements I decided to create the pattern based on a shirt i know fits me well. I used a fuchsia pink organic cotton from a local fabric shop to make sure I considered sustainability in my final piece.
before adding the cut out patterns I chose different fabrics to see
final finished piece.
Evaluation
i have researched ethics and sustainability and considered how it pertains to my theme and materials.
i have kept up to date with my bibliography, using the website "cite this for me" to create Harvard references. I've identified my audience as the LGBTQ+ community but more specifically young transgender people. i haven't done clear planning but i have written "what next" targets within my reflections.i didn't write an ongoing blog as i found it too stressful, but i have written reflective comments. I've discussed visual language throughout my work,identifying what I've used and what worked best.
my personal response to the theme was to focus on gender euphoria and how i myself relate to it as a trans person. there are a few ethical concerns around art about "transness", my main concern was making sure my work isn't triggering in anyway, this is why i chose gender euphoria instead of gender dysphoria as gender dysphoria can cause a lot of negative feelings. my work successfully communicates my ideas through the visual language i have chosen. i view my gender as an organic shape and wanted my work to resemble this. i chose "gendered" colours such as pink and blue. through research of my theme i learnt how other transgender people experience gender euphoria.
i effectively used my artist research by taking direct inspiration from Nick Cave and creating a wearable art piece. Yayoi Kusama inspired my use of bright colours so that the piece pops and is visually striking.my use of self portraiture was influenced by my research of Frida Kahlo and Beuaford Delany. Frida Kahlos portraits inspired me to create work that was authentically me. Beauford Delanys' bright and bold work inspired me to create something in this vein .i could've researched more designers but felt my work was more fine art than fashion design.
my primary research was effective. the photographs i took at the natural history museum captured my focus on organic shapes and started my process on what my shapes would look like.my observational drawings focused on self portraiture given that the end point was a representation of my gender euphoria, this was a good starting point for considering what gender euphoria would look like for me. personal experience was the most significant aspect of primary research for me as my theme and work was about me and how i experience gender euphoria. i researched materials, techniques and processes by experimenting and playing around to find the ones that worked the best. i generated ideas effectively by mind mapping, free drawing and talking with family. for me free drawing was the best for generating initial ideas, seeing what visual elements i lean towards and what i enjoy drawing the most. if i did this again i would've documented my idea generating conversations.
For me the most successful part was actually doing the photo shoot as it allowed me to see my art from a viewers perspective and reflect on what i had created. the actual making of the garment was also successful because it was the first fully finished wearable art i have made. if i did this again i would've created some more garments based on my other designs so that it would have been a collection, giving a broader perspective on my focus of gender euphoria for the viewer. when making my final piece the things that didn't go as expected was that i got confused about the positive and negative sides of my fabric which would have affected the final piece so i marked the positive sides to avoid making mistakes. whilst sewing i used two different stitch types and length, at times this caused confusion about which type and length of stitch i should be using. sometimes i sewed with the wrong stitch, necessitating unpicking and restitching with the correct stitch. the visual language i used in my final piece were colour, form and texture. i chose the colours pink and blue that are usually associated with specific genders to relate to the theme. i made the hem of the dress to keep the organic form from my designs but added a light pink feather trim to create some texture. the self portrait aspect what slightly stuffed as to add more form and dimension to my piece rather than keeping it flat. i could've added more texture or additional shape cutouts. my work is dynamic because the 3D construction allows for movement and a change of view point allowing the viewer to interact with it from many angles and perspectives.using the feather trim frames the piece and created sense of encapsulation and forced view point. for me my ongoing reflective practice has been talking to others about my work, what i found successful and what i could've done better. i found this more helpful than writing it in a book as i learn best from visual and kinaesthetic means. although i acknowledge that writing my reflections documents my learning and progress, i do not find this task an easy thing to do. in my consideration of sustainability i purchased organic cotton from a local small haberdashery. to improve this i could've up-cycled and recycled secondhand fabrics. i offset my carbon emissions by walking to get my supplies rather than taking the car, i also used a reusable cloth bag to not use a plastic bag. off cuts of my fabrics have been saved for future projects as to not create needless waste.
i met course deadlines set for this project and met my self initiated deadline along the way too. I've learnt that having a calendar with key dates and times for significant events has been helpful in guiding me. bullet pointed list with clear and concise plans has helped to guide my activities.
What will the viewer think or feel when looking at my work? Will they understand it?
my presentation of my work is more effective on my website as my sketchbook is a bit all over the place whereas my website is clean and professional. if i had more time i would organise my sketchbook in a more professional way. i identified my audience as young(teens to twenties) transgender people. i considered my use of colours, pink and blue, as related to their inclusion in the trans pride flag(pink blue and white), and that these colours would trigger interest from my target audience. being a fun and playful piece i could imagine a young trans person wearing it at a pride event.
my personal goals as a creative practitioner are to start selling my art through local and online shop. this project supported my progression goals by allowing me to experiment and figure out what techniques work for me. i could then take on and use these techniques to create my own work to sell. to keep moving towards my goal i should just keep trying new things and experimenting.