Using A4 paper I cut strips into the centre. This could then be bent to make the negative spaces as wide as they would go by pushing the ends towards each other. This made quite a substantial piece and when connected together at the edges reminded me of paper lanterns.
I then twisted alternate strips inwards. These stayed in place reasonably well and I think gave a more interesting form to the sample.
I next used corrugated card and cut strips into the centre every 2cms leaving an edge either side of 3cms. As I expected this made quite a sturdy piece. However it was difficult to manipulate into different shapes so I thought not successful for this reason.
I then tried using a piece of brow paper from a paper bag that I had painted on one side.I cut strips half a centimetre apart leaving 3cms at each edge. This produced a very flimsy piece. It was much easier to manipulate than the card and the A4 paper. However it was much more fragile. I think this was due to the size of the strips I had made. I did like the the almost rough but delicate effect that I got when fastening the edges together and pushing down on the paper. The strips formed in different directions and I liked the look because of the different shapes that formed in the negative spaces.
I wondered what would happen if I used a fabric. I chose to use a metallic effect mesh fabric. This of course was very flimsy at the outset and I did not have much hope of the piece standing firm on its own. This was right but because of the finish on the mesh it could be manipulated and squashed nicely into interesting shapes. I decided to stitch some thread along each strip weaving it between the holes in the mesh. I thought this may put more substance into the piece. It did but very little. What I did like about this piece was the lovely shadows that occurred as I was photographing it. I decided to lay it onto my sketchbook and trace along the lines in pencil. I had seen how to do this shadow drawing described by Donne Swift in the book Stitch Stories by Cas Holmes. I thought it worked well and I was able to see how textures could be built up in this way.
I continued by cutting into plastic. The plastic was a plastic insert for a file. Although it was easy to cut into it was very difficult to manipulate. I cut a piece that had two and a half centimetre strips one centimetre from each edge. This made a piece that could be twisted into different directions but was not was not substantial enough to keep the twisted form and kept ending up into a flat piece. I think this was unsuccessful for a few reasons - the property of the material, the width of the strips being too wide with to small an edge. It was able to stand freely when I taped the edges together and again when photographed made a nice shadow because of the light filtering through the plastic and the small gaps.
I made a smaller piece in the same plastic that was 10cms in length. I cut strips 1cm wide 2cms from each end. This showed the same properties as the larger piece although because the strips were thinner I was able to twist some of them inward and these held when the piece was taped together at the edges to made a cylinder. When I photographed this I liked the shadows that were formed where the light was filtering through it rather than the actual structure itself. I think the reason for the plastic pieces not being as successful as previous is the nature of the material. It was more unyielding than the paper and fabric.
I decided to go back to fabric and chose a piece of felt. The felt was very soft and easy to cut. I cut strips 2cms in width leaving 3cms at either end. It was as I expected a very flimsy piece but one that could be manipulated very well. I could twist it and particularly liked it when it was placed on a surface then pushed down from the top and the strips pushed outwards. I think I liked it because it kept its form, looked substantial although it was very soft to handle.
I drew the samples in my sketchbook and this helped me see the negative spaces in them. I did like the shadows that were made when I photographed them and did more shadow drawing.
Paper
Paper alternate strips pushed inwards
Corrugated card
Corrugated card
Painted brown paper
Mesh fabric
Mesh fabric with thread running through
Interesting shadows from mesh fabric
Plastic
Plastic
Plastic twisted interesting shadow
Felt
Felt
Felt
References
Holmes, C. (2015). Stitch Stories. Pavilion Books.
Vyzoviti, S. (2006). Supersurfaces. Corte Madera, Calif.: Gingko Press.
Greenlees, K. (2005). Creating sketchbooks for embroiderers and textile artists. London: Batsford.
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