Well Spring has finally arrived! The snow has been melting over the last couple of weeks and it's almost completely gone. Thanks to the warmer weather I've been able to do more walking and less bussing. These photos are from one day I spent walking along the Assiniboine River on my way to the grocery store.
winnipeg
One Semester Ends and Another Begins
Sorry for the delayed blog post, I know that I am behind by a couple of months. Life has been crazy lately and with the chaos of my school having a strike, it made for an interesting last semester. A couple of weeks ago I wrapped up my Fall semester with two critiques.
My first critique was for my final Installation project for my elective course. I printed a series of fabric banners, which I then spent two full days hanging/installing with the help of my friend Katherine. I wanted to create an interactive installation that would encourage the viewer to navigate the space, interact, and investigate the all encompassing patterns.
Next I had my main studio critique, which I forgot to document with my DSLR!!! However, I do still have some images I took with my phone of what I've been working on. I've been trying to create a range of works in which I use different types of machines and tools. I want to draw out the similarities between the ways that computers and artists make art.
The first project is a woven blanket. I created a complex multilayered pattern in Photoshop and then sent the Jpeg file to a company called PhotoWeavers in North Carolina. The blanket is a jacquard woven throw blanket 53"x70". I am interested in how the results of the final image was almost entirely out of my control. I provided the source information and then the computer/machine generated this magnificently woven image.
Next, I've been working on a cross-stitching project which I showed as a work in progress for the critique. I began by creating two small squares (19x19 squares), which were very precise, controlled, and spontaneously produced without following a pre-determined pattern. I scanned these two small squares and created digital images in Photoshop to help make a new pattern. I used a website called StitchFiddle to input these digital images, which generated them into cross-stitch patterns.
These new cross-stitch patterns are my guide for two new large squares (100x100 squares). I've been documenting the process by taking a photo after each day of work. I've also been timing each of my work sessions, I'm curious to see how long it will all take me. I've estimated that it will take approximately 125 hours and about 5 weeks. The images below show the development of the first large square over the span of about 2 weeks. If I'm lucky I think I might even finish it in a month!
As I work on these cross-stitch works I feel like a computer. However, I make mistakes, which I guess is what makes me human.
Lastly, are some more works in progress and some work I've already posted in a previous blog. These are my instructions works, in which I create a list of instructions before I begin creating a digital artwork in Photoshop. I must follow the instructions, however each instruction is often open to interpretation and can have a range of results. I've also been working on making a book that will demonstrate the range of imagery and possibilities that exist within these instruction works.
This month I am going to be writing and further developing my thesis paper. At the same time I have several projects on the go including cross-stitching, a book project, as well as a yarn project! Stay tuned for more updates next month :).
End of Semester Critique
Yesterday I had my final critique of the first year of the MFA program at U of M. I installed new work I had made since my midterm critique in one room, and I installed the work that I made in the first half of the semester inside of my studio.
Staying within the medium of digital art, I've been pushing myself even further with this new approach. I am using the computer to make complex patterns from drawings, paintings, and photographs. There are multiple layers with varying degrees of transparency. Sometimes I cut and paste sections into random places on the image or I delete sections altogether. My process has become very collage based and I like to recycle old works into new ones. My practice continues to surprise me and it is in a constant state of transformation and development.
I'm so happy with the work that I have produced during my time in the MFA program. I never could have imagined this is what my art would look like. One of the most valuable things that I've learned this year is that artists need to take chances and try new things. I believe that this is the only way artists truly reach their full potential.
I'm excited to return home in 9 days! I can't wait to spend time with friends and family. I'll be working several jobs including sports photography, coaching indoor and beach volleyball. The rest of my summer will be spent playing beach volleyball, hiking, running, biking, and making art.
Pattern Frenzy
Sunday, November 29th:
Pattern frenzy?! What does this mean?! Well I've been slightly more pattern obsessed than usual. It all started after one of my professors asked if I had ever thought of printing on fabric or creating wallpapers. That's when my mind went crazy I began making patterns in Photoshop with anything and everything that I had access to. So basically this meant making patterns from my paintings, drawings, and photographs.
Fire Hose, 8x10", Silver gelatin print, 2015, Mallory Donen
My first experiment began when I cut out a fire hose from a photograph I had taken with my 35mm camera. I decided to scan the image since I found that the shape left behind looked interesting and I wanted to make a pattern from it.
Next I began making patterns using old photographs I had taken with my DSLR.
Here you can see how two photographs taken with my 35mm camera were combined to make a single pattern.
The next group of patterns were created using test strips from the darkroom. The test strips were then scanned and manipulated in Photoshop to produce the images below.
Negative scratching can come in various forms, some examples may include literally scratching a film negative with a sharp tool such as a push pin, paper clip, or even a nail. However, painting or drawing onto a negative is also a form of negative scratching. The photographs below were created by painting india ink onto blank negatives. The ink cracked upon drying which created a unique and intriguing naturally occurring pattern. The images were then scanned and digitally manipulated in Photoshop to create various patterns.
This next series of patterns were created using photographs from a new project titled Paper Sculpture series.
Here's a set of patterns I created using these ink drawings/paintings.
Untitled, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen
Untitled, 8x10", Ink and water-soluble pencils on rag paper, 2015, Mallory Donen
This photograph is of an object I created for my Print Media class in 2013. The sculpture was created with a styrofoam ball and pipe cleaners. I also used this image to create several patterns.
