Visual research_week one

"Mobile Habitats" is the visual research brief that I chose. I liked the experimental, 3D approach outlined in the brief and felt the idea of habitats was a good continuation of some of my summer work (mostly inspired by my surrounding, natural environment).

What came to mind when thinking of 'Mobile habitats' were shells and cocoons, seed pods and then tents and hammocks; portable habitats that relate to the body.

One of the first tasks was to "explore the idea of habitats in relation to inside/outside."
I thought of how a chameleon changes colour, adapting to and interacting with its surroundings….

(ink, tracing paper and pastel rubbing)

I like the layering in the drawing above as it gives it a reptilian quality. My aim was to capture the changing colours of the chameleon I observed; I think I could work on making the colours more sensitive and refined.

(ink, pencil and paper)

This drawing was inspired by the contrast in surface between the inside and outside of shells. Cutting and folding the paper also gave me the idea of how you could turn something 2D into 3D, a vessel or habitat.

Following a review of our drawings with our tutor I started to work in a more 3D way, considering both shape and surface. I compiled a list of keywords, relating to mobile habitats to start to generate ideas for potential outcomes/ solutions.

Here I cut up and manipulated a copy of the chameleon drawing to explore the idea of an expanding/ evolving drawing.

(photocopy- paper and ink)

Working in this more abstract manner from the keywords is quite new for me but I have found it exciting and am pleased with some of the outcomes. The drawing above has a hard, protective quality to it, like that of a tortoise shell.

I will continue to develop and refine the techniques I am using and experiment with a wider range of materials and surfaces for the next week of visual research.