PDP: Presentation plan

As part of our Personal Development Planning module, which ties in alongside our Critical and Contextual module, we were set the task of making another presentation, this time in front of a slightly bigger group hosted at the Minnories Gallery in Colchester. The presentation, like the last one had to last the duration of 8-10minutes, presenting the work from our Studio module. We are allowed to use our sketchbook, technical and research files and iPads and any other relevant work. The presentation requirements are:

After reviewing the requirements and the relevant work that I have, I came up with a plan which I plan to learn and follow for the presentation:

• Start off by talking about Firstsite visit
• Continue Firstsite topic by talking and showing research 
• Talk about your chosen surrounding building (Hollytrees Museum) Discuss the era
• Show Powerpoint presentation on Georgian era through iPad
• Use sketchbook to show Firstsite sketches, talk about development and how you used the inspiration of relevant artists (David Hockney etc) to create your illustrations
• Talk about how you started your design journey (jumpsuit stencil on sketches)
• Go on to talk about research from pages in sketchbook on womenswear and menswear fashion in the Georgian period and how it has helped you finalise your designs
• Show final four designs for your jumpsuit 
• Final design (show skills used on illustrator to create this - talk about the influences)
• Construction plan for the jumpsuit (illustrator again - talk about why you drew it out)
• Show the construction processes in technical file. Discuss mistakes and how you and Gauge resolved these.
• Talk about jumpsuit itself and pros and cons. Room for improvement?
• Using research from beginning of topic to start in depth research for print and motifs (sketchbook)
• Inspirational prints to create colour palette (iPad)
• Beginning of prints (iPad)
• Talk about your development throughout the year. What you feel more confident within (textiles or fashion?)

Motifs for print design

Using my research from Georgian prints, I began to doodle and create small motifs within my sketchbook which I will go on to scan into photoshop and layer upon each other to create my prints. Here are a few of my favourite motifs which I plan to use in my prints.

Print research and colour palette

Our next task was to research various prints from our chosen era that took our liking. Mine, being Georgian, involved lots of often pale prints, with symmetrical patterns repeated across the page. There was usually a theme of two main colours, a light and dark one. Here are some of the patterns I enjoyed and chose to take further into my print development:

I really loved the Toile prints, which is one of my favourite style of prints anyway (my bedroom wallpaper is an off-white and blue toile, along with my bedding and cushions!). I took this almost as a sign of coincidence. I plan to use the clustered style of the Toile layout to begin developing my ideas, also taking influence from the monotoned colour palettes. I used all these images to help me discover my colour palette for my own prints:

Introduction to textile applications: Painting on to screens with fabric dye

Having a blank screen at the ready, I chose three fabric dyes to stop my painting onto the screen..

I used different techniques such as: scratching, dotting, and layering to create visually effective prints.

In order to stop the prints running and smudging I used a hair dryer to dry them quickly and effectively to stop the distortion.

I pinned a reasonable sized fabric to the table and placed my screen on top. Using the gunge I screen printed along insuring I covered the whole screen.

This is the final outcome. I am pleased with the range of different colours and exploration of techniques that we used. However, the smudging of the dye annoyed me. If I was to do this again I would insure the dye was dry fully before screen printing it on to the fabric.

Critical and Contextual - Essay Synopsis

“Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else again.” Horst, 1984. 

I have chosen this title as I consider it to be a rather audacious and courageous statement. I find this particular title interesting to research and debate due to the different opinions it will produce. Everyone’s opinion varies when it comes to their own idea of Elegance, meaning there is no definite right nor wrong answer which is one of the reasons why I am intrigued to answer this question.First of all, I plan to look into the definition of elegance, and what it means to various different people. I feel like this would allow myself to have an understanding of other’s opinions and would give me a basis to start my debate on. I will also be researching different ways and types of expression and how fashion can consolidate with it. Many people, myself being amongst them, believe that it is possible to express emotions with clothing and how you style it. I will obviously be referencing Horst amongst other artists such as Elie Saab, Jean Paul Gaultier, Dior, Valentino, whom all host Haute Couture shows. The relevance to Haute Couture is important in my debate as Haute Couture garments are deemed as elegant in almost anyone’s eyes.I will be using sources such as the Internet, quotes and articles from magazines and books as reference to my side of the debate. I believe magazines such as Vogue will be highly useful to me as Horst himself worked for the company starting in 1931, mainly focusing as a Haute Couture photographer.To answer this question successfully I will need to access and document relevant information in order to develop and define my own opinion and answer the ever-talked about statement based on my findings. 

Critical and Contextual: Presentation grade and feedback

Despite the nerves I had gained by working myself up for the whole presentation, I felt like I performed fairly well given the fact that I struggle intensely speaking in public, especially about my own work. 

I was rather pleased when I discovered I had passed and got a grade of 56%. Although not the best grade, I am keeping in mind that it was only my first presentation, I did struggle with some areas and used Q-cards. I am also fully understanding that within time and practice I will improve and my confidence will grow.

Critical and Contextual: Essay research

I started my research by revisiting the documentation and notes from my visit to the exhibition Horst: Photographer of Style at the Victoria and Albert Museum, London..

Horst P Horst

• Horst created images that transcended fashion and time
• Master of light, composition and atmospheric illusion
• Regular visitor to the Louvre
• Interest in ancient classical architecture and sculpture
• 'Nightgown by dubrulle modelled by Helen Bennett' 1938 - Pale skin in photography resembles marble
• Involving talents of photographer, model, art director, fashion editor, studio assistants and set technicians
• 'Extremes wet at Paris Spring Collections'
• Desire to create dark photographs caused clashes with Vogue staff
• Edna Woolman Chase (vogue) declared she had been lecturing Horst about the lack of light in his photography. He must overcome the state on the part of our photographers to shroud everything in the deepest mystery
• Haute Couture- Horst captures drama of pre war Parisian haute couture with his camera. Master of studio lighting. Expertly conveyed texture of luxury fabrics such as satin and silk.
• Evening wear was a key element of 1930s fashion
• Surreal beauty- Horst's sense of humour and imagination enabled him to produce arresting images even when tasked with capturing products such as lipstick or nailvarnish.
• Horst first worked with Salvador Dali in 1940
• 'I dress as I please' American Vogue - Mainbocher corset was the most alluring of fashion photographs. Depicts madame (something...) assuming the role of Venus. Proportions and contours of her body are as perfect as a classical statue. - Last photograph Horst made in Paris before the outbreak of war. It represented a turning point, the end of a charmed era
• (Film played on projector) out-takes from Fashion means business. Dorian Leigh models the latest american designs in the conde nast studio for Horst and his assistant Vassilov, overseen by vogue editors.
• 1930s ushered in huge technical advancements in colour photography.
• Horst adapted quickly to new visual vocabulary creating some of vogues most dazzling colour images.
• occupation of paris transformed the world of fashion

I also revisited my blog post about the visit V&A Trip: Horst, Disobedient Objects and Retail Therapy.

'Fashion is an expression of the times. Elegance is something else again.'

I looked into the definition of expression and elegance because I believed it was a good starting point to then go on to discuss this compared to other's opinions of the two.

I did a web search of quotes involving keywords such as 'elegance', 'expression', 'timeless' and 'beauty'. I also searched quotes by designers and artists which I considered relevant to my topic and possibly discussable in my future essay.

Here are my other notes in relation to my essay which I plan to use. (Please note: not all these notes make sense nor will be used, some pages may also include random nonsense and doodles!)