Wire and String Letters - Part Two

Material Tests

The wire and string experiments continue.

The first material test came in the shape of trying to make the item weather tight. To achieve this the letter was dipped into boat varnish. 

After drip-drying it was clear that the varnish would make the string weather tight, however, it was also clear that a clear varnish would be required as it would change the colour too drastically.

Colour Testing: Acrylic Paint

The boat varnish would not work as I want to explore the use of colour within these works. I keep going between black and white and colour in my practice. I think the small size of these letters is drawing me towards the colour at this point as I want them to be eye-catching.

Words with Found Letters - Part Eighteen

 

Wire and String Letters - Part One

This wire and string collection of work and development came from the start point of just using materials that I had in my studio - a slightly empty studio, that could only provide me with these two materials.

I have used both before but never together. By combining the two I was able to create something new. The wire offered strength and the string a soft texture. 

My initial experiment was with scale, to see how large I could go without the wire/string structure losing its integrity. The string wrapped around the write gives the structure some added strength, however it still allows for some movement in the shape, this increases as the letters get larger.

The larger the letters the less integrity. This was problematic as I wanted to create something that is moveable and could be handled. It became clear quickly that a smaller scale would be best to achieve this.

However, this was problematic in its self as I keep wanting to great something large scale and eye-catching. I have started to consider the power of collections and bright colours to do this instead. This initial 'HI' takes its yellow colour from my original wooden and modroc yellow 'hi'.

The yellow is not a finished decision for the whole collection. This will be explored further. 

Words with Found Letters - Part Seventeen

 

The Evolving String Plaster Letters

 As a project that started as an experiment in plaster and string in the studio, these two-letter outcomes have evolved over time as they sit in my studio.

Starting their lives as white plaster outcomes, the two-letter element came into play as I felt shorter words would be a good start point for something I have not done before - dipping string into plaster and shaping it into words. 

I also enjoyed the challenge of thinking of two-letter words and considering how they might work together...

OK SO

OH NO

AH OK

I wanted the works to hold their shape once dry and the outcome was as I had hoped for, lightweight words that could be moved around and propped up against walls. 

After this initial experiment, these two-letter words sat in my studio waiting to be picked up again. 

These were then picked back up during my brief break from black and white when I started to explore colour within the studio. Colour choice was arbitrary and made use of my underused collection of ready-mixed paint.

Once painted, the two-letter words went back on the shelf unused. I felt the use of colour undermined the two-letter words.

After some time I picked up these two-letter words again and returned to the classic use of black for text. Re-painting the outcomes in black acrylic paint.

This happened during my brief obsession with varnishing artworks to make them weatherproof!

Making Them Shine!

The final (at least for now) is a collection of two-letter shiny words. Going forward I plan to create more of these words - possibly exploring longer words with the long view of creating an installation.