Reflection

When on the exchange, I feel like I gained many new qualities. Firstly, learning in a different environment, with new people and new ideas was so interesting. It meant that I was pushed out of my comfort zone and into something new and exciting. Although it was great working with new people, I felt that the course was not for me, as they didn't really focus on helping the exchange students much. I was also unable to finish a project as the term times were different which meant that I didn't really experience the full project. The facilities were not as good as Chelsea, however, I started a new technique which was weave and I had never done this before. I enjoyed this so much and decided that that was definitely something that I wanted to carry on. I then came back to Chelsea and decided to change my specialism choice to weave from knit.

The project went well all in all. I feel that I worked hard and the tutors were really happy with the outcome. The course was not very structured which meant that I had to be very motivated to keep track of my time. Now that I am back I am enjoying the structure more. My work was very different to what everyone else had done as I was still working in a similar way to being in London. However, weaving was something that I really enjoyed and I feel that I was very experimental while I was away. I also tried incorporating painting and stitch into my work, which was quite interesting.

The cultural differences were not too hard to deal with. The language barrier was not a problem as I spoke very basic German and most people spoke English. If I had stayed for longer I think I would have taken up a language course, however it was not necessary for the time I was there. The food and culture was something, which I settled into very quickly. I loved the nightlife and music so much and felt so at home there in that respect. The cafe culture was a lot more relaxing than being in London, and the actual place was very interesting. All the graffiti and old warehouse buildings were great. Everything looked rather ugly at first glance, but then when inside you would find exciting little art spaces and cafes.

I feel that the exchange has benefited me in so many different ways. As well as being an exciting and interesting change, I feel that it has changed me as a person. It has given me so much confidence and I now feel that I can do anything, go anywhere and know that I will be fine in what ever situation I am put in. I feel that I could go to any country and join the industry and deal with ways in which they work, easily. I have learnt that a change of scenery can bring fresh, new ideas and feel that I will always be wanting more which I think is really exciting.    

My last day in Berlin..

Presentation

Final project assessment

Bionics- Learning from nature.

Looking at how a dead, shrivelled Herbaceous plant can be made beautiful again. Looking at Bionics in a metaphorical way, I will create a poetic story. Usually the dead, limp flower would be thrown away, however I want to explore its delicate, fragile beauty. This will, in turn help one to appreciate what we would normally chose to ignore.

Using weave and material manipulation, I will translate the petals vascular bundle and look at how to create a fragile, detailed appearance. Focusing not mainly on colour, but structure and texture I will also try to create some 3 dimensional textiles with a double warp with weave. Material such as polyfilament yarn and nylon with give quite a structured effect. I will also try different yarns in the weft such as paper, polyester and plastic to test which is more 3 dimensional. 

Showing the hidden beauty of the dried flower using a gathering method with natural fabrics such as silk, without using stitch. I am also very interested in looking at how the fragile state of the petals can be translated in an inflexible way.
All in all, I will try and exhaust each idea as much as I can, in different ways and hope to come up with some interesting results.

I am very happy with the weaving results. Using different warps meant that each is slightly different and each was made to be quite loose so that the fibres are able to move around slightly. I thought this would be quite nice if light were to be shone through. Also using the white nylon fibre meant that I was able to paint the fabric in the colours like the petal. This gives a very luxury touch to the material. I also tried this with paper yarn which meant that it was very fragile, just like the petal, however the structure did not really represent anything to do with my work. 
I tried using a range of different materials to see which gave the best results and found that latex was rather effective. It really represented the delicate forms of the petal, however the actual touch and feeling of the sample did not. If I were to carry on with this project, I would really like to do something else with this on a bigger scale, incorporating colour somehow and maybe playing around with the density and weight. 
When using the silk jersey, I pulled threads out which gave a creased effect. I was very happy with these results and tried a few variations of this. Using glue meant that I could stiffen the fabric. 

If I were to stay until the end, I would plan on using ceramics and more weave to create a vascular bundle effect that is made inflexible. I like this idea as it opposes the original form of the dead petals and I feel that if it were to be more steardy and strong, people may not disregard this as if it were a dead flower.

Berlin is freezing over....

Today it was -12....

Holocaust Memorial

Designed by Peter Eisenman, this vast space is covered by huge concrete blocks which are a memorial to the murdered Jews of europe. There are 2,711 concrete slabs which are arranged in a grid pattern on uneven ground. As you walk into the centre, you are surrounded by 15'9". This was designed to give an uneasy, confusing atmosphere which is definitely present. This was a very impressive place to visit and during the day I can imagine that the feelings change down to light and shadow. 

Bethanein

This is an exhibition space for contemporary art with a focus on cultural and social issues. It is located at the end of my street which is very convenient and is a beautiful looking building which was once a hospital. Outside there is a lush park which I have now seen in the sun and snow. Here are some photographs from the exhibition which was called "A perfect day to chase tornadoes (white)".

When walking into the building, we were greeted by the sound of wind. This gradually got louder and louder and then suddenly stopped. It was very intense and quite scary as it sounded so real.......

This is some of my favourite work from the gallery. I really like the use of pen and colour. Very effective yet simple. The drawings are of animals like birds and elephants. 

The next part of the museum was and exhibition called 'EXIT'. This was completely different to the other half as it was very contemporary and some were quite difficult to understand.