goldlayisrising

The work for Essex continues - Goldlay Sq is rising from the empty space, although as we know it was never empty. I have been looking closely at the designs and considering them within the context of the build and the budget. The work is developing into a focused intense experience, the pieces clustering so that they can be viewed as if a narrative. They are in themselves becoming more intense, more decorative. There will be more cutting which means that there will be less metal in the pieces but more space for interpretation. Thinking about a title for the piece - I'm interesting in the title linking in some way to an instagram account. I like the idea that I can put all the research that has informed the piece in a place that can be found by individuals if they want and also it will date the piece as instagram will obviously fall by the digital wayside as so many platforms have in the past.

bookseedcrystal

crystalstructure

bookbook

bookstructure

bookknowledge

crystalcell

crystalbook

bookcell

containedcell

knowledgeseed

bookseedcrystal

crystalbookseed

seedbookcrystal

pastnowfuture

futureknowledge

futurebookknowledge

unknownknwoledge

knownknowledge

unseenknowns

knownknows

@crystalbookseed

there is to be a sign, a plaque - wordage to follow.

responsibilityandrespect

work on the structures for Goldlay Square progresses - the choices are now finding locations within the plan - I love the action of positioning - working within the digital space - moving something not yet made within a space that does not exist which will impact on people's lives - notions of responsibility and respect are running high today.

sizeisall

a morning of thinking about scale whilst admiring a sample for the Goldlay Square work. The overall scale of the pieces in relation to the pattern is interesting to consider and has been highlighted after getting a piece of steel plasma cut. Really pleased with the sample, it has a sense of flow and all the connections that I have been inspired by are embedded within the work.

tessellationtessellationtessellation

Spent the day focused on building Penrose tessellations for the Goldlay Square commission. Working with illustrator to create vector drawings that combine the history of the site - the cell like structures that come from the seed/growth/allotment reference and the open book structures that are derived from the book repository and printers. I really like that the more one looks at the design one can see patterns within patterns and the negative spaces provide a place of play. 

foldingandfinding

continuing to extend the idea of nets, crystals and systems. A visit to look at the potential of a plasma cutter at http://www.steelsculptures.co.uk/ has led to thoughts of combining the nets with tessellated patterns. The pieces would be a combination of both geometric art piece and seating - shadows have great potential - aesthetically pleasing and useful! Meanwhile collating distances to everywhere from Chelmsford. The signpost/distance idea is fairly straightforward but rather than buying actual signs they could be cut and galvanised to last forever. I love the idea that everyday the individual looking at the posts will consider their physical place in the world, connecting and joining them to others.

convergentcrystalhistory

convergence - today the various strands of research have merged - from the book repository, thinking about the idea of communication of knowledge and how we communicate - The Marconi Wireless factory is/was just around the corner and I started to reflect on all the places messages were sent to and from and how far away places were/are - signposts - an image from my family album - far right is my Uncle Reg my great Aunt Floss who is sitting on his right, always with her handbag. He worked at GEC and I once made a cats whisker radio set with him - a proto transmitter - the crystal was galena, which has an isometric structure so the idea using symmetric crystal structures to exploring moulds and the positive and negative is in the air.  

Goldlaygardensbecomesasquare

I have a new job. It's a great project working with Commission Projects http://www.commissionprojects.co.uk/ on a new housing development for Essex County Council on the site of the former Essex County Council Libraries Headquarters and storage facility in Chelmsford.  The site has an intriguing history which I am just starting to uncover. My first foray into the archives has thrown up a link to a Mercury Press on the site around 1930-40 which has provided a strand of research. It was also a space of 'knowledge storage' for all you psycho geography people out there. Books ordered in, held there before being disseminated within Essex library service. This flow of stories is another strand, thinking about words and how we use them. Finally walking around the site, the work is beginning and seeing the buildings rising from the ground one connects to the making process. The plans have mirrored formats within the design and the process of building involves moulds so an inside and outside or negative and positive. I'm interested in how this relates to the idea of the puzzle and how good public art makes you think but you can also ignore it until one day you engage. The work begins here......