Matt Shilan

Matt Shilan

"As a paper engineer my work is rooted in print media, books arts and commercial design. Beginning with and initial fold, a single action causes a transferor energy to subsequent folds, which ultimately manifest in drawings and three dimensional forms. I use my engineering skills to create kinetic sculpture which have lead to collaborations with scientists and the University of Michigan. We work on the nanoscale, translating paper structures to micro folds. Our investigations extend to visualising cellular division and solar cell development. Researchers see paper engineering was a metaphor for scientific principals; I see their inquiry as basis for artistic inspiration. In my studio I am a collaborator, explorer and inventor. I begin with a system of folding and at a particular moment the material takes over. Guided by wonder, my work is made because I cannot visualise its final  realisation; in this way I come to understanding through curiosity." - Matt Shilan, http://mattshlian.com/statement2012.html

Ara 153 - Paper, 20 x 40 x 2 Inches, 2015 

27 - Paper, 19 x 25 x 1 Inches, 2010

Enneagon - Paper, 25 x 25 x 3 Inches, 2015

http://mattshlian.com/index.html

Robin Clare

Robin Clare

"Taking my inspiration from urban environments, I look for subjects that tell a story about the time or place in which I live. I work mainly from drawings and images I take of impermanent situations that I come across on a daily basis. My subjects are chosen initially for their humour and visual impact. But, underneath the surface is a reflection on society. Of particular interest to me in this series is the relationship between affluence and waste.

The discarded or found objects I choose to focus on have the ability to appear both humorous and venerable when taken out of their normal environments and ejected representing the impact of mass consumption; they also work as a metaphor for homelessness and remind us of our impact on the world.

To produce my work I employ a number of different techniques and approaches including line drawing, stencilling and painting. The choice of technique is dictated by way in which my subject communities with me. I enjoy using bright acidic colours and strong visual lines as a tool to create a sense of installation and drama on the canvas. I am also influenced by the visual language of advertising and surface design. which comes through in my visual aesthetic and use of pattern.

The products of my work are vibrant, graphically influence images of discarded objects and passed over situations. It is intended that these images appeal in both a visual and intellectual level inspiring the viewer to experience the world in a different way.

Fridge on Green Pattern, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm 

Washing Machine on Blue, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm 

Fridge on Yellow Pattern, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm

Washer on Orange, Oil & Acrylic on Canvas, 100cm x 100cm

Paula Zuccotti

Paula Zuccotti 

"I have 15 years of experience travelling the world researching people’s everyday lives and uncovering insights that lead to the creation of successful products, brands and services. I used to be Head of Research and Director of Futures at Seymourpowell, where I worked for 12 years. I joined the company's nascent Foresight department in June 2001 (when I came to London awarded by a scholarship from the British Council to study for an MA in Design Strategy and Innovation at Brunel University) and created and developed Seymourpowell's renowned ethnographic research offer that pioneered the field of design research." - http://www.paulazuccotti.com/About

I find Zuccotti's work really enlightening, it has may me think about approaching the topic of pattern from a different angle. The pattern of life. How we interact everyday with menial objects. The paths we walk and the repetition in our own lives and how it differs from that of others, both strangers and people around us. Where do our paths cross and what does this say about ourselves? 

Michael Reeder

"Dallas, Texas based artist Michael Reeder paints eclectic portraits that explore ideas about identity. Reeder is fascinated by the various characteristics that define us, and his works mix those elements both stylistically and conceptually. While his main interest is modern identity, the figures he portrays often have a classical quality. He renders their faces as if he were chiseling away at marble, redefined with abstract and exaggerated features with blank eyes (ancient statue eyes were painted or inlaid.) His portraits aren’t meant to be accurate representations. Rather, he considers portraiture to be more like a reinvention of his subjects, which takes place at their simplest form. Reeder relies on visual cues to characterize his subjects. For instance, some images are spliced in half with color or lines to imply the feeling of being torn. Other times, these juxtaposing ideas, palettes, and compositions are a play on dimension and style. Like his creative combinations, our personalities are the result of many facets and experiences that create a whole." - http://hifructose.com/2015/08/22/michael-reeder-explores-identity-in-eclectic-portraits/

Masked Ritual - Acrylic and Aerosol on Panel 24"x  24"

Master of My Reality - Oil, Acrylic and Aerosol on Panel 24" x 30"

When The Fire Goes Out - Gouache and Aerosol on Panel 11" x 14"

I was originally drawn to the work of Michael Reeder through his use of pattern within his work. I also really liked the mix of the geometric pattern against portraits and his illustrative style. I find his use of aerosol within his work really interesting as well, using it to create gradients in colour across his work. Looking at this I think I would like to try using aerosol in my own work, perhaps as a way of creating the patterns in my work combined with the use of stencils.

Exhibtion: Bridget Riley: Venice and Beyond, Paintings 1967-1972

Bridget Riley: Venice and Beyond, Paintings 1967 - 1972, Grave Gallery, Sheffield 

"Bridget Riley is one of Britain’s most important and accomplished abstract painters, with a career spanning six decades. This new exhibition at the Graves Gallery will focus on a breakthrough moment in the development of the artist’s work: the introduction of colour.

Following her first major abstract works in the early 1960s, Riley began to incorporate colour into her painting in 1967 by using a limited palette in works such as Rise 1(1968), a highlight of Sheffield’s collection. The adoption of colour came to inform Riley’s developments throughout her ensuing career, adding a rich new dimension to her investigation of visual contrast and perception.

The exhibition will chronicle this unique moment of change, showcasing a carefully selected group of paintings and studies from 1967–72, which situate Rise 1 within the context of works made during this period." - http://www.museums-sheffield.org.uk/museums/graves-gallery/exhibitions/current/bridget-riley-venice-and-beyond-paintings-1967-1972

Rise 1, Bridget Riley

My experience of the Bridget Riley exhibition at the Graves Gallery was slightly disappointing. The work featured in the exhibition was mainly featuring her lined pieces; I was hoping to see some more of her colourful and more patterned work. Despite this the exhibition did feature some of her drawing which showed some of the construction and notes on her work, something I was actually really found of, being able to see how the artist worked to produce the work. I was also drawn to the idea of the artist meticulously working on such precise scale something I would like to look at doing in my own work.