'Delicately Damaged'

This first year project was one in particular i really enjoyed. I love looking at structures and hidden patterns within objects/ materials. I am also really interested in the idea of damage and deconstruction which as a process peels away layers of materials revealing things i have never seen before. I chose to look at a particular type of seaweed that i scavenged from Fraisthorpe beach (East Yorkshire). As a natural object this seaweed had been worn away to show its different layers which were so remarkably similar to that of the warp and weft in fabric. This woven structure created texture, form and visual pattern.

As the project progressed, i became very good friends with Celia - the laser cutter! I cut out hundreds of different varieties of intricate seaweed pieces to eventually be layered up as a wall covering. I wanted the final result to imply a feeling of movement, growth and protection, ironically almost the opposite to the process of damage i initially looked at!

Individual 'unit'

The photos of this piece don't really do it justice. The most impressive parts were the scale and its overall texture. In hindsight, the charcoal was maybe a little bit too strong and if i did this piece again i would add more detail maybe use a variety of felts and natural fabrics to create a more accurate texture.

I also looked at repeating the individual seaweed units across the body to see how they sat. 

Variation on original design, repeated around a point on
Illustrator to create an arched form. 

I really like this additional use of the seaweed forms and they work especially well on the body at this scale. I have always had an interest in body adornments and i think this desire to work on the human body is growing more and more. The way in which i work using multiple units to create a whole really works well when applied to the human body. I think i will continue in this direction in third year.