For my piece to be featured as a part of the group exhibition I wanted to exhibit a work which would act as an introduction to my ideas and focus of my work. However I did not want to remove any of my sculptures from the context I had presented them in my solo exhibition space as I felt this could then reduce them to appear just as ‘art objects’ rather than disruptive objects. Therefore early on I made the decision that I would exhibit a framed work, either a drawing or a photograph.
Drawing and pattern making has been a key part of my practice through the year as I have continually tested ideas and created patterns in sketchbooks and began to explore developing these as larger line drawings last term. Furthermore the idea of pattern and ritual was at the forefront of my initial ideas from exploring naturally occurring patterns in the landscapes such a salt patterns. Designer Victor Papanek described our fascination of natural pattern in nature as "The reason we enjoy things in nature is that we see an economy of means, simplicity, elegance and an essential tightness in them. But they are not design. Though they have pattern, order, and beauty, they lack conscious intention." I therefore felt that by developing my own process pattern pieces I could explore recreating and producing my own form of pattern making. However I was aware that this would also require developing more of a contextual purpose for these pieces if they were to relate to my other works.
By testing in sketchbooks and larger pieces I arrived at a settled aesthetic for producing my line drawings by creating intense line patterns that are similar to those of geological contour lines. This was then combined with enclosing this pattern in a form that echoes that of my sculptural works but also of Neolithic tools and rock shapes making a subtle link to my solo works. Having produced my first drawing I then created my final exhibition piece on 100cm x 140cm snowdon paper with a 0.2 drawing pen. This was then intended to be kept unframed and simply clipped up neatly with bulldog clips. I felt this was affective again to keep the drawing raw and to invite the viewer to examine the lines close up.
Within the drawing Papanek’s interpretation of the naturally created pattern is reflected as by humanly reproducing patterns there are some imperfections and mistakes and therefore demonstrates a key point in my artist statement that whatever I produce will remain nothing more than a fabrication. The drawing offers a tool for viewers to understand my practice and focus on process and pattern making which is necessary in the production of my sculptural works.