Hiding from the Kango hammer

We are having the drive relaid at home so there is a lot of concrete to be removed using a kango hammer. I hate the noise so I have been out nearly every day this week.

I took the jam covers to class and spent two days fiddling about with a tripod and camera, trying to get all the settings right to take good photos for a Photobox book. After much effort I took a series of shots using the macro setting that I thought would look great. Then I downloaded them to my computer and I am bitterly disappointed. They just look crudely and coarsely worked. I think their appeal is when seen laid out as a multiple, or stacked, or handled. But they curl up when exposed to air, need space to be stacked, and are too delicate to handle much. I think I shall continue with the Photobos book, just for the experience, but am very downhearted about it.

I also spent some time thinking about the roller towels. I have looked in detail at glass cloths, which have a coloured woven strip with GLASS CLOTH LINEN UNION woven into it. I would like a coloured strip on mine, maybe with verbs associated with the cooking process in it. I have researched how to access narrow width linen, to make roller towels without having to turn the edge, and cannot source any. Most linen is extra wide for sheets, and narrow in linen terms is 36". The textile technician, Lisa, is visiting RA Sharp. a specialist manufacturer soon, and will find out whether they weave extra narrow linen, and whether they can weave in the coloured band, and then coat it for digital print. I think it is a long shot, but worth a try. But once again, there is a time delay before I can get on with it.

Three days driving to class has made my neck play up, so on Friday I took the train to Brighton instead, to escape the kango hammer noise. I went to Subversive Design at the Briton Art Gallery. Excellent exhibition. Lots of very interesting use of materials that supported and were wholly integrated into the message of the artwork. For example a chair made from razor wire that could not be sat in, a duvet cover that looked like a cardboard box that raised funds for rough sleepers, a table and chaise longue in black leather commenting on the stereotypes of slavery for black women, and a double espresso cup with a knuckleduster handle that plays on how caffeine packs a punch. However on reflection, I am still puzzled why no-one at uni likes my idea for imagery on upholstery. I think my imagery fits the object. There was plenty of imagery on usable objects at this exhibition, where the imagery was not even directly related to the object itself - Booze Britain was portrayed on plates, rather than beer glasses. So although I had a wonderful day out, and did loads of excellent artist research afterwards, I am not sure how to apply it to my own work.