Exhibition: Laura Youngson Coll

This exhibition was held in Contemporary Applied Art from 25th June to 3th August 2014. The artist won the Perrier-Jouet Arts Salon Prize and is a new member of them.

She was inspired by nature and created all these works, mostly talking about air pollution. I think the reason that she chose moss and lichen is because that they are extreme sensitive to the quality of air. Normally they can only live and thrive in the place that has fresh air.

The main materials she utilised are leather and vellum.

Untitled (Lichens)
2013
Veg-tan Leather, Vellum

Indicator Species 1-5
2014
Veg-tan leather, vellum, fish skin, cherry twig cast in white resin

These works shows some species lichens can survive in extreme environments. The environments that formed by human activity and the lichens gradually adapted to them. This series is a reminder of our impact on the world we live.
1. London, 2. Eutrophication 3. Radionuclides 4. Lead Tetraethyl 5. Lichens of Clean Air

Haeckel 1
2014
Vellum, Supernatural Vellum, Hair Sheep and Goatskin Leather
This piece pays homage to Ernst Haeckel, as his extraordinary achievement in the illustration of biological specimens and micro-organisms.

White Garden 2013
Vellum, Hair Sheep Leather

I especially like the components made of vellum in her work. It feels so light and translucent that I can barely realise what is this material. Those lichens in vellum are amazing. And her ability to work with these little details are astonishing too.

However, I think even her works are not connecting with the environment or air pollution, it doesn't affect the result that I enjoy their looking. Because there is no supporting for me to know that is she really care about these problems or she just did whatever she like from a more visual side and made the concept afterwards. Maybe the relation between her work and the concept is not that close, which makes me have this feeling. From her description, what she wants to express is not what I see.

This also happens to myself. Though there is some reasons related to my nature, I would like to improve myself and make it different.

Interim Show Work - 4 Final Effects

This is the final effect of my work for this interim show.

The background was not used at last, since it cannot be pasted firmly on the wall and it did not match the main body of my work.

It is a shame. I like it and really made efforts to make it. Though when I almost finished it, I had a feeling that it may turn out like this.

Feedback:

I noticed that audiences either like the ceramic itself, or feel interested because it is a aquarium. A person belonging to the first kind told me that he wanted to see how these ceramics look like as jewellery. One of another kind of people liked taking to me about their aquarium all the time.

Neither of them sees the ceramic and the aquarium as a inseparable unit. This is crucial problem that I need to solve in my next period of study.  

Interim show work - 3

Apart from the background, I also want to hang some spare pieces on the wall that people can see from different angles. If the works in the tank are organic and subjective, then these on the wall are objective, like specimen.

As in the sketch, they will be hung on the wall next to the background, together with my business card.

Here, I am trying to find a way to hang them.

It was hard to find the balance between two wires and their fight shape, so I found out another two ways.

The bottom left is for business card.

Interim Show Work - 2 Background

The work I am going to show this time is only test piece, which is for one of my idea that inspired by Leon Bakst's costume design. when I made them, I didn't think throughly about the colour. Because the test is more about the shape and the pattern. Which leads this test could not fully express the feeling that I want to.

So in order to improve this situation, to create a atmosphere that help people understand my work, I decided to make a background for the tank. 

At the beginning, I wanted draw the developing process on the background, but then I realise that could be too much, which may distract people.

I used watercolour here, since I like the water trace they form and the way that colours blend together.

watercolour paper

paper from sketch book

paper for ink 

Eventually, I chose to use this kind of paper specially for ink painting. It has a strong ability of absorbing water. And even I painted again and again on it, it won't fluff.

After drying, it stays in flat, which is really ideal for me.

The only disadvantage of it is that it could not really lock the ink. This black one for instance, after it dry, the colour fade a lot. Which is a shame, because I really satisfied with the effect before drying.

The idea here is clouds and night sky. The part on the wall shows how sky changes from dawn to sunset, and then to night when the pictures expend to the floor.

Process:

I arrange them to the right place one the wall first.

Cut the edges.

In order to blur their contrast and boundary, I cut the edges inside. Also I added small pieces at the edges which colours are between the big sheets.

I will put a acrylic sheet to cover the painting on the floor, so that people can stand on it. It is like they stand in the outer space.

Final effect.