Evaluation

Live Brief Installation Evaluation

This was a live brief project, meaning it was a project targeted at an audience, in my case the college student, staff and visitors.

This project was very unique and different to the previous ones as my audience had to be at the core of everything I did. The outcome produced would also be quite different as it would be a structure that wouldn’t be used, not even accessible therefore the whole function over form wasn’t in play.

First, I analysed the key characteristic of my audience and space that I would be working with. This involved mind moping and sketches. This stage was paramount as correctly identifying my audience would be the thing that allows me to produce an appropriate outcome. I believe I had a good and clear understanding of my audience after his.

Next was artist research, I came out with a handful of them and picked 4 to research in more depth. As always, I really loved this stage, seeing what professional artist create is always inspiring, and the projects I researched definitely influenced my design.

So, then I drew out my initial 10 design ideas, which was a lot harder than I had anticipated, mainly due to the fact that it was so open ended. In my previous projects I had specific criteria that restricted the possibility, in this case, being that my audience was so large and not very specific my designs could really be anything. What I found helpful was choosing one of the 3 spaces, I chose the atrium. This allowed me to know what kind of scale I would be working with. In my research I really like the bold colours of Christo and Jeanne, how light was allowed to pierce the structure with Edoardo, and how the audience was transported in a journey with the other two, so that also helped me shape my design ideas.

Then I got feedback from peers, family and friends, and from that I gathered that some aspects of my designs were good, whilst some not appropriate for what the brief criteria was. So, I then went back to the drawing board with the feedback and produced three more design ideas that took into consideration what I had been told. I then chose one of those designs and developed it.

Building was the next stage, throughout this I changed and added new things, like holes for light and changed the shape of the stair from the school’s arts and craft staircase to a circular staircase. I wanted concrete to form the majority of the installation, so it was for a long time. With deeper thought and going back to my audience I realised that dangling a huge concrete structure from a dropped ceiling was not appropriate; it would be too heavy and expensive. And that was the same story for the glass staircase. So, I outlined that the glass would be Perspex and concrete structure to be replaced by a wooden frame that would be covered in sheets of wood.

With those change in materials came another problem. Concrete has a very distinct character, but now that it was out of the window; I had to cover the installation with something. So, I decided to create an arts and deco inspired pattern made from the old school’s logo. That was then put on the whole installation where there weren’t mirrors already.

I am happy with the final outcome. I do not think it is what would be expected, rather I am sure it strays away from what is expected, but that makes it successful, as I wanted to challenge people. I wanted to create something that couldn’t just be brushed aside after having passed it a few times, and I believe I did that. I am happy to have been able to apply my peer’s feedback as it resulted in a lovely pattern that makes the installation better, and project more successful because I am going back to the audience. I was also able to take the history of the building and expand upon it, and that came in the form of the staircase, the asymmetry in the arches, the coloured Perspex and unvaried repetition of streamlined shapes to create a pattern. I think having loosely incorporated characteristic of the 3-art movement (arts and craft, art nouvelle and art and deco) also allows for more depth to the installation. I also happy to have changed the materials of the structure, if I had kept the concrete, I would have failed to correctly identify the restrained of the space and demands of the college.

I think an audience would be puzzled by my design, and from the people I’ve showed it to that is the case. A very mixed bag, so to me it is successful. I wanted this to be discussion point and not something that was just an addition to the atrium, not just pretty flowers dangling from a ceiling that would be forgotten very quickly. I acknowledge that if I had spent more time on the designing process, I could have maybe landed on a similar design that would be more refined and not so stocky and in your face. Therefore, if I had more that is what I would do. I would’ve also loved to have been able to render the 3D model, because at the moment the squares with highlights in the corner that serve as mirrors are just a stain.