Group Work; The wall

As preparation for working with other artists we had a group module, the main focus was interesting characters. People on the streets, or friends, we had to document them, well as incorporating five prints into it. This would then become an open night, for parents and friends on bonfire night (free wine YAY!) My group’s main focus where the outlaws and rebels of society, such as my friend Emily, a piercer who is big on self-body modification, she was joined by Nigel the biker (bikers are a pro rebellion poster if you want to look at it like that) and bob from Uni with his dreadlocks. The aim was to capture and document the people that older generations would perhaps frown upon or judge straight away because of their dress code or however much metal they want have in their skin.
Our group consisted of Frazer, Egypt, Eve, Lewis and Harry (of course myself), it was a brilliant mix of talent as each person differed in artistic skill.

As a group we ran through ideas of what we could do, an interactive wall, where those who visited could draw on our section of wall, or somehow be involved. After discussing this over a period of three days, we decided on creating a wallpaper, covering it in drawings, sketches and paintings of the people we knew and had met on this module. All though a few characters where strictly imagination.

The other wall was drawn straight onto, with marker pen, colouring pens and different lead pencils so we had a range of texture. The prints where linocut, which is where you take a sheet of linoleum and cut into it using a scalpel or sharp implement. It works in negative (good way to describe it) as the places carved away remain naked as the ink does not touch the detail, just the negative space remaining on the linoleum. Ink is rolled onto the sheet and the printing can be done by hand or press. Frazer pressed straight onto the wallpaper and wall. I used a much more primitive technique. I painted my fingertips and created a pattern around Nathaniel (skinhead rolling a cigarette.) Our five prints where three lino prints, smoke coming from the ginger sailor's pipe, a woman on the wall paper, a man on the wall and two separate finger prints.

I enjoyed working in a group for a short period of time, with it being such a large project you know you have a team to help or advise- and that's useful, getting a fresh set of eyes to examine your work and give constructive criticism, just as a client would. What I didn't like was the small amount of space we had, though we managed it well.