Project No. 1 - Meanings of Textures

AUC ART
Collective Experiments of Meanings in Life Experience

Project No. 1 - 02/04/11

Theme - Meanings of Textures

I watched Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” (1958), and one thing that got my attention was the apparent difference between our contemporary “clean”, sharp images, with sleek, cold lines and structures, and the velvety depth of the image of the 50s films. Wallpapers, sofa covers, the fabrics of clothes, colour - they all seemed more “bold”, (of course the actors’ skins looked orange because of Technicolor technology), but there is a striking contrast between the feel of things – the cars are more robust and solid, clothes looked heavier… today with IKEA and post-modernist movements, the objects around us look light, maybe even cheap (for instance, the difference between our fabric sofas and the leather couches of the 50s, or the old paneled walls and our current crisp, white walls). How does this affect us? What do textures do for us in everyday life?

For this project, you will:

- Focus on textures; this can be a concept, physical textures, movements, feelings, sounds, can textures have smells? Can colours have textures?

- Look at textures inside and/or outside our living space (water in the canals, bricks of buildings, fabrics of pillows, wood of our tables…).

- Develop at least one practical plastic experiment (using materials and their properties)

- Develop an overall intention or concept that supports your project (this may be extensive or not)

- Develop a “final” project/object/presentation for next session

To start you off, it might be useful to research some artists, go to an exhibition (the Tropenmuseum’s “ROOD” is great), play around with different mediums, engage in spontaneous body movements, eat foods with funny textures, watch documentaries of experiments with chemical properties, etc.

The purpose of this project is to begin the series of themes we will cover during our three months together. You can take it to wherever you want to go, but, because this is the beginning, I would like you to pay particular attention to experimenting with materials – perhaps drawing, painting, playing a musical instrument – these actions may draw you closer to the concept you elaborate and the action is what is most important here. The process you go through is more important than the product, so don’t worry if it turns out shit! It’s your involvement with the subject that counts to your development.

Any questions? sarahpaivarodrigues@gmail.com, sarah de paiva rodrigues on Facebook