Final adjustments

Right so it's hand in time and I've added more pathogens that I made over the weekend. I've added more to create more impact as I found on Thursday that there wasn't enough. I was stuck whether to create another 'germ hotspot' or add to the one I'd already got. I'm glad I added to the spot I'd already got as its made more of an impact. Which is what I wanted to achieve.

Evaluation

Even though i have evaluated throughout I am just going to summarise this module.

My initial knowledge of 'Simulating a Experience' only went as far as Virtual Gaming and the Earth Quake simulator (and other simulators for aeroplane pilots and astronauts) During the first couple of weeks my knowledge and understanding continuously grew and grew, and i started to relate it to specific and appropriate artists.

I didn't really have any initial ideas however once i started to find my feet and researching related subjects i started to think about my design. 

As it explains in my blog i have had several design ideas and as i have thoroughly experimented with each one my skills and understanding continued to develop.

As an outcome for this module i decided after having many unstable moments due to limitations and design malfunctions and several tutorials i decided to develop my 'giant germ' idea with a textile approach.

Ideas:

• Inside a human heart
• Giant germs
• Germs around the home with a UV light and powder - the journey of the germs
• Ruskin Hall experince with UV light and powder with a map and video of experience
• Finger sized germs on a bacteria hotspot - textile aprouch

As time was becoming ever closer i started to make my germs out of felt using my sewing machine and the machine embroidery feature - which i had never done before. I chose to do it out of felt and the particular colour that i did because it had the most likeness from the research. I could have done the germs out of silk paper, handmade felt or Flocking- all would have potentially worked however with the time running out i decided to use the best material for me - felt.

I needed to create more germs - and started to look around the house for items. I found items such as a long small cylinder of foam. i then cut up to make 'fruit pastel shapes' i then painted green as that is the colour used for the pigment so it can be seen under a microscope. The texture of these worked really well as they have a rough appearance just like the microscope images.

I then made a more developed style of germ by using polystyrene balls and using headed pins sprayed white to simulate influenza.

The Whole concept of this piece is to simulate germs on a certain place. I chose to do a door handle as my researched showed that handles and such objects have the most bacteria.

I want to make people feel like they cant touch that door handle and i want them to be provoked into not wanting to breath in the air as i have 'floating germs' as well. I consider my piece to be compelling and to provoke the fear that i live with day-today ~ OCD.

As my blog explains i did have many ups and downs and plenty of design ideas that i expanded on and then couldn't take any further due to limitations such as darkness. One of my main ideas was to place a special powder ~(brought online) that only showed up under a UV light. I would put this Powder around Ruskin Hall and then the experience would be then walking around with a map, with some sort of head wear with a UV light Source and a camera to video the emotions of the viewer. However as uni has natural light and white walls, and the time of year - not being dark until past eight pm, this potentially scraped that idea as i didn't want to put the powder in already dark spaces as you wouldn't find that much bacteria on the walls and corners. Not the sort of bacteria i wanted to portray anyway. I was looking at the bacteria that was spread from human to human, hand to hand.

So i referred back to my other, older idea and realised that it did have potential. And i went from there. The Giant germ was almost to giant to put into context so i made them finger size and then placed them on the door handle that i monitored for 30mins. (more info on this in a previous post)

I took the idea of a map of Ruskin Hall - which i made myself referring to the original floor plan from the Bournville Trust. And adding facts, and percentages of germs around the upper and lower floors. this would support in theory my handmade germs.

The idea was grown from my fear of germs and bacteria and my OCD. i want to share what i see day to day and i wanted to limit people from touching the door handle and raising awareness of bacteria. And i think i have succeeded this by simulating pathogens (bacteria).

Again i cant apologise enough for the rotated images - i am so confused as to why it is doing it! apologises for any neck pain!

Alternatives

Alternative materials instead of felt and embroidery that would have worked as well...

Silk paper - Silk paper does have the furry texture that could possibly been used.

Or even a technique called Flocking.

(Flocking is the process of depositing many small fiber particles (called flock) onto a surface. It can also refer to the texture produced by the process, or to any material used primarily for its flocked surface. Flocking of an article can be performed for the purpose of increasing its value in terms of the tactile sensation, aesthetics, color and appearance. It can also be performed for functional reasons including insulation, slip-or-grip friction, and low reflectivity.)

Inspiration

Here are a few images that i found inspirational to my piece - the reason why i made the giant germs in those particular colours is because of the pigment that is used under the microscope.

The germs are E.coli and the Flu Virus.

Setting Up

Today i set up my installation, originally going to be on the office door i have had to do it on one of the studio doors as the office door would get used too much and therefore potentially result in damage to my artwork.

My piece is to provoke fear for bacteria and germs - you dont want to touch the handle and you dont want to breath the air.

I think my peice is successful in the way that it shocks the audience and they are reluctant to touch the handle or breath the air. I think i would have liked to have made loads more and place them all over the Ruskin Hall and not just one place to further my concept. I hope that i have displayed it so that it has the correct context and that it is insightful to others.

Getting there!

As the submission date is becoming ever closer I'm becoming increasingly stressed about this outcome.

I still cant work out why blogspot is turning my portrait images landscape

With the image in mind (below) i have made several giant germs from felt, foam and polystyrene balls. How this came about is from a tutorial with Jo the Textiles specialist. I showed her my ideas from the beginning and as my latest idea wasn't working as such and i felt unsure. Jo thought that the giant germ had potential and that i should have put it in context by making them smaller and then attaching them onto germ hot spots through Ruskin Hall.

I done my research and observed how many people touch one particular door handle over a half an hour period. The particular door handle was held over 25 times - so whatever those 15/20 something people (as some handled more than once) have touched the more germs are being processed and travelled from person to person.

My mini installation hopefully will provoke fear by raising awareness of the huge amount of germs are on certain items - in this case a door handle.

If i had more time i would make more of these germs and show them around hot spots in Ruskin Hall for example

- the Bannister

- toilet doors

- taps

I would also really like to edit my map to more a science them with percentages and hot spots being marked.

Here is the initial idea .... and above is how ive developed it

I have also edited my map of Ruskin Hall and added a scientific aspect. I will also Mark out where the germ hot spots are and where the bacteria is most densely populated.

Getting there!

Tomorrow we are allocating our spaces for our submission. And Today i am still working on my final outcome.

So here is the low down....

1/ just about managed to build a contraption that could provide a UV light source on a head mount...

2/ create a 'murder mysteries' style map of the upper floor of Ruskin Hall...

All i have to do now...

1/ mark on the map where the bacteria is. (which will be sorted tomorrow)

2/ video the reactions of the viewers

3/ display the video and the head gear

4/ do evaluation.

Map

So after the tutorial today - i needed to make a map - Dem suggested a 'murder mysteries' style.

Here are my prototypes of the upper floor of Ruskin Hall...

Boring Idea

So after another tutorial my idea is too boring and too literal.

Back to the drawing board.

Now i am going to put the powder around university. I am then going to create some sort of head gear that is portable, light-weight with a uv torch attached. Dem also suggested a camera to film the reactions and emotions of the wearer. Also to create a map of Ruskin Hall to follow.

The idea is to use the head wear, and a floor plan to navigate and investigate the areas of high bacteria around Ruskin Hall.

I would need some sort of head gear that allows my to attach a uv light sorce and and camera.

I have faced many obstacles.

1/ the weight of the camera - too heavy and it will tip over, potentially leading to a broken camera/iphone

2/ the light source needs to be UV not white light

3/ it needs to be one size fits all

4/ needs to be stable, secure and portable.

im hitting so many brick walls at the moment its untrue! another problem i have is the fact it needs to be up and ready to film in 5 days time inc the a bank holiday weekend.

So the plan is...

1/ make a head mount that supports a UV light source

2/ create a 'murder mystery' map

3/ spread the bacteria around Rusking Hall and locate on map

4/ ask people to test it out and video their expressions.

I just hope i can do it in time.

Erik Johansson

This artists isn't really relevant to my project idea, however it is pretty cool and some photo manipulations fit in to a 'Simulating Experience'

Erik Johansson

Final Snapshots

So here is the final 5!

thse snapshots are the 5 i would like to include in the display along with the kitchen work top and the video

Its just one thing after another!

Ok so ive hit a very tall, strong brick wall! after the informal group crit presentations last thursday i thought i had it all sorted.

The plan

The plan was to simulate the journey through germs through video.

I completed what i thought was a video - shooting different angles and then editing them on my ipad/ pc.

However i could be more wrong. the video idea has just gone bad to worse in a matter of hours.

I am limited to when i can video as i need the darkness and as its not getting dark until 8 o clock its hard to find helpers!

I videoed the different shots under a uv torch light on my sony nex-5. However it is quite clearly not in tune with my ipad and has decided not to be compatible.

So...

i am going to have to shoot in all again on my ipad. and then go from there.

The whole evening wasnt a waste as i got some pretty cool still shoots!

I was also thinking about having a small area when i come to display is - perhaps a small kitchen work surface. with items on with the power. then supply the torch so that others can find the germs!

I will also include a bottle of hand sanitiser on the side for those that get freaked out my it!

For some annoying reason Blogspot has decided to rotate all my photos the wrong way.