Michael Croeser

Michael Croeser is a South African Artist whose chosen medium is charcoal on paper. He uses found objects Juxtaposed with sourced imagery to create spontaneous compositions. The use of found objects to create compositions form the basis of his drawings. The initiation of his way of working resorts to a type of bricolage whereby mundane objects are placed together in order to create his own unique collages which he photographs using a 35mm camera.The photographs become informed references for his drawing. He then maps out large scale drawings based on the photographed compositions and creates large scale charcoal drawings with maximum attention to shading and detail.

Its easy to mistaken the precision of Croesers drawings for giant digitally printed photographs due to the detail of tone and shading and great attention to detail.

The spontaneity in his starting points relates to my work in the way found objects are sourced and assembled. 

More of his work can be seen here         michaelcroeser.wordpress.com

Marguax Lange : Barbie doll found objects

Marguax lange is an artist Jeweller who produces works from Barbie doll parts. She re purposes mass produced materials into handmade wearable art.

Barbie dolls are appropriated from pop culture into pieces of jewellery which are combined with sterling silver.

An aspect of this process which relates to my work refers to Upcycling and also that she uses found objects from popular culture which are recontextulised into pieces of jewellery.

More of her work can be seen here http://www.margauxlange.com/

Keith Lo Bue - Bricolage

Keith Lo Bue is an American artist jeweller who makes work from found objects and is referred to as a “stuffsmith”.

He creates jewellery by assembling once vital objects. He uses a vast arrangement of bits and pieces. Materials range from dead animals, and tools as well as a selection of abandoned artifacts.

He is drawn to details of  objects as well as detritus of natural and cultural history. He creates what he describes as a type of visual poetry.

He also describes his work as pieces that connect the wearer with other times and places.

Although he does not refer to bricolage as a distinct characteristic in his work, his vast use of objects to create works, tend to deal with the same working process as a bricoleur.

Fred Woell

Fred woell is an American Jeweller who makes works from found objects.

Woell is knowen for what some call his “anti Jewellery” also knowen as junk jewellery. His works comprise of plastic toy soldiers and a broad range of other found objects.

A relevant characteristic in Woells work relates to the idea of “chance being his guide”. In this sense he works in a relatively flexible way which allows the work to create itself.

The nature of the process being quite free within his choice of found object materials relates to the way I treat found objects.

Woell states that he has an idea, he starts somewhere and he sees what happens. The nature of the process being quite free within his choice of found object materials relates to the way I treat found objects.

Urban Bricolage - Photographs

The gratification of taking photographs is instantaneous.

Ive started a separate blog called Urban Bricolage dedicated to in the moment street art photography.
I have continued playing around with experimental compositions using toy soldiers and ive been pretty stoked with the results.

I aim to have an exhibition soon with the images alone. I will be exhibiting at the follow you art exhibition in July.

Check out the entire collection here:
http://urbanbricolage.wordpress.com

Anglo Platinum Competition prototype

Im in the process of constructing a prototype piece for the Angloplatinum competition.

My first idea consisted of a ring constructed of 2 bands with resin and found objects sandwiched in the sides.

After a discussion with various supervisors, i came to the conclusion that i was not expressing the theme of "Red carpet" to the full capacity of the brief

Anglo platinum supply 20 grams of platinum, which isn't a lot if your aim is to make a huge statement piece. For the celebrity to wear this piece i thought about Banksy, but now im thinking i want to envision a celebrity closer to home, so I've got my mind set on Spoek Mathambo.

Spoek Mathambo is young artist from South Africa dubbed as a young rebel musician with his own flow, a singer dancer song writer also involved in a group called sweat X.

I think using a cassette tape "freaking out" is representational of the dynamic and outlandish persona of Spoek Mathambo.

The idea came to me when i opened up a cassette tape, and started playing around with the reel and the magnetic tape.

I thought it would be an interesting idea to translate the magnetic tape into a long flat strand of platinum.

I have begun the prototype using flat silver strand which as illustrated below will wrap around the tape reel and then i will attatch it to the base of the tape using clear resin. Im going for a semi controlled look, but want aspects of the metal tape to hang over the sides.

My initial intention was to hang it on a strand of wire, but have decided it will make an awesome brooch.

Thank you to those people who encouraged me to act outside of the conformity of which i thought i needed to succumb to inorder to meet the requirements of the brief.

Bracelet Cuff- Mural Malcolm X

Last week i worked on the fitting and installation of the record vinyl elements as backing inlays. I chose to use record vinyl as it is representational of music culture.

I could also have used black perspex but like the bricoleur i used indirect means.

I used what was accessible and available.

I like the sheen of record vinyl as it has a visually interesting texture. Its not the easiest medium to work with. 

I also like the idea that the vinyl was once a vehicle  which once told us stories through song and now it conveys a new type of story through its new function.

Malcolm X was a speaker, so mabee its back in its right place.

Mabee to subvert the vinyls application could stand as a metaphor for freedom of expression.

Process

I used silver rivets to connect the record vinyl elements to the back of the aluminium cut outs. When hammering the rivets, i knocked off a bit of the paint.

Im not sure if im going paint over the rivets and the chipped paint or embrace its raw elegance.

There is the risk of getting paint on the vinyl, and i want to maintain the stark contrast between painted metal and vinyl.

I also want to fill in addittional detail, by means of making a cardboard stencil and painting in additional detail.

This conceptual piece has allowed me to venture into an interesting way of thinking. For a while i forgot i was making a Jewellery and the concept kind of blurred the line between sculpture, industrial design and Jewellery.

For the construction of the final six pieces i still have to make 48 rivets and 6 catches before this project proves itself successfull. 

I like the way each bracelet stands independantly as its own intrinsic design, and when placed together make up a whole image.

I still need to make the frame to hold all the bracelets in place for display purposes.

Comrades Soldier bricolage

I spent this weekend trading at markets….I thought money was partially satisfying, but their was more dynamic compositions going on in my head.

I had contemplated driving to Pitermaritzburg for the start of the comrades marathon, so i could take some photos. 

On the way home from the market, i crossed over tollgate bridge, and saw the last strain of runners trickling down the road. I knew i had too do something interesting using the natural chaos of onlookers, aswell as the road un inhibited by cars.

I rushed home to get my camera and my now frequently used toy soldiers.

I walked berea road and felt like a free man. Free to do whatever i could with all that i had.

Armed with a 10 megapixel digital camera, and some plastic soldiers i started shooting at the runners.

I think i might have even encouraged some of them and given them something to laugh at. I thought to myself, respect to you running this race and thank you for being a beautiful and interesting backdrop. 

Im sure the ones who noticed will have something to talk about at the end regarding the mad man with the red beard pointing soldiers at them and taking low shots. I got some award winning stares. It was a beautiful bricolage moment, using what i had to create even at the expense of looking like a complete and utter mad man.

And then the police came, and i left the scene of the crime that wasn't  one to begin with. (But at least i got the shot)

Cuff bracelets-Products rim strips

The rim strips are proving to be a great commodity, in terms of useful materials.

They have great working capabilities, are strong  durable, and have a nice clean visual appearance.

They come in dark, and beer bottle brown, as well as yellow. 

As i was culling a tyre i found a yellow rim strip and took the opportunity to quickly produce yet another cuff bracelet using part of the rim strip for the base, and part of a grey bicycle tyre for the interwoven detail.

Im really enjoying making new products. I like the idea that these bracelets can be quickly produced using stock of an assortment of found objects that vie already collected.

This brings me to another vital point that characterizes the behavior of a bricoleur.

The bricoleur makes do with what he encounters, and takes stock of the means he already has.

His means are concrete, as they have an objective existence, but they are also abstract, as they can play a variety of roles depending on the situation.

They are signs. The bricoleur determines these roles by entering into a dialogue with his inventory.  Design as bricolage,Anthropology meets design thinking ,1999 Elsevier science Ltd

Another issue is, i like the freestyle nature of working relatively quickly to produce interesting variations.