crotcheting project

Hi Mark. I did my crocheting project on power point. I uploaded it onto slide-share but im having trouble getting it onto my blog. Could you please view it on slideshare. please click- here

Design theory rings projectView more presentations from Eileen Tadiwa Madzime.

theory exam

2011-11-04

Comparative analysis:

Used the first option with the box pendant and the round one.

Pendant A is a box literally with a top and a bottom. The bottom fits into the top and the pendant can be worn with the top and the bottom together or apart. There is a little ball that looks like a pearl inside the bottom part, it can be seen when the top and bottom are separated. The pendant does not have a very shiny finish, it’s made from white- silvery coloured metal and it hangs from what looks like thin cord. Pendant B is also made from a white- silvery coloured metal and does not have a highly polished finish either. It is however shaped like a full moon with a tiny quarter taken out at the top. There is a ball protruding from there and a jump ring is connected to the top of the ball. It is through this jump ring that the pendant is connected to the chain which is a more solid looking metal ‘cord’ as compared to the one on pendant a. Pendant b is in one piece as compared to pendant a and both have a ball somewhere. Whilst the ball in pendant a has the appearance of a pearl and is soft creamy white in colour; the ball in pendant b has an almost glass like, marble like quality and is black in colour. It doesn’t look like metal to me so I would tend to think that the jump ring is stuck on instead of soldered. With pendant a however it looks like there is a hole in the ball and the cord which goes through the box around it is what connects the ball to the rest of the piece.

Hollow construction seem to have used in both pieces with the addition of doming in pendant B. Neither of them has the appearance of being intensely complex technical pieces. It’s not hard to try and imagine how both were made. Pendant a has a very geometric look, it’s all straight lines and sharp angles. I appreciate how it looks balanced regardless of which way it’s worn, its different that the bottom part fits into the top instead of the top fitting into the bottom and that the bottom is smaller than the top, but somehow it all balances out. The soft, curvy lines of the ball inside the pendant contrast very nicely with the outside. The curves of the cord from which the pendant hang also echo the curves of the ball, and the way the cord is very slender just gives it a rather feminine look which flows very nicely with the ball and the curves etc. Pendant b interestingly has a more curvy shape but somehow that doesn’t make it look more feminine. The dark colour of the ball and its size don’t throws off any sense of delicacy one might have had from the curved shape of the pendant. The thick cord form which it hangs also emphasizes this feel. It exhibits a bit of a geometric feel as well.

 I find that pendant a it feels like some sort of hidden treasure hidden within an outer wrapping that doesn’t necessarily reflect what is outside. The box shape makes me think of receiving a gift. Pendant b also has a ball peeking from somewhere but it feels more like a symbolic thing. The shape echoes a moon and the dark colour reminds me of a dark night, it feels like there is a deeper almost religious feel to the piece, like there is more to it than what you see ( also because of the its simplicity and the contrast in colours.)  The simplicity of both pieces encourages one to look and wonder more.

ok...pictures sorted:)

fig a- heart shaped locket
fig b-round pendant with stone

comparative analysis

Hi Mark, Im sorry I posted this late. Only managed to sort out my password now. Iv also had some trouble putting on the pictures. Fig a (first piece) is the heart shaped pendant and Fig b (second piece) is the round pendant with the red  stone.

The first pendant (fig a) is a heart-shaped locket seemingly made out of whitish grey metal and gold metal. It has a chain and a hinge to keep the two sides of the locket together and a screw-like bale.  The front is rather rounded and it has a rather random design on top, zig zags and dots.  The second piece (Fig b) is also a pendant and is similar to the first in that it is also seemingly made up of two different metals; a deeper gold than the first and  a warmer looking whitish grey. It is round and is not a locket and whilst it also has a design on the top, the design is more organized and symmetrical than the one on fig a.  It also has a stone set at the top   , a red stone, a cabochon by the looks of it set on some sort of upraised triangle. Both pendants have a boarder on them, one having an upraised one and the other a recessed one. Fig a has a rather smooth matte surface whilst fig b has a not as smooth surface with a dull shine.

Both designs have more than one metal in them, it looks like brass and silver in the first one and 18ct yellow gold and silver in the second one. The second one also appears to have some other deep grey metal. The red stone could possibly be a ruby. The design on the second piece of jewellery could have been etched or roll pressed. The design on the second one however looks like it could have been done by stamping. The hinge was definitely riveted at some point. Both pieces would be worn around the neck, fig a would hang from a steeper angle than fig  b. Both look comfortable but fig b somewhat give the impression of being heavier. This is probably because of the stone and its base. I daresay both would be comfortable to wear given the length of the chains they hang form allows for this.

Fig a gives off an interesting vibe that sort of contradicts, the little details such as the e chain and the screw-like bale, the hinge that has a very geometric mechanical just shout out steampunk. Then you get the organic shape of the pendant itself, all rounded and curved making the piece start to take on a feminine delicate look, the design on top- the dots and the zig zag lines carry on this feeling but somehow tie the shape and the steampunk details together. The zig zag lines are in the shape of half circles, the angles in the zig zag tie in with the geometric sense of the piece and the half circle shape blends in with the shape of the pendant. Fig b on the other hand almost completely gives off an organic, feminine feel with the all the curved lines it has and the flowing lines of the design. It feels like you suddenly hit a wall though when your eyes suddenly hit the very geometric lines of the triangle at the top of the design. It’s like a piece of the pie has been taken and used for something else,( the triangular shape set in a circle echoes this) Then your eyes continue upwards and see the circular shape of the stone and the shape around it. The piece starts to feel organic and circular again. The puzzling color of fig b hints at age but the top part done in stronger, bold, geometric lines feels a bit more modern. Both pieces exude contradicting things in different ways. The first one feels more successful, whereas the second one s tarts to feel like two things combined.

4rth term written assignment

Oscar Abba jewellery:

I find this refreshingly different, the designer managed to convey some sort of free sense that is obviously very planned. The fluid continuous feel of the lines blends in very well with the shapes used. Oscar’s use of silver; a precious metal corresponds very well with the idea of an abstract, planned piece. It’s interesting how the form doesn’t exactly conform to the strict shapes or at least recognizable shapes that jewelry so usually adheres to but it still gives the sense of being valuable and proper.   I like how the designer carries on a theme; how he has developed an idea. The first bracelet has folds that are not so much of folds in the word but they echo the shape of folds in the way the metal is wavy and bends at unexpected areas.  Then the second piece Folds 2 has folds that are more defined, the metal doesn’t just echo the shape of folds but it also actualy folds in some places. The third piece  aptly named Liquids continues the same sort of abstract theme with organic , fluid lines but in this it seems to me that the designer went even more abstract, more ‘out of the box’ he has the lines and the shapes and the folds going but he adheres to a less defined shape. I find it interesting how there is an empty space in the middle of the piece and the outside of the piece is where it seems the shapes and folds are...And it almost seems to me that the empty space in the middle is contained by the shapes around it. It reminds me of how water doesn’t actually have a shape but just takes the shape of the object/container around it.

It must have taken some measure of craftsmanship to bring out all those shapes and I can’t help but wonder at the level of accuracy and just how he did it all. There is an appealing contrast in the shapes used and the angles used; for example the first bracelet; Folds has very loose line and then 'organic right angles' in some places. The designer also managed to make his pieces appear balanced in spite of the abstract, wavy lines. Oscar’s designs are interesting and make for an interesting analysis I could go on J

2nd designer for June assignment.

2^nd Designer:

[1]Fritz Maierhofer:

Brief Biography:

Fritz Maierhofer; an Austrian Jeweller’ was born in 1941 and had his first introduction to the world of jewellery at 14 years of age in the form of an apprenticeship. He has since remained in the trade, expanding and accumulating knowledge in the trade. His designs have matured and acquired an identity of their own. He has evolved into an “artist-jeweller” who perceives jewellery as a means to send a messages and signals. He was among the first crop of jewellers who challenged the status quo of jewellery should look like in terms of design as well as material. I quote; “What is relevant and most important to me is the inner, really true value of the material I am using. It should show its true characteristics: a clear, provocative statement without any compromises. Tin is pliable, plastic colourful and gold as strong as steel. “ 1He has also won several awards and has had a notable number of exhibitions.

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Fritz Maierhofer.

Tin and gold pendant

http://www.fritz-maierhofer.com/index.html

I like the movement in this design. The way the sheet of metal is looks as though it is unrolling is fascinating and different because we don’t usually think of metal as a material that rolls and unrolls. This repetition creates a comfortable rhythm; your eyes go around the top part of the pendant as they take in the rolled part, then they travel down to the gold tip. The texture used for the tin matches the roll, its smoothness blends in with the effect the designer is trying to bring out. In fact I wonder if Fritz in this design wasn’t trying to challenge our perception of metal as static and inflexible.  The gold point dominates the design subtly, the design leads to it, its different colour makes it stand out a little more than it would have if it were grey. There isn’t a lot of contrast in this design; the grey colour of the rope that the pendant hangs from just differs from the grey of the pendant in shade. I find that the pendant is not disorienting to look at due to the positioning of the various components and the arrangement of the lines. It would have been disorienting to have the roll leading to a gold tip above it. The roll gradually tappers till it comes to a point in the form of the gold tip, this again contributes to the rhythm and also influences the balanced appearance of the piece. The use of a consistent thickness of metal for the whole piece also contributes to the balanced appearance.  Harmony is present in the colours used as well as the type of line used. The material used is unexpected –tin and gold where one would expect silver or white gold, tin is a suitable choice for this piece due to its flexibility.    

2nd piece.

Fritz Maierhofer

      corian® ring in red

       http://www.fritz-maierhofer.com/index.html

          I found this piece rather daring in how it doesn’t necessarily look like what most would take as a treasured piece of jewellery. Honestly at first glance it looks like a piece of plastic that was cut and ornamented with a bit of gold. The red colour is very bold and its combination with that gold makes it even more so. The cut itself is also bold and unapologetic, the sharp, steep angles even more so. The sharp, long angle on the right and the gold cylinder dominate the ring. I think the angle is the more prominent focal point; the way it juts out way above everything else draws more attention to it. There is repetition in the type of line used and angles whether they are 60 degree angles or 90 degree angles. These give the ring a geometric look. There is a contrast in between the angles in the corner and the circle in the middle of the piece as well as the cylinder on top. Interestingly the circles and the angles don’t necessarily clash and look disjointed and I think this is partly because both the circle and cylinder are done with crisp, straight lines (not wobbly lines) so they blend with the geometric look. Proportion is also interesting in this piece, none of the angles are exactly the same, and they are similar but not identical in size and length. The “circle” in the corian is much bigger when compared to the cylinder. It feels as though the designer in this piece was challenging our perception through the design and the use of corian-a non precious material in such a bold colour., nothing is quite what one would normally expect. Even the ring is not quite normal,one has to wonder how one would wear it since there is no hole for the finger.I would tend to expect identical angles and a material more prized than corian.

3rd piece:

    

Fritz Maierhofer.

acrylic ring from the seventies

http://www.fritz-maierhofer.com/index.html

Variety is what first comes to mind when I look at this ring. It has such a myriad of colours and shapes and even materials to some extent. It took me a few seconds of staring to finally begin to dissect the various elements of the ring. Again the design is more geometric than organic; the strict lines of the circles the angles and so on evidence this. Dominance comes into play when you notice that the bright colours in the middle keep grabbing your attention, The rectangle with bright colours also acts as some sort of bridge; leading the eyes from this part of the ring to the next one. Thus the colours are contributing to the rhythm of the ring. The colours themselves are placed strategically; he placed side by side colours that blend in with and in other cases complement one another. The silver metal is a good choice in terms of colour because it is a cool colour as compared to the other bight, hot colours used. It helps to balance the colour aspect. Harmony is present in the colours used. I find the proportions of the various components of the ring interesting; the ring itself is smaller than what is on it, this makes me wonder just how comfortable the ring is to wear. Of course this also makes the ring look a bit unbalanced. Again the Fritz uses shapes with angles and shapes with curves, this means variety again. Harmony also comes in that the whole ring has a more geometric feel. The ring looks symmetrical and this helps it look a bit more balanced. I find this design peculiar, it jumps out to me a queer because it has a design that I perceive as queer. It’s a mixture of materials that are considered precious and materials that are not. Again questioning our perception of things…

Bibliography:

Designer's website: www.fritz-maierhofer.com

Klimt02: http://www.klimt02.net/jewellers/index.php?item_id=669

Images used:

 http://www.fritz-maierhofer.comhttp//www.klimt02.net/jewellers/index.php?item_id=669

Artist Statement:

Klimt02 website: http://www.klimt02.net/jewellers/index.php?item_id=669