Development: Aluminium Piece & Stainless Steel Sample & Anya Hindmarch

Following my photoshopped images of my aluminium piece where I explored scale, I decided to go bigger, and ordered a meter squared sheet of 0.5mm aluminium. However when this arrived I thought it may be too big to work with in the makers lab, so I cut it in half, which still looked big enough. In one of my images I photoshopped the same piece 3 times and this could be something to work towards now - having a trip-tic to display in the gallery.

Moulding Sheet Aluminium 

• I cut the meter squared sheet of aluminium in half, this made it easer to work with and create these fluid forms and delicate creases. 
• This needs a lot more polishing to get to the surface standard I desire. 
• I'm happy with the way these pieces turned out as they really connect to that of packaging and they have an appealing quality. 

Feedback

• In the makers lab while creating this, someone pointed out how they looked slightly like crisp packets, and that is where my original inspiration for this work came from (casting crisp packets and rubbish). 
• This person also said how the form resembles that of Anya Heindmarsh who makes sculptural bags inspired by crisp packets. Further research into this is necessary. 

Anya Hindmarsh

• Looking at Anya Hindmarch's website and reading about her inspiration for this crisp packet clutch, 'making the everyday extraordinary' is something I have played with in the past. The way she creates such luxury fashionwear from a consumable mass produced item connects back to Chloe Wise's 'Bagel no.5' and comments again on consumption, but this time from the perspective of a designer. 
• She is making a lot of money out of the concept of the crisp packet. But I do not believe the crisp packet is the only thing to make it unique or eye catchy. Its the material it is cast in - silver and gold - which really pushes the boundaries of fashion/art. 
• In terms of the form, the delicate creases are what really causes this wearable sculpture to be noticed and its that, that connects it to my own current work. 
• This piece has inspired me to once again research wearable sculpture or wearable art as I have begun to explore in the past, and perhaps this will be a future endeavour. 

Testing Stainless Steel Sample

 

• After the fabricator's I emailed replied back stating that working with stainless steel sheet metal was impossible, I ordered a sample of stainless steel, 0.5mm (the same as my aluminium) and hoped for the best. It was already annealed so all I had to do was bend it. I managed to bend it with more ease than I had imagined - especially since it was such an 'impossible' task!
• To my surprise I managed to create the fluid curves and creases that I desired. 

Reflections:

• Above is an image which displays aluminium and stainless steel. The stainless steel is in the centre. The difference is amazing, the stainless steel makes the aluminium look grey.
• Other pros of working with the stainless steel are: it doesn't require heating, it doesn't require polishing. It saves a lot of time. It can be moulded with my hands round tools the same way as aluminium, but creating a more fluid look.
• The cons - it may look slightly too perfect to resemble packaging - but so does Anya Hindmarch's work?!
• I am ridiculously happy with this stainless steel sample and I will be ordering a 1000mm x 500mm x 0.5mm sheet to do a larger version on just like the aluminium sample. 
• In terms of cost and using inexpensive materials - the stainless steel is almost the same price as the aluminium.