In the past few weeks, I have researched body deformities and conditions that alter body shape and position, linking to the idea of distorted bodies and possibly how restriction could relate to this position or shape. Additionally, enlarged body parts have been relevant here, as well as in the short research of premature evolution (body proportion), and most recently surgery images of before and after to give visual examples of body alterations. I have looked at cultural examples of body modification in the process. Evolutionary explanations for our attraction to a specific body shape and why we develop our body shape have been of key interest also. 

Artists such as Lucy McRae, Daisy Collingridge and Bart Hess, have been of great inspiration for my work as of late, I have been experimenting in order to enlarge and distort relevant areas of the body, as well and restrict areas of the body from movement. The idea of restriction comes from the tight fetishwear I explored earlier within the project, now being applied to the restrictions we face within the Coronavirus lockdown. 

Within there coming days, I intend on focusing more on my sketchbook as I have realised this is the key area im lacking in at the moment, in order to get started I need to find somewhere I can use a printer but in the meantime sketches will be made. I wish to start using found materials for the same function as that of the stockings, cling film and balloons, to restrict the body and accentuate body parts. 

Questions:

What would you suggest I do in my sketchbook at this point, primarily it will be first hand sketches of looks I create using my materials. 

I still want to implement textile type design or techniques in the looks I create, would this be hindering the final outcome at all? 

Being a textiles student, I am used to designing for final garments and textile samples and swatches. Originally I took this approach at the beginning of my project but I strived for a final garment using my weave samples that I had created earlier on in my project. 

However due to the path I have gone down from pleasure wear, fetishwear, restriction, body shape and now combining body shape with the idea of restriction. I wanted to explore this with a garment or garments, however at this point I am more inspired and interested in creating 'looks' using materials I have been exploring with as of late. These looks will be inspired by artists such as Bart Hess and Lucy McRae who I have used to reference recently in my research. 

Working with restrictions, I am attempting to introduce the Coronavirus lockdown in the UK as a type of restriction, in which it is just not on the shape of the body. This lockdown prevents us from leaving the house unless it is for fitness or shopping necessities. Being extreme unforeseen circumstances, it has effected my project in terms of what I can access, such as other people for models outside of my house, using workshops at university and buying materials. This has meant I am forced to work with what I have. I want to embrace this lockdown in my work. I wish to do so because of the repetitive nature of our routine at this point, and incorporate this into the work by making most of what I am able to us. Confined to my house and garden, I wish to embrace our surroundings in the work to visualise the restriction. For example by photographing my model in his daily routine, restriction can come into play here whereby I use the scenery and environment to restrict his movement, since restriction is a key theme within my work at this point. 

Moving forward and using my environment to play a role in my work, I wish to explore what it is that is present in my house and garden. For example my brother, my model, plays football daily to pass time, where he wouldn't normally do so in normal circumstances, but due to the parameters of the lockdown, this is how he is choosing to spend his time. Could it be that I use the football goal to restrict his movement, by suspending him from it through materials and techniques I have used so far within the project? How could this be translated using other objects and apparatus in my home? These are questions I wish to explore and achieve next in my work. 

Interestingly, as I was balling up the clingfilm I had just used to experiment with on my brother, I had realised when I squeezed it in my palm it had made a 'pop' noise. Naturally I was drawn to this sound so I looked down at the clingfilm in my hand, I found that by applying pressure, air bubbles had formed beneath the clingfilm. The bubbles carry a spherical nature that I have been drawn to in my work whether its from the body directly, whether its health conditions I had researched that link to the following of: accentuating the body. To me it resembles the work of Bart Hess and Lucy McRae who collaboratively added balloons to the body to accentuate and exaggerate body parts. 

The finding I have just made I believe can be used in my project possibly to give a texture to the skin. At this time the skin isn't being exaggerated to changed at all, and any distortion is done to the body shape and not so much in micro-scale. I could soon explore this in my work by attaching cling film scrapping to the skin here and there more-so than an overall effect. This textural nature that can be introduced to the skin could also inspire shapes to place on the body using different mediums to do so, such as balloons. 

I would like to experiment with creating this bubbly texture with using other materials and see how well they can translate into my work in the future. 

Very recently in my project, I have been conducting research on cultural and traditional body modification, that alter the body in ways that oppose the natural shape of the body. In doing so, I have come across a number of examples that I have found interesting that are applicable to my work; These include Chinese foot binding, Cameroonian breast ironing and Kayan neck rings worn by Kayan women in Burma. 

These examples are being used solely to gain knowledge of modification techniques around the world, away from fetishism, and the traditions surrounding these modifications to the body. I have been able to learn and understand what premises they lie on, the implications of them relating to a societal aspect, and what exactly is done to the body in these processes. 

Researching such social implications, I have also understood that they may be in some instances socially and culturally sensitive to specific groups, due to the value and tradition involved in these processes. To those participating in the practices themselves, these modifications in particular may pose danger to their physical and mental health. For example, Cameroonian breast ironing induces excruciating pain to the subject, through many years of their life that it takes place for, and as a result they suffer from lifelong health problems. The practice is also conducted under serious means that carry political weight through the efforts. Through my research, I have found that Cameroonian women undergo this procedure to appear less attractive to men, allowing them to focus on their education and independence, other than falling pregnant and being forced into being a mother from an early age.

I acknowledge the fact that this is in fact a sensitive issue that I do not wish to exploit or trivialise within my work, the same being true for the other body modifications I have researched. I am aware that should I use these examples directly in my work, I may be offending groups of people, and taking away the value of the tradition by diluting it in my work, having only gotten second hand research on the subject, and it not relating to me or my life. Therefore I will not be using these examples as a muse in my work. 

I am aware that other practices, less culturally significant or involved than the examples I have researched, for example through cosmetic surgery and body augmentation, that link to my research of fetishism and attraction. 

Daisy Colingridge's 'Quilt Monster' is a less known work by the artist. As stated previously, she is best known for her fat bodysuits, I have found another look she had created called the 'Quilt Monster', in which she appears to use textured material, that carries the same weight and density as a common bed quilt. 

I am drawn to The Quilt Monster mostly due to the draping aspect of the piece, where the material sits on the body much more naturally and properly. It doesn't display technical apparatus or architecture, the draping is very simple but the garment is layered. This draping on the body I believe can introduce another avenue in which I can accentuate areas of the body, possibly using large bed sheets, quilts, pillow cases, or materials more relevant to the work I have been producing as of late, such as leather and nylon stockings. This will be done by pinning the materials to the body or mannequin, where I can sketch ideas from and exaggerate areas of the body which are of interest to me such as the hips, chest, arms, etc. 

My next step is to experiment with draping on a model, using the materials that I have mentioned above. The aim of this will be to test how well I can accentuate and distort the body in different areas using draping techniques. Should this be successful, I will develop it further and apply them in my work, and eventually in my final garments. I believe I can use this process as an under garment, that acts as a form of foundation for my samples to be attached to. Or, I can complete this process using my samples themselves, which I will also experiment with, in order to accentuate areas of the body that link to my themes of fetishism and the evolutionary psychology of attraction.

Daisy Collingridge is an artist who's work I consider to link to my key themes, such as exaggeration of body shape, very well in this project at this point. She is best known for making fat suit-style costumes that appear to show fatty sections of the body exaggerated in shape, compared to the ordinary body. The costumes are very imagined and make-believe, through there use of pink and purple as nude colours of the skin. I believe she is somebody I can look at to inspire my work going forward, as our inspirations are closely related in the exaggerating of body shape. Her work relates well to my concept, in that obesity and overweight bodies inspires her work, whereas for me I'm taking a more psychological approach as to why common body shape exists and its applications in modern to hunter-gatherer societies in relation to our knowledge on attraction. 

Through collage and sketch, I have been exaggerating and distorting the shape of the body, contrasting between muscular and fat bodies, bringing in proportion for different body parts and components. 

Going forward, I believe I can use a similar concept to Daisy Collingridge in displaying not just fat areas of the body, but muscular areas juxtaposing size in the process. I think this can be explored through the construction of a fat suit-type under layer/garment or mechanism, in which I can build onto the body to create the shape am striving for. This will be used to accentuate areas if the body that have been of interest to me recently, that symbolise sexual dimorphism, evolution and fetishism. 

Having already looked at the work of Bart Hess and introducing his restrictive pieces in his 'Mutants' work, i then applied this to my own work, using relevant materials to restrict movement of the body using nylon stockings. 

I intend on doing the same with that of Edwin Wurm's work who does so through more sculptural means and materials such as metal and plaster. He does this through visual means by binding two human sculptures together or placing the sculpture in an object so they are unable to move, which shows struggle to the audience as we think of times we have felt claustrophobic in small or encapsulating places. 

As previously stated, I have done a similar thing through the use of nylon stockings, but now I intend on working more-so with body shape. I will do this using a different material. The aim of this experimentation is to play with the body shape and positioning that could be applicable to my final garment as to how it will restrict the body. I would then like to be able to compare how this effect differs between different models, and locate and identify shapes of interest within the images and sketches that will be produced. 

Bart Hess is an artists I have recently come across, being drawn to his work, I decided to research it further. His most well known work involves distorting and disgusting the body and its shape using uncommon materials and objects used in sculpture and textile. for example, through the use of bubbles or jelly-like material, which are unconventional more-so in traditional textiles. From researching his work, I have been inspired to conduct new experiments in processes that will and can perform a number of roles for my artwork. One being the restriction of the body, resulting in distorted shape and unnatural and forced positioning of the body. This has been an idea I have wanted to further explore since researching bondage knotting, suspension and garments such as corsets, which perform the role of distorting the shape of the body, which restrict movement in the process of doing so. The idea of restriction also links well to the materiality of leather, that I have been using in my work, as leather catsuits and latex vacuum beds prevent the individual of movement to differing extents. For example, in a latex vacuum bed, the subject inside is almost bound in place, and can be positioned in different angles, staying fixed in place.

The second being body shape, which has been a key theme in my project from fetishwear and how this may exaggerate body shape to appear more attractive, to evolutionary psychology and evolution of the human body present today. Bart Hess achieves the effect of distorting body shape by building onto and around the body using different materials. 

Next, I intend on exaggerating body shape and position through the use of materials such as nylon stockings, aluminium foil, cling film, and others that I find of use, in aims to produce an unnatural position that is often achieved through bondage and suspension. Furthermore, these materials may allow me to accentuate areas of the body that evolutionary psychology suggests are key factors in attraction, such as chest size, hip width and height.

At this stage in my project, I do not believe I have found and referenced enough techniques and textile artists for direct inspiration for my work. 

So far, I have been primarily weaving on my DIY looms, using materials such as reflective tape, neon coloured fabric from high-visibility jackets, various gradients of leather and stockings. The materials I am using at this point all stem from my interest and research of fetishisms, many of which I have explored during this project. For example, using nylon stockings due to the relevancy of stocking and sock fetishisms, and using neon coloured material from high-visibility vests stemming from uniform fetishisms towards construction-wear. Additionally, I have explored various types of leather that have been used in the design of fetishised garments such as corsets and hobble skirts. There is a fetishism towards the leather material  itself, which I initially came across through my research of pleasure wear, leather is often describes as a 'second-skin' that enhances the stimulus external of the leather suit or fabric being worn. People may also exhibit a fetishism directly towards the material itself, where touch, smell and sight can provide sexual arousal for an individual with a leather fetish. 

Although I am happy with the research I have conducted, the materials I have been using and the work I have been producing, I believe I have to dedicate more time towards researching additional artists and their work, and how it may or may not be linked to mine and whether I can use their work as a starting point for another direction for my work to go in. Not only am I searching for the usage of materials to give me inspiration, but also artists work relating body shape, body positioning and proportion, as these are concepts I have been manipulating as of late in collage, conducting research into evolutionary explanations of sexual dimorphism, and various physical health conditions such as arthritis and scoliosis. 

I imagine it will be difficult for me to find textile artists linking to the work I am currently exploring, I believe I will have to look at textile-architectural artists and sculptural artists that may configure body plan and shape, relating to my work. The next step after this would be to then adapt this into my work, through the usage of materials, processes, aesthetics or ideology behind the work itself. Researching these artists will allow me to develop my work further, and possible trigger a thought in my mind completely different to their work, where my research acts as a stream of consciousness other than direct visual influence to copy. 

Through my research of evolutionary psychology, I have been able to implement new areas within my work relating to the body. Most specifically, body shape, and how the human population is considered to be most attracted to through these explanations and why. In this, I have been researching and exploring the depositing of fat on the body, and how it is distributed differently on the male body compared to the female body. I have also considered the psychological explanations for this as it pertains to impacts on the individuals lifestyle and opportunities to attract a mate. For example, in women, lipid production is most likely to occur in the hips and breasts, whereas men are more likely to experience this on their torso and chests.

As since my project proposal, I have wanted to display contrast within my work, through colour, concept, shape, material, etc. I have been doing so in my samples through the use of colour, and I am attempting now to explore this contrast further between the body. Having looked into sexual dimorphism, the difference between bodies of each sex, I am now applying this contrast between fat and muscular bodies. Not only is this contrasting in aesthetic, but in context too, for example fat bodies are widely considered as unattractive and muscular bodies are considered more attractive. 

In doing so, I will attempt to include all body types, from the morbidly obese body to the steroid-taking body builder. Evolutionary psychology suggests that a more muscular and larger male figure, will be benefitted due to his increased success in competition and hunting, whereas a fatter body be more so preventative of this. A smaller man will also not be able to conduct these processes very well either, and therefore less likely to find a mate, as the muscular male can provide for themselves and their family.

Contrasting these highly juxtaposing bodies, I will to collage them in my sketchbook, in order to visually display what it is that I am focusing on, and how I will apply this later on in my work. For example, I will be able to overlap a fat, flabby body with 'ripped' muscular arms. This goes well in distorting the body also as now the visual is distorted instead of just size and proportion. 

Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, I am forced to use and research of innovative ways of completing my project, as I am not able to use the workshops at the Archway or Kings Cross Campus. The lockdown has meant I am prevented to visit the metal, plastic and wood workshops, where I could have experimented with creating different shapes using these materials that I could have used in my final garment to exaggerate body parts which is still what I intend on doing. 

Coming across artists such as Lucy McRae and Bart Hess, who have collaborated in the sculptural garments below, I have been introduced to unique and different ways in distorting the body. In the examples below, they have used nylon stockings and balloons to alter body shape and the way the audience perceives the subjects in the image in relation to their body shape and positioning. Since very early in my project, I have been using nylon stockings and cuttings of them in my weaving samples, in which I used other fetishised materials and materials linked to types of fetishes. Nylon stockings being used through exploring fetishisms towards socks and stockings, where, mostly men, are attracted to the sight, smell and touch of nylon, closely linked to foot fetishisms, but also uniform fetishisms towards the 'schoolgirl' uniform and other uniforms which may involve stockings, such as by maid or nurse fetishised uniforms. 

Having already used stockings in my work, the artwork displayed here by Lucy McRae and Bart Hess links closely to my work in a material sense. Additionally, in these two pieces they are distorting and exaggerating body shape and body parts, which I have also worked with doing with inspiration from fetishised body shapes and evolutionary psychology. To do so, Lucy McRae and Bart Hess are using balloons under the stockings, to keep them fixed in place. The use of balloons is very minimalist and simple, but effective in achieving the necessary look they strived to make. 

I believe the use of balloons is a possible avenue I could explore in creating the body shape I want to achieve after carrying out necessary research of body shape in tradition, modification and evolution. I wouldn't normally use an item like balloons in my work unless they related directly to the materials I am using, however they will prove to be affective for what I intend on doing for the final section of my project. Balloons are easily accessible from supermarkets, meaning they are a suitable item I can use during the lockdown we are in for the foreseeable future, ideally I would be using workshops, tools and machines in order to create the same effect. 

Before sourcing the balloons from a local supermarket, I will explore alternative objects that could be of use to me at this moment in time in my own house. 

I had come across this video on YouTube when I was researching the physical differences between primates and humans. Whilst we are very similar, primates do stand different to us, whether its more hunchback and resorting to moving on two legs and two arms, or their skeletal and muscular structure. 

This is the first time I have seen a video of such, where someone used computer functions to create a type of character that could be seen in a game, comic, or animated film. They attempted to combine three bodies together, a gorilla, chickens and human. Using the base of a human figure, they exaggerate or substitute body parts to be more gorilla- or chicken-like, for example the chicken feet and oversized right arm with a bird talon on the end of it. 

This use of combining components together was fascinating, and I believe it would be a great way to collage in my sketchbook and put together ideas for a final garment or experimental pieces. A simple example being, adding a gorilla arm to the human body, or enlarging the human chest to the size that would be found on an adult gorilla. 

Discovering that men and women deposit fat on their body differently, I wanted to do further research, looking at what areas men are more likely to grow fat on, and the same for women. I then wanted to look at why this may be, and whether this has physical benefits, socially, sexually or through evolution. From this research, I became interested in the fat distribution on the body. Fat, just like muscles, enlarge a body part, which both have health benefits, for example fat is a protection mechanism for organs and bones, it insulates the body (keeps in warmth, refrains from losing heat) and has buoyant properties, helping the person or animal to float. 

My research found that men are more likely to develop fat on their abdomen, back and chest, and women on their thighs, hips and breasts. These findings are conclusive with evolutionary psychology beliefs, that states fat is deposited in different areas on men and women.

For women, they benefit by developing fat around their hips and bum to attract mates, the same for the breasts as they both symbolise fertility and help to conduct maternal processes such as childbirth and lactation. In hunter-gatherer societies whilst we were evolving to where we are now, women would be forced to breast-feed their young as this would be the only food the young could consume. Wider hips help perform childbirth, therefore developing fat here would help ensure survival for her and her children during the process, which would be a commodity before the times of doctors, nurses, housewives and hospitals. 

As for men, it is believed that developing fat primarily on their top half for social benefits primarily. Having a larger chest, arms, abdomen makes the man look larger than he is, therefore he is less likely to be attacked or crossed by other humans, and more likely to fight off animals and predators. Similarly, this same status of being larger means he its more likely to attract and find a mate. Evolutionary psychology explains the woman is more attracted to muscular and larger men, depositing fat in areas that expose the most muscle, arms, abdomen and chest, would be attractive to a female in hunter-gatherer societies, this adaption therefore has a sexual function, as it means he is more likely to pass on his genes through sexual intercourse. Building on from my research of protective uniform and armour, as fat acts as a cushion, it would also protect the man should he be in combat. Areas that suffer the most impact when fighting a similar sized/ability opponent is the abdomen and chest. The male in hunter-gatherer family and society would be the one to catch prey and protect the family, so having better physical protection in vital areas would allow him to endure a fight better. 

Extended research into fat distribution has been successful for my project, as I have gained knowledge as to why men and women develop fat in different areas. This is an example of sexual dimorphism, which I have also researched. Moreover, I have found out their evolutionary benefits as to why fat develops in these areas. These findings are relevant to the work I'm producing at the moment because it contains, and allows me to develop the idea of proportion and exaggeration to juxtapose the body in ways through my garments. This research shows the evidence in which chest/breast size and hip size is appropriate to fetishwear and fetishised garments such as shoulder pads and corsets that accentuated these body parts. 

Through my research on human and primate anatomy, I came across definite distinctions between the two that I intend on using in my work, to collage and to eventually develop into a garment. The skeletal figure of the gorilla is very similar but differs to the human body. The shoulders are much larger and wider, and the neck is short and almost hidden in the sketch below. I have previously looked at exaggerating the shoulders, through my research of shoulder pads in sports uniforms and fetishised clothing, and the evolutionary psychology of attraction, where I discovered women are universally attracted to a muscular body in men. 

Experimenting with shoulder size in my garment would mean I am looking at proportion of such from a number of different sources I have found through research. When it comes to making and planning my piece(s), I intend on incorporating this into my work for the juxtaposing purpose of exaggeration of body parts in comparison to the natural human body. 

A second feature I noticed from this sketch was the massive difference in pelvis size between the human and gorilla. The wing of the ilium (the plate shaped component in the pelvis) is much taller, wider, and exaggerated in shape in the gorilla skeleton compared to the human. After noticing this I thought about my research into the waist-to-hip ratio I had looked at in my evolutionary psychology, where the ratio of 0.7 was considered an attractive ratio for men in women. Having wider hips and a smaller waist reflects on the woman's natural ability to give birth to a child. I found that women who have wider hips are more likely to have a safer and easier childbirth experience. Men are attracted to wider hips compared to a smaller waist as it symbolises the woman's fertility. 

The waist ands hips are also a crucial part in the area of fetish and fetishised clothing. I looked extensively at corsetry in my research for this project, resulting in me wanting to include this area of the body in my final garments. As the appearance and size of the waist and hips can be distorted through the use of a corset, I wish to build on this, and further exaggerate the size of these parts in my work, where the hips and bum are much larger than what is natural for the human body, which would therefore help make the waist appear smaller, if I make the bust/chest appear larger as well.    

Very early on in my project I decided I would explore the notion of pleasure-wear and fetish-wear. This is where I explored the use of materials, garments, fetishisms and the psychology behind both. in doing so, one noticeable element I had come across was the idea of restriction in movement, which may alter the shape and position of the body, through tight and restrictive garments. I have also looked at the body in how it is positioned throughout different activities such as during sports and construction workers on site. Two key themes I have looked at, then exploring fetishism as I identified both sports wear and construction wear were fetishised, relating much to pleasure wear. This then resulted in my researching specific garments such as corsets, hobble skirts and ballet boots, all of which are linked heavily to fetishism and fetishwear. 

I have spent the past few days researching corsetry, identifying different styles of corsets and how this has changed over time, their usage and the attraction aspect behind what a corset achieved on the body.

During this research I found myself extremely interested in the aesthetic of orthopaedic back braces. As I do not come across the very often, compared to a corset for example, I was struck with the irregular shape and fluid like form these back braces posses. Compared to the corsets, they are very irregular and they appear futuristic compared to ordinary corsets, whilst performing similar roles, changing the shape of the body. This occurs from a medical perspective in orthopaedic back braces (correcting the positioning of the spine) and an aesthetic function in corsets of making the waist narrower. 

Due to the fact that back braces perform medical functions, two braces are never the same, as each brace is designed and manufactured for the individual, who's condition would differ from that of another patient. This patient would also most likely be subject to using a number of these back braces during their treatment. 

At this moment, I am unsure as to how exactly these back braces could be used in my work, as I don't believe they link well in a material sense, often made using plastic. However, I do see potential for the meandering and irregular shape being introduced in my work, maybe even for the shape of my samples that I position on the body for my final garment and looks. For example, at this stage I am considering making a corset style garment, that stems from bust to hips. Due to inspiration from these back braces, this garment may take on irregular and asymmetrical shape. Additionally, they could be used as a form of underlying garment that I attach my samples onto. I do believe that the orthopaedic back braces I have looked at would link more-so to jewellery and accessory pieces, compared to textile works. 

I have been collaging with protective gear and armour, which are used to protect the individual whilst playing various sports. These pieces range from shin-pads in football to large shoulder and chest pads in American football. I made a clear visual distinction between the physical attraction and desire for and to a large muscular body and protective gear such as the examples below. 

Throughout my research on evolutionary psychology on physical attraction, I have discovered these explanations include women's attraction to tall, large and muscular men, which can be for several reasons, such as her own protection and status, and passing his genes down to her children so, which would increase the chance of her children being shaped like the muscular partner. 

I originally found the image above when I was searching for examples of fetishised clothing and fetishised uniforms. This example promotes the idea of an attractive jock in his American football uniform with shoulder pads and thigh pads. Clearly fetishised, it also promotes the notion of a youthful, active individual, wearing nothing under his shoulder pads, and his pants untied. Whilst this uniform is fetishised, that isn't its primary purpose. The uniform is intended to protect the player when he collides with the field or opponents. Immediately I questioned this distinction and asked myself whether this same protective gear is intentionally worn by sports players for the purpose of appearing attractive, as well as its protective properties. Under their jerseys, the shoulder and chest protected regions appear larger due to the protected gear, making the individual look much larger, stronger and therefore attractive in the eyes of evolutionary psychology.

If this is the case, the use of protective gear would have social and economic impacts on the sport and its players. As they wear fetishised clothing, a wide range of individuals would find them more attractive, therefore gaining them social status. Coinciding with this, being more physically attractive would have economic benefits for the individual, their team, and the league they play in. They would get more endorsements and sponsorship deals from companies and advertisers, resulting in them having a greater income. 

This is an example of shoulder pads that American Footballers would wear. Their core purpose is to protect the chest, ribs cage and shoulders from the effects of impact in-game. 

Comparing the shoulder pads to the man above, Arnold Schwarzenegger, is a body builder, well-known for his body. I am only using him for reference due to his overly-muscular body, in which I used in an example of the muscular body that women may be attracted to. Whilst this is true, it is believed due to studies and experiments, that women are mostly attracted to lean men, other than 'ripped' men. In these studies, the figure above would be far away from the median attractive body. However, this picture is being used as reference due to its exaggerated nature, in which the muscles are so large the body doesn't look real. This 'hulk' look is most relevant to me in my study of muscular figures as I am looking exaggerate and accentuate the shape of the body, where the chests and shoulders are excessively large to contrast with a tiny waist that is achieved through the use of a corset. 

Using the overly muscular body and shoulder pandas as direct influences, I want to develop this into my  garment, to where the chest and shoulders are covered but enlarged, possibly through padding or layering. 

As I have researched and completed collages and sketches regarding body shape and proportion, from influences of fetishwear and sexual dimorphism in humans, I decided to do the same, looking at animals as research to widen my scope of sexual dimorphism. I have researched into the human body, and I will continue to do so, however I wanted further inspiration, looking at different organisms other than just humans. As the animal kingdom is so vast, there are many components of the body that humans do not posses, such as patterns on our skin, antlers, antennas, etc. 

As the human body differs between the sexes, I figured this must be the same in animals too, in which I am already aware of male lions having manes, for example. Researching sexual dimorphism in animals would expand my knowledge, and as a result, inspire me to look at introducing these different body parts into my work. 

Looking at one article, I read about a number of different species, and how the two sexes differ in comparison. Sifting through ones that I consider to be most relevant to my work at the moment, I have used three examples that I believe could be of use to me. 

Firstly, the male elephant seal sports a large trunk-like snout on its face, whereas the female does not. As taken from the article, this allows the male to make much louder and deeper noises during mating season, which would help express its dominance, and therefore fitness of being a mate to a female. This relates well to a theory I have already introduced, whereby human males are physically larger, stronger and more muscular than females, allowing them to assert dominance for mating purposes, as well as making them better fitted to hunt food for themselves and the community. Should I want to create a mask or helmet type piece, this example would be relevant in my work, where the nose or snout would be exaggerated and enlarged in width and length. 

Next, I found the example of lions. Most likely the most common example of sexual dimorphism in animals, the male lion develops a mane around his head and neck as he ages from cub to a fully mature lion. Whereas this doesn't occur in the female. Again looking at size, the size of the mane is indicative as to whether or not the lioness chooses to mate with him. A larger mane would be more appealing, which would also make the lion look larger in appearance, from head on it would most likely cover the body of the lion. 

It is thought the mane is linked to the domestic cat's ability to make its hair stand out on end, to make it appear larger, thus protecting itself by deterring threats due to its apparent increased size. 

As I have thought about exaggerating the size of the shoulders, chest and hips in my work, the idea of a mane or crest could be introduced. 

https://www.mnn.com/earth-matters/animals/blogs/9-most-dramatic-examples-sexual-dimorphism

The documentary starts by introducing the difference between conscious and unconscious reason as to what we are are attracted to and why, asking the question as to why is human mating so natural. This is of necessary importance to my research at the moment, as I'm looking into evolutionary psychology to explain body preferences in each sex. 

David brings the audience to 6-7 million years ago to an early ancestor of ours. It is thought that males of this species would fight each other for mates, due to the fact that this occurs in all of our closest relatives today, such as chimpanzees and gorillas. Men are larger than females in humans today, which is reflective of fossil studies of these early ancestors. He states men are 'more muscular, stronger and more physically aggressive.' Today, men on average have 60% more muscle mass and 75% more upper-body muscle mass, resulting in the fact that the average man is stronger than 99.9% of women. These numbers solidify the idea of men being more muscular and physically more dominant than women.

This allows me to introduce size and physicality in my work that I had come across after researching fetishwear and fetishism as a whole. During my research, I was constantly shown the idea of size and body proportion in men and women. For women, popular fetishised garments accentuated the bust and bum, minimising the waist and neck. After research, I had found that this had evolutionary benefits, where women with body shapes reflective of such, would prove to be more fertile and more maternal, resulting in healthier offspring. This TED talk focuses on the male body, and how the typical male body in humans and other primates is larger and more muscular, with its evolutionary benefits. I noticed this when exploring sportswear and protective wear, that would enlarge the chest, shoulders, arms and thighs in mens uniforms. 

Dominance amongst males equates to reproductive and mating opportunities, as they would gain these through the force or threat of force. Compared to humans, other primates rarely provide food for their female counterparts, which would suggest their dominance is solely used for mating purposes. This means dominant males are more likely to have mating partners compared to smaller and weaker males. Inferior males also miss out as they cannot protect their partners or offspring from dominant males, making it advantageous for females to prefer larger males. 

The physical dominance of males in humans today is still reflected on what food he manages to provide for himself and the family. The graph below, taken from the TED Talk, shows the relationship between the calories men and women hunt/gather and provide for the family, versus what they consume in relation to what they have managed to obtain. The green bars represent a surplus in calories produced against what they consume, and the red bars indicate what is consumed in relation to what they have produced. Women are constantly working at a caloric deficit through the processes of gestation and lactation. Whilst these are occurring, men are forced to hunt for food as she cannot physically cope to manage both. From these findings, it would be apparent that physical dominance allows the individual to gather food for themselves and others. Due to the male's size, he can provide nutritional needs for those around him, whereas women are less likely to do so in hunter-gatherer societies. 

Interestingly, towards the end of the talk, David Puts stated that the female's orgasm helps encourage conception. Additionally, this adaptation, of the orgasm in females, is more likely to occur when she is having intercourse with a genetically dominant male. This would increase the probability of the genes from a dominant partner, being passed down to her offspring, instead of those from more subordinate mates. This would link to Richard Dawkins' 'Selfish gene', in which the individual is more likely to have offspring with genetically dominant mates in order to benefit their offspring. The concept of orgasm is not important to my project at this time, as I am currently looking into body preference. However, the study regarding the female orgasm does suggest that there is a preferred body shape in men. 

Forced Perspective Photography is a photography technique often in marketing advertisements, due to its effect on the audience, being contrast, that could be used for a charity appeal programme, or humour, for other businesses. 

Forced perspective photography relates very well to my work as its entire nature is to distort the size of a number of components in the image. The proportion is manipulated within the photograph, for example the photo here, whereby the shoes are placed closer to the camera that is taken the image. There is a man standing further behind, in a position where it appears as if he is wearing/standing in the shoes, but in reality, he is standing further back. Placing the shoes closer to the camera means they appear larger than whatever is pictures behind. Positioning in this image is key, in that it creates an illusion that the shoes are oversized, and disproportionate to the rest of the body. 

This concept links to my work well, as I have also been looking at placement of the body through collage, for example by moving around body parts on the body. Greater relevancy to this photography technique is that I have been researching and collaging, soon experimenting with proportion of the body. I have deliberately printed images of bodies, of different sizes, in order to perpetuate the juxtaposition of size and proportion in my collages.

This links to modern day fetishisms due to the fact that a lot of aspects within fetishism, in particular towards garments and uniforms, size and proportion is a recurring factor. For example, wearing a corset reduces the width of the waist, therefore creating the illusion of the hips and bust appearing larger. The corset is deliberately worn to promote a disproportion towards these body parts. For men on the other hand, fetishised garments may include sports uniforms, many of which include protective armour in sports such as cricket and American football, making the man appear larger and more muscular. Both of the examples listed here are examples included in evolutionary psychology research of attraction, whereby women are considered more attractive if they have a smaller waist, larger breasts and wider hips, and men re considered more attractive if they are large and muscular, allowing him to provide protection and food for the family. 

Going forward, I would like to use the idea of positioning and placement within my collages and possibly even through the use of photoshop. By doing so, I believe I can create a template as to what shape my garment may be inspired by, for example what body parts are being exaggerated in size, are both arms the same size, etc. Utilising the technique of forced perspective photography, will be a useful guide for me to explore my themes of size and proportion further, where I learn new ways of placement within my collages.

As of late, I have been researching corsetry, what they are used for, how they change the body, and their range in aesthetic styles that have changed over centuries and decades over time. Along this process, I come across the term of 'bullet bra'. This is a bra or bra section in a corset bustier that is pointed as it reaches out from the body. This coins it the name bullet or torpedo bra. From the first time I had come across this bra shape, I believed it would be a great component for me to develop and explore further. As I am at this point considering to create a corset for my final garment at the end of this project, I could also include a bra component on the corset in which I could exaggerate the shape and size of the breast, as pleasure wear often does. 

Most bra shapes I have come across are curved like a cup shape, so this bra style stood out to me. That I now know to be called a 'Balconette Bra'. the bullet bra clearly exaggerates the shape of the breast, making them appear much harsher, defined and noticeable. Naturally, most breasts are curved so having a bullet bra wouldn't make complete sense to me, so I've been forced to appreciate the physical and aesthetic nature of this bra in particular. To me, it links to the idea of a dominatrix-style garment that I have seen through researching pleasure wear. I believe this to be due to the aggressive nature of its shape. 

Further research into the bullet bra, I found they were first invented in the 1940s, by Frederic Mellinger who owned a shop on Hollywood Boulevard at the time. After iconic Hollywood actresses and models, such as Marilyn Monroe, wore them, the public started to catch on and the bullet bra shape was soon popularised. The use of bullet bras in Hollywood quickly became the bra of choice to wear under tighter sweaters, introducing the term 'Sweater Girls' to Marilyn Monroe and Lana Turner. The Bullet Bra allowed women to add a cup size to their bras.

By design, the bullet bra featured cups shaped in a paraboloid, with spirals or circles through decorative stitching centring in on the nipple or point of the cup. 

Going forward, my research on Bullet Bras has introduced me into a concept I have seen before in a pleasure wear manner, but now more-so as a historical sense. The bullet bra being popularised by Hollywood, and became an everyday item for ordinary women. The bullet bra was thought to signify wealth and status, having societal impacts as to what was considered style during the 1950s. The bullet bra quickly declined in popularity during the 1960s, this is thought to be because of the feminist movement at the time, where women would burn their bras, as they, bullet bra included, was a 'sexist tool' implemented by men for women to wear, resulting in many women going bra-less. As a result, this introduced a more subtle bra cup shape for 1960s women. 

https://sweatergirlsociety.org/history-of-the-bullet-bra.php

To make this technique easier, I found that it would help if I started from the centre warp thread, and worked backwards to interlock the two yarns and complete the trailing end, meaning the other end was loose first. I then went to continue as usual, weaving the running end. 

Becoming one of my favourite samples completed and to physically form in the loom, this sample requires me to use two materials that overlap each other at the ends of each weft. This produces a sequence of 1,2,1,2 of given materials in the loom, moving up the warp. 

I started by weaving two materials, both stockings, but of different colours and thicknesses, at the bottom of the loom. One stocking would complete the transition from left to right, as the other would from left to right, I would then use the trailing material to overlap or undercut the next material. Essentially, each material would take the position and role of the next, substituting one in for the other moving up the warp. 

So far, this is my favourite technique that I've introduced to my DIY loom. This is because it produces a visually pleasing and interesting pattern that appears intricate but isn't difficult to complete, that can also be done using materials other than yarn in the loom, in this case nylon stockings. It was produced a successful pattern that I can continuously repeat on my loom with other materials, possibly even using three or more at a time, which I will experiment with next.  

Attempting to bring in the knotting aspect of research I have completed, I wished to introduce it to this sample, as I had a lot of spare weft left, I decided to create a very noticeable knot to secure the sample. I think the knot at the top of the sample worked better than that at the bottom, simply because it utilises both colours of the stockings used, which is evident in the knot itself (both colours can be seen) which relates to the idea of contrast and juxtaposition. 

Zoning in on a final garment, I'm wanting to create a corset for the waist or a bustier corset, although this isn't set in stone yet. I would like to create a weave sample as a basis for the corset, but I'm wondering as to how I could visually show the restrictive nature, as well as the use of fastenings. Obviously a corset is a restrictive item, but is this a strong enough link? And should I use bondage knots in this garment to tie the back together, is this a direct development from fastenings explored in pleasure wear? 

As corsets change the silhouettes of the individual, could I look into body dismorphia and deformation as inspiration for my corset? Possibly exaggerating the shape of my corset as a visual for this. 

Im experiencing difficulty in the weaving process, using my DIY looms, the sample manages to fall apart due to its fragility, why may this be? 

Lastly, would I get the chance to discuss my work with you next week through email? I find your advise most helpful, and I would feel more comfortable getting the frequent help as assessment is soon. 

Having another go at weaving with similar materials, I set out to create a weave sample using neon coloured fabric from a high visibility jacket, the same fabric as the yellow neon just a different colour, but this time using a different leather to see how well this will bode with my sample as opposed to the previous leather used. I cut into the neon vest using a ruler and scalpel, cutting a ruler's width each time to give me strips of this size. This size was a decent one, as it wasn't too thin, not too thick, but using thinner cuttings, the sample would most likely hold better due to the increased nature of its weaving. However in this sample I was more concerned with preventing the cuttings from falling off the weave after I had cut it from the loom. 

The leather I used this time around was a different type, it was thinner and stretchier, and had a much more polished finished than the other. 

The final outcome was much more successful than the last, in that it was stronger and held better, although one cut of leather again fell from the weave. As a result, I am going to experiment with other materials to see how they work in relation to the loom for the time being. 

Cutting material for may next weave sample, I cut extracts of neon fabric from a high-visibility vest, and cuttings of reflective tape that would both correspond with elements I had taken interest to in researching construction-wear. 

I would also choose a thick leather, as by colour and property, it would contrast well with the other two. The black leather would bring out the colour in the other two materials. 

I started by weaving each strip into the loom, gaining an understanding as to how they would react with the yarn warp, allowing me to find out which material would work best/better in this instance should there be any differences. I found that even though the leather added depth and body to the weave, the neon fabric tightened the sample, making it more suited to create a more endurable sample.

This leather failed to weave well between the warps, possibly as it was too strong for the weak yarn, if I were to use string as a warp, I think it would work better, as string would better manipulate the form of the leather extract, forcing to to meander between the warp. This is something I will experiment with at a later stage, as I still want to use leather within my samples. Additionally, I will test the relationship with different leathers, with different properties and consistences, on the yarn warp and string warp to see which is best suited to my sample making. 

Overall, I am disappointed with the outcome of this sample. It didn't hold well at all and some of the cuttings fell of in the process of me removing the sample from the loom and placing it on my cutting mat to photograph. This will require me testing the loom with different materials, to see why this may be the case and how I can avoid it in the future. 

Initially creating a very tight warp with the black stocking, I was skeptical as to how well the sample would look as an end product, but I experimented anyway as I was always able to recreate the sample making alterations to my set up. I used a black nylon stocking to warp across the nails in my loom frame, and a nude coloured stocking to warp in-between.

I decided to not go all the way along the warp, as I expected the stocking to stretch and bounce back to a tighter form, I wanted to give some lee-way if this was the case so my sample wouldn't be wasted; However the opposite happened. The black nylon stocking seemed to hold its stretched out position well after being removed from the loom, so it could've held its shape if I continued my weave. 

I consider this small sample to be successful as it was purely experimental. I learned how the stocking would behave as a warp and weft on a loom, being able to use the properties of each stocking to my advantage, e.g the entwining length could be tugged on in the weaving process, to become looser in certain areas, making its meander exaggerated, adding body to its direction and almost breaking out of the warp. This increased meandering effect would create a better contrast between the warp and the weft, as one was significantly tighter than the other, flowing in opposite directions (up and down, and left and right). 

Eventhough I was pleased with the loom I had just constructed, I considered it to be too large for certain jobs I required it to do. Being almost A3 in size, it required a lot of string, or other material, to warp the loom even if I was to go several nails along, which would only be necessary if I were to create a small sample. As I didn't want to waste my valuable material, I opted to construct a new loom, much smaller in size, to where I could warp it and use much less material, and get a suitable sized sample out of it once my weaving was done. I started by cutting out the canvas of an old painting I had lying around, leaving the exposed frame. 

Again following the tutorial, I dotted across the frame, every 1cm, but along two lines, a top and a bottom, instead of every 1cm, then elevating the dot every other centimetre. 

After marking out the points where my nails would go, I decided to only do one length of dots, to make the warp wider but only to one width, so that a wider yarn could be made, and primarily because I thought the frame would break if I nailed too close to each nail, as this frame was much smaller and weaker. 

I ended up nailing one every centimetre, 10 nails across each side of the frame. This gave me a suitable width to create my weave samples, across a short distance ( the smaller width of the rectangular frame). 

Due to the fact I wasn't entirely pleased with the cardboard loom I made, I researched how else I can make a loom at home, coming across a tutorial where the individual used a wooden frame as the base for the loom. I had an old, broken screen printing set lying around, as it no longer worked, I decided to tear out the mesh in order to use the frame, that I would then bang nails into, that could be used to create the warp component of the loom. As the base of my new loom would be wooden, rather than cardboard, it would be stronger and much more durable, allowing me to create a better, neater sample on an increased tension of warp; As the cardboard loom was folding in the process, making the warp yarn looser over time, resulting in a textile sample that was extremely fragile. By using a stronger loom, I would achieve a much stronger sample, that would be able to be placed on the body in the future. 

The next step of the tutorial required me to use a ruler to dot every x increment, where I decided to do 1cm increments. This has to be done along the top and bottom of the frame, where the yarn would loop around one nail at the top, go down to the corresponding one at the bottom side of the frame, and back up to the next nail on the top side of the frame. Using a small gap would mean my textile would be tighter and stronger, but being 1cm, it would still be easy enough to weft thick material, such as various leathers, through efficiently. 

Next, above every other dot I had marked, I was to make another where a nail would go into the frame. This was necessary as the wood would split if nails were knocked in with close proximity, by spacing them out some more, the wood is more likely to hold. 

After I had done this along the top and bottom sides of the frame, I had to knock nails into each dot (mark) on the frame every other mark, for the ones I had missed out, I would knock nails into the mark that was deeper into the frame from the edge. I was able to do this using a tool set we had in the house, where I used a hammer and spare nails we kept. 

To start off with my weave sample, I had to cut suitable lengths and widths of the materials and fabric I was to use in the sample. I started by cutting an extract from a black stocking I had, to a suitable width and length that could fit in my loom with the other materials I intended to use, which then had to be cut again to create a flat material that wasn't folded. 

As this material is stretchy, it will endure a lot of pressure before it breaks or tears, making it difficult to cut into if it is lying flat. In order to cut it in straighter lines, I asked my brother to help stretch the stocking out for me, so I could cut strips that would be placed into the loom in the making of my weave sample. 

As I was cutting, I didn't realise how the stretching property of the material would effect the cutting process. Wanting to achieve even and straight cuttings of the stocking, I was left with rugged and messy cuttings of uneven shape. Even though this wasn't what I was going for, I in fact like these better than the straight cuts I had in my head, so I ended up using them in my work. Additionally, their shape and form would be of good comparison to the even cuts I wanted to make afterwards. 

Next I chose to use a material that would contrast well with what I had just used, this being neon material from a high visibility vest. I wanted to use thinner cuttings than what I had made of the stocking material, I believe this would help create the illusion that the nylon stocking was protruding and invading the other materials.

I cut these using a ruler and scalpel, which gave me clean edges, whereas using scissors with this material doesn't. 

After cutting my neon fabric, I cut into a length of reflective tape, in which I wanted to use thicker lines, however I thought it would be more effective to use thinner strips as this would link better to the other materials that would be placed in the loom. 

Placing the materials into the loom in the sequence in which I had cut the material, I repeated this a few times along the loom. 

Weaving into the loom was relatively easy but required a level of dexterity to where you need to be careful as you can create a mistake very easily. The process was quick and efficient, it took longer to cut and collect the material then placing them in the loom. I believe I will stick with weaving for the time being, and do more research into weaving, looking at artists and different techniques I can explore on my loom as I go. 

Considering ways in which I could visualise my materials, I brain stormed processes that would link to my current themes of fetishism and restrictive clothing. I decided to experiment with weaving processes, as the notion of weaving is restrictive in itself, the warp lines are of high tension, close to one another, once the weft is fed through multiple times, it is restricted and held in place well. 

Having used the loom in the Archway campus in the stitch workshop previously, I looked up ways I could create my own loom at home, in which I could use over and over when I liked. Going online, I looked up 'DIY looms', eventually coming across a tutorial for making your own loom made of cardboard. It seemed fairly easy, and cardboard was easy to access as we had just used some in the process of redecorating our house, so it was easily sourced and recycled. Although this seemed like an easy option, I was skeptical as to how well a loom would work using cardboard, as it is much weaker than wood, which is what looms are usually made out of. 

I started by cutting an area of the boxes outside that would be a suitable size to make small weave textile samples.

The tutorial I was watching whilst making the loom required me to mark every 1 cm along two opposite sides of the loom, to which I did along the shorter sides, using a ruler and pen. 

I then cut into each mark using a scalpel about a centimetre and a half into the cardboard. These gaps would be where the yarn or string could attach to and create tension in the middle of the board. 

I bent these two ends of the cardboard up, so that the yarn would run between the two sides, elevated from the bottom of the cardboard. This would make it easier to weft my materials through the yarn once I was weaving. As they wouldn't stay up by themselves, I tried to use glue to gold them into place, gluing into the crease to hold the flap with the bottom of the board at an angle. However this was unsuccessful, so I resulted in stapling the two sides, so they would stand up. 

As I am mostly working with the colour palette of black, taken from the leather of pleasure wear, neon colours (specifically yellow and orange from construction wear) and reflective tape from high visibility jackets and other construction-wear, I chose to use a black yarn as  this would follow the palette. By using a white coloured string, I would break the idea of the colour palette, and since I hadn't yet used string in my project, it didn't seem a fit use in the warp in my loom. I fed my black yarn through the gaps I had cut into the two opposite sides in my cardboard loom, I would then feed it around the back of the cardboard as this would help maintain tension, without weakening the flaps on the loom. 

I would have ideally liked the yarn to be tighter across the loom, however I think this was a consequence of using cardboard as a basis for my loom. I will go ahead with using it anyway, it may work, however if it doesn't I will look for different ways to create a loom, that would make better and more effective samples. 

Talking to TI, he introduced me to the fact he is required to wear specific items of clothing at work, being an electrician, for safety precautions on site and at work. Some of these items include steel-cap boots, a safety helmet and gloves, as seen in the images below. As I wanted to look at the body movement and silhouette as people conduct the tasks they are required to do in specific wear, in this case construction-wear, but also sportswear, I asked TI if he had any images of him doing work, that I could then use and manipulate within my work. 

When starting his apprenticeship, he was tasked to a number of things, from the images below, to build a podium should he have to reach into a higher place. During his assessment, those testing him were photographing the process for visual documentation, and these are the images I have been able to use within my collage. 

I started by using images where the body was in an unnatural state, where legs and arms may be in unique positions, that I could eventually manipulate and point in different directions that could also be by him as well as any other, in attempts to show the contrasting movements one makes in one setting, compared to a resting state. I first picked out the image below, in which I cut out TI, in the original image, he was sitting onto of his almost-built podium. 

I then chose a body part I wanted to exploit within the collage, and I chose his right leg as I felt it was best suited to manipulate and alter in relation to his body.

Once having removed the leg with a scalpel, I began toying around and experimenting with the placement of the leg, that look much more unnatural than in the original image, but could still be placed this way in real life. 

Making an almost 90 degree turn on the point, I placed his leg much further back than originally. This drastically altered the silhouette, making it look much more controlled by whoever was editing and out of place, yet still possible to create, as it almost appears he is kneeling down. I find it interesting how looking at the body placement and characteristics in the example above, the meaning is completely changed to the observer which in turn changes what we think the subject in the image is trying to achieve. For example, in the image above, it appears to me as if the man in the photo is about to kick a football with a lot of force, meaning he would possibly taking a shot or clearing the ball as a defender, which gives off a completely different narrative. Seeing a footballer in this stance would give a much more triumphant and courageous feeling compared to the precision and caution that would b being taken in the original. 

Again in this photo, the narrative seems to be have completely altered. When looking at the leg placement in the manipulation above, I begin to think about children in a playground, possibly climbing on monkey bars, as the leg's angle looks as if it is swinging or is reaching up to a high point. I believe this results in the image having a much more joyous emotive than the original, purely from the impact of altering a silhouette. 

Using another image, TI is again building his podium, however is standing on the floor, reaching up to it, with his harms raised above him, the arms will be the what is altered in this collage example.  

The arms were removed with a scalpel.

Moving around one arm first, I tried to see what could change whilst keeping one arm neutral. In this example, the silhouette looks much more fun and playful, almost like the subject is dancing. 

Moving both arms, spreading them out horizontally instead of them being above him. Again, I consider him to appear to be dancing in this image similarly to the previous, if he hadn't been in the garments he was wearing or if the image was blacked out completely. 

Having spread the arms out widely, I wanted to do the opposite, where his arms are even more tightly connected above his head. The possible position of the arms if they were to be from a real image appear as if the subject is covering their head and face, possibly for protection due to a danger of some sort. 

Beside my neon moodboard, I wanted to create a neon page exploring shape and colour. I felt it was necessary to visualise and document items that may be of use to me throughout the project, on this page there is reflective-neon coloured tape, material extracts from high-visibility vests and neon coloured paper post-it notes. 

I wanted to explore neon around me that may often be overlooked, so I decided to use examples that were at hand. An aspect of this collage that appreciate is the shape of the materials used and how they are placed. Taking inspiration from high-visibility vests, they are usually one block colour, usually neon (yellow or orange), with reflective tape stitched running exactly up/down the vest and across from left to right, where the tape crosses at a perpendicular point. Although the reflective elements in this image do not cross perpendicularly, they are positioned this way in small samples, where if they were longer they would. Moreover, I have used cuttings of the neon material from the vest in a suited shape, similar to that of the reflective tape on the high-visibility vests, that do cross each other in this collage. To separate the sections of white space between the neon material, I decided to place my post it notes to act as a block colour visually, that would do the same as a concept.  

Neon being a theme within my work in this project, from my talks with CWY and TI. CWY stated should she be my age (18), she would dress in neon colours and PVC. TI is required to wear high-visibility clothing at work due got the fact that he is an electrician. On this moodboard, I wanted to explore a number of visuals. One being an image of TI himself wearing a neon coloured high-visibility vest, as well as a google search of 'neon coloured clothes' and a picture of a high-vis jacket alone. Surrounding these images, I also placed neon coloured materials, one being from an orange high-visibility vest, and the other being a piece of reflective-neon tape that I purchased from the shop at the Archway Campus. I also decided to sew into the images, despite being glued down, as it would display mat intention of wishing to use neon coloured thread in the future during this project, rather than just any random colour. Since neon colours are at this stage a key theme within my project, I wanted to visualise the fact that I will be drawing inspiration from the neon colour, garments associated with it in my work, using materials in the form of high-visibility vests and neon-coloured thread.  

Having researched reflectivity from the origins of construction wear, I wished to experiment using reflective material first hand. In this collage, I used a length of reflective material extracted from a high visibility vest, which is where I have gained interest in the concept from. I also used three strands of aluminium tape. I decided to scrunch it up to different degrees in the top two lengths, to show how reflectivity is forced to changes when the material isn't completely flat, like the material covering them, and the lowest length of aluminium tape. Balling it up in my hand, refolding and mashing together, the top length appears more finely textures, whereas the one below was manipulated less, to create larger shapes and textures. 

I decided to add an image of Kanye West wearing a Maison Margiela mask that was embroidered with gems, that would reflect. I done this to explore how else reflectivity is used, in this case the form of stones and gems. 

During the Knit Workshop today held by one of our tutors, we examined the imagery we had found involving our current project, and how we can explore ways of developing these and visualising them using the knitting machines. 

The imagery I have gathered so far consist of neon colours/clothing, sports wear and PVC material/outfits, all of which have been selected from interviews I have held with friends and family, regarding what they wear and why they wear it. 

I decided to experiment in replicating PVC material using yarns that I could find in the studio as they were more suited to this material, for example there were no neon coloured/ bright coloured yarns to use. Also as it was the core material in my research so far, it would make sense to develop this first, as neon at the moment is just a colour scheme and reflectivity, which I have also been working with, is a concept rather than a material in itself. 

I first searched suitable yarn that I could use, deciding upon a thin black yarn, that I figured would give a much tighter, inflexible sample compared to a thicker yarn, where the sample's properties would relate better to PVC, a fabric that doesn't stretch very much. Additionally, I chose to combine this yarn with a highly reflective silver yarn, as I have been also looking at high-visibility and reflective properties in clothing, especially that of workwear/construction wear, also taken from interviews I have conducted with peers. 

Having being taught how to use this device in today's workshop, i used it in order to create a combined yarn of the two I had chosen to use in my work. The two separate yarns are connected up to the tool, which rotates as you move the lever around, eventually creating one yarn made up of the yarns fed into it originally. 

What have you learnt? 

I’ve learned many things on the course, both personal, academic and practical. Being on the textiles pathway, I’m constantly learning new techniques and methods to not only display my work throughout my projects, but incorporating them into the work that I’m making, such as Boro textile, print making, etc. I’ve learnt to be more considerate with the colours and media I use in terms of how well they relate to my work and theme and what they convey; Being able to visit collages, sketching, mood boards, photography when necessary. 

Academically, I have become much more independent with my work, whereby I’ve learnt to conduct the work when I need to instead of leaving it until the last minute, and doing more than what has been asked or required. I’ve become more disciplined in this sense, where I’ve sacrificed my time into my studies whereas I would normally be unproductive in sixth form. Lastly in a personal sense, I’ve had to come to the realisation that to get my work completed, I have to do it, and I have to put effort and time into it as the course and people on the course are fast paced and competitive. 

What have you improved on? 

I’ve built and developed a wide range of skills and knowledge in areas I hadn’t known before, regarding textile techniques and artists that I can gain inspiration from such as directions I wish to take my work or materials I would like to use. 

Specifically, I’ve improved on my sketching and documentation of work, to the point now where I believe my work is more fluid and easier to follow, I am able to show where I draw influence from, what I intend next to do with my work, and how it may be visualised. Sketching has helped me obtain a starting point in many of my sketches.

What have you excelled at?

The thing I’ve excelled at the most is being able to come up with many ideas during my work and having finding many paths that I could go down from one point forward. The research I have done has helped me to do so, as well as my trips to exhibitions and galleries where I find art that would link well to my work. This being said, I’ve become much more independent with my work, in terms of visiting exhibitions I deem fit, and allocating time to do so.  

What do you hope to achieve at the end of the project? 

By the end of this project I want to have followed a clear and exciting path that stems back to my original conversations and interviews I’ve held with my friends and family. I want to have researched things they have mentioned whilst keeping a clear intention and theme, which I’m open to changing and adapting throughout the project. My focal point before doing any research was contrast and juxtaposition, which I will explore throughout the project, not only in visual ways, but contextual ways that have a societal relevance.