Rachel Phillips

Rachel Phillips Artist Residency Week 4

8th February 2020

During the final week at the Artcore graduate residency I spent my time choosing images that I wanted to show alongside my installation piece. I wanted to choose images which demonstrate the versatility of the material and range of textures which can be created through working into the material. Therefore I chose to select 8 images which evidence this.

While looking at my images I also considered using some of the pictures I had taken of the shadows the material created; they produced interesting shapes and also demonstrated the translucency of the material which I was experimenting with in my large work. I chose to have 8 of these images printed on acetate because the image is then translucent and emphasises the translucency of the material in the images as well, so the prints mirror the original material more effectively.

The final part of the week involved the set up of the exhibition and the opening night. For me the set up is a major part of my work as the way the work is installed contributes to the final piece as it is site specific. I wanted to use the height of the space, the shape of rooms, the lights inside the space and the light filtering through the windows to create effects upon the material. By having the work hanging from the high ceiling it creates the sense of scale, however I also wanted it to hang just off the floor to allow

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Rachel Phillips Artist Residency Week 3

26th January 2020

During my third week at Artcore, I began to work on a much larger scale, fusing together the plastic bags to create one large piece of material. I aim to produce a large-scale work which will be suspended so that it interacts with the space, air and light levels. I worked into the material by layering more material in areas to create variations in the translucency as some areas become more opaque, which then alters how light interacts with the material. I also began to use my heat gun to create intricate textures on the work which are revealed on closer inspection, therefore the piece can interact with the viewer in multiple ways; there will be the initial viewing of the whole piece where the scale will be felt and then the more intimate viewing which requires the viewer to move closer to the material.

As I have been using the heat gun I have allowed the material to shrink, curl, rip and crumple as a result of the process. In these areas the light now interacts differently than before and there are new textures to explore. By permitting the material to move as it is heated I am allowing it to make its own statement about its material presence.

We also had another group critique in which we discussed the curation of the space and our works in relation to each other. Due to the nature of my work I want it interact

Categories: Artist, East Midlands Graduate Showcase Residency, Rachel Phillips

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Rachel Phillips Artist Residency Week 2

24th January 2020

Over the second week of my residency at Artcore, I began preparing my materials for the larger scale work I aim to create and started to think about ways I could display the work within the space to produce a new experience of the material for the viewers. I considered how I could use the shape of the space, it’s height and the light from the windows and spot lights to produce shadows, reflections and alter the translucency of the material in certain areas. To aid my ideas I have researched works by Chiharu Shiota and Sarah Sze. Both artists use space to involve a viewer within their installations; creating works which fill entire rooms they use ‘pathways’ to navigate a viewer through their work so that they are completely immersed in their materials. Looking at these artists I started to think about how I can get viewers to engage with my work and how it would be interesting to have the work suspended in the air and moving through the space. It could rise above the viewer in parts and then drop level with them to increase their awareness of the material around them. It would allow a viewer to feel the scale of the work whilst being able to get close to it and see the intricate textures and lines simultaneously. We also took part in a group critique where we discussed our practice and current project with each other and members of the public to receive feedback on our

Categories: East Midlands Graduate Showcase Residency, Rachel Phillips

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Rachel Phillips Artist Residency Week 1

24th January 2020

Hi! I’m Rachel Phillips and I am one of the 5 artists currently on the Artcore Graduate Residency. My practice is inspired by environmental issues as I recycle and reuse plastic bags as my medium. I explore the materiality of the bags by hand manipulating the material and subjecting it to heat which creates intricate textures and detail. By fusing the material together I create large scale works which envelope the viewer to induce a new sensory experience, elevating the material away from its original connotations. Over the residency I plan to experiment with the clear plastic bags I have collected and explore how it interacts with light and air currents while considering how I can use the space to produce an experience for the viewer. The plastic itself is light so it responds well to air currents and it is already quite reflective, therefore I aim to work into the material to enhance and exaggerate these qualities. During my first week at the residency I began to experiment with my material by attempting to change its translucency. I then referred to my verb list and started folding, heating, creasing, ripping, pulling the material and considered how these actions alter the materials interaction with light and air. Over the second week I want to figure out how I can develop these experiments on a larger scale to create more immense pieces.