My trend title is ‘Left behind’. Through my board I wanted to show that we do have to look back, take a step back and realise what we leaving behind and be reused, fixed and recycled. That would show respect to other people who created that in first people, saving nature around us and would make us to use our imagines to creative something new from something that already exist.
As this was my first blog that I wrote it was something new and interesting for me. I did like the different topic because I was able to look in to things that do inspire me but I wouldn’t think of looking in to. Writing this blog I did learn that it is important to looking in to more ways how to find my resources. If I would be using only one way of resource I would get as much information and would make sure that it is reliable.
It was really good way to learn how to use my resources and how to find resource in all different ways, internet (websites, different blogs), books, and interviews.
I really enjoyed discussing object from different culture (African wooden sculptures) because I realised if something inspires me it will be even more effective if I completely looking to it and doo good research on to it.
If I would be to carry on this blog I would make it a bit more personal, like writing about my work and discussing the journey of my work but in same time I would compare my work to work what is out there to show completely where I get my inspiration from. By doing research in to my inspiration I would have more ideas for my own work and I would be able combine to completely different things tighter and crate something new.
As for treasure object I was writing about the wood man sculpture I decided that I do find it inspirational this sculpture. As I said before it could be and it does remind me of African wooden sculptures so I decided I am going to write about African wooden sculptures. It will be good way how to research more in to the sculpture that I do find inspirational.
First African sculptures known as the remarkable terracotta pottery heads. They started their cravings in to meatal and rocks which become as three dimensional figures, sculptures. They started to make their in to rock and metal because their first drawings was craved in to rock walls. Strong abstract sculptures came from their unique culture. They were representing figures on rocks but in abstract ways. The faces on figures were unique and not as you would see in real life. Their strong figure elements and expressive quality sculptures place them at the start of the African sculptural traditional. Some found sculptures were over 2500 years old. The original, unique and great quality sculptures is really hardtop find and even more hard to recreate. Because all the little detailed and abstract figures was in old history. They are remarkable for their sense of caricature and have a strong sense of style showing elaborate hairdos and ornamentation.
The materials changed quickly and they started to crave in to woods metals was representing all the ways how they looked in their tradition events. Even the textures were craved in to material. They was so unique because at first they didn’t know how to first make the materials neat and tidy so their craved textures and textures already on natural materials combined together created unique and abstract quality of touch in to sculptures.
They were creating sculptures out of daily life. They was trying to show the moment in to sculptures but because the materials was metal, rock and wood they do look still but the unique figures are so unique, interesting and inspiring that they talk for them self.
By around the 1st C AD, figures of an intriguing severity are being produced in the Sokoto region of north western Nigeria. Sokoto itself is at the confluence of ancient trade routes. These figures tend to have heavier brows and are less ornamented than Nok figures, but there is undeniably a link even if we are yet to fully comprehend the connection between the two seemingly isolated cultures.
The big stone sculptures that was touchable and was able to move was started to be made around 16th century.
The wooden carving sculptures remain today the primary art form of the sub Saharan continent.
Their wood sculptures were all made from one piece of wood even if in sculpture was more than one figure. In 16th and 17th century shows the earliest wooden sculptures, comes from the Kuba, central Zaire but the earliest surviving sub-Saharan sculpture is a zoomorphic head found in 1928 in central Angola. Lot of earliest sculptures was found in Nigeria. Other earliest wood sculptures was found around 1920 and been gather tighter in 1945 while tribal art was still very much in practice.
Biography:
In my family photograph you can see my parents Roberts Groza and Agnese Groza wedding day in 1990’s. The bride is wearing white flower lace dress. The arms are half way down because it represents that the bride covers herself in order to be good wife. The groom is wearing casual black suit made out of heavy cotton because at the time he was working in city army so he needed to be smart and show the respect of country.
The dress fabric was really fine and with lots of little details in to it respect the good quality and fine work of people how makes the fabric.
The dress was already worn before because in old days clothes was worn again and again as new generations was coming along. After Agnese got married she left her dress with my oldest sister and she did wear it in her christening day. Even if the dress wasn’t really modern or fashionable it still always sated in good quality and shown how older generation clothes was made with more thing and effects because not it was just for family’s to pass on their generation in some way it was really good for nature because the things that was taken form nature was recycled and reused.
Wooden sculpture on African print fabric. By Daina Groza, Leicester, Nov 2014
I have been collecting different things for my treasure box. I find this wooden sculpture inspiring because of the details carved in and the use of materials, as they are natural and friendly to nature. I picked it up once when I went to carboot sale in Ashby.
It could be and it does remind me of African wood sculptures. The sculpture been made out of one wood piece, for hair and skirt been used hessian fabric. It’s interesting to look at it closely and see how it’s been carved hole figure just out of one wood piece and how the details of man been carved in to wood. I think is unique and makes the sculpture look more exclusive because of unusual abstract face.I find man face intresting because it is abstract shows emotions through out. If I would be to describe this sculpture with 5 words I would say: exclusive, natural, detailed, African, abstract.
If I would use this piece to start new project I would call my project ‘Nature friendly detailed sculptures’
I am doing my historical object research on clay pot from Latvia. The colours tones and mix inspires me because the colours are very organic and rich. The patterns on pots are simple but interesting and it’s interesting to study the different symbols on the pots because later on I can make them in to patterns and bring them in to my knitted patterns, printed textiles or just painted patterns e.t.c.. The colours and the symbols reminds me of Latvia and I think the Latvians clay milk jugs is really good way how to represent Latvia and even the different parts of Latvia.
Neolithic pottery : Comb Ceramic culture ( 3400th – 2300th g. Pr. Kr. ) Pots. Photographer Baiba Dumpe, Latvia
In the Latvia crafts as pottery existed since the 10th century. The first pottery’s wheel was brought in to the Riga, capital of Latvia. The first pot shapes and colours were same as anywhere in world. As the production grown and people was asking for more equipment so the pots was used in farms.
As years gone pass people in Latvia stared to make them in different shapes and colours. As Latvia always been divided in four different parts, Zemgale – , Latgale – , Kurzeme – and Vidzeme – , each part had their own symbols and they used to put them on any production what they produced in each part. So to mark the pots they learned and started to put the symbols on the pots.
After First World War in 1918 when Latvia got there freedom back all the farms got really productive the ceramic was produced more and more. As there were people who were just working on ceramic, it becomes much more artistic. They even made special milk jug. One really known ceramic artist is Jēkabas Drandams. The Milk jug came in different colours and they still had the unique symbols on it. For long time milk jugs was really known and used in Latgale – , But in bigger places around Riga the milk jugs were made smaller and just a bit different in shape and used as beer cups.
Milk jugs that been used in daily life
After the Second World War Latvia was taken over by Russians everything artistic in Latvia was stopped including ceramic. Then after 60 years the ceramics stared to come back but it wasn’t as it was before the war. There were still people who made ceramic for farms but these pots weren’t big symbols anymore. The most popular and artistic pots was put in museums but the ones which was used in farms was just as other equipment in household.
Jolanta’s un Valdis Dundeniek’s workshop pots. By Dundeniek’s exhibiton, Berzpils ,Latvia, 05/2014
Know some of very old pots can be vied in Latvian museums. In museums like ‘Ogres Muzejs’ Ogre, Latvia and ‘Turaidas Muzejrezervats’ Sigulda, Latvia there in displays are some original pots which been made and used before First World War. In many more museums there is some symbolic pots and jugs but there are not as original as before there wars.
Exhibition from ‘Turaidas Muzejrezervats’ in Sigulda, Latvia museum – Clay pots from 19th century. By ‘Turaidas Muzejrezervats’ museum 2012
Bibliography:
My name’s Daina Groza and I come from a small country south of Finland called Latvia. I am currently studying Textile Design at DeMonfort University. Previously to that I studied a fashion Course at Leicester College and then furthermore, an Art & Design foundation course to improve my drawings skills along with other techniques.
My visit to my home country. Riga – the capital of Latvia. By Daina Groza, Riga, Latvia, 09/2014
During secondary school it was compulsory to study textiles as a subject, which I particularly enjoyed. I moved to the UK in 2009 at the age of 14. With very little understanding of the English language I was instructed to part take in practical subjects such as art and textiles. My favourite area of expertise is knitting.
In my free time I like to make knitted toys. By Daina Groza, Leicester College, Leicetser, 05/2014
I like to experiment with different techniques and materials. I use lots of bold and bright colours to create vary effects that will stand out.
My observation and Interpretation Studio work created using inks and bleach. By Daina Groza,DMU, Leicester, 09/10/2014
My main inspiration is my godmother, Valentine, who lives in the quiet countryside in Latvia. Her profession was multi language teacher for teenagers. In her spear time she enjoys drawing, sculptures building and experimenting with textiles. Her primary materials would be reclaimed, recycled materials she would find and use them in her sculpture building, demonstrated in image below.
Some of my Grandmother’s sculptures, her front garden decorations. By Daina Groza, Aglona, Latvia, 09/2014
Another muse of mine and too many others is Sandra Backlund, fashion designer from Stockholm. She has a very distinctive style using bold and chunky knitting techniques.
The collection from Sandra Backlund, “Ink Blot Test.photo by Peter Farago, June 15th, 2007
Bibliography
Textile Box 