The Introduction Of Vinyl Tape And Another New Direction Of Abstraction To Explore.
Today I decided to revisit the use of Tape in my studio practise which I slightly touched upon near the end of a previous creative project earlier this year. The ability to quickly create straight lines was what drew me to using this material and as a result of experimenting with this material and the process of using it I managed to produce and create Two 2ft x 2ft pieces of Hard Edge Abstraction.
On the first 2ft x 2ft MDF Board I focused my attention on using Various Coloured Insulation Tape which I bought from a Local Shop (Wilkinson's). There was no plan or prior planned design in mind when approaching the board, I just started applying the Tape in a roughly 45 degree directional angle and began alternating the Tape to show a contrast between the stripes. This process continued across the left side of the board until I switched direction in the middle and began applying it Vertically whilst paying attention to which colours I had previously placed near one another and what was looking to be a successful combination. This process of applying Tape repetitively resulted in a striking, vibrant and abstract composition of thin stripes which stood out from the white walls of the studio space. An overall successful outcome to a new creative method I feel.
The Second Board was my opportunity to use a completely new material of Tape which I came across when buying the Insulation Tape. This was a fresh material to my studio practise with no prior experimentation. I followed the same method of applying the tape in directional stripes but I approached its design in a new way. I initially marked out and drew some directional lines on the board using a pencil and a ruler which would be my starting guide to the application of the Vinyl Tape. I also picked out the Tape I would place near each other prior to starting based on which I felt contrasted best and also decided to try make the red stripe look continuous. With these aims in mind I began to repeat the process used on the first board, paying attention not to overlap the stripes and cutting the tape a scalpel rather than scissors for a more precise cut.
By experimenting with both Insulation Tape and Vinyl Tape it has allowed me to come to the conclusion that both Tapes produce a successful clean looking finish to the surface of the Boards, however I personally felt more comfortable using the Vinyl Tape as it gave a glossy finish to the design I had created and also was wider in dimension which offered a wider stripe.