From c711873382402856c992d07742d5e4d2e08ca0f5 Mon Sep 17 00:00:00 2001 From: Simon Browne <info@simonbrowne.biz> Date: Tue, 4 Jun 2024 17:04:31 +0200 Subject: [PATCH] fixing broken image URLs --- content/works/naturarchy.md | 16 ++++++++-------- 1 file changed, 8 insertions(+), 8 deletions(-) diff --git a/content/works/naturarchy.md b/content/works/naturarchy.md index 5001e71..ed508b7 100644 --- a/content/works/naturarchy.md +++ b/content/works/naturarchy.md @@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ Using a pen plotter is a slow, musical process. We found the "songs" it made cam Pen plotters speak a language called HPGL (Hewlett Packard Graphics Language), which has a relatively simple syntax. HPGL uses commands such as SP (Select Pen), PU (Pen Up), PD (Pen Down), PA (Plot Absolute), PR (Plot Relative) and LT (Line Type). - + For very expanded documentation, the [Isoplotec website](https://www.isoplotec.co.jp/HPGL/eHPGL.htm) is a good resource. @@ -35,17 +35,17 @@ It’s hard to seek total control and perfection with the pen plotter: sometimes The bio inks we used for this project are created by MarÃa at the Laboratorium, a biolab located within the Media Arts Studio at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts (KASK) in Ghent. They are made with natural pigments and algaes, and they naturally disappear when placed in direct exposure to sunlight. We decided to work with this ephemerality, imagining having posters with some details almost completely faded out by the end of the exhibition. - + Before visiting MarÃa’s biolab, we made some experiments by plotting with “natural†inks we made from materials we found at the OSP studio: soy sauce, turmeric and coffee. The result was exciting but very pale and only brownish in hue. The aspect of these inks when used on paper is very close to watercolour, it’s very pale, fluid and had a fragile feel. At her biolab in Ghent, MarÃa generously gave us some new bio inks: a very bright pink, a deep blue, an orange and a green, which were much more interesting to work with. Because MarÃa is working more with structured color these days than with bio inks, she still had some reserves left over. - + Some inks worked great and without needing close assistance, for example the pink was very fluid but dense and the result was very bright. In contrast, the green was hard to mix and was very pale, almost invisible. The timeframe for this project was super short, so we didn't have much time to experiment. With more time we'd like to dig a bit deeper into different fluids to mix the pigments with (such as alcohol, or oil). - + ## The poster series @@ -53,12 +53,12 @@ Our initial research involved trying out making patterns that used the shapes of We generated patterns in HPGL using a python script. These created a series of moiré effects that we could directly send to the pen plotter. We tried also with a stereotypical flower drawing, using only basic curves, and other typographic experiments. The fonts we used come from the [Hershey](https://lapolice.ch/stories/footnotes-b-article-9/) typeface. These were generated from an extension of the software Inkscape. We chose to use Hershey fonts as they are monoline fonts, meaning that they are composed from lines. This makes them therefore suitable for a pen plotter, which draws lines but not fills. - + First, we had to use an inkjet printer to print all the partner’s logos at the bottom of the poster. Plotting all of these legibly would have been a real challenge. It was risky, since the outcome would have created too much change to the logos, which needed to remain intact. A big pile of coloured paper with only small logos at the bottom was then ready to be plotted. The default Clairefontaine paper is usually very popular for printing, we used this type since we had some leftover at the OSP studio. - - + + We plotted from 10am till 10pm for three days approximately, to produce a total of 42 posters for the exhibition. Each poster is structured with informative text: the title of the exhibition, the location, the dates, a context sentence about the bio inks, and credits about the partners of the exhibition. Those rather formal assets served to structure the posters and let us play around with the background elements. No two posters are the same. Sometimes we had to readjust the pen position by hand, some pens drew clearly, and others left stains and blobs of bio ink. We composed them in the moment, laying them out on the floor in the studio to see them together, while trying out different inks and shapes. After scanning all 42 posters, they were sent to iMAL with instructions to attach them to their large glass windows near the entrance. We're most curious to see how the duration of the exhibition will change them. @@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ Alongside the posters, we also produced other assets for the exhibition, includi At the end of plotting process, we had some spare sheets with logos at the bottom. We recycled them and asked iMAL to use them to display the introduction text at the entrance of the exhibition. - + As for the title of the exhibition, we mimicked the drawing process of the plotter. Usually, vinyl is applied to the glass outside of iMAL for exhibition titles, as it is a weather-resistant material. However, we decided to not use vinyl, opting instead for water-based paint. We printed the text that would be displayed on A3 sheets, which were then stuck together, one for each glass panel. These were then placed on the glass inside iMAL, and the lines of the Hershey fonts were traced by hand on the glass outside of the space. When it rains (as it often does in Brussels), the paint may wear. It can then be traced again as long as the exhibition is on display. -- GitLab