ILLUSIONS & HALLUCINATIONS
I began researching ideas around the brain, as it is something that really fascinates me, for example, mental health, drugs, dreams and the idea of “what is reality?” This developed into my concept idea of “illusions and hallucinations” which I started to research more in depth. I chose this concept because I find it interesting how the human brain works when looking at illusions or experiencing hallucinations. I experienced hallucinations when I was younger at the dentist when they sedated me with nitrous oxide. This experience terrified me but it made me realise how wonderfully strange and complicated our brains are. My aim was to create an eye-catching exhibit and piece of clothing that is digitally printed on and made 3D by manipulating the material. I wanted the viewer to feel like they are looking at an illusion or hallucination. I researched the theory of Alice and Wonderland on drugs, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas film, LSD song by The Beatles, psychedelic and abstract painting techniques, Dali and surrealist techniques, The Dazzle Ships in WW1 and Project MKULTRA. I also came across some designs by Noa Raviv and Margiela, which inspired me to have a 3D element in my textile design, which I could then make into a garment. I used knit, PVC plastic, 3D printing, laser cut mirror, stitching and digital prints in my final major project. My exhibition included my own illusion so that it would draw the viewer’s attention to my exhibit. To create my illusion I used four acrylic boards then painted on them. I also knitted a brain inspired by my “mind control” research. I documented the evolution of my designs in my learning journal, as they changed through experimentation.
