At the beginning of this project I felt excited to work mostly independently on a project over Christmas and having lots of time to do research etc. For example by visiting the library for a whole day exploring a variety of books and having time to visit the Elmsgreen and Dragset exhibit. This is something that as I progress I want to do more as it really benefitted my research process. While away to ski during Christmas it was really relevant to the research I was doing during this project. Being able to fully immerse myself in a theme of my project it was like being in a constant exhibit. However at the same time I do think that being away limited me in doing textile samples and adding texture to my sketchbook pages. 

Making my own research was also an element after talking to previous BA students that I wanted to incorporate into this project. When doing this and physically mark making in the snow or creating my own body sculptures I could react to my work at the time by drawing straight into my sketchbook instead of viewing these elements digitally. When draping my explored shapes on the body I was excited by the prospects of the silhouette of my final outcome. The way the shapes naturally formed over the head linked to the ski mask research I have been doing and the protective element of the garment. Therefore the idea of function; firstly its protection elements being inspired by the inflatable rucksack and the functional QR code pattern on the garment therefore it adds ease to the skiers making it also desirable. Overall, I was really pleased with how I managed to fit this functionality into my final outcome idea development as this was a worry at the beginning of the project on how I would create something interesting but also functional.

A struggle I had towards the end of this project was texture again I think this was due to my limit in materials while away. To overcome this I looked back in my sketchbook at materials and shapes I have previously explored realising my interests in the clay and ski safety netting with arm knitting. Instantly by adding these elements onto my toile I felt happier with my final outcome; It lifted the shape and added some depth to it. This is something I have learnt from this project; that I will take onto future projects that texture is key! On the whole I am happy with how this project has turned out but still can't ignore the mistakes I have made mainly by not adding texture effectively enough throughout my sketchbook. I do feel that in this project I used the brief effectively ensuring that all the elements (desirability, functionality and sustainability) guided me in my thought process. If I had more time I would have developed my ricocheting barcode pattern more maybe getting this professionally printed onto fabric.

I wanted to find some waterproof fabric to make and drape my garment with as this links to the skiwear element and protective parts of my research. We had an old tent which broke and I Tok some fabric from it a couple of moths ago. Even though the fabric is grey and not necessarily part of my colour scheme I can add my elements on top.

Hipora is a waterproof and breathable fabric, used as insert in winter, motorcycle and cycling gloves. It is developed by the Korean company Kolon Industries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hipora

In skiing it is not rare to find lots of items on the mountains which have been dropped from the chair lift, left at a bench or after someone has fallen over while skiing. These are objects which I have found allow for sustainability to be brought into my project in another way and not just with the barcodes; the most interesting ones for me is the inflatable neck pillow which was given to us on the ski train and this black glove food underneath a chair lift on an off-piste run. 

• Linking the pattern of my ski jacket to my colour scheme with me holding skis I think would be a very interesting silhouette to draw and develop. I would like to take some more body sculpture pictures using skis also at different locations to see where this idea could take me.

• "I am interested in the everyday life. All the materials that surrounded me could be useful, as well as the objects, topics involved in contemporary society. My work speaks about the whole entity of a human being: the physical, the spiritual, the psychological and the political."
• I was inspired by the objects ricocheting down the mountain as the marks were really interesting and the lines created looked very much like Alice Andersons work. Therefore this made me think of how these objects could be applied to the body. Especially when skiing you are often holding skis and poles on your shoulder which resembles Erwin Wurms one minute sculptures a lot.
• Image Resource: https://www.lehmannmaupin.com/artists/erwin-wurm

When going through the library I was trying to discover some random artists which I had never heard of before to broaden my knowledge. This is when I came across Brad Downney; I love the idea of quick sculptures made from random objects; this way if I am feeling stuck or in-inspired I can easily create something new. For example artist Erwin Wurm creates 30 second sculptures using the body. I am going to have ago at this while away as there are Manny random objects needed when skiing which I think will create some unique shapes.

I was drawn to this piece immediately during the exhibition for its relevance to my current research. The way these pipes are curling and intertwining around each other particularly symbolise the ricocheting movements of tumbling down a mountain or the copper wire works of Alice Anderson.

The way these dancers moved with the Charleston was very globular; the legs and hands deflected off the body again and again linking back to the word of ricochet. I plan to do some blind drawings of these movements I see from the avalanche to the Charleston dance responding to the word ‘ricochet’. I hope that the marks created on paper will help to inspire me further with my research of this project.

When doing research I found a book on the techniques of skiing- even though I was originally looking for clothing details of skiers I thought I would give it a go. Here I discovered a technique called the “Charleston ski dance” this immediately interested me thinking how could you dance with skis? These movements performed with an awkward long object at the end of your leg no doubtably would look quite chaotic and jittery. This particular ski move was developed in the early 1960’s by a Swiss ski acrobat Art Furrer.

• This bulbous newspaper sculpture to me imitates the look of snow ricocheting down a mountain with the folds collapsing over each other swallowing anything in its path.

• As I begun to research skiwear; I know there is a lot of safety involved with skiing: helmets, padding, straps, goggles and you ca even buy inflatable rucksacks. My brother owns one and it is used in the even of a avalanche. This inflates under the pressure of the snow creating a air pocket. This would help you to dig your way out of the snow and breath.
• The word "ricochet" continued to stick in my mind when doing research maybe because its a very visual 'doing word' I imagine big swirls at a fast and chaotic pace.
• I also found the imagery associated with these inflatable rucksacks to imitate the word ricochet as this person tumbles down the mountain.

• When creating a barcode based off the Lanyard Poem I thought it was very straight and uniform unlike my inspiration for the word 'ricochet'. Therefore I decided to edit the barcode by adding some movement allowing for a journey across the page. It looks a bit like the lines you see in snow when skiing.

• " Skiers are now given a badge, which is embedded with an RFID tag, to carry in an exterior pocket.  When a skier approaches a gate, the RFID badge automatically causes the gate to open, permitting entry to the ski lift"
• Previously, lift access involved handheld portable bar code readers that would scan a bar code on the user's lift ticket. This required several attendants to be constantly scanning lift tickets. It was a slower and more labor-intensive process. 
• Improved customer interaction. When a badge is scanned by the RFID reader, the skier's name is displayed on the attendant’s tablet, giving the attendant an opportunity to improve the customer's experience with a personal greeting or interaction.

•  Greener operating and customer convenience.  Since the RFID badges can be re-used, they are a more environmentally friendly and customer friendly option. Guests may keep their badge and re-load its value without having to wait in another ticket line. 

• To me when learning about the RFID tags which go into the ski lift passes there was a lot of links that referred back to the brief. When skiing an RFID tag makes the process much quicker instead of scanning each ticket separately. This is the same as a lanyard in a workplace or school instead of having to sign yourself in each time you work now you can just scan your lanyard making the whole process much more functional.

Information Resource : https://barcode.com/20111219751/rfid-at-the-point-of-ski-pos.html

• Depending from a pad permanently secured to the waistband of a pair of ski pants is a pig tail having a loop on the bottom end to receive the bail of a typical wire wicket to which a ski ticket is affixed. The pig tail is long enough so that the ski ticket hangs below the bottom of a ski jacket far enough to be readily seen by the ski lift attendant without the skier''s having to lift up the bottom of the jacket to show the ticket.
• I think its interesting to find out what was used before an electronic ski pass where a metal wire is passed around clothing for ease and function.

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Patent Resource: https://patents.google.com/patent/US3662480

• Lift tickets may vary by time period, or type of lift. Some resorts use digital cards embedded with RFID chips. These cards are kept in a pocket during the skier's visit to the resort as they do not need to be removed for the access gate to detect them.
• Formerly it was common to use a wicket for skiing, a short piece of light wire which loops through the clothing of a customer. The wicket was invented by Killington Ski Resort employee Charlie Hanley. The ticket wicket was patented in 1966. Despite quick and widespread adoption of the wicket, Hanley never made any money off the soon-ubiquitous ticket wicket; an avid skier, he was content to invent something that further developed the then-nascent sport of downhill skiing. It was patented again in 1995.
• Before ticket wickets, lift tickets were stapled or glued directly to clothing. It made tampering with the lift ticket difficult. The wicket inspired several innovations to make its use more convenient, such as ski ticket holder pigtail. In addition, many ski jackets are designed with wickets in mind, providing plastic or cloth loops that allow the attachment of a wicket without interfering with zipper operation.

Quote Resource: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lift_ticket

• A ski pass holds your identification for safety and rights to ski on particular mountains 
• Ski Pass holder often hidden away in a zip pocket on the arm of jacket
• The holder is very functional and secure as when skiing dow mountains you do not want to lose it
• The traditional lanyard definition states that a lanyard is a 'cord passed around the neck, shoulder or wrist for holding a life, whistle or similar object". This links to a ski pass holder on a jacket which is often at the wrist for ease of getting through the barriers with all your equipment.