3D practice

Through mindmapping I decided to focus on PTSD and the void that is created in that person’s head by disassociation with the event itself and in turn that person usually attempts to busy themselves in order to distract from the events that happened.I wanted to created a physical form that was representative of the void in that persons head.I also wanted to look at the physical presence of weight and relate it to the weighing pressure of traumatic events that weigh down that persons mind.

I felt inspired by looking at Rebbecca Hornes body modificationa such as Einhorn (unicorn)

I also felt that ‘the void’ tied in well with my last project.I enjoyed this theme and wish to continue it into this one I also decided to use bricks and bring the use of not only the sound but the physical presence back in aswell

Mona Hatoum’s piece ‘performance still’ 1985. I found myself quite interested in the thought of using the body to drag/push something.And using items of meaning to do so.

Iwanted to experiment with some performance art pieces down by the sea which is connected with being spiritually healing.I wanted it to symbolize there being healing availible out there but due to the block the void causes ultimately avoidance is put in place weighing that person down.I decided to use black and white to create more of a serious atmoshpere.I specifically choose a day where it was misty and rainy/windy to create and atmosphere aswell.The wind also created interesting shapes on the t-shirt which resembles waves. (This can be seen more clearly in the video below)In some of the face on standing shots it is also hard to tell whether the body is facing forwards or backwards giving an alien like feel and connecting with the alienation that person may feel.

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1BtKmxlOantsJh5k5um-prmR8inBMscBs

I decided to experiment with face paint as I think I might use this for my performance piece.I created one and and a peer did the other.I think it connects well to the mask people use every day to cover this dehibilitating mental condition

https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Cogd_plrRglgCpaWR13gGSpGZ0g14Agi

The revel!

Installation

In this workshop we viewed many different artist installations in a presentation as inspiration for making our own.

We were asked to spend 10 mins in silence taking in the room we had been working in for the last week,making mental notes about the size,feeling we got from it,structure etc etc.

We were then split into two groups.Our group only consisted of four people in comparison to the other group which was much larger.

I found this task particulary difficult mostly because we had to work as a group and I felt that one half of the group did not take any ideas from myself and another person within the group So I didn’t feel that I had any influence on any of the ideas or that I could identify with any of the final outcomes.

I felt that the other groups ideas were alot more sucessful as they seemed to think on their feet where as our group spent more time thinking then making and would last min throw something together and hope for the best.

Image with the chairs and red board was meant to be about creating a safe space within such a cold clinical room and creating a barrier from the other installation yet inviting people to look at it also.

Other image was about reflecting the slant of the ceiling.

Resin Casts/Armatures/Final clay piece. Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

I feel that the most simple cast using the vessel form and femine shape was the most effective and therefore I decided to make three armatures based on this shape using a mixture of chicken wire,hessian and thick plaster mix to give a more textured approach. I created a big piece and two smaller,one free standing and i cut the chicken wire at the bottom of the smaller piece and bent it and did the same with the larger piece altho this may not be the best approach due to the height and i proberly should of added more plaster to the bottom in hindsight.

Working in clay. Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

In this workshop we were introduced to a variety of techniques that can be used when sculpting clay.These techniques included hitting the clay with blocks of wood,punching it, and sculpting it with wire. We were reminded not to make the sculpture too ‘top heavy’ which is something I really struggled with and it seemed the more I tried not to the more it happened.The soloution I found to this was often to turn the sculpture onto it’s side.

As you can see from the images above each technique had a very different outcome.After our first initial technique of punching the clay we had to respond by drawing it and then make another piece.Continuing with the developmental loop.I think the two techniques I liked the most and found to be the most sucessful was using the sticks and the wire.

I found that there was a very relaxing meditive quality to working hands on with the clay and really getting involved with the medium.It was pretty unpredictable to work with but gave some interesting results.

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop.

Today we went for a 15 min walk after watching a presentation about various sculpture artists over the centurys for inspiration. On the walk we were asked to make mental notes of words that related to our surroundings.

Once back in the studio we made small free formed paper sculptures based on these mental notes, and then worked within a developmental loop drawing from the sculpture then sculpting from the drawing using select items such as paper,paper straws,cardboard and wire.

To start with I really struggled to construct and think in a 3D format but once everybody talked about their work and i got to view other works I felt inspired and my work started to take on a more sculptural form. We were also allowed to refine one of our pieces after talking about it which really helped to see the strengths and weaknesses.We were told to makesure that our sculptures were viewable from every angle.

One challenge I particulary enjoyed was drawing the sculpture using charcoal then trying to fit the sculpture into the drawing.I felt that the composition I choose worked well due to the fact the straws lead your eye around the shape.

Experimenting with the positioning of the sculpture within the picture.https://drive.google.com/file/d/17aDbscJaRQuDwnSotQeUMXuIdJO63_mg/view?usp=sharing

Decided to simplify the shapes that could be found in the diamond structure within the last piece I made and make them into a mobile structure inspired by Alexander Calder’s work seen earlier in the day during the presentation. https://images.app.goo.gl/8rGMk5CYz1gaxLYj7

A video of the mobile in action:https://drive.google.com/file/d/17V6ispmWJtrOGgAPOYmWBrJPsBIIphHi/view?usp=sharing

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop

Due to us spending next week at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop we were given an induction where we were introduced to all the diferent machines within the wood workshop.We were then asked to do practice pieces using these machines before being given several pieces of wood and asked to make a final piece using the equitment provided.

I felt quite aprehensive about using the machines as it’s not an environment that I am used to and there is alot of danger attached to using these machines should you loose focus or not follow the safety guidelines.Over the course of the afternoon tho I did start to feel slowly more confident.

Final piece.Decided to go for something very simple based on one of the shapes produced during my 2D work and hung as a final piece.The triangles used very thin wood and would be quite intricate to cut on the bandsaw so decided to use a table saw as a normal saw seemed to be too heavy and splintered the ends of the triangles.Forgot to sand the triangles which you can see by the rough edges.

We got to have a sneak peek at an exhibition currently taking place within the sculpture workshop and also work in progress which included a pair of (legally aquired) silver casted swans wings which could of been interpretted as angels wings.Also alot of bronze/silver casted items that looked like they belonged to a movie set such as a giant set of horns,gas mask,shoes.We were encouraged to talk to artists using the workshops to find out about the processes they are using in order to inform our own processes.