Week 16

14/03/2016-20/03/2016
Advanced Sculpture Workshop Part 3
Summary:

This is the final week of the workshop, therefore there was a group tutorial, I explained about the animal menagerie. I was given the suggestion that I stop considering these hybrids as existing animals instead I should see these as future abominations. In addition I should in that case consider how these animals would displayed in the future. Furthermore When I explained that these animal menageries were physical representations of negative human characteristics mainly violence, I was told I should possibly re visit the idea from my first unit BA1a of personal demons/omens, and therefore create a human beast hybrid. Which is interesting as I have recently begun researching Jane Alexander's work, most importantly her sculpture "The Butcher Boys." Butcher boys Is an oil painted plaster sculpture of three figures with beastly horns and animal bone structure details all sat in a row on a bench. I think this is an interesting concept however I'm more interested at the moment in continuing to look at hybrid animal forms to create beasts that reflect humanities inner beast. I like that sentence. "A beast to reflect humanities inner beast." Furthermore the Tutorial took place in the 3rd year studio. which was brilliant for me as I could see the work of students in the higher years, and draw inspiration from their work, I was surprised to find several relatable practices.

This is the final week of the workshop, therefore there was a group tutorial, in groups of five. I found it really useful as although I didn't get a chance to talk about my entire project I did get to talk about the key pieces and ideas, therefore the feedback I got was really useful, I explained about the animal menagerie and how I wanted to exhibit the work in a series of drawings and faux taxidermy sculptures that would look like recordings from a hunt or expedition from the past and therefore I would exhibit/display these pieces in old rustic viewing boxes of wood and glass; unexpectedly I was given the suggestion that I stop considering these hybrids as existing animals instead I should see these as future abominations. In addition I should in that case consider how these animals would displayed in the future. Furthermore When I explained that these animal menageries were physical representations of negative human characteristics mainly violence, I was told I should possibly re visit the idea from my first unit BA1a of personal demons/omens, and therefore create a human beast hybrid. Which is interesting as I have recently begun researching Jane Alexander's work, most importantly her sculpture "The Butcher Boys." Butcher boys Is an oil painted plaster sculpture of three figures with beastly horns and animal bone structure details all sat in a row on a bench. The sculpture was a part of her MAFA submission at the university of the Witwatersrand and was first exhibited at the Market Theatre Gallery in Johannesburg in 1986. A photo of the Butcher Boys is shown below.

I think this is an interesting concept however I'm more interested at the moment in continuing to look at hybrid animal forms to create beasts that reflect humanities inner beast. I like that sentence. "A beast to reflect humanities inner beast." Furthermore the Tutorial took place in the 3rd year studio.which was brilliant for me as I could see the work of students in the higher years, and draw inspiration from their work, I was surprised to find several relatable practices.

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Above, this is an example of a studio space which relates to my practice, due to the animal imagery and the taxidermy aspects. 

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Above this studio has given me some inspiration, as this looks relatable to my theme of unique forms. Therefore I want to experiment with using tights or other stretchable fabrics to create unusual forms that I can place around the studio or even the woods.

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To be honest looking at the studio spaces of the 3rd year students was the highlight of the workshop, I prefer looking at artists studios to their exhibits I find t more interesting as if the studio is a visual representation of their thought process and the mistakes or successes of their experiments.

 Below I have documented the workshop, in which I was again experimenting with everyday plastic objects, combining them to create a new form.

   Therefore using plastic bin bags, and cable ties I've made a very simple but unusual form, by pulling the bags down quickly then closing the opening, trapping the air to create these balloon like shapes, that when tied together become this huge bulbous form, in the end I had a dozen of these air bubbles all tied together. However this form was ephemeral as the air was slowly seeping out therefore this form had a life span.

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Above, I should have left this sculpture as it was, however I chose to use the foam from the material pool to create spine like shapes based on the concept that this form is similar to a sea urchin. This was an interesting idea however once I had added these spines, I felt that they completely compromised the forms quality and impact on the viewer, yet when I attempted to remove them the tape ripped the bin bag slightly which therefore meant that the air was escaping quicker than before therefore I had injured my sculpture and reduced its life span. However the main bubbles remained inflated and carried on clawing for life, this gave me an idea that I wanted to entertain so I cut a hand in a claw like form out of foam and attached inside the form so the sculpture is reaching out.

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Above is the finished version of sculpture, however several days later only half of the bubbles remained inflated, it was in the twilight of its life span.

For the remainder of the week I continued finishing off assessments for the previous workshops, the sculpture task of answering two briefs from the list of fie, I chose to look at the cloak/veil brief, which suggested creating an object which could be used to cloak or veil therefore partially or completely cover an every day object. To do this I took inspiration from my theme of forms and the third year studio, which I have shown above. I therefore collected a variety of tights which I filled with rice, using these I hoped to create a form which could wrap around smaller objects like a vines or tentacles. I then threw the object at trees and gates that I passed as I walked around the fields where I live.

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 Above I have documented the walk I took with the tight sculpture, showing all the placements I cloaked the objects around where I live. In a way the new form acted like a parasite like a leach grabbing onto hosts relying on them to sustain its shape and form.

Below This week I have also worked on finishing the 10 rules paintings from the painting workshop. I began looking at rule 6, a painting using two separate surfaces. To do this I took an A1 sheet of chip board approximately 3mm thick, and an A1 sheet of transparent acrylic. Using these I combined the A5 painting with text image I've previously made with the light box painting I also previously made. To do this I wrote a quote on to the chip board in white paint saying "Pleasant be the simple truth...We can all be violent" suggesting its pleasant to stay ignorant to the fact we all have the capacity for great violence. This I wrote on top of a purple background which I made using an airbrush to create an even smooth wash of the colour which soaked into the chip board at different spots depending on the individual chips of wood creating a hectic effect. I then painted a violent face in the expressive style I'd used in the light box painting, on to the sheet of plastic the benefit of which was that the brush strokes looked more energetic on transparent canvas as there was a light floating appearance to the strokes. This layer was then placed on top of the purple background. This is still a work in progress as I am yet to create a working stand which will keep these two panels parallel with at least a 2 inch gap between the two. This painting is documented below.

 

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Below I then worked on rule number 7, a painting including a glitch, to do this I used an A1 mount board canvas which I loosely taped a single strip of masking tape horizontally across the centre. I then used the airbrush to spray a mist of re acrylic covering the canvas I then removed the tape/ the glitch revealing the glitch in the painting. I've documented this below.

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