After showing Sebastiane the 'wall of skin' I created, I was pleased to see his enthusiasm about it. He like the same aspects that I liked. The untidy layout, he felt, added a sense of crudity, and the way it was pegged to chairs got him thinking about covering things with skin. Rather than a piece that my audience need to physically walk inside of, it could be more sculptural, something that they can envision themselves inside of instead. We discussed covering a chair or another object in 'skin' - whether that is made from nylon tights, liquid latex, or something else. I also had the idea of creating sheets of skin out of liquid latex that could hang from the ceiling and be walked through, requiring the viewer to touch and move the skin. However, I still want to incorporate my film and photography. I wondered if I could place some photographs between two sheets of skin, meaning the images would be covered in skin and creating a translucent effect over them.
I also showed Sebastiane my short film, and he suggested it felt a little like a documentary because of the audio. Instead of people speaking about their appearances, he proposed the idea of using sound effects of rustling, crackling and movement.
Later, after talking with my mum about the mentor meeting, I had some further ideas. Perhaps I could cover a sink basin and mirror with 'skin'. I thought of this because a sink, for a lot of people, is where they become themselves for the day, where they make themselves aesthetically ready for the world to see them. They wash their face and hands, apply their make-up in the mirror, and clean their teeth in the sink. This refers back to my original theme about social perceptions and expectations of human appearances. I then thought about other things that make us human - the chair we sit on for dinner, the television we watch programs on in the evening, the bed we sleep in at night. What if I could make not just walls, but a house of 'skin'? Where my audience can step inside sheets of hanging skin and enter separate pockets or rooms, where various household objects are also covered in skin? This would symbolise the feeling of necessity to possess these objects in order to make us feel human and to survive, as though the objects are a part of us, under our skin; so instead of simply capturing photography and footage of simple, stripped back beauty, actually displaying the minimalist basics we do need for human life. The television could represent entertainment, the chair could represent comfort and rest, the sink health and cleanliness, the mirror how we see ourselves and how others see us. The careful choice of objects would confront the unnecessary desire to possess further materialistic objects such as excessive household appliances or technological devices, causing the viewer to question what they actually view as vital necessities int their lives. Inspiration for this theme was taken from the documentary Minimalism by Matt D'Avella.
Relevant artist research:
Douglas White
White is an artist of interest for my work because of his 'skin tents'. Using clay to replicate elephant skin, he drapes the material over structures and shapes to create an abstract example of an elephant carcass. Before the viewer realises it is only clay, (because it is so well executed that it looks like real elephant skin,) it is quite a shocking piece. However, once they realise it is only a replica, it carries general connotations of poaching, hunting, decay and animal cruelty. The shape and structure of the pieces are particularly effective - the first image almost looks like hunched, heaving bodies stumbling or crawling over one another. The scale of the third image is inspiring due to the capability for a viewer to walk beneath it - something I would like to do with my own work.
Sarah Lucas
The crudity of Lucas' work is something I would like to bring to my own work. This piece below can be imagined to be a naked figure curled up in a ball. The twisted section in the middle appears to looks like an intimate body part. In actual fact, the piece is made from just tights stuffed with material. However the colour, texture and shape instantly bring far more provocative thoughts to mind.
Eva Hesse
I looked at Hesse's work because of her use of latex. With fibreglass, polyester and resin as well, she created these thin draped sheets for her 'Expanded Expansion' piece. Again, the colour of it instantly brings to mind thoughts of the body and nudity, but the texture seems to imply dirty clothing or rags, bringing the glamour of the piece down. The way the material drapes make the sheets appear very thin and flexible - something I would like to create if possible, because of the associated fragility and translucency.
"Several of these works have either disintegrated or are so fragile that extended display would damage them irreparably." - the way Hesse's work is so temporary adds a lot of value and preciousness.
She said, of her own work: "Don’t ask what it means or what it refers to. Don’t ask what the work is. Rather, see what the work does." This is inspiring because I have a constant urge to find meaning or concept behind everything I do, constantly analysing my own ideas and pieces. Instead, rather, I should create something, and let the viewer interpret it how they like; let the viewer see what the work 'does'.
She said, of her own work: "Don’t ask what it means or what it refers to. Don’t ask what the work is. Rather, see what the work does." This is inspiring because I have a constant urge to find meaning or concept behind everything I do, constantly analysing my own ideas and pieces. Instead, rather, I should create something, and let the viewer interpret it how they like; let the viewer see what the work 'does'.
No comments:
Post a Comment