This week I focused on refining my ideas down into a manageable project for this semester. I scaled down the size of my planned sculpture to a more ‘micro-installation’ which an audience will still be able to view; now I will be creating a small doll-house inspired set which will house my dinner scene as well as a feature wall on which a montage film will be projected on. This small set will allow me to explore aspects of lighting and staging on a more controlled and contained level.
I have also chosen to focus this project on the key concept of “wasted life” the idea that life can be physically lived but nothing more than that, that someone can wake and breathe but not ever experience. The use of food explores gluttony and overconsumption- issues which are prominent today- and how they can impact quality of and involvement in life. The montage film will be made to mimic a life flashing before your eyes while I will experiment with and create a distorted sound to accompany it. I am currently playing around with drum pads and distortion pedals with guitars but I also want to play with vocals and collected sound bites. This weeks class helped inspire me to consider ‘found’ or collected sound bites through our exploration of site specific sound art which creates something visual but also auditory in its function; the function of my sound art will be to create discomfort and unsettle the audience. I will explore different sounds until I can achieve this.
Beyond that I have collected materials including cardboard, wool, fabric, clay and foil/tin pieces which I am exploring and testing for various purposes like making the food items or decorating the dolls house or creating the actual structure of the doll house. I also want to explore some wood-work and will contact people/ask about lab spaces and if any machines/materials are available to us.
I have also begun researching artists who inspire me and have spent this week delving deeper into the work of Mark Fisher and David LaChapelle both of whom I feel I share aspects of my styles/ideas with. I have requested a few books on them and will search around the library for some more material to research with. Mark Fisher’s ideas and writings on capitalism resonated with me and inspired me to explore a slightly more political angle with my piece. LaChapelle’s work visually, stylistically and ideologically resonated through the bright colours, overwhelming prints and busy imagery. Smaller inspirations include the collage artist Ion Barladeanu, the surrealist Wilfredo Lam, and the 2012 adaptation of Great Expectations for its costuming and staging. Below I’ve attached a gallery of the pieces which have inspired me the most.
Going into this week I will attempt to begin the creation process by finding all the materials/spaces I need access to and beginning to create my piece, starting with the doll house. I have also ordered wallpaper samples and textile samples to work with which should hopefully arrive soon.
Hi Naomi, Great to see you engagement with IP, the creative process and some of the activities and topics covered in class so far. You show clear experimentation and some very good visual and text based research, and are reflecting on class activities and workshops well. To develop, leave more time for critical reflection. What worked / what doesn’t in your experimentation with oil pastels? Do you know the work of Cindy Sherman? Where you do research into the work of others, be sure to cite your sources – https://aber.ac.uk/en/aberskills/referencing/#referencing—the-basics. Leave time to critically reflect on your work and the work of others. What are the strengths, the weaknesses, why? How does the work inform your own thinking? What is the wider context of your project? As you develop the direction of your idea, make time to engage with and document material experimentation. I feel link control of materials will be key for communicating the wasted life concept. Further, how does this idea link with the theme site specific sound art – be sure to think through and articulate the links, you’re starting to do this with your idea of using sound to unsettle the audience, but how exactly will you develop and test this idea? In what location / context? Keep up the good work and looking forward to hearing more about your project next week!