09/17/24
Plans for the semester:
So as I discussed earlier I am working on sculptures for my honors capstone project. I need to make a few more maquettes for some ideas but I have other ideas more flushed out.
The first idea I've been working on is a piece I am going to the title, 'Anguish Pushing Through My Skin'. This work is mainly about how stress and anxiety physically manifest itself within the body. For me in particular I get a lot of pain in my back and shoulders which is why I chose this body part. This piece will be flush against the wall and I would like to use the chicken wire and plaster method to make the body. For the 'spikes' coming out of the skin I am deciding what material I want to do I was thinking fabric or possibly some form of casting, but I am open to any ideas.
Then for the creepy figure coming out of the box, I am currently working on making a plaster mold for the body so I can pour it in wax and then add the details afterwards. I feel that making it out of iron or aluminum is the best possible option to complete it in time while also keeping the details.
I also would like to make a piece focused on the negative thoughts we target toward ourselves. I want this piece to look like this entity coming out of a hole in the wall. These tentacles of sorts reach out and stick to the wall in different positions. Along each 'tentacle' pasted on our negative thoughts that tend to push through and consume a person's thoughts. I would like to make this 'interactive' in a sense. First by asking others who I know to share possible negative thoughts they had had to add to the piece, and then throughout my exhibition I would like to have a place where people can write down their own thoughts, and then throughout the time I can add them to the piece. Regarding materials I am thinking about using fabric for this piece and possibly a found object for the 'hole' that it is coming out of. (The second image is my original maquette when I was experimenting that led to this idea)
Then I posted my ideas for my final two pieces last time (below), but I still need to work on my maquette for the 'spiral' and need to start experimenting with latex for the other one.
Ideas from the summer:
For this independent study, I am mainly hoping to use the time to create pieces I will put in my This & That exhibition this December. This exhibition will be specifically for my Honors Capstone which I will be presenting on in the spring.
For this exhibition, I am focusing on the struggles of mental illness, specifically anxiety and ADHD. I would like to make a series of abstract sculptures representing the physical and mental effects these disorders have on someone.
My Previous Work:
The Forged Path
Steel, crepe paper, acrylic paint, cardboard, tissue paper, & spray paint
Spring 2024
While creating this piece I felt I got to expand my skills in working with steel. I also enjoy the process of learning how to marry opposing materials such as paper and steel. I feel like this has been one of my most successful works yet.
Every Story Matters
Chicken wire, plaster gauze, newspaper, & roving
Spring 2024
This piece was very enjoyable to make. I got to use previous knowledge from sculptural practices to create the bear. The meaning behind this piece also led to the process being more cathartic.
Abandonment
Sculpey, acrylic paint, roving, dirt, & flocking on a wood panel
Spring 2022
This is an older piece I created. I really enjoyed the process of this, especially the mixing of materials. I would like to further explore the themes that are found within this work.
Fall 2023
This is one of my graphic design works that I would throw in since it fits within the themes I will be continuing to explore.
Materials/Processes/Tools:
I am having a hard time choosing just three as I think I will be exploring 5 to 6 of these materials/processes considering the ideas I have for my upcoming sculptures. However, I think I would like to mostly explore would be casting (bronze/iron), steel, and plaster. There are other materials I would like to work with such as fiber and fabric. I would also like to learn a bit more about plastic, but this is regarding a specific idea I have for a sculpture, so I think it might be best to work individually with Ashley to find time to learn more about it and the process.
Iron Pour:
I am looking forward to the new learning experiences as well as opportunities to work and meet with other artists at the San Diego Western Cast Iron Conference. I want to make the most of both of these opportunities and make as much as possible for me. I would like to explore contrasting ideas of soft and hard (i.e. an object that appears soft and fragile but is yet hard and rigid). I am also going to be thinking of if I could make any pieces to incorporate into my sculptures for my exhibition this December and/or for my BFA capstone.
Thematic Interests:
I am interested in exploring themes surrounding environmental issues/sustainability, mental health, and humanism/ethics. All three of these ideas are intertwined with the profound connections individuals create and develop with themselves, their environment, and the people who come into their lives. I want to further explore creating work that leads me through my own self-discovery while possibly leading others to a discovery of their own.
Artist Inspiration:
Nicola Turner
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| The Meddling Fiend 2024 |
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| The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife 2023 |
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| Anxiety of Influence 2023 |
Olga Ziemska
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| Listen... 2003 |
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| Stillness in Motion 2002 |
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| Breathe 2002 |
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| Becoming 2022 |
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| Posture 2024 |
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| Inhale 2024 |
I appreciate you tackling the theme or ADHD. I have to better understand and identify its affect on me through creative imagery. So to see more of it is cathartic. Do you want to approach it form an abstract or identifiable direction? Your sketches and previous works carry a lot of beautifully detailed imagery and iconography. At the same time your artist inspiration are more abstract based.
ReplyDeleteHi Amelia,
ReplyDeleteI hope I grasp your thematic interests. So from what I have gathered and processed in a general sense, you're interested in the development of people from different backgrounds? How do they come to be the person they are? It's really fascinating and I believe you can go in so many directions with it. Would you consider creating pieces based on individuals you know?
I am glad you want to make artwork based on mental health issues, especially two that can look different from one person to the next. I'm curious about what materials you want to make your capstone projects out of. Like whether you would want to cast them or sculpt them from other materials. It is interesting how your sketches are more detailed but the artist's work is more abstract. Are you thinking of incorporating more abstract forms in your work in the future?
ReplyDeleteI am very excited for your show! These sketches are very interesting. The arms in “Pulled in a Million Directions” remind me of Sun Yuan and Peng Yu’s “Can’t Help Myself” (https://www.guggenheim.org/artwork/34812 and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS4Bpr2BgnE <- 2016… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nX6C6xY86-c <- 2019). The underlying discussion of mental health might also be interesting to you.
ReplyDeleteYour creature coming out of the box will live in my nightmares for a while now. What is that? I'm scared.
If you are interested in environmental art, you should check out Maya Lin (https://www.mayalinstudio.com/art). She does a lot of land art and nature-themed sculptures, but I specifically found her through her Ghost Forrest project (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DHpGPwHm2I )
That fox makes me sad.
Hi Amelia,
ReplyDeleteI'm excited to see how your first ideas come together in the This and That gallery. It's interesting to see your previous work with photos of artist inspiration because your work shown in this blog is very specific and has identifiable objects while the majority of the artists seen work very abstractly. The work you did last semester in Hard and Soft I think is what connects the two for me as I see you moving in the direction of abstraction. The word flow and movement come to mind when I think of your recent work and the inspiration seen here. Some artists I found that remind me of working in that way are Rebecca Hutchinson, Asma Asma, Chiharu Shiota, and Yasuaki Onishi.
I find the creature coming out of the box the most compelling/interesting regarding emotions.
I'm excited to see what you create!