Manipulation / Grand Puppet

 For my mini degree show piece, I was given the theme of Manipulation and distortion. I liked this theme as in my own work I often manipulate my original outcome and end up creating a completely different piece to the one I intended. Rather than creating a plan, I decided to work in the way that I enjoy the most, which is by creating one thing and adding changes until I am happy. I created a clay bust of a generic smiling face. I used clay as while it is wet it is easy to manipulate, and when it dries it will crack, which is pure natural distortion. After sculpting the head and staring at it for a while I decided to add a similar headdress tot he one on my smaller puppet. I added silver eyes and I could see the piece turning into an almost religious looking figure. With the elongated headdress and the mirror eyes it looked like a figure that should be praised or intimidating. I originally added a Club Bar wrapper to the top as a joke, but I decided to keep it, as it adds a comedic value to my piece which I like in my work and it also adds to the idea of the figure being a provider, even a provider of junk. It also contextualises the piece, as before the addition it looked as though it could be an ancient artefact, but the

I began to think about how the piece should be displayed. I initially though of a plinth, but would this make the piece look godly, or just a piece of clay? I decided that the piece should be given a body, and be sat on a tower in the corner of a room (in the corner to also give the impression of it being a dunce). I kept with the puppet theme, and added very crude arms a legs so that they would dangle from the table. I wrapped the piece in a white sheet to go with the god theme. After seeing the radiator by the piece I nailed pictures of dancers to the walls. If they were anywhere else in the room they would be static, but because they are by the piece and the radiator they move in the heat and are given life. 

I created a dancer mask for myself, to play with the idea that I was given life by the god piece.

Tutor

Our next task was a box task. We were given boxes and told to use the contents to create a tutor. We found a projector in one of the boxes and a lot of slides. We found that the work was Gary's (our tutor), so we merged the slides and projected the image onto blinds and transparent paper. The final image represents the energy that knowledge can create and inspire.

Reacting to the space / The Puppet

We were told to create a piece of work which reacted to the studio. Since it was still early days I felt very lost. I decided to create a puppet to convey this. The puppet is capable of movement and action, though because he is suspended, 'lost in space', he cannot perform. It reflects the feeling of not being grounded. He looks very basic so that he blends into the environment, as it conveys feelings of anxiety, shyness and nervousness.

I made the puppet out of what ever materials I could find around the studio to make it look more natural in the space. Initially it wore a latex glove on its face, again to demonstrate the idea of hiding.

I soon discovered the puppet needed a stand. I created a stand out of would, which was unintentionally reminiscent of a hang-mans noose. This could convey feelings of hopelessness which often occur in unfamiliar situations.

After I created the puppet we were given the instruction to make our pieces disappear. I chose to paint my piece white so it would blend into the white walls. The idea of invisibility matches the original intentions of the piece very well.

I then began to think deeper about disappearing. If the original intention of the piece was to blend in and to be unnoticeable, would the best way to make it disappear be to make it stand out? Would it disappear by changing into a new piece?

I found this idea more inventive, and so I sculpted a green face out of milliput onto the piece. I added the smiling face to show confidence, rather than the original anxiety.

I added fabric to the head as I like the look. I also added paint to the face which is similar to make up. It makes the piece stand out more and lose its original intention.

Life Writing

This is my life drawing work. We were told not to draw but to write. I started by trying to be as mathematical and exact as possible. Towards the end of the texts I grew tired of this idea and started to discuss the environment and my feelings. I enjoyed this experience as I feel it helped me take things less literally, and to think about other senses, rather than just sight.