Week 14
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 25th Dec – 07th Jan
Christmas break week 3 + 4
Over the Christmas break I was unable to accomplish as much as I had wanted however because of how much work I have turned out over the last 14 weeks I am comfortable going into the deadline week that I could submit everything I have done so far. Therefore everything from this point on is finalising tidying and concluding work to make this as strong a project as possible.
However as I say this has been a difficult few weeks as I have been bed bound with tonsillitis which has slowed down my work rate to say the least. However despite this I pushed myself to keep working, therefore I have managed to produce several more human anatomical studies in the Alpha’s hand. With the literature of the Alpha’s annotating the drawings. I have focused my attention on the bipedal physically inferior design of the human skeleton and the human brain, so that it will support the Alpha’s views on human inferiority.
Furthermore I have recently been considering how else to show the Alpha’s superior nature and sophisticated infrastructure. I have been looking into the character of Cesar from the rebooted planet of the Apes franchise. Caesar was the main protagonist of the Planet of the Apes reboot series. Caesar was an evolved chimpanzee, the leader of the Ape Army, the king of the Ape Colony and the patriarch of the Royal Ape Family. Caesar was also the biological son of the late Alpha and the late Bright Eyes, the adoptive son of Will Rodman and Caroline Aranha, the adoptive grandson of the late Charles Rodman, the husband of the late Cornelia, the father of the late Blue Eyes and Cornelius and the ape counterpart of Malcolm.
Caesar instantly is perceived as an advanced being due to his bipedal stance however what sets him apart quickly from the rest of the cast is his rapid domestication of horses and competent riding skills.
I have looked at the other abilities of Caesar in the franchise I have attached these below.
- Animal Strength: Caesar possessed incredible feats of strength, even for a chimpanzee. He was capable of overpowering several police officers during the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar was also stronger than humans, most chimpanzees and most gorillas. He easily overpowered Koba during their first confrontation. Caesar was able to overpower and knock over adult humans effortlessly. He used it to successfully grapple and hold Winter down, an albino gorilla, he even (unknowingly) suffocate the treacherous gorilla to death. Caesar also used his strength to hold back other apes who tried to harm others, even Rocket and Luca.
- Animal Speed: Caesar was incredibly fast even for a chimpanzee, escaping from and returning to the shelter without being seen. During the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, he was able to speedily attack enemies without be seen. He was capable of dodging McCullough's shots at him from a distance and nearly caught up to the man as they fled, only losing him when he cut the rope. He also managed to climb a tree fast enough to avoid an avalanche and avoided mortar fire that engulfed his position.
- Animal Reflexes: Caesar possessed incredible reflexes, even for a chimpanzee, he was also an expert acrobat, possessing incredible climbing abilities, which were constantly displayed throughout his life and his countless battles with both apes and humans alike.
- Animal Stamina: Caesar possessed very high stamina, rarely ever growing exhausted from daily activities or the necessaries of survival. He survived not going without food or water for days and the beatings McCullough had him dealt as well. He had a high pain tolerance, able to be shot by an arrow and not succumb to the wound until days later.
- Animal Endurance: Caesar possessed incredible feats of endurance, capable of enduring powerful attacks from other apes or humans. He manages to survive a non-fatal gunshot wound and a dangerous, massive fall from his home until the next morning where he is found and treated by Malcolm's group. He was able to survive the destruction of the human camp until days later before succumbing to his mortal wounds.
- Expert Leader: Caesar was a natural born leader, possessing great feats of charisma; he was capable of earning the respect and loyalty of every ape under his command, including Maurice, Buck, Rocket, Luca, Ash and even Koba. Nearly all of them remained loyal to Caesar during the battle of San Francisco. Caesar later displayed his leadership skills as he amassed an army of apes and lead them throughout the city, into the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge and to the redwood forest. He also stood against the Colonel's mistreatment of his companions, inspiring them to also resist the soldiers, leading them in an escape from entrapment.
- Expert Hand-to-Hand Combatant: Caesar was a highly skilled hand-to-hand combatant. While Caesar was capable of overpowering the average human, like the several police officers during the Battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, he initially struggled against apes like Rocket. However, he grew stronger, defeating Rocket in their second fight by using a canister and severely beat Koba within seconds in their first fight. However, during Caesar's second fight with Koba, they were more evenly matched, Caesar using scrap metal as an effective melee weapon. However, Caesar ultimately proved to be the superior combatant, defeating Koba and letting him fall to his death. He also suffocated Winter to death, despite the albino gorilla's grand size.
- Expert Marksman: Over the next two years throughout the final human-ape war, Caesar became very proficient in the use of firearms. He shot on a soldier in seconds before he could fire. He also threw a grenade into an oil tank from a distance.
- Expert Tactician: Due to his enhanced intelligence, Caesar was a highly skilled tactician; this was proven during the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, where he succeeded, leading the apes to defeat the police and to escape into the redwood forest. He also orchestrated their escape from McCullough's captivity in conjunction with Rocket and Maurice.
- Expert Horse Rider: During the battle on the Golden Gate Bridge, Caesar became the first ape to ever ride a horse and was a very skilled rider.
- Genius-Level Intellect: Inheriting the ALZ-112 from his late mother, Caesar was highly intelligent and excels at everything; as he grew older, Caesar's intelligence further increased, far exceeding that of a human counterpart, his intelligence increased even further due to twice inhaling the ALZ-113 at his old home and in the shelter; he was the most evolved ape in the San Francisco Ape Colony, as his intellect is surpassed only by his two sons. Because of his advanced intelligence, he became the first ape to ever speak and later passed the gene onto his two sons, Blue Eyes and Cornelius. In War, Caesar also worked out why McCullough was really having them build a wall, causing the man to remark over how intelligent he was.
- Sign Language: Growing up alongside humans, Caesar was taught American Sign Language in order to communicate with others. It was his native language. By the events of War, Caesar rarely used sign language, as preferred to use speech to communicate with others; humans and apes alike.
- Speech: Due to his enhanced intelligence, Caesar had become the first apes in history to speak. In Rise, Caesar was shown to speak loudly his first word to Dodge and whispered to Will too. He later passed this on to his two sons, Blue Eyes and Cornelius. In Dawn, Caesar could speak partial sentences. By the events of War, Caesar was capable of fluently speaking english and could form complete sentences; something he was previously unable to do.
- Psychological Warfare: Caesar was capable of using psychological warfare to his advantage; this was proven during the battle of San Francisco when he berated Koba for his treachery, leading an enraged Koba to attack Caesar more ferociously, but still ended with Caesar's victory and Koba's death. He also played similar mind games with Red, the gorilla eventually choosing to side with him due to such.
Despite all of the above Caesars domestication of other animals is in my opinion the definitive ability which emphasises Caesars superiority.
Therefore I would like to give the Alpha’s an animal companion something ridable but sociable therefore it is only fitting that I use the Great maned wolf I created last year in BA2a and BA2b. this would be a creature that can be utilised like a horse and yet has the social pack mentality of a dog or wolf therefore it is a ridable companion that is hospitable to humans as wit the rest of the Alpha’s world.
Week 13
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 11th Dec – 17th Dec
Christmas break week 1
This week I have continued to work on the written project the natural history of the Alpha which I intend to submit for BA3a as a work in progress, but for BA3b I want to have it finished and published as accompanying work to support the sculpture of the hybrid for the degree show. I also have decided that I should incorporate the great maned wolf I created in year 2 as a part of the ecosystem upon the island coda which was sighted on the 1935 expedition which I have started working on this week by creating a realistic nautical map, with accurate location coordinates.
Furthermore I have come to the conclusion that the Alphas as superior beings who live in perfect equilibrium with the world due to their residence and durability, they act as guardians. Due to their exceedingly advanced technology and intellect they can terraform and create to shape and improve the damaged world. Therefore they view humans as a destructive virus which ravages the world.
Therefore I need to consider the Alpha’s architecture and terra forming machinery which is beyond human comprehension. In addition I need to show the island as inhospitable to humans.
In addition I have started to create advanced anatomical drawings of humans, showing that the Alphas have indeed dissected humans so as to study us and understand us. Showing that these beings are indeed indifferent to humans feeling nothing for us believing us to be lesser and inferior beings. These pictures have been inverted so as to make it seem like the opposite of what humans do. Furthermore I have used a completely new Celtic styled font that will play as the Alpha’s literature. It is also a direct translation of what I have written in English as the research notes of the Alphas. I have also layered the text in an inhuman manor which explains why most of the text has not been translated. So far I have made two of these images. To do so I have drawn in pencil the anatomical drawings, then scanned them. I have then created an elaborate diagram like border onto which I have added the drawing and added a drop shadow before adding the text and finally inverting the image from black and white to white and black. This black background means makes it look as if these have been drawn on a thin shaving of slate or an unknown material that functions as paper in the Alpha’s world.
Two anatomical drawings the first of which is a study of the human neck and head, the second is a study of the human torso, showing an in depth study of the internal organs, I have researched the grey’s anatomy for accuracy and anatomical drawings of dissections of pigs so as to see the manor of which one would dissect a human if I was a superior being.
Further still so as to show that these beasts are indeed social beings who form bonding relationships I have finally created a piece of jewellery or rather a name tag, the tag is made from a leather boot lace, playing as a seals leather, which is tied through a lead tag I have cut out and fashioned into shape, before etching a simple but realistic design in the Alpha’s font of one of their names, the name being Kurda.
I have decided that there are seven Alpha’s as there was originally seven human species at the start of mankind. The Alphas are called; Kurda, Rollo, Romulus, Remus, Cilus, Vivle and Rom. Below is the jewlery which was found on the expedition.
Finally this week I have also continued working on my dissertation, having formatted the essay correctly I have now sent off several copies for proof reading depending on how long it takes them to read and make corrections I hope to finish my report in the coming days.
Week 12
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 11th Dec – 17th Dec
This week was another fecking set back I got to my studio first thing on the Monday morning prepared for a long week in which I was planning to get a large amount of practical work done before the Christmas break in which I would have no access to my studio. However when I got to my studio I was told I couldn’t get in as over the weekend it had been flooded due to the heavy rain and shit plumbing, so stagnant water had flowed into the studio and everything it had touched needed ripping out and replacing so no access for the rest of the week. And using common sense it’s reasonable to assume that I won’t have access in the first week back after uni, as replacing all the wood and shit its damaged will take time and labour and not many trades man in the cities will be happy to jump on work this time of year. So my work has been set back seriously at a close time to the deadline So it’s reasonable to assume that I was unable to achieve a lot this week however I was able to crack on with research and my natural history behind the Alpha as I have decided to call the hybrid I am creating. First of all I have settled on a genus name for the being which is Majus Congitari meaning greater being in Latin.
In addition I have settled on discussing the island as a sailors legend past down as hastily drawn maps and sightings and word of mouth, accompanied by an eventual expedition in 1935 which recovered the alpha’s notes which are translated and anatomical studies and reflections on humans. Which is the key to showing my thematic views on the project. This expedition will be properly mapped out.
These island sightings will need to be set up as human visits to the island by passing sailors and or castaway survivors.
Location, so that the hybrids can walk to the mainland the island needs to be located in the Bering Sea which freezes over with sea ice.
This means that in the winter the hybrids or hybrid, I’m unsure what the population of these creatures is, can march over the frozen sea to the rest of the world potentially Russia or Canada.
This week I tried to create evidence of these sightings therefore I created a falsified captains entry of a whaler that passed the area the island was situated in in 1840 they picked up an insane castaway survivor who had come into contact with the Alphas, this will be referenced in the Alpha’s own notes and translated to accompany the captains log. I called the Captains ship the Dubium, as dubium means doubt, as this was the first sighting and it was discredited to the insane nature of the witness it seems a fitting name.
Furthermore this week despite not having a studio I was able to go and look around the exhibitions in the project spaces, I came across a really interesting one as a studio mate of mine Naomi has been building these papier Mache structures around furniture for months yet she’s been quite secretive with them and out of nowhere these forms were unveiled in the project space. I am intrigued by these due to my love for new organic unnatural and unique forms. However her choice of colouring them I disagree with I find it quite overpowering and distracting. If she had kept these bland and plain coloured it would have allowed for the audience to appreciate the forms dominance over the furniture.
Week 11
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 04th Dec – 10th Dec
This week was an unusual week as I found my suffering both a set back and a step forward. At the start of the week my intention was to finish the plaster sculpture I had started the week before to do this I meant to construct the torso, upper limbs and head from aluminium wire and scrim. However when I had finished the bulk of the form I realised that by working on a figure shorter than myself without taking a step back I had made the figure dis proportioned. The torso and especially the shoulders were far too big for the legs. Which on the other hand looked great. Therefore feeling disheartened by this sculptural kick in the balls I could bring myself to continue or alter the work this week, at best at the later stages of the week I got up and drew a dotted line as a cut here marker to remove everything above the diaphragm which was a waste and a shame but I felt it would be the only move to save the work. What I have taken away from this experience is that I need to constantly be stepping back and viewing the work as a whole so as to avoid issues with contrasting proportions at a later stage this lesson will be vital for later when I come to make the actually full sized figure. However this sketch has shown me that for the main sculpture I want it either striding with a purpose possibly holding a cane (a sign of its ability to use tools) or dragging something along like a slay of possessions indicating that this thing has sentimental value for objects.
In addition this week, I had an individual tutorial which was really beneficial for the setup of the rest of my project this unit. In the tutorial I expressed a growing unease with my work. Although I really want to build this large scale sculpture that I have been planning I need to convey my thematic context surrounding this sculpture. Therefore I have settled on the idea that I should from this point on start constructing a narrative surrounding this being as a superior organism to humanity so as to refute the notion that the hybrid has become a platform onto which human taboo is projected.
To do this I want to create a natural history surrounding the creature, therefore I need to research superior beings possible fictional natural history’s. A great starting point would be Charles Avery. Furthermore I want to create a character or rather a being that is in some instances a combination of Frankenstein’s creature (a superior being created by humans yet is seen as an abomination by itself and so chooses to live as an outcast.) and David 8 from the alien franchise (A superior being created by humans who has recognised his superiority and so creates and experiments with human biology to create a superior being).
Superior Beings
Frankenstein’s Monster David (Alien: Covenant).
Both these figures have been created by humans both are fictional, one was created from biological material the other is an android both are superior to humans in their own right, both have grown to loath humanity over the course of their lives. However only one truly acts upon this hate, David embraces his superiority believing himself to be the creator believing that he has transcended from the state of creation. Alternatively Frankenstein’s creature views himself as an outsider a being with no purpose, place or community. A drifter naturally superior yet socially outcast living a solitary life waiting to be joined by more of his kind or to die a meaningful death, a creature without a place or friend in the world. Poetic a creature doomed to live forever yet forever lonely.
Furthermore I have come to the conclusion that I should centre this project around a fictional island from which these beings originated, this island will itself be an enigma to humanity as over the last few centuries the tectonic activity in the area meant that the island has quickly been sinking below the sea level which would mean an unusual ecosystem which would produce unique organisms evolved separately from the rest of the world. For inspiration for this island I watched and analysed the fictional natural history behind Peter Jackson’s King Kong.
The perfect place for such activity and an escape route for my creatures when the island disappeared would be the Bering Sea which resides on the northern most point of the Pacific Ocean known as the ring of fire, due to the intense volcanic, and tectonic activity around the edge of the ocean. The Bering Sea also freezes over in winter creating a sheet of sea ice which covers the entire gap between the western coast of Canada and the Eastern coast of Russia. As shown below…
This would therefore explain that the hybrids once their home sunk below the water would have hiked to the mainland to live an outcast observant lifestyle similar to Frankenstein’s creature, contrasting to the experimental creators that they were on the island similar to David 8.
The Hybrid will play an observer role watching and analysing the actions of humans visiting the island first with indifference, but when forced to the mainland they will observe humans progression and development over the majority of the 20th century and the start of the 21st century.
The natural history shall be presented mainly as the notes of an explorer who visited the island but died in the 90s, the rest shall be a group of scientists from modern day who have found an example of the creature which is the taxidermy sculpture I am making. (Possibly?). The island shall be a geological and ecological mystery, which produced many perversions of nature at the aid of the hybrids input. This island therefore shall be inhospitable for humanity as if it is a physical embodiment of nature’s repulsion of modern humans. The great maned wolf I created last year shall be the apex predator on the island yet it shall be like a pet almost the hybrids. By having pets these beings are instantly held on a par with humans.
This week I have made a start creating the island that I want to call the home of the hybrids. To do this I began sketching out possible shapes for the land mass, once I settled on one I used a light box to begin creating either previous or post-earthquake versions of the island so as to show the degradation of the island over the last hundred thousand years.
Once I had settled on several drawings I scanned these into the computer cleaned them and coloured them on Photoshop before scaling them alongside each other so as to create a visual representation of the islands subsidence.
The island is a metaphor for the fall of humanity and the rise of this superior being. Hence why I have chosen to call the island Coda meaning conclusion, as the island is a metaphor for the conclusion of humans reign. Therefore as these hybrids are the first of the new superior being, and first in chain of superiority over humans it is only fitting to name them Alphas Latin for first. I will also need a scientific genus name for the creature which I will worry about next week.
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