Week 2

BA3a Reflective journal

Mon 2nd Oct - 8th Oct

Continuing from where I left off last week I’ve made a second life size charcoal drawing of a human animal hybrid. This version I wanted to create was a bipedal human wolf beast with a very canine head potentially a Doberman head; by having a bipedal creature the humanoid aspect is emphasised enough that the head can be more wolfish without compromising the human half.

However after working on the figure for a while I decided to use a serpentine head without features, similar to the smooth head of Giger’s alien (xenomorph), by removing the features I intended to remove all emotion or evidence of Morales de humanising the creature making it sinister and unpleasant to look at. However as soon as I finished the drawing I just hated this option it was too alien the hybrid I was creating I wanted to be as grounded to earth as possible. In my group tutorial in the previous week my tutor and piers all suggested I made the figures as anatomically accurate as possible for a non-existent creature. I always keep this in mind anyway but I agree that I need to research this further as well. Therefore most of my research this week has been related to the study of the human and wolf anatomy along with the correlations between the two.  

Using my research into anatomy I have used Photoshop to create a muscle structure consisting of wolf, human and bear anatomy structured and scaled around the template for the wolf/human hybrid skull I created at the end of BA2b.  Having something feasible and biologically correct is a good foundation for y project. I have created two versions of the muscle structure. A and B, A having a wolf torso therefore giving the form a very canine form like a hyena, and B with a human torso which emphasises the humanoid aspect which is important to my practice therefore I will use B as the version which I push forward with.

I therefore have taken the muscle structure for B and have begun to create a form based on it, this will be the focus of my third large scale charcoal drawing this drawing I want to be highly detailed almost to the point that it reflects Leonardo Davinci’s anatomical studies of bears, horses and humans.

I’m really pleased and excited about this new from although I am unsure about the head as it is very hyena like in shape and size, the rest of the form is very relatable to all contributing animal anatomy whilst being completely unique in its own right. This feels like my Frankenstein’s monster in a weird way. I have been trying to create a form through art (instead of science) that transcends the human form, like Frankenstein’s attempt to create the modern Prometheus. Below I have documented what I have done this week of the third charcoal drawing.

By exposing the tendons and ligaments within the legs I wanted to try and show the different anatomies from the different animals meshing and weaving together. Weaving the ligaments almost makes it sound like these anatomies are like wicker a pliable material. If I talk about weaving together a figure or form I sound like some bizarre doll maker which is a weird perspective to view my own creations in.

Furthermore this week I had my research report tutorial, in which I discussed my progress with research into my chosen field over the summer and my overall progress on the written project up to this point. Until now I have been tussling with the decision of whether I want to write 5000 or 10,000 words. I don’t think I could argue in great enough detail my points within the confines of 5000 words yet I think that 10,000 would be too long winded Id be comfortable writing 8000 but of course that isn’t an option. I don’t want either my practice or written report to suffer if I do choose to write the 10,000. However this was a main talking point of my tutorial in the end I reasoned with myself that the 10,000 word option was the best however I would continue to create a body of creative work on both a high quality and quantity so that if say by the end of November I felt it would be a wiser move to downsize to the 5000 report I would have a strong body of work to fall back on. I believe I will be able to create a strong body of work alongside an extended body of writing as my research informs both in equal measure, so much so that I find it as easy to create drawings and sculptures in response to my research as I do taking notes.

On a studio related note whilst walking around viewing the work and spaces of my piers I came across a hanging sheet of crumpled acrylic the artist responsible being Paul Bryan. However it took my eye as from a side perspective I didn’t see a sheet of crumpled acrylic I saw the form of a bear head which was instantly reminiscent of the hanging creations by artist Lynda Benglis who I studied last year. I would be interested in after creating my series of life size charcoal drawings, potentially creating work in response to this. Perhaps by creating the silhouettes of hybrid forms by using hanging objects.