Week 10
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 27th Nov – 03rd Dec
After taking three weeks to fully devote my time to the written assessments I have gone back to the studio to do the reverse, to fully focus on my practical work. After visiting Laurence Edwards at his studio I’ve decided that a good starting point is to start working sculpturally using plaster and scrim to create mackets of my hybrid forms. In doing so I want to create a visual representation of the creature transforming from a quadruped form to a biped form so as to settle on which position is most appropriate to build the full size sculpture for my degree show.
Firstly I started building the fully biped form this is supposed to emphasise the humanoid aspect of the hybrid form, starting the sculpture with an aluminium modelling wire armature this was then fixed in place with clay footings, over which the form was created with plaster and scrim, I’m treating these as 3d sketches therefore I’m not trying to be too precious about the work I’m allowing the material to create the surface texture.
When finished this first sketch came to 63cm tall, Granted the head is too small, however the purpose of this is to see how this position reflects my themes, this at the minute seems too comic book action figureish. However the human aspect is very relevant the two legged stance shows a developed enlightened being. However as a small object it’s hard to see how it could be superior therefore I feel I am definitely making the right choice to create a very large scale sculpture.
Next I jumped to the direct opposite I started creating a quadruped form. To ensure the creature could adapt from four legged to two legged whilst not changing its anatomy I have used the exact same armature as before same size and measurements, again using clay foundations before applying the plaster and scrim building from the feet up the legs to the joints first so as to allow the plaster to strengthen the legs first so as to take the wait of the torso and the head which was shaped out of clay then covered in the plaster.
The four legged figure is way too beastly, the very animalistic form doesn’t seem intelligent and therefore cannot be considered superior to the human audience, however it is interesting to see that the anatomy I’ve created can metamorphosis from an animalistic four legged position to a transcended two legged stance. I now need to create a figure between these two where the being has started to stand yet is still hunched forward in the way a primate stands on its hind legs. Above, I have documented this figure. This is an interesting form, granted the chest is a little bulkier than the other two examples but this was just to support the weight of the form. Yet overall the figure seems both relaxed and exhausted which is a contrasting perspective as its both conveying inferiority and yet also in some ways seems superior to the human audience.
Furthermore this week in the few quieter moments this week I have also continued to work on the head of the degree show sculpture, to do this I have completely removed the stupid ears, as I said in last week’s journal I really have started questioning the worth of the ears, they don’t convey intelligence wisdom or superiority they merely reflect a stupid big daft dog. Therefore I will make the head then consider the ears. I have also added gums using plastacine which I have started to create plaster molars for, to do this I have sculpted the molars in plastacine then made moulds of the teeth which will be filled with plaster. So far I have only made one mould. In addition the front fangs and teeth which will be on show I’m thinking of making in Bronze using modelling wax, this will hopefully convey an otherworldly presence putting the creature on a superior level to humans.
The development of the head this week, I am intrigued by the texture of the plaster, and I’m considering not sanding the surface to be smooth. Instead I want to sculpt the entire surface of the figure in plaster by hand keeping the form perfectly realistic but I’ll maintain the texture of the rough hand shaped plaster. This will be an extended version of a signature as the artist’s finger prints and hand prints are in the surface of the work.
Although the head seems slightly elongated I need to remember that the back of the head will be sculpted directly into the neck of the form. The face of the creature is really beginning to take shape although it’s clearly a hybrid, human attributes are still present therefore there is a sense of relatability. Perhaps this is only the case for me as I can see the creature I want to make projected over this foundation. Everything above the jaw line is starting to take shape, however the lower jaw needs to be broadened a bit more around where the lower jaw “Hinge” as I want to call it folded back to open the mouth from a 90degree angle to a 45degree angle. This would mean muscles and folded skin. Once I have made and fitted the teeth and interior of the mouth I need to create the cheeks this is where the human presence within the hybrid will project itself.
In order to see how the head is shaping up I have held it up to fit the drawing on my wall, whilst a friend took the shot. This photo is below so that I see where the spine of the armature will need to connect.
As can be seen above the neck will need to attach to the head roughly next to where my left thumb is supporting the back of the skull, by keeping it central the head can stretch out like this for a quadruped stance or tuck under the head so the head may fold forwards to suit a two legged stance.
Interim Show:
This week was also the setup of the Interim exhibition which meant that this was a full on week yet it was worth it as I was able to see a lot of my piers development within their own practice, which helped inspire potential leads within my own. My choice of work was settled several weeks back. As a show to display the current progress of our practice the plan was to exhibit work in progress, therefore I showed my studio wall with the large charcoal drawing and sketches attached to it as if it was a blown up sketchbook page. Below I have attached documentation of my own show.
I’m really pleased with the feel of this display it’s like a large sketchbook page perhaps I could have done with several annotations to really express this is a display of work in progress. I really hate the central drawing as I have already expressed in earlier journal entries but when surrounded with further sketches it works a lot better.
Furthermore the work is directly opposite a really intrigue piece of work which also looks like a blown up sketchbook page by one of my peers. The two together really emphasise each other in a way becoming a united piece an unexpected collaboration.
Overall I think the show works well, some elements don’t fit as some projections are in well-lit areas thus some displays are not at their best quality. Despite this I think there is a healthy balance between 3d and 2d work, of course with 60 collaborating BA students this is a busy show but ultimately the collab went smoothly with few disputes those who were opposed and did not want to play as a team soon found that such an attitude not only interrupted the rest of the show but compromised the placement and surrounding work near their own.
Outside of the show I have been looking at my mackets from earlier lined up like an evolutionary jump from ape to human in this instance it’s the same creature evolving from beast to enlightened being object to subject, shown below…
When looking at the three in a line it’s clear that the fully stood up character is a reflection of the greatest intelligence however the position is all wrong it’s hardly a stance of interest which does not aid the themes of my work. Therefore I need to consider a pose showing the creature stood upright but in motion. Therefore around and after the show I have been building a larger figure which will roughly be five foot tall. The figure needs to look like it’s just stood up and began striding with a purpose. To do this I have started building an aluminium mod wire armature which again as with the smaller figures shall be wrapped and built up from the feet up using plaster and scrim. I have also chosen to leave the hanging strings and strands of scrim as it’s starting to look like a creek man. A form that has heaved itself out of the marsh and peat to stand tall like a transcended being from the natural world.
Above I have documented the production this week of the latest figure, I think I am really pushing my luck on the plaster in the studio but sod it I need to start seeing progress in what I do and waiting for the workshop would mean that this week’s production rate would have been greatly reduced therefore I think I am making the right move besides the plaster use is allowed the mixing of plaster in the studio is as far as I am concerned in the grey area!
Week 9
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 20th Nov – 26th Nov
As this was the reading week for BA3a I chose to spend the week at home in Leicestershire, to help finish my Research Report at least the first draft in time for my third research tutorial next week on Wednesday. By going home I hope to finish the report in the comfort and tlc of home!! This option paid off as I finished the draft to a high standard, the total word count coming in at 9611. Now that I have finished the written assessment at least for a while I have now switched back to a practical practice. In order to jump start my thought process, and to link in my research I started by creating sketches and studies of the hybrid creature. I have started this process by creating several studies of the transformation scene from the Film “An American Werewolf in London.” I chose to focus on this film due to the merger of the two forms the human and the wolf throughout the famous transformation scene we see the main character David slowly shift from Human to Beast over several minutes at different stages we see a hybrid form yet at various balances between the human and the wolf. Below are the studies which I made.
in the first study the human figure is still very dominant, however the increased mass of body hair and elongated teeth have reverted the figure to a primal state, here we see a being of the natural world not the city.
In the next two separate stages focused on the heads transformation, in the first instance the human skull is still prominent, yet the jaw has altered to accommodate the larger canine teeth, and the nose has become more snout like rather than human. Furthermore the ears have become pointed protruding from the cascading mangle of hair. These ears have now made me reconsider my choice of ears on my own hybrid form. I’m really unsure about the jackal ears they don’t convey the intelligence I wish they would. Therefore perhaps I should employ the use of a more human ear? Below this is the second head study, in which we see that the wolf has now begun to dominating the bone structure, the head has formed into a snout like a baboon, whilst the cheek bones and eye sockets have broadened, yet the human skin and lips still remain making the human link clearly visible. Perhaps I should consider the lips of my hybrid.
I can’t help but see references to Blake’s Nebuchadnezzar in this image, therefore as an extension to this study I have made a second version spanning across additional A4 sheets as the sketch grew. I took the general shape of this study, then added the skull structure of my hybrids head, yet kept the human ears. The rest of the body I adapted to suit my hybrids form. Below is the outcome of this experiment.
Looking at this form has made me realise I need to consider how to create this form in a bipedal form, the chest and shoulders will alter yet the skeleton will remain the same so it’s simply a matter of how the muscle structure will shift and rest when vertical.
In response to this I should create a practice sculpture perhaps 1.5ft tall made of plaster and scrim of the hybrid in a bipedal position similar to Lawrence Edwards sculpture which I saw last week attached below.
Furthermore in addition to this I have started preparing for this by creating several sketches and drawing s of the postential form the torso will take when stood up right, I have also stuck to using the human ear design, which I am warming to, due to the increased appearance of intelligence.
By making a macket of the figure I will be able to play and experiment with the form to find a suitable structure which I may choose to use, I am still unsure of the appropriate position to sculpt the hybrid in. this will require further research.
Through the process of writing my report I have come to the conclusion I really need to consider the themes behind my practical work and how they are conveyed more. Therefore for my large sculpture I need to show its superiority to humans by conveying its intelligence therefore, these are Ways to make the Hybrid look intelligent.
· Clothing: add shards and slithers of fabrics around the creature’s limbs, torso and crotch. This modesty shows a connection with humanity.
· Literate: To give the creature the appearance of intelligence I want to write some form of scripture over the creatures back consider Memento, the tattoos over the subject’s body. I need to find a text which shows wisdom yet explains the dark nature of humanity.
· Indifference: have the creature stand and look over the human audience so that we see how little it notices our species, like the Cthulhu from Lovecraft’s novel this creature will completely feel indifferent to us showing its superiority.
· Emotion: Allowing the creature to convey emotion would create a connection to humanity, showing that the creature can feel and express complex emotions, I’m unsure which emotion to convey. A good reference point would be Blake’s Nebuchadnezzar, who expresses a terrified expression.
· Other worldly: By making the creature in some way Alien consider Giger’s Alien, the organic form combined with mechanical attributes.
· Inter dimensional: By giving the hybrid an, other worldly form, something which could not exist within the boundaries of our world’s physics. Perhaps to do this I should make the figure a shadow an obolisque like shape. A shadow form. Something like a trans-dimensional being from Stranger Things two, the shadow Monster. Or perhaps the shadow form the Darren Shan’s Demonata series.
· Golden divinity: By using Gold leaf somehow, I want to convey the notion that the creature has either a royal or even divine presence thus increasing its aura of superiority.
· Memento Mori: By using a memento mori of some kind I hope to show the hybrid’s superiority by becoming a reminder of the human morality.
Week 8
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 13th Nov – 19th Nov
This is a second research report week, progress is good so far however this week was significant for two reason, I got to go see the MA show in the project spaces and I got the opportunity to go and visit artist Lawrence Edwards in his studio on a bronze poor day. The MA show was interesting however only several pieces of work actually grabbed my interest, there wasn’t a large amount of variety or for that matter inspiration.
Furthermore this week, on the Friday me and several piers had been in contact with bronze sculptor Lawrence Edwards who I have previously researched and found utterly fascinating, he then told us he was planning another bronze poor from his personal foundry and invited us to go along and take a tour of his studio. I have attached photos below of the experience with annotations explaining key areas of interest.
Furthermore one massive take away was inspiration for my own large scale sculpture I want to work in a rougher more natural surface showing a more energetic manor of work with plaster straw and scrim therefore creating a hybrid surface blurring the city and the forest linking to my themes. Also, as with the Creek Men, my favourite of Edwards works I want to use shreds of linen and other fabrics wrapped around the limbs and waist to give a hint at clothing, therefore elevating the nature of the hybrid, showing that it wears human clothes as humans are the only creatures to wear clothing this puts the beast on at least a pare with human intellect.
No studio shot this week as I forgot to take the image on the Friday before leaving to visit Lawrence Edwards. However I can assure you it looks no different to the previous week as I have only been writing therefore I have made no advances in a practical direction. Therefore I may as well attach last week s studio shot as it is the same.
Week 7
BA3a Reflective journal
Mon 06th Nov – 12th Nov
This week I have fully devoted to focussing my practice around my themes and written work, namely the research report. Having chosen to write the 10,000 word option I feel I need to commit large chunks of my time to simply sitting down in my studio and focusing solely on the report. This week I made good progress as I have gone from 800 words to 4600 words. I have an unorthodox writing style in which I won’t write a single draft then review it and go back, I constantly review each sentence printing off each paragraph, therefore by the time I get the conclusion I could have written the first paragraph in a dozen different ways. Before starting a second draft in the same manor. This takes time but it’s how I can focus its how I can translate my ideas from my head to the paper therefore regardless of its downfalls this method is the one I choose.
As I have been arguing and discussing themes surrounding my practice I have found that I began to have a sub conscious dialogue with myself. In doing so I came to an understanding about my work a thesis which binds my practical, my theoretical and my written practices together. Humans have taken to using imagery of hybrid forms consisting of human and non-human animals objectified by society. Thus the hybrid becomes an object and the human the subject. So as a hybrid the subject is tainted by the inferior form of the object hence becoming reverted to an uncivilised state the perfect embodiment for the darker aspects of the human psyche which we are too ashamed to admit to thus as a species we distance ourselves from these taboos by projecting them onto a being we have created to be inferior to ourselves yet relatable enough to. Therefore I create hybrids to question the human audience. Creatures undeniably superior somehow potentially indifferent to humans like a being from lovecraftian novelty such as the Cthulhu.
Furthermore this week as I have been thinking about the purpose of my practice I have started to consider various aspects regarding the life size hybrid sculpture. Most significantly what gender to make the creature, if I make it male am I suggesting anti-feminist themes as this is the superior being to humans, if I make it female am I making a feminist statement which I didn’t intend to, and if I make it genderless am I making a religious statement as angels have no specified gender hence am I suggesting this creature is divine? To overcome this dilemma I have started sketching possible positions to build the figure in, furthermore I hope these drawings will develop into another large scale charcoal drawing except this time an evolutionary drawing showing the transition of the animal from quadruped (beast like backwards) to a bipedal position (human form transcended) showing the hybridisation of the creature and an evolution without altering its form, this could be potentially more striking than the sculpture in terms of conveying themes yet we will have to see.
Below I have attached images from this week of the drawing that I have made altering the positions of the animal furthermore I have taken the head sculpture I have made up to this point and began to draw the animals features over the unfinished product so that I can get a sense of how I would like the animal to look, I don’t simply want a savage bear I want an intellectual yet aggressive creature.
I wanted a series of shifting stances as the creature stands up perhaps turning around as well, so that the quadruped is walking away from the bipedal emphasising the contrast and shift between the two position. Ultimately the contrast should reflect a contrast between the city and the forest, and yet also as it is one figure in both positions I want this margin to blur.
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