Through extensive studies of the human
figure and facial structure, I have developed a strong interest in using the
face and body as a canvas and tool for interpretation and suggestion. As a sculptor,
I use mediums such as plaster, clay and metal to add to the repertoire of the
human figure in the art world.
Since my interest in makeup escalated and my plans to pursue a career as
a makeup artist, my attention has turned to the character that can be brought
forth from the human figure with the use of visual allusions created by makeup.
I want to bring my audience into a
narrative that they can relate to in some way but still be removed at the same
time. As human beings, we emote
and force the understanding of our own personality traits and features onto
fictional beings in the simplest desire of creating something new but still
familiar. As a sculptor, I want to
take fabricated characters from the imaginations of others and myself, bring
them into existence and put them before an audience, forcing them to come face
to face with a being that is foreign yet known.
I have researched ancient mythology,
current fantasy novels and contemporary artists that focus on narratives in
their art. Throughout history,
people have imagined creatures that combine features of a human being with
animals or other fictitious beings to create an entirely new creature. The number and variety of these beings
fascinate me; Examples include the sphinx, the centaur, angels, and the satyr,
to name a few. Fictional
characters with mixed human qualities have existed since ancient times, often
in myths or have served as deities.
The Egyptians worshiped multiple gods that were depicted as humans
morphed with animals. As a
culture, we even personify objects to have human characteristics. Disney’s Beauty and the Beast
is
the greatest example of lifeless objects being given a face with a personality
and the freedom to move about as humans do.
To prepare for the projects that will be
born from this concept, I have been experimenting with various mediums and
tools. Each character will be life
size; therefore, I must consider the weight of the materials I use. I plan to use materials in
unconventional ways, such as hollow plaster. This is a process I have already used for my sculpture Lay In My Body. I am currently invested in using wax
and plaster dipped paper cranes.
These cranes will be adhered to one another to form the body of a
creature conjured from my own imagination based on a character that represents
war in the Wicked Lovely book series
written by Melissa Marr. This
creature will have an altered human body with a concave torso, a beak and will
consist of nine hundred and ninety-nine paper cranes. In the hollow of her torso, will rest the skeleton of a baby
bird. For now, I am titling this
piece as Aves, which is the
scientific word for bird. Aves will rest on a bed made to look
like the bed of a person but will be made up of materials that could be found
in a birds nest. I believe that
creating an environment for Aves to
exist in will help build the narrative and invite my audience in. An artist that I found inspiration from
for my current sculpture project is American sculptor Petah Coyne. Coyne uses taxidermy birds and wax
among other materials in her sculptures.
I coincidentally discovered her work after I began designing Aves.
I believe that people have invented these
imaginary beings to be symbolic in nature. For example, Marr’s character that represents war is a woman
with a face that is combined with a raven’s, the bird that symbolizes ill omens
or death. I want Aves and the other characters that I
create to be symbolic in nature.
My goal is for the audience to see the narrative and interpret the
metaphors
and morals within, much like Greek mythology where each myth contains at least
one principle that was significant to their culture.
To be true to my original focus of the
human figure, I will ensure that each character’s human traits are very present
in their make up. This is my
attempt at merging theater with fine art, by setting the stage and building a
character with the main goal of telling a story. I understand that my focus has shifted from the fragility of
human life, as I stated in my fall research statement. However, I still maintain that the basic
subject will remain the human figure as I had originally intended for my senior
thesis.
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