angelskully1

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 13: Summative Self-Evaluation [23/01/21]

Successes:

• I think the digital mock-ups were clear at demonstrating what I had hoped to make. In hindsight, these probably would have been a good supplement to my work even if I had been able to produce physical work.

• Read a lot more theory this semester so I feel like I understand the context of my work better.

• Looked at more exhibitions this semester so I feel more informed about the practice of contemporary working artists and current art culture.

• Gained a better understanding of my own tastes and ethics# - current world issues like a concern for the environment can be reflected in my practice even if they’re not superficially apparent in my work.

Weaknesses:

• Communicated my ideas very poorly initially, which made further communication of ideas even more difficult after locking myself into the key theme of “kitsch”. Deviated a lot from initial project proposal.

• Obvious failure to make any complete physical work - this could’ve been partially avoided if I worked at a faster pace initially.

• Difficulty accessing resources might have limited the scope of some of my research. Possibly resolved with same solution as above.

[angelskully1]

Research [13/01/21]

Miscellaneous work that informed my practice this semester:

Icon of Our Lady of Guadalupe, painted by Christine Uveges in St. Mary Parish, Indiana, USA.

Brighter colours are seen more often in modern Guadalupe iconography and the additional extravagance and detailing make it more appealing. In my opinion, attributing as much beauty to something makes the art even more devotional.

[angelskully1]

Research [13/01/21]

Page 2 from The Monstrous-Feminine: Film, Feminism and Psychoanalysis by Barbara Creed (1993).

I read The Monstrous-Feminine in the hopes of gathering more information and inspiration regarding how to subvert the religious female imagery I am working with.

• Most of this book is based on Freudian theory, which is not something I will ever voluntarily engage with.

• This research wasn’t useful but I did learn that Medusa imagery was popular + symbolically protective.

• Details of how gorgons looked - visually intriguing to depict?

[angelskully1]

Visiting Artist Lecture: Patrick Goddard [12/01/21]

• Theme of working within restrictions + adapting - “happy accidents”. 2013 - graphic novel Operation Paperclip - black comedy with themes of existential dilemma, inherited guilt, ethical conundrums and juvenile humour. 

• 2019 - installation of deterrent paving using bricks. An exploration of violent architecture. Hard to install, but cheap to do. DIY cyanotypes layered with drawings also displayed, along with the use of UV light to evoke urban “anti-drug lighting”. Wants to totally dominate a space, while using minimal resources and funds.

• Recently returned to sculpture + metal casting. Couldn’t afford bronze, chose lead instead. Lead has a low melting point, is malleable, can be cast in silicone molds, and the mold can be reused. Blue Sky Thinking - 180 individual sculptures of dead parakeets as a commentary on the anthropocene and ecology. Parakeets increased presence in London represent global warming, as the winters no longer naturally cull the population. It’s incidental that the lead is reclaimed from demolished London housing and that lead has a toxic quality - “happy accident” connecting the themes which stemmed from a basic problem.

Reflections:

• Goddard’s anecdotes about ways he managed to find second-hand materials and DIY methods were useful and motivating. 

• The idea of letting bad or under-considered ideas resolve themselves through happy accidents also made me reconsider my process of working.

• Blue Sky Thinking is an impactful work because of its upfront morbidity.

[angelskully1]

Exhibition: New Acquisitions (AMOCA) [12/01/21]

https://www.amoca.org/members/exhibitions/new-acquisitions-armstrong/

I looked at a virtual exhibition hosted by the American Museum of Ceramic Art. The scope of work presented here is limited and US-centric.

Notable artists/work:

• David Furman

Trompe l’oeil style - reminiscent of second-hand and vintage domestic ceramics, very kitschy but also kind of vulgar. 

• Margaret Keelan

Creates dolls with disturbingly weathered and chipped surfaces. Surface is created using glazes but appear wooden and painted. There is an abundance of second-hand ceramics available to experiment on if I wanted to try a similar style.

• Yoshiro Ikeda

Visually stimulating glaze application, with a limited but stark colour palette. Tension between shiny + matte textures. “Ikeda achieves complex surfaces on his work by performing multiple firings between glaze applications.”

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 12 [11/01/21]

After the previous failure and continuing lack of access to the studios, I have decided to make digital mock-ups of my intended work. I also made stamps out of my failed silicone mold so that it wasn’t a waste of material - maybe these stamps could be used on a sculpture or ceramic?

Evaluation of first mock-up:

• I’m not sure where/how to indicate that the temporary tattoo designs featured here are taken from an open-source, free-to-use resource for the purposes of indicating a concept.

• In practice, I think this would be really difficult to make food-safe without purchasing new materials. 

• Designing multiple individual temporary tattoo style decals would be ridiculously time-consuming.

• Feedback from others has mostly been uncritically positive because the visual qualities are appealing, which aligns with my intentions when I started this project.

• I could’ve pushed the aesthetic further and made it more excessive, but my project never intended to critique or parody the idea of kitsch.

[angelskully1]

Exhibition: The Royal Academy of Arts Summer 2020 [08/01/21]

https://www.royalacademy.org.uk/article/video-virtual-tour-summer-exhibition-2020

Virtual exhibition, notable artists/works:

• Charlotte Farmer - Something Inside So Strong (& Fiery) Mr Kong

I enjoy the absurdity of this print, the use of vivid colour and the illustrative approach to the design. The subject matter and medium are reflective of the pop art era. Using decals or a fine brush and coloured slips/underglazes, I could also apply an illustrative but graphic surface design to my ceramics. 

• Zachary Eastwood-Bloom - Venus Celestis

Interesting subversion of classical/neo-classical sculpture.

• Coco Crampton - Shield

Evokes retro patterns, subverts the functionality of traditional homeware - extruded forms + limited colour palette. 

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 11 [06/01/21]

FAILURE + TECHNICAL NOTES:

Failed to properly seal the container I was using to create a silicone mold, losing about half the silicone. 3d model snapped while I was trying to retrieve it from the failed mold. I also chose the wrong silicone - it’s not heat safe, so no melting styrene into it.

Unlikely to be able to obtain more (heat-safe) silicone, repair the model, and create casts by the end of the semester, especially without studio access.

CORRECTING FUTURE MISTAKES:

• Heat-safe silicone.

• Test that containers are sealed (maybe use water?) before using.

• Be gentle with 3D models.

• 2-part molds > 1-part molds. 2-parts are time consuming and tricky to prepare, but in this case would’ve been more suitable.

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 10 [10/12/20]

Using the plaster mold, I have been casting multiple cups which should given me plenty of basic surface to experiment on.

Surface design techniques to consider: glaze, slip and underglaze, decals, stencils, stamps, sprigs, non ceramic - paint and spray paint, pigments and papers, temporary tattoos, glitters, found materials.

Levi Yastrow’s ‘pink moon’ soda-fired yunomi series was a big inspiration for the production of these cups.

The unpredictable outcome of the glaze from soda-firing is pretty and organic and suits the yunomi form. When I originally saw these works, I felt they could be enhanced with a maximalist application of temporary tattoos, neon and glitter - a contemporary reimagining of traditional technique and form.

[angelskully1]

Research [10/12/20]

https://theoria.art-zoo.com/avant-garde-and-kitsch-clement-greenberg/

To further my understanding of kitsch, I read art critic Clement Greenberg’s essay Avant-garde and Kitsch (1939). 

If I was interested in a stronger conceptual basis to my work, I might consider leaning in to Greenberg’s critique that “kitsch is vicarious experience and faked sensations”.

A soothing counter-opinion from Jeff Koons:

Kitsch is innately accessible and unpretentious. I want this to translate into my work being colourful, “pretty” and superficial. Focusing almost exclusively on its visual appeal should help with this.

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 9 [05/12/20]

Using a 3D model, I printed a 20cm scaled replica of Christ the Redeemer. I would’ve liked to print slightly larger (about 30cm) but the size was a technical limitation of the 3d printers. This is probably beneficial because less materials will be wasted, and this project is still very experimental.

From this point, I plan to create a silicone mold and cast sculptures using reclaimed styrene. I’ve started the process of dissolving styrofoam, but I need to wait for the solvent to evaporate.

Reflections:

• Choosing a cross-shaped form was impractical, and I need to consider how best to create a mold with it.

• 3d printing was less expensive and quicker than I expected - I would like to also print a model of the Virgin Mary. I think female imagery is better suited to some concepts and theory I’m interested in.

• Virgin Mary - potential for exploration of the monstrous feminine/female. 

[angelskully1]

Research [01/12/20]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/special/2014/newsspec_7141/index.html

I researched Christ the Redeemer because I consider it to be one of the most iconic and spectacle-imbued pieces of contemporary religious iconography.

• Learning that the sculpture was supposed to represent the religious reclamation of Rio prompted me to consider how to be sensitive/ethical about using religious imagery as a non-religious person.

• The sculpture is enmeshed in spectacle/tourism culture which lends a ‘novelty’ quality to it. Despite this, I still have to question whether there is an element of appropriation to using it in my own work, in consideration of the context in which it exists.

[angelskully1]

Research [27/11/20]

Chapter 14: Ephemeral Objects for Sustainability, page 169-170 from Sustainable By Design: Explorations in Theory and Practice by Stuart Walker (2006).

Walker makes the point that when designing something we need to consider how long the objects we make will last vs. how long they will perform their function. The permanence of the materials I use (and how my work will eventually end up in landfill) made me want to switch to using biodegradable or recycled/recyclable materials instead.

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 8 [23/11/20]

Completed plaster mold + tested pressing porcelain into it. Effective, very fast. 

• The cups have external superficial cracks - could be smoothed out using a sponge. I like the aesthetic quality but not sure if the cracks suit my intended end product.

• The purity of porcelain’s colour seems to make it the best candidate for applying decals + brightly coloured glazes and slips.

Misc reflections:

• Recently learned that in early Chrisitianity imagery of Jesus at all was regarded as sacrilegious according to Exodus 20:4–6. 

• Difficulty balancing environmental + waste reduction focus, original theme of kitsch, and my interest in religious imagery. I regret presenting my theme as being a straightforward exploration of kitsch, rather than just a self-indulgent exploration of materials + my personal interests.

[angelskully1]

Formative Self-Evaluation [17/11/20]

Short evaluation of this project so far -

Successes:

• I have reached a point where I have a clear idea of where I want to take my work.

• I have managed to work with my concerns about creating waste by repurposing pre-existing material, and I have become acquainted with new techniques and materials.

Weaknesses:

• Most of my work currently does not fall under kitsch, and the work I continue to make will likely not fit this theme much either. This isn’t a massive concern because drifting away from the initial proposal gives more to reflect on, but it makes it harder to reorient direction if something fails.

• Work so far is sparse and disjointed. Hoping to increase quantity and cohesion during the second half of this semester (following plans outlined in journal week 6).

• I have not really considered the presentation or display of my work yet.

[angelskully1]

Journal Week 6 [13/11/20]

Reflecting on work I’ve created this semester, I feel like I have a clearer idea of the direction I want to take now. Uncertainty of direction up until this point has led to the work appearing fairly sparse.

There are 2 main directions:

• Ceramic yunomi forms with the application of temporary tattoos [see journal week 4].

Amended plan: finish plaster mold, test if usable for slump-molding or by pressing clay into mold. If not, slipcast instead. Apply ceramic decals or actual temporary tattoos. No glazing due to limited studio time. Experiment with surface.

• Religious idol figures cast in recycled styrofoam (styrene) [see journal week 5]. 

Amended plan: 3D print Jesus figure (about 20cm - need to speak to technician), create silicone mold, cast with recycled styrofoam. Experiment with repurposing things as potential pigments, experiment with surface.

Conceptually, I like the idea of elevating waste material by repurposing it as a holy figure. Categorically, this might be anti-kitsch?

[angelskully1]

Visiting Artist Lecture: Anton Cotteleer [10/11/20]

Put your green head on my shoulder (2016)

• Inspiration derived from family photographs - flocked surface emulates blurriness, fragmentation and colour palette also derived from zooming in on the images.

• Focus is on “the skin of the sculpture” - sculpts in clay, smooths the surface, then casts in silicone. The coincidental seams of the cast are retained. Flocking added to surface for soft, matte, banal atmosphere - the same level as other domestic items you might find in a home.

• Does not consider his work to be political - atmosphere is more important than what it might mean. The female figure is used for its aesthetic properties, and not regarded as a body but as a shape. Tries to balance explicitness with abstraction through the addition of animals (innocent) or through surface alteration (colour, texture).

• Clay itself is too formal and traditional of a material, the addition of presentation/surface details make the work become personal.

Reflections:

Cotteleer’s work seems relevant to my own as it has a retro, nostalgic kitsch feel. His use of silicone as a primary material with the addition of flocking prompted me to consider whether the surface of my own work would be enhanced by flocking. Also, even though the generic female forms are probably utilised for intentional banality, the explicit contexts in which they are featured are uncomfortable to me personally.