joannareiddivergentproject

[joannareiddivergentproject]

Artist statement

"Fragmentary Isolation"

The purpose of this work was to explore the body, by taking casts with plaster of my own body to explore my own embodiment. Exploring the traces left behind by the process of taking impressions in clay. The isolated and abstracted forms taken from my own body convey the feeling of the fragmentation I feel with my own identity. Taking inspiration from hellenistic sculptures, which are usually found with identifiers of the body damaged or fragmented. Altering the identity and form of the body.

[joannareiddivergentproject]

Install

The install is within the 6th floor test sites, due to being slightly smaller work and not needing a darker space (majority of projection work on 7th space) or needing the control of gallery space lighting. There is still artificial lighting overhead but the placement of the work is next to a film projection install. So the side the work is installed in within the space will not be using the artificial lighting and therefore will be relying on the natural lighting from windows which then includes the aspect of the light interacting with the forms, similar to the light box interaction experiments.

The walls within the space are partition walls placed in angular setups along the edge of the space and prior to finalizing the set up for install. Only one print was set up on the right with white space on the left, this caused the display of the space to be broken up. So I decided to display basically an invert copy of the print, but reusing the white ink to create the chalky tone of the initial print from making project that caused this divergence into sculpture and using plaster.

I feel that displaying two prints in the same format helps to fix the previous installation of the work where the space was broken up or did not correlate together.

The prints also seem to help suggest the divergence in practice and process with the prints being explored within from the other project for creative. But yet they still explore some sense of fragmentation with embodiment just in another media and process. And they help to show the composition of the body and isolation aspect of the plaster impressions displayed on the plinth. It makes the viewer question why the plaster fragments are isolated, or ask where is the rest of the body.

The correlation of the work was also adjusted by moving the plinth closer to the print works, due to prior being in the middle of the room and seeming like 2 entirely different works from different people. The plinth now sits closer to the work.

Development

The developmental work I wanted to display in the studio space were the sculptures I had made during the duration of the project. And to show the isolation works on the light box but as more of a series of photographic prints.

The layout of the developmental space is very similar to the install space with the darker contrast work on the wall and the plaster cast impressions displayed on the flat surface of the table, or in the install space the plinth. This was purely a coincidence and did not realize until after finishing displaying both places.

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Looking back on the divergent project I enjoyed exploring the process of learning how to use plaster for casting as well as using clay, although not in the common way as I was reusing the clay and not firing it in kilns. Both mediums were ones with which were not mediums I often used within my practice before and also I didn’t often work spatially within 3D. So it was good to push myself and challenge myself and explore new mediums. Although 2D was still incorporated into the project practice with the photos from the light box documentation. This for me provided a balance to the project as well as an area that I felt comfortable in to give me a break from the messy process of casting. However I do know that I should not rely solely on 2D work or restrict myself to that area, that I should be more versatile in skills and media and incorporate them together within projects.

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Creating paper work to interact and obscure the forms, inspired by the line work from work created for Creative project. Created from tracing around the forms. I didn’t really enjoy the process of this as the paper cut out did not turn out how I thought it would and was difficult to make it curve to the forms. Once cut, sections of it were too fragile or delicate to manoeuvre to interact with forms.

Forms depicted are fist and elbow. Line art cut out forming the forearm and connecting them both so no longer isolated pieces.

Process of this will not be continued due to difficulty such as weakness in areas of the paper and also blade being unable to fully cut into the card even though a new blade was being used. The process of this also caused pains in my hand and wrist, due to joint issues so was putting strain on that and also caused the process to carry on for longer with the need of breaks.

I also feel that the contrast of the black paper is a bit too much although similar to most of the colours used in my line work for the other project. It just seems to be too much of a contrast and causes the form to become lost in terms of washing out or dominating the earthy tone traces on the plaster.

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During possible install of work, originally all the plaster sculptures were going to go onto a larger plinth to create a composition to form the body in fragments. However while installing it was suggested that me and other peers who were organizing their work in the space due to all the work being similar in terms of it all being in 3D or similar neutral tones like whites. So my work was moved to the first test site space on 6th floor, which included 2D work from other peers and solved the issue of similarities with other displays of work.

Due to at the time only having a few parts of sculptures with me in studio during initial set up I only had two forms displayed on plinth, this seemed to be a bit similar to the idea Steven suggested where due to the isolation aspect of the photos I was making to accompany the project, I could display them on a singular plinth.

The 6th floor space seems to work well with the sculptures due to the natural light interacting with the forms and emphasising the curves of them, the light in the space will also be continuously shifting and interacting with the forms throughout the day. Unlike the 7th floor exhibition space which has static lighting after set up. The interaction of light is similar to the process of the light and shadow photos I was creating during the project.

While also installing the forms Evelyn suggested I display the prints I was working on for the other project for creative, since the theme of fragmentation runs through both projects. And with how the origin of Divergent project was inspired by the original Lino prints I made that were similar to Hellenistic sculptures which caused the divergence into 3D media and plaster. Also the displaying of the prints seems to also be good practice for degree show where I may want to display other works which hold connections to themes explored. The print also seems to also convey the initial idea of me wanting to have the fragments composed the reform the body.

[joannareiddivergentproject]

Interaction of light with the form the lighting from the 6th floor test site windows works better than having the work displayed within a controlled light environment. The aspect of the natural light also means that throughout the day while its on display the lighting interacting with the work will always be a changing variable to the install space. Meaning it may be at different angles and be generating different shadows also the aspect of weather may also change the lighting what with clouds dulling the light entering the space.

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Casting of my elbow, while creating the impression mould arm and elbow shifted slightly and the clay tile used was slightly too thin to hold shape. But had to be thin in order to press it to the body. This meant the outcome of the impression was a bit deformed. But I felt this further added to the abstraction of the embodiment of my own body.

The elbow cast was also moved down to 6th to try it on plinths as well prior to install. As discussed in the above post about light, The lighting does clearly interact with the forms emphasizing curves as well as the texture of the casts. Making it more visually dynamic to the viewer, and some of the textures being traces left behind from my body or even the process of taking clay impressions. So this can further relate to my concept of documenting the embodiment of the human body by leaving traces behind.

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For consideration for show of resolved work, I wanted to show a composition of the pieces ranging from the shoulder and hand to the further casting of areas on leg and torso. This is to then eventually display a composition that will suggest the full body.

Edited within photoshop using the captured images from light box process so far, comped together to form the idea of the full body fragments. If it was at scale I would need a larger plinth maybe 4 foot long to display the composition.

[joannareiddivergentproject]

Light box development this interaction of the light on the form of the cast elbow further emphasises the curves of the elbow but also the abstraction from the slip and deformation of the impression that was taken for the cast, there is 2 elbows. It also emphasizes the rough edging from the casting.

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Upon reflection of initial timescale I had set for this project some tasks were delayed and or could not be undertaken. I hoped to have taken more casts during November or December break however the issue with using my own body in the creative process restricted where the source subject could be taken from, like someone else's body. And because of this it caused some delay to process as a few days during christmas break the process had to be put on hold while a skin rash calmed and healed without further irritation from mediums such the clay or plaster. The process of plaster casting for me was also a bit slow due to having to learn the process, and clean the casts from the clay as well as waiting for casts to dry out.

Creating the light box images of each fragment to create an isolation helped to stay productive during any 3D delays or issues.

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Marcel Duchamp

Marcel Duchamp born in 1887, and died 1968. Was an artist known for his readymades.

In the 1950s Duchamp created a series of small scale 'erotic objects'.

Female Fig Leaf, 1950, cast 1961

Female Fig Leaf, is thought to be a cast of a females exposed parts. Similar to the work Etant donnés a piece Duchamp worked on in secret between 1946 and 1966. Although an invasive cast, the titling suggests censorship. And the titling could also suggest the classic imagery of Eve in the depiction of Adam and Eve with how the genitalia is obscured by fig leafs.

The form could even suggest the creases of the body too such as the crease of a bent elbow, it doesn't have to relate to the gendering of the female body.

Wedge of Chastity, 1954, cast 1963

Seen as the conclusion point of the series, Duchamp's technical assistant on the sculpture was a dental mechanic, Sacha Maruchess. The flesh like bottom section is made from dental plastic with the bronze section slotted into and resting upon the bottom section. The sculpture suggests the male and female, the original was made when Duchamp married his second wife.

The forms Duchamp created during this series explore inverted slit like shapes, being exposed or filled with other sections of sculptures.

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Steven mentioned while looking at the sculpture pieces that rather than displaying the whole composition of them together, they could be displayed singular and as individual pieces on their own plinths, carrying on with the theme of isolation's, I understand how this will be a further development to the isolation work I have been creating with the pieces on light box. As well as the process of creating the casts from a singular area of the body at one time.

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For the divergent submission I was considering having the plaster isolated sculptures in a series to form the fragmentation of the human body, this was in part inspired from the line art life drawings I have been doing in Creative Enquiry but as well as the mention of the sculpture piece mentioned by Alan that was in a gallery in Munich which displayed a sculpture of a figure in fragments but had stainless steel framing to connect them together as well as to reference the proportions of the sculpture.

During the discussion with Alan about this possible display he then suggested using contrast to relate the original plaster sculpture pieces to the light and shadow isolation photos. By either displaying the pieces on a stark black or by referencing the connecting form of the missing body areas by using line art to suggest it, further connecting the project to the creative project.

The line art would be either be created from the mediums of wire or paper cut outs, to then therefore interact with the isolated sculptures, by either hiding sections or having them protrude from the sections of the cut outs.

This effect may be similar to Rodin's sculpture, as seen below where the flat surface obscures the subject matter of the head. Only a section of it being shown and the rest hidden, only viewable with a change of perspective the viewer has of the piece.

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Auguste Rodin

Auguste Rodin was born in 1840 and died in 1917. He was a french sculptor considered as the founder for modern sculpture. His sculptures celebrated individual character. And he was well known for having the unique skill to be able to model a complex, turbulent, and deeply pocketed surface in clay.

I was advised to look into Auguste Rodin's works, due to the nature of my own sculptures taking on a Hellenistic look. As well as the fragmentation of the work with the rough edges, this caused me intrigue to look at the "Fragmentation" chapter of the The EY Exhibition: The Making of Rodin by the Tate

Head of the Thinker against a panel, (1903)

The Inner Voice, (1896)

Pierre de Wissant nude, without head or hands, large model, (1886)

Limbs, various dates.

"Limbs" is very similar to the initial casts I took where I explored my taking a cast impression of my fist, Rodin's casts seem to all mainly be of open hands, or slightly closed. Unlike mine which Alan stated to say that the fist had a lot of force and aggression.

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The rough edging and tones of the sculpture also made Alan think that it could be bone with how you may often find bones with fractured sections from them, similar to the fracturing of the classical sculptures initially inspiring the work.

The placement of the sculpture on the lightbox as this way further generated an abstraction in the visual appearance of it making it more dynamic. The form ends up perhaps looking like the curving of a back rather than a shoulder.

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During the impression process of my work, which I use clay. After the plaster has been released from it, the plaster is stained by the clay and takes on an earthy tone. This is intriguing in that the cast of the shoulder has developed interesting darker lines across its surface.

The process of taking the cast of my shoulder and neck, was a process which used a thinner tile of clay compared to the previous usage of a 1 inch thick tile to take impressions. The process unlike before which was done with the tile on a flat surface like a table while impressions were pushed in. This one however took the tile of clay from the flat surface of the table and used it to push against the chosen body part while standing. Merely relying on the hands to push the clay against the body, rather than using the body to push into clay.

After the impression was taken walls of clay were made up to create the mould.

The earth tones left from the clay also make it seem like a found object dug up, further suggesting the idea of a trace left behind.

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Experiments with light box, I really enjoyed how these images had such a strong contrast compared to the neutral white of the sculptures, basically inverted. But I also enjoyed how the light interacted with the 3D forms and further emphasised there forms.

I when I first looked at them saw them as if the white was a wall and darkness being a hole revealing the forms. But this also further added to the aggreesive nature of like the clenched fist or clawed fingers.