My final submission work for VIS2032 Studio Practice: Sculpture

Module 4-Exploring Nature: Air

‘Fragility’

This piece is inspired by the element of air. This piece is inspired by my love of paper and working with natural fibres such as rattan and rushes. I wanted to experiment with Chinese rice paper and how I could make shapes by gluing it to rattan that was bent and bound into an elliptical fan shape. I tend to problem solve as I make so the initial piece that I made served as a prototype for the larger resolved piece. I then had to figure out how to attach the fan to the rush and achieved results by gluing a paper pocket to the top of each fan so the rush could sit in and then be attached to the bottom of the fan. I used 6 cord waxed linen thread to attach all the elements and used simple knots to hold the parts together. The end result was effective and looked interesting enough to continue to the next iteration of my resolved work.

By the time I approached the final project, I had a good idea of the process and quickly set up a line of production the worked seamlessly as I moved through each step of the assemblage. This time the work was bigger and I used paper string and waxed linen to twine the rattan together into a tube and skipped adding a piece of rush to the rattan due to the weightiness of the larger fans.

The result was pleasing aesthetically, and I experimented with a large piece of plastic core as fan to simulate a breeze. This was a good alternative to using my poor old studio fan that had broken down over winter.

I was pleased with the outcome of this piece. Each element is like a fan and it captures air movement in the room. The fans resemble petals radiating exuberantly from the centre. I see this piece having potential to be a large installation.

Resolved Work: Extending from the body.

As I have a background in making theatrical costumes mainly for dancers, I always begin with an idea of working with certain materials, and try to solve problems about wearability as I work through the idea. I began by forming a ring and then attaching the warp where I employed the ancient craft of weft twining/ alternate paired twining, to sculpt the armature. This is a repetitive process where manual dexterity and attention to detail is required.

As the piece evolved from the original concept, I began to think about proxemics and how one claims personal space. In the case of theatrical costumes it is also about how one commands space and how the wearer can have ease of movement while wearing the piece. I began with the idea of a collar where I inserted Cocos palm inflorescence that would extend from the shoulders and then made a separate neck cuff that also slips over the head.

I then decided to test the piece by walking through my house, moving through doorways and performing simple tasks. An awareness of the extensions became apparent while wearing the piece in how I was restricted and yet how empowering it felt to be mindful of my extended self. I also thought about being around people and imagined different scenarios such as standing in a queue where it would be hard to turn if someone was standing too close to me.

Further to this, I began to think about the psychological meaning of wearing a spiky costume, and what the visual language of wearing a spiky costume could be interpreted. While researching this I discovered the concept of the ‘spiky profile’ in neurodivergence that could lead to further research.

The Red Petticoat

While I was working as a professional dancer and instructor in the 1990’s, I hosted many dance international dance teachers who taught at my school in Sydney and Canberra. Laurel Victoria Gray http://www.laurelvictoriagray.com/ was one teacher who stood out for her deep knowledge of Central Asian, Eastern European and Persian culture and dance. In her Russian Gypsy dance workshop, Laurel told students a story about women being able to break up a fight by touching a man with her skirt. This symbolic gesture harkens back to the notion that the lower half of a woman’s body was seen as unclean. This made me think about how notions of women being perceived as unclean have been perpetuated over time because they menstruate.

The Red Petticoat is an extension of the body; a way of taking up space, adding volume to the body in a world that encourages women to be smaller. This ‘undergarment’ is a part of an ensemble that runs counter to this narrative. It explores curves and fullness and the way that the female body is a container of stories carried over millennia.