Module 1: Memories, Stories & Recycled Materials

Preloved Objects

Task: Pre-loved Object Storytelling

In seeking out a preloved object I attended a local Op Shop, where I found a literal bin gull of old Barbie (and similar) dolls stripped entirely of their original attire. This bin made me think of the innocence associated with childhood toys, how easily they are discarded as the owner grows out of them, and how abjectly contrasted these naked, featureless dolls appear compared to their original purpose.

Task: Experimenting with deconstructive and reconstructive processes to create recylced art arrangements and assemblage work.

There are 2 main ways I explored deconstructive processes with the dolls. The first was the literal dismantling of the objects, along with a fake floral arrangement, with the second being the shaving of the head and chemiccally stripping the paint on the face so that it could have a new face painted. Using a later exercise process, I created a coffin to display the assemblage as a memorial to childhood.

Task: Experimenting with joining and assemblage techniques with recylced materials to create assemblage works and beyond

The aforementioned coffin was constructed with cardboard joined with plaster bandage, then lined with felt and mounted on an old wine holder (another nod to developing maturity). Plaster became a core material used in my experiments going forward.

This initial exercise informed the works in the following modules, and also to my other studios this semester. I began by exploring the concept of gender perfomance for young and mature women, which then developed into an examination through a queer lens.