Alternative Miss World: Space

Learning To Pick And Choose

For the recent project, I have a wealth of research and experimentation to refer to, and have been looking into concepts of space, using artists such as Oskar Schlemmer, particularly his performance piece 'Slat Dance', and Anthony Gormley's sculptural work, and the concepts he carries through said works.

https://www.pinterest.com/mirrorsystems/oskar-schlemmer-systems/

http://library.calvin.edu/hda/node/1444

http://www.antonygormley.com/sculpture/item-view/id/226

http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4460306

The first thing I did when starting this project was experiment with creating a space by wrapping string around a wire sculpture. I experimented with different thicknesses of string, and developing on from this, experimented with weaving. I didn't quite enjoy weaving, so I went back to looking at creating an environment, and started to experiment with the idea on a bigger scale, using a chair as the structure I would be wrapping the string around. It was pointed out to be that I should challenge myself, and that, as an artist with lacking funds, that I should use what I have. 

I started to play with the idea of space between people, and creating a trace of movement or of interaction, that is otherwise invisible. However I realised that if I continued with the idea, I would soon find myself stuck. 

It was during a life drawing session that I started experimenting conceptual art, in which I would create the figure of a person using only the lines that went from point to point, such like Schlemmer's 'Slat Dance'. I spent most of the life drawing session doing this, but left it there, because once again, I was aware that to continue this would mean that I would get stuck. 

Instead, I started experimenting with the idea of the space that would be occupied by an object, much like Schlemmer's drawings:

http://thinkingform.com/2013/09/04/thinking-oskar-schlemmer-09-04-1888/

I quickly abandoned this idea, as I wasn't keen on it. 

After this, I decided to focus on my plan for the project. Writing a brief helped me clear out my head a little bit, and categorise things in order of priority. I realised that I had been trying to focus on to many things at once, so while I still hadn't fully decided on what I wanted to do for the project, I was already trying to incorporate things, such as colour and space, and was already looking at numerous different artists.

I made the decision to go back to plaster, which would serve as a starting point, so that I was able to develop my idea and decide fully what I wanted to work with in time. 

I started with the concept of expanding and condensing space.

From this, I came up with the idea to encase something in plaster, but showing how each different off layer that was added would effect and condense the space within the object. I chose to use some fake flowers that I had been using the year prior for experimentation. However, due to the plaster mix being to oversaturated, I was unable to do more than one layer before it started crumbling off.
I was unable to continue with the idea until the layer of plaster set, and so moved on to something else.

I moved back to sculpture again, This time experimenting with wire, which is a material I never really use.
My idea was to create a sculpture that mimicked Schlemmer's drawing. An object would be in the center with the wire running through it and circling around it. I found this experiment theraputic rther than entertaining, but didn't like the over all result.
In between doing this I also made a sphere made out of wire which was part of an earlier idea to use shapes to show space and create the concept of a shape or object, such as the human form.

After doing all of this experimentation, I realised that I still wasn't set on what I wanted to do, so I decided to strip it back and start somewhere I was comfortable, which was using found objects to create a sculpture. In doing this, it meant I was able to start from square one, and actually make something freely without the constant worry of figuring something out. It meant that while the sculpture had little to do with the theme, I could figure out what I wanted to do, and develop from a point that wasn't already confusing.

The artist, Rachel Whiteread, is a starting point for me, and has enabled me to develop ideas about creating casts of both positive and negative space, and then developing it.
I decided that, rather than casting random objects, I would cast objects that were either fundamental to every day life that often go unnoticed, or to cast objects that I use in every day life.
I also thought about somehow making physical pieces to show the distance between people, however, this was just a fleeting idea.
However, this led me to think about perception, and the gap between understanding and mis-understanding something.

Using the idea of perception and understanding, I could create pieces that can be percieved differently, much like Michael Craig Martin's 'An Oak Tree' from 1973.
I want to explore how people see things around them, and create work that challenges what people know, and even confuse them. I aim to use simple, everyday objects to create pieces that make people think, and that may hold a different meaning to each individual person.