When we were first set this brief for a commission project, I was really excited that we had free range to create something that would be displayed around the college. I immediately wanted to do something sculptural. The sub-theme ‘Identity’ was brilliant for me too, as I like my work to be personal and I like to have some measure of my own personality to be part of my work. In this case I was the model/victim for the sculpture.
I’ve had a crazy time in the past 5 years and feel like I’ve come out on top. We are all on our own spiritual journey, so everything we experience is very personal. I wanted to create something that symbolizes this time in my life. The feeling that I’ve made a breakthrough so profound it shatters you and when you put the pieces back together, you’re not the same but better.
I think mirrors were a huge part of my initial ideas because they are how we view ourselves physically. My idea was to cover a person in mirrors like a layer of skin. The mirrors would reflect back at the viewer showing themselves reflected back. My thinking behind this is the mirrors are kind of a defensive layer that would disguise the person to look like everybody else. Instead of camouflage it would reflect the viewer, taking on their physical appearance. Another thing about this mirror layer is that I picture it shattering away; like snakes shed their skin, discarding the old parts that aren’t needed. Butterflies and their chrysalises comes to mind. New growth, new you.
Underneath the mirrors and inside the plastic form, I’ve used 900 LED lights to light up my figure; this is to represent the soul and its energy. I want the mirrors to be splintering away as if the force of the transformation was like an explosion of energy. As well as the mirrors attached to the form I plan to have shards of mirrors hanging close to the figure, as if they we’re mid explosion. I’ve taken inspiration for this from Cornelia Parker’s ‘Exploding Shed’ (pictured in my sketchbook). I think she may have actually exploded a shed while taking fast shutter speed photographs to capture the stages. I’m going to have to use my imagination for this part.
The actual form was created by wrapping myself in clingfilm (I had helpers for this part). It took many days to complete, I couldn’t really say how many hours I’ve spent on this part alone, but lots of late nights have been included. We made the body in two sections then joined them together. The hands and feet were made separately and then added to the body. The face was added last. Originally, I had planned for the figure to be kneeling with raised arms. I thought that the act of kneeling would express the weight being lifted (from her mind). I later decided she could be in mid-air; as if she might float away. I wanted the pose to be relaxed like she was excepting the transformation, like taking in a deep breath of fresh air.
I did try to follow the way our muscles are laid out. I used an anatomy book to see how these areas were made up; I did manage to replicate some of these muscles with the direction in which I laid down the mirrors. I think this method worked very well and it gave me something to follow as it was daunting when I first got around to her back.
This project has been really fun for me. It was an idea that popped into my head. I probably should have down sizes my plans and not gone for a life size sculpture. The timeline for this project has been relaxed this time, which is a good thing for me. If we had to hand in on the original date I wouldn’t have been near finishing. I fully intend on taking this project to the end. My next step is adding the pieces that will be flying away from her body. These shards of glass will hang from the metal mesh and be secured with hot glue. It is my hope that when the form is situated there will be lights pointed at it and, also coming from within the sculpture. This should create lots of reflections like a mirror ball. I’ve wondered about having different coloured lights focused on my sculpture too for extra dazzle.
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