During the past week or so I have been working on two sculptural pieces for what has become an annual event – a collaboration with the English Department at UCS. This is an excellent opportunity for the Fine Art students to work alongside fellow students studying other subjects and create work which links with theirs.
I have selected two pieces of written work; an essay about friendship where one of them dies tragically and a poem of just six words. I suppose it is no coincidence that I am drawn to the subject of human relationships because they both link in with my project about the ties that bind us as human beings as well as my adoption topic.
These images show the work in progress.
By connecting stitches in both sweaters with stitches I have added, I hope to show the strength of the bond in friendship as well as the devastating effects of a separation by sudden death and the on-going loss of a relationship.
The poem encourages the individual to ask who and what they see when they look in the mirror – a bit of soul searching. As I was painting the door I was asking myself the same question. The mirror is a ‘ready-made’ with louvre doors on which I have painted a large black question mark. The doors can be opened to reveal the individual’s reflection and the invitation to examine oneself.
This is the statement and verse that I created for 10 PRJCT…
“Jenny is exploring the ties that are broken when a child is given up for adoption.
For the adopted child, ties with her birth family are often broken forever when she is placed with a new family. There are those who believe those severed ties are of no consequence, but the frayed edges of any cord is evidence of a cut and for the adoptee they remain like scars of that severed connection with the past.
As the years pass into adulthood her history dies with the older family members she never knew; by those who felt they must keep the secret hidden forever.
A letter written by the pregnant girl’s mother, whilst on the one hand supports her daughter in her predicament, also conveys her anxiety for the future and the urgency in finding another home for her grandchild when it is born.
The girl is living in an era where she will face humiliation and disgrace in the eyes of her community if the knowledge of her situation becomes known. Her mother assumes control of the situation in order to minimise the damage to her and her family’s reputation.”
Severed Ties
A chill permeates the warm summer air
Her secret discovered
The dilemma
The shame
Her family unite
Few options
She cannot keep it
Abortion is illegal
Adoption the only choice
People gossip
A confidence broken
A childless couple
Her mother writes
Years pass
Her past is hidden
Like a puzzle
Missing pieces
Never complete…
Week 2 of drawing class and an exercise in painting with ink and sticks. Even though we were drawing from a photograph, at a further distance it was easier to measure and gave the mark making more freedom.
A fellow student and I have been preparing this week for a pop-up exhibition on Monday 29 February in a specially designated white room on campus. The experience has involved another learning process as I have been using the workshop’s new laser cutter.
Our theme for the week is The Ties That Bind and my contribution to the project has been to consider the emotional and physical ties that bind an individual at birth to her mother and how those ties are severed when the child is put up for adoption.
You can see from my post on the 13 February I have been using jigsaw puzzle shapes as a basis for a future larger piece of work and this week was the week I had that opportunity.
I selected short phrases from a letter written by a mother who is relieved to find that she has finally found a home for her unmarried teenage daughter’s baby. Each piece of puzzle is from a complete rectangle of nine pieces.
Artwork ready for printing.
My work involved the technical expertise of our workshop fab technician, who guided me through the complex procedures.
The maquette coming of the laser cutter…on black card.
Light penetrating through the words…
Adjustments were made to enlarge the scale and we are off… The ‘nature of the beast’ (laser cutter) was to automatically cut away all the black, including the words which, I did not originally intend, but became an advantage because it gave the work an added fragmented appearance. It is rewarding to have these extra little surprises and I often find that my work evolves and is given more meaning through these unexpected processes!
Installation in progress…Glenda putting the final touches to her work…
Images of the final installation to follow…
Saturday drawing class at the CO3 Gallery in Colchester with Wendy Bailey…back to basics…lines and negative spaces. A worthwhile couple of hours.
