For quite some time now, I have resorted to using a sketchbook rather than my blog in order to keep track of my thought process as I have progressed. As much as I have found the blog an interesting and useful method of doing so, for me, It just isn’t as practical in comparison.
When I last posted on my blog, I was focused on two primary sculptures, which were still in need of some small adjustments. Since then, I have been developing other works, as well as questioning as to whether the other two works were in fact finished.
As the degree show approached, I found myself more concerned with how I planned on executing my work, so that each piece would have a space of it’s own, and the works would not interfere and detract from one and other. With this in mind, I decided that in order to maximise the positive reception of my work, and to transmit a clear message, that I would take on an almost minimalistic approach. In my eye’s this strengthened my concept slightly, as I aimed at using minimal materials to communicate what I am trying to say, and therefore had less of a negative impact on the environment, by demanding fewer materials.
During the time since my last post, I have developed a small series titled – Diversity, in which I decided to create a variety of different shaped plinths, each showing a different aspect of social and enviromental related issues.
To begin with i decided to keep each plinth at the same height, in order to keep a uniformatiy within the series, as i wanted them to represent organisms.
As the series progressed i decided to adapt the heights, in order to show a wider range of divercity but chose to use white paint to keep them uniform.
I decided to use simple gemetric shape that are often found in natural formations,such as a circle, square, and triangle.
On the circular plinth i placed a terrium (which is a contained, enviroment), with native and invasive spiecies as i hope to make a comment on invasive spieces and how they can have a devastating impact on our eco-stystem and hence keeping diversity.
In my opinion we have learnt from agricultural methods that mono-culture brings many issues of pests and disease, this is why I beileve that divisity is so important, in order to sustain a healthy life for all things.
The glass dome that i decided to use for this piece spoke to me about both humanity’s control over nature, whether positive or negative, and also the way that some of humanity feels a responsibility for the likely hood of all others organisms, and trys to protect them.
I decided to use tree saplings within the piece because even though they have the potential to be come large and strong, at this point they are extreamly fragile, which i felt was a nice way to symbolise how our enviroment is in a similar state of affairs.
For a while i was experimenting with the other two plinths trying to decide what other messages I could portray which would compliment the first.
After tying several ideas I decided I wanted to look at scocitys issues with degridation and litter.
on my triangular plinth i played with the idea of constructing a delapitated building but as i was putting it together, it collapsed in on its self, leaving a pile of rubble.
At this point I decided I prefered the way the pile cascended towards the edges of the plinth and also felt that the fact I had started with a building and finished with a pile of rubble explained the concept better.
Now i was happy with two out of three plinths i continued to experiment with the third, and eventually settled on the idea of placing an ash tray in the center of a soil base and scattering ash and cigettete butts around but not within.
I thought that this showed a clear message about littering and how even when provided with a means of disposal, litter is quite often not put into it.
My reasoning for using cigerette butts is because they appear tiny and insignifiact, but when mounted up they can cause a real issue, in terms of toxicity in the soil.
