Degree show work continues...

I thought I had fixed the problem with the lantern by getting rid of its structure and having it loose and floppy, but when I put it on the stand it didn’t sit like the other two spectacles. This could be either because it is in two separate pieces or because it is more linear that the works I have previously produced. Again, the whole piece just didn’t look right. I had been feeling for a while that the pink shrimp that I made in the last unit would look better under the green ‘roof’ of the lantern and putting it on the stand like this confirmed it. I think it looks better because it is curved, which suggests arms, which ultimately make it look like there is a person inside. The linear structure of the lantern just fell straight down, and without a body underneath it, it didn’t suggest the body at all. Whilst the pink shrimp looked exactly how I imagined the piece going in my mind, I didn’t want my work to seem like it was going backwards instead of forwards. I emailed Sarah to see if it was even possible to use a piece from the previous unit in the degree show, and she said that if the piece had significantly changed in some way then it would be okay. The work will have changed significantly as it has never been shown in this way before; it has only been hung up so that the audience can wear it or worn in a jack in the box. It could be that the shrimp spectacle has not reached its full potential yet, which is why I am drawn to using it in the show instead of the lantern. It has an added element by using the ‘roof’, but I am not sure this is enough to change it significantly and I am still worried that it will seem like I am taking shortcuts by using an older piece, even though it is stronger than the work I have been producing for the show. The ‘roof’, whilst an addition, means that the spectacle has not come from anywhere, and therefore I feel like I haven’t developed an idea, I have just made something look more aesthetically pleasing.

I have decided to start on a whole new spectacle for the degree show, even though there is not a lot of time. If I make it and it isn’t as strong as the pink shrimp, then at least I have tried to develop something new. I have decided to work from a drawing I did a while ago that never got realised into a spectacle. It is a drawing I have always wanted to make but have always overlooked it for one reason or another, and it is a simple enough shape which means I should be able to make it in time for the degree show. For the main body of the piece I used an old sofa cover that I had as it is a thick enough material to hold its shape, and as it was cream it could be easily painted over so I could get the right black and white pattern. As with the trees, I am not worried about the paint looking sharp and finished, as I think the unfinished look adds to the festival nature of my work. For the red headpiece, I was more interested in texture than function, and wasn’t particularly concerned about whether it could be worn or not, as I knew that it was going to be shown on a stand in the degree show. In the drawing, the way I have drawn it made me want to use a mesh fabric, but I have used so much mesh already in my piece for the show that I think I need to use a different, more solid fabric that still has a lot of texture. When I was in the bathroom I realised that the bath mat fabric was exactly what I wanted for the headpiece. Bathmats are a familiar material, not just for myself but for the audience too, as are most domestic items, which I think is why I am drawn to use them in my work. When the audience see the texture of the bathmat but not in its typical flat form, they will hopefully be drawn to it subliminally because they recognise it. The other reason I think I enjoy using domesticate materials and processes is because it is so readily available to me, and I don’t have to spend hours searching for the right fabric or material. I also enjoy taking things out of context and using them in a different way; and in doing so they often become humorous.

I am not worried about the three spectacles going together in any way, as I want each spectacle’s individuality to show through, and the fact that they are all so different will mean they will work together when shown.