2014 Senior Sequence: A plethora of things...

First, I wanted to discuss my critique with Nigel. She didn't necessarily give me any amazing pointers or insights, but she did give me some feedback as, essentially, an outsider who has never seen my work. During our discussion, she noted the theme of duality that is present in my work (male/female, internal/external, 2-D/3-D, etc). She talked about her basic observation of my sculpture pieces, and how she was inclined to interact with them. Interestingly, she felt cautious about wanting to touch the hair sculpture, but noted that she felt especially inclined to touch the skeletal plaster sculpture. I thought this was interesting because anatomy is the commonality between our bodies and therefore accessible to everyone, but a hair/head piece is meant for one person to wear (especially if it is integrated into the anatomy itself).

I expanded upon my relationship with drag culture, and she told me a story about a work she did earlier in her career where she dressed up as a priest and interacted with people in public, just to observe how human communication is influenced by appearance. I felt this was definitely in connection with the idea of drag, and I was intrigued to hear how she perceived the experience. We talked about this theme of alter-egos, from very mild cases to the most out-landish decorated drag queen. I then brought up the point of my head pieces being similar to those used for religious purposes (like the Aztec). She also encouraged me to further explore my interest in the grotesque, as it is related to anatomy.

Second, an update on my sculptures! I finished sewing in the rest of the hair on this piece, so everything is complete except for one detail. I am waiting to get more materials shipped to me (the props that will comprise her "animal" trait), so that I can attach her crown and fabric (which will make more sense later):

I have also finished the carving step in the first plaster sculpture, as well as started blocking in the muscle groups with tempera paint. The tempera is quick drying and therefore easy to work with. I have a few more layers of the first color to paint, then will be going back in with darker colors to create detail and more form to the muscles:

I am very pleased with how everything is coming out so far! This week, I will be making another mannequin mold and casting more plaster heads, then starting the final hair piece sculpture and the other two anatomical plaster sculptures. My fingers are still crossed to finish this entire piece by the end of the quarter.

Finally, I just wanted to post some images from artists' work that I am referencing (some I have either discovered recently or been told about, others I have already been influenced by):

Michael Reedy