"The fluidification of truths and world views makes our heads spin. And those who are not dizzy are not informed well. But if one takes a closer look at information, it gets clear that on a low, material level it is a process in which forms are continuously being transferred into materials and quickly disappear again. However, this happens on a very small scale. The installation combines these two layers of continuous information („Informierung“) and sluggish nausea within directly perceptible dimensions and looks at the artefacts of perception under these conditions. Maelström is also a continuous drawing in a liquid medium. But just before shapes become evident, they are overwritten or fall apart and disappear. The drawing process moves along the edge of perceptibility, while Maelstrom turns into an inner mirror of reality, in which the visible and invisible, the imaginary and material converge" http://www.romankirschner.net/index.php?maelstrom The time comes in the project where I start to panic, and I deal with this panic by ignoring it. So I wasted half an hour playing about with coloured pencils. Admire the accidental multiple light sources that comes with not using a reference.
A couple of pieces which I photographed up to the light and I thought were effective:
For art I set light to an old walking boot I found. I chose to burn a boot initially because I thought the combination of different materials would react to the fire at different speeds producing a variety of different reactions and different stages of burning. I also chose it because it is a highly recognisable object which people would be able to identify with at any stage and still be able to envisage what the object looked like to begin with. It wasn’t until after I had burnt the boot that I acknowledged the deeper meanings and symbolisms behind it… Wasserstiefel by Roman Signer The idea of burning a boot evokes the morbid concept of burning people unfortunately. What I more wanted the piece to comment on was the identity of an object or entity. When does the boot stop being a boot and simple become a burnt, curled up lump of leather and rubber? When it loses its function or when it loses its form? I find it curiosity how I personally still refer to my piece as a boot is that merely because I know it used to be a boot? What if I burnt it more so it became fragmented? Roman Signer dropped wellies filled with water (Wasserstiefel) from a height and photographed the impact which is similar to what I have done, yet with burning I can show the process of burning from the aftermath and not just a split second. I have been setting sheets of cellophane on fire because I am intrigued by the unique colour changes the combustion process has upon the material. I expected it to melt and turn a deep brown like a sheet of plastic but actually it turned a light golden colour and crisped up like burning paper. The result of layering up the cellophane led to a piece reminiscent of the sea with the blue gradient. The combination of colours present in the work remind me of the colours present in Lapis Lazuli: blue (lazurite), gold (pyrite) and white (calcite). As Lapis Lazuli is a precious gem frequently found in ancient Egyptian jewellery I relate it to luxury and grandeur and in turn my piece too. I believe the material is impressive enough to be a piece in its own right. Lapis Lazuli I have a shamefully tiny pool of knowledge on cellophane so I did a bit of research on the subject to find out why it didn’t melt: http://inventors.about.com/od/cstartinventions/a/Cellophane.htm Cellophane is a thin transparent cellulose based material which repels water. It is used nowadays as a biodegradable food packaging “Cellophane film was invented by Jacques E Brandenberger in 1908, a Swiss textile engineer who first thought of the idea for a clear, protective, packaging layer in 1900.” Bianco Plastica, 1966 Alberto Burri, Nero Plastica L.A., 1963, Plastic and combustion on canvas, 80 3/4 x 77 1/2 in (205 x 197 cm), Fondazione Palazzo Albizzini, Collezione Burri, Città di Castello, Italy This piece links to mine with the burning of manmade materials and here he is burning plastic which shows the contrast on the way plastic and cellophane burns. Here the heat has caused a hole to melt in the plastic whereas my burning of cellophane simply burnt. Saccho E Rosso, 1954 Alberto Burri (1915-1995) was fixated with burning plastic and burlap sack and ripping up materials. I think his use of bold colour alongside the burnt remains are astute because it instantly gives the piece a mood; for instance in his piece (Saccho E Rosso, 1954) evokes feelings of urgency and foreboding by the use of scarlet. Here is a piece by Arnold Breisblatt which caught my attention for the fact it involves blue cellophane and uses the quality of the material to create a tactile, playful sculpture drawing. Cellophane Art by Arnold Breisblatt http://www.flickr.com/photos/abreis1/5552898179/ Book Burning So I've been burning various papers to examine the chemical reactions over the past week. I first burnt pages of a book and layered it up and it made some very weird disjointed sentences! To put out the flames I threw gravel onto the paper and I also discovered the gravel can determine the shape of the burnt edge. It is interesting looking at the shapes of the pages created by the fire. Also the ash was just awesome: I also burnt this paper which has strands of silk within it, the silk slowed down the burning process and made it smell bad. I traced the edge repeatedly on cellophane. Here is a close up of a strip of metallic card I burnt, the flame was a lighter colour than usual due to the metal content. I like the end result of this because it clearly represents the nature of the reaction. I have fallen in love with some of this woman's works. It very closely relates to the nature of my project of allowing a reaction to govern the character of the art. Contingency Activated July 1985; photographed October 1998 Silver, aluminum, liver of sulfur, varnish, gesso on cotton abaca paper 32 x 24 inches Collection of the artist He used liver and sulphur to create the interesting reactions on the canvases. I've been looking for more artist who play with materials to open my mind to what I can use and how it could be presented. I stumbled upon John Cage who was mainly a composer but also made art Eninka #35, 1986 © John Cage & Crown Point Press " John Cage is primarily known as one of the 20th century’s most important American composers. He also worked a large part of his lifewith painting,drawing and printmaking. His art is influenced by both Indian philosophy and Zen Buddhism,which he studied in the 1940s. Cage invented elaborate work methods to prevent his ego from getting in the way of the creative process. Both as a composer and artist he was concerned with sharpening his,and hopefully his audience’s senses, in order to become more aware of the world around us and the constant flux of daily life.In his own words, “Art is everywhere,it is only seeing that stops now and then.” From 1978 until his death in 1992 Cage worked almost annually at Crown Point Press. " Grakifenhaus I like this piece by Cage, it is simple yet is construed of intricate shapes created by the process of burning, it reflects my work where I have simply burnt the piece. However I have not been able to create such inticate shapes, maybe Cage put fire retardant items on the paper whilst burning? I could experiment with putting gravel on the paper to block the fire, maybe sand? |
AuthorAmi Sothcott Archives
June 2011
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