Pod patterns

Filling the hole to China with plaster

Well, after 7 or more mixes I felt as though I was filling a bottomless pit.

Parasitoid face version 2 ready to go.

Baffles / coddles on.

Filled with plaster..and side view of the layers.

and with the wax pulled out and plaster delicately brushed...and then a stagger over to the kiln room and pop it in number 7 to cure.

Visual Diary Wall

Here's May's wall.

Wider sheets of honeycomb beeswax

The Candle shop at the Rocks stock longer sheets of beeswax, so here is the second attempt.

 

 

You want to go to 'Bunnings' for a birthday treat?

Whilst Dougie grappled with the idea that I did indeed want to go to Bunnings (hard ware store), I made a mental list in my head of the items I had been wanting for while. We were in there for some time.. and it was saturday..but here is my loot!

Glassfest

Corning's Glassfest is on, a perfect birthday celebration... IF I was in New York.

beeswax face and did I mention the RAIN?

So I have a clay face that I am reasonably happy with, now to get the wax over the top. I put some cling wrap over the clay to stop it from getting too wet. as I was using hot water to soften the areas that I needed to manipulate. This took the whole afternoon and the entire time it absolutely poured with rain

More mask making

Jane is up to some interesting things....

The papier mache mask not having quite fitted the bill, I set about shaping a clay face. I had previously put this  method in to the 'too hard basket' ..but since everything else is going into 'the even harder basket' I gave it a shot. 

Then on to blowing with Nadine this evening and then home to fiddle with the bees wax, which I think is getting there.

 

In Howie's words "If ya can pull it off, i'll be rully impressed"

Names to look up from New Glass: Neues Glas Journal

Tyler Rock: Ingress
Stephen Pon
Carol Freve
Pippa Beveridge
Louis Thompson

The Art of Memory - 12

The Decay of Time: Memory and Erasure

Readings: 

Klein, N. M. "Forgetfulness and Thunder" in Art & Text, no. 56, Feb-Apr., 1997.

Huyssen, A. "Monuments and Holocaust memory in an media age". Twilight Memories", Marking time in a culture of Amnesia, new York/London: Routeledge, 1998.

Smithson, R. " A tour of monuments of Passaic, New Jersey" in Wallis, B. (ed.) Blasted Allegories: An anthology of Writing by Contemporary Artists, Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1987.

Klein talks about the Imago as the strongest residues of memory left over from a collective imaginary projection of an event or popular story. Which reminds me of a trope often used in fiction, specifically that of the genre that has become known as "Urban fantasy". A few writers spring to mind, specifically Robert Holdstock (1948-2009) who adapted the word to Mythago. His mythago's were the manifestations of our amalgamated imaginations given life (not necessarily sweet). A "social imaginary" of the characters portrayed in myths and legends. Charles de Lint in a similar vein has characters created out of books, the stronger 'Edar' are those from books most read and remembered. As social memory of these characters fade so does their existence.

In this process of social/ collective remembering and erasure, the imago's of a particular society reveal the hopes and fears, nightmares and dreams of the collective. A case ready for collective psychoanalysis.

Artists mentioned in today's lecture:

Matthew Buckingham. Image of Absalon to be projected until it vanishes (2001)

Robert Smithson. Spiral Jetty (1970)

Tim Silver. (Coming round again) (2009)

Tim Silver. (Rory) (2009)

2 blowing slots, screen printing spiders...WET PAINT

Screen printing and adding a layer of plaster to my mask were sandwiched between blowing with Deb in the morning and blowing with Nadine in the evening.

Opening the kiln this morning.

Screen printed spiders.

Mask with plaster.

Latest batch of blown glass.

Artist of the Day: Joseph Harrington

Joseph Harrington's work "Meld" was the first item sold at this Saatchi's 'Collect' 2010 and "Chideock Falls III” was the last item sold. Would that be a Saatchi first?
Meld

"Chideock Falls III”

Mask making

Not satisfied with the one I bought..I set about making a papier mache Mask

Organic Mechanics: New Work from Marcus Dillon

Marcus' work looked fab all made up. Until the opening, I had only seen component parts but has no real idea how everything was going to fit. 

Kirstie insisted on the human figure in this..so you can see the scale.

This was also my first visit to Gaffa's new spot, which was packed!

Super pink cupcakes for Sarah's birthday

Jamie came to visit with the most pretty pink cupcakes..thanks Jamie and Happy Birthday Sarah

Kiln formed glass with Kirstie Rea - 11

Blowing with Nadine

Nothing like blowing in the hot shop where it's all nice and toasty..when its pouring and dark outside. 2 more peas for me and 3? more figures for Nadine.

The Art of Memory - 11

Monumental legacies: Site of mourning & remembrance
Readings:

Young, J. E., " The counter-monument: Memory against itself in Germany Today", Critical inquiry, Vol. 18, No. 2. (Winter, 1992), pp. 267-296.

Auge, M. "A Duty to forget", Oblivion (trans. Marjolin de Jager), London/Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2004.

Monument: a structure erected to commemorate persons or events  (n) monument an important site that is marked and preserved as public property (n) repository, monument (a burial vault (usually for some famous person) - from Princeton Universities Wordnet

The arc de triumph is exactly that..no mention of any losses..

Did the Gerz's Harburg monument encourage people to pay more attention to it in a short length of time so they could get rid of it quicker in the long term? If so was it successful in applying to the brief as a 'monument against fascism' when after 12 years it can no longer be seen.

On many points I think that the Harburg monument was successful. It's placement in the town centre rather than the sun dappled park catches people in any state of mind (rushed and harassed as well as relaxed). Interaction stays in the memory longer than a passive role. Writing ones name on a surface no matter if neatly or graffiti style, by day or in the dark binds you to that object. This monument is active..it descends in to the earth..depending on people's interaction. Though once it is gone...how effective is it?
Memories of WWII and the Harburg monument will fade..but perhaps the 'quality' of the memories of this particular monument will be stronger and more meaning full than those skimmed from passing by a static edifice.

I think counter monuments suit our times (quicker, interactive, multimedia, changeable).. as the traditional monument suited times past..how many Trad Monuments get commissioned now?

Kiln formed glass with Kirstie Rea - 10 - results

So here is the what that stack of 8 layers of glass looks like after the firing.  

And then After the diamond saw.

Colour tests for parasitoid.

kiln formed glass proposal - continued

In our Kiln forming lesson, we had one on one time to explain our concept for our assessible project to Kirstie which for the time being I will call Parasitoid (yes I know, really rolls off the tongue)

These are some things to think about:

Where does the honey comb texture end and start?

Well I had imagined the texture on the face and border, just the face and it starts to get a bit "spiderman". I prefer ALL honeycomb as the piece feels like a whole rather than divided.

Are the edges of the work straight cut or curvy? 

The main reason i'll stay away from a curvey edge is that with the amber coloured glass, it will look like a pool of honey..whilst I want the insect allusion, I don't want to specify bees. The rectangle puts us in mind of portraiture..and Dougie says the tombstone. (part of the story here is death so that's quite apt too)

Engraving on the inside?

may be..i really like the idea but need to do some tests on how it would look coming through the texture on the top..and think about possibilities...one option is detailed wasps or text or..

If i engrave on the inside it has to add rather than confuse.

Thickness

Kirstie suggested that I fuse 3 layers of glass. One amber and 2 clear. I have put some tests in on wednesday. 

Gaps at eyes and mouth

To create the 'holes' at eyes and mouth she suggested I sandblast them before I slump into the mould. My only concern with this is that I will have to get the placement exact..not sure I trust me or the glass enough to go where i want it to...maybe sand blast it after the slump.

Object Theory - 10 Sydney Biennale Cockatoo Island

And the first thing we saw was a black and white jumping castle, which we jumped on.

 

Catching the 11am ferry over, we only had an hour before the next one departed at 12.30, to get back to our next class in time. Engrossed in "the feast of trimalchio" I checked my watch a minute past the ferry leaving. Despite my extra hour I still did not see half the work on display..in fact I think I only saw 8. . A half day at least would be needed I think.

Clare's questions this week were: Pick a work that you can identify with your own. Describe it, interpret it, talk about the similarities or links in themes.

mmmm...I suppose..on reflection that Brodie Ellis' work "Umbra: Penumbra: Antumbra" explores similar themes to my own..though I did not pay as much attention to this work that I did to others like "Ping Pong" by Adel Abidin.

Brodie Ellis.  "Umbra: Penumbra: Antumbra"  2010.

Walking through a small curtained door, a cavernous dark space meets you...the high roof may capture your attention before either video projection. Light mistily swirls on the floor, an effect that is revealed as the filmed eclipse whilst on the far wall, portraits and close ups of nature and industry are projected also within a circle. As your eyes adjust to the light levels a large sculpture becomes apparent between the two projections. This cubular metal fabricated cone looms above you and one could be forgiven in thinking that it was left over mechanism from the Cockatoo Island docklands.

The programme talks of the work as having a  "result [that] is an immersive and intense experience of the power of nature". I would have to go back and spend more time in the space to work out if I agreed or not. As it is I walked out reasonably quickly..read the blurb, walked back in..a few things made more sense (the misty patch on the floor became the eclipse) and carried on to the next building.

I felt perhaps that the sculpture was optically channelling the two projections, one that seems tranquil the other strident. An eclipse is a powerful event. In the past it was perhaps a sign from the gods, we may not believe this now but it is still a global event news wise with people in the area turning out to witness the phenomena. The first image I saw on the wall were tree tops being pushed and riffled in a strong wind, the next one a fast flowing river. Many of the images showed some of natures powerful forces in a seemingly un biased way. I think it was that strength that was being focused upon. Don't forget.

"Mother Nature"..who came up with that name? Is nature mothering? Perhaps it is more comforting to think of the natural world this way. I like to explore the natural amoral instincts of insects and plants, the need to survive..and how people with their moral values respond to some of those behaviours. I think the themes of nature as untamed and powerful are common in our works.

Kiln formed glass with Kirstie Rea - 10

Slumping (sagging, bending) and block stack. for Bullseye/Spectrum glass.

The golden rule in slumping is "stay lower longer". Slumping takes place at a lower temperature than a full fuse, though higher temperatures will pick up more mould detail.

The thicker the glass the lower the temperature (weight does it for you) Temp range 590-670C.

Hold range 10-20 minutes..if it's not working..hold temp for longer before going up.

annealing schedule is the same as fusing and remember all kilns are different.

 Primer / release / batwash

50% Kaolin 50%  alumina hydrate

Whiting is Calcium carbonate.

 

Material	Product ex.	Pros	Cons	Release / primer
Stainless steel	Woks, sheet metal, found objects, corrugated sheets	Lasts for a long time		Must	Warm metal in sun, thin mix with metho. Liquid dries on application.
mild steel	Found objects		Flakes disintergrates over time and corrodes	Must	“” as above
Aluminium		Melts at a low temp – do not use
Galvanized metal		Gal finish is toxic – do not use
Cast iron		Probable thermal shock use with caution
plaster / silica	Hand made moulds 1:1:1 Plaster:silica:water	Comes in any shape you make No primer needed Use over and over	Must pre fire	None
ceramics	Bisque fired (1000deg) objects or moulds, clay pipes. Glazed homewares (sandblast off glaze then prime)	Pre made moulds very available Specifically for glass and as production items.		Must
Ceramic Fibre products	(fibre board blanket, paper)			Can	to prolong the life of add rigidity to product
Fire bricks	Insulation bricks	Carvable (hacksaw etc)		Must
concrete			Due to air inside would probably explode

Today's prac was a block stack (not a technical term I assure you)....these are the stages of layers, have to wait till monday before I can see the result.