So, I had a strange feeling that my thesis's theme, inaction and passivity, I cursed myself to fall into that same hole. To an extent, I wasn't wrong. The extent is with not the physical project, but building the context and connection around the piece. By that I mean writing these blog posts on time.
On a more positive note, I have made progress on the actual piece. I don't know if it would count as 1/3 of the way done but the legs and shell have both started to take shape. (can we talk about how nicely these pieces fit into this box?)
*there are now 4 segments per leg, each being 3 inches to allow for more mobility and to work with the dimensions of the sheets of copper I'm using
The legs are all segmented and labeled according to which legs they'll be a part of. Most every hole for the wire connection has been drilled, and I've connected every individual segment to its other half. I also sawed the flat edges off of the segments that will become the tips of the legs. As for the shell, I created the cone and plan on going over that base form with paper mache. One thing I'm unsure about is whether or not to cut back on the length (depth?) of the shell. I might downsize to fit the proportions between the legs and the shell that I am going for, but the extra length may help to balance out any weight problems once everything is put together.
I got some well needed feedback on my project during the critique. I was able to figure out the best options for media to cover the shell, including the first layer of paper mache. Since plaster is able to be layered, I can control the weight of the shell as needed. The idea of using sand to 'bury' parts of the shell was suggested and I'd definitely be interested in exploring that once the piece is nearly ready for display. Another aspect of the project brought to my attention was the interior of the shell and what could fill the space. Whether it's eyes or just a dark void, it was helpful to remember this element of the piece and I probably would have overlooked it if not for the critique.
Thankfully most of my struggles were addressed, though I'm definitely open to ideas for aging the shell and other insight that could help keep the piece from looking muddy.
One of the things I've neglected is finding other artists for inspiration. Recently I went to the Chrysler and saw some really great concepts.
John Chamberlain was one of those artists who caught my eye. An American artist that used scrap materials to make his sculptural pieces, this one in particular has a similar color palette to the one I'm working with due to the copper tones. The rounded/warped metal contrasts a general stiffness that the material usually communicates.
I mostly connected this to my piece since both use warm tones and metal, though the form reminds me that even with sheet metal, I can warp it to create more dynamic shapes.
Both the critiques and other artists have given me different perspectives to approach my project with. Though for the most part my project is laid out, there's room to explore different elements throughout the process.