Nick Cave!

Nick Cave- the visual artist not the one with the Bad Seeds- is known for creating these highly imaginative and brightly colored sound suits. They are simply amazing! He presents them in gallery shows as still fabric sculptures but also takes them to the next level through live performance, video, and action photos. His love of found objects in his work is attributed to his childhood central Missouri. So many parallels can be drawn from his work to mine. His affinity for performance, his use of costume, and bright color are all factors found in my most recent piece and others in the past.

Matthew Barney

Before truly thinking about my art in relation to others, I would have never thought to compare Matthew Barney’s strange erotic performances to my work. Now after some thought I realize that my work is slowly moving more and more into performance and that I can learn something from Barney by way of his ability to think big and all of the symbolism that surrounds his work. He invents these elaborate narratives involving both fictional and non-fictional creatures in order to play out the mythology and genealogy he has created for himself. The concept of creating one’s own personal mythology is one I have been pondering frequently lately. It comes with a set of personal and universal symbols intended to be deciphered, discovered and interpreted by others over the course of the story. The narrative draws the viewer in to figure out what is going on and give it greater meaning.

Melissa Ichiuji

"My aim is to capture, through metaphor, the between moments; transitions from innocence to awareness and psychological or emotional brinks from which there is no return"– Melissa Ichiuji. Melissa's sculptures are strangely grotesque yet immensely beautiful at the same time. She takes care in achieving this contradiction stating, "My figures often appear to be at once infantile and aging both disconnected and active." The doll like qualities bring to mind childhood, while the sexual undertones comment on womanhood, sexual awakening, power, repressed anger and violence and mortality. Her dolls symbolize internal struggles we as humans experience throughout our lives. She chooses to use materials that draw on connections to human skin and organs. Pantyhose, dried fruit, hair, latex, leather, and bones among other things. The visibility of her stitches and the strangely distorted figures resemble the little girl in Jump! who is also going through a life transition from innocence to awakening. The parallels between the two and visual aesthetic also brings to mind the topic of voodoo dolls and the beliefs behind them.

Annette Messager: soft bones

Annette Messager is a contemporary artist who has been exhibiting her work since the mid 70s through the present. She works with many materials including photography and fibers and "fragments images and language to explore the concept of fiction, the dialogue between individual and collective identity, and the social issues of normalcy, morality, and the role of women" (moma.org/messager) I feel that she relates to my work because of the fiction, the passion and care present in her pieces, and similiar experimentation. One of her more famous pieces features a "soft" skeleton and other "soft" organs, reminiscent of the crocheted bones in the Hollow of the Restless and the claw arms in Jump! The theme of social issues and the psychology behind them also draws connections. "In her work she forcefully illustrates the idea that all things -- a child's beloved toy, a photograph, a piece of embroidery, a word with seemingly unambiguous meaning -- can be transformed into objects of potent expression." I completely agree with Messager on this point and find it simply beautiful she thinks along those lines.

Peter Pan Complex

Up until recently I have always thought that I seemed to suffer from what I like to call a Peter Pan Complex. I have never been much of a fan of growing up because the imagination of a child I hold to be one of the most precious things in this world. Yes, a person can still retain an awesome imagination as they grow but it is simply not the same. It has to do with the loss of innocence as a person grows. The process of growing up and a loss of innocence is the major theme in my piece Jump! as the little girl looks into the exciting, yet scary swirling waters which come up to grab her. Whether or not she decides to jump she is going to end up in the water because one does not choose to grow up, it happens regardless. The only one who has ever escaped is the literary figure of Peter Pan and in a way the mind of J.M. Barrie his creator. I have read the book a couple of times and often refer to it for consolation or inspiration.

Guerra de la Paz

I discovered Guerra de la Paz while perusing the wonderful Fibers library and must admit that the duo is now on my list of favorite artists. Much of their work revolves around themes of environmental issues, mass consumption, and disposability. Social and political commentary can also be seen in regards to war, and gay/lesbian issues. Their use of garments as a material in and of themselves is completely sustainable and the results achieved are magical. They are creating whole alternate worlds and environments out of the clothes that I only wish I could inhabit. The awareness of the "Silent History" of the clothes is very important and they take careful note of it. The use of fabric to create an environment relates to the piece Jump! with the 3D rainbow water quilt. The claws coming out of the water create the environment and the silent history of the fabric in that piece is carefully notes as it relates to different stages or moments in my life. Material from my grade school uniform, a dress I loved when I was four, and jeans from an ex boyfriend are all present. The social potency of some of their pieces also ties in with my attempt to address a social/ economic issue through a story in the puppet show. Other past work reflects my interest in social issues as well.

Kiki Smith

I was first told to look at Kiki Smith's work this year by a friend who could tell right away I would like her work. It is simply beautiful and very powerful the way she transforms the figure and draws on symbolic connections between humans and animals. Her way of using the body as "a receptacle for knowledge, belief, and story telling" is similar to my approach when incorporating the human figure. She also draws on narrative tropes from classical mythology and folk tales and the themes of life, death, and resurrection are often present in her work. The hanging girl in the photo here reminded me a bit of the girl I sewed up in Jump! I can see my work moving more into the realm of folklore and so I've decided to begin delving deep into stories and books from the library to enhance my knowledge and inspire ideas.

Shamanism

Shamans have been an important figure head in cultures for centuries. They are the healers, the medicine men, the storytellers, and the divinely inspired. They are the link between the known and unknown worlds. They treat ailments my mending the soul and enter supernatural realms to find solutions to real world problems. Shamans of different cultures took on different tasks but the element of storyteller remains constant. Thousands of years ago storytellers gave the people spiritual guidance and answers to the mysteries of the universe. Today storytellers are needed just the same. We as individuals discover our own shamans in the form of a book, an inspiring person, or experiences/place we hold dear. All three pieces I have chosen have a strong element of story behind them but the figure of the Shaman most recalls the creature I created in the Hollow of the Restless. In a way the creature is a Shaman bestowing knowledge and wisdom upon the viewer and also including the aspects of costume, props, and the same connection between the earthly and spirit worlds.

The Vision Quest

Upon returning to think about the work I made, specifically the most recent piece, the Hollow of the Restless, my mind brought me back to a sixth grade social studies lesson about Native American Vision Quests. In Native American societies a child on the brink of puberty would set out alone on a quest to find oneself and one's intended spiritual and life direction. The person would usually fast and go off into the wilderness for a period of days which were very open to the spirit world. At some point a guardian spirit or animal would appear in a dream and reveal the person's life path or direction. Once the Vision came and the quest was over the person would return to the tribe and set about on his new found life path. I feel like the creature I created shares a link with one of these guardian spirits that would appear to give advice on life and question knowledge. Also the idea of being in a transformative state between two places or worlds.

3rd Choice: Hollow of the Restless

This project is one of my most recent and came about as a result of a two week period I went through of extreme restlessness, doubt, and questioning. The assignment was to use two or more techniques we had learned in my Intro to Fibers class and make something, anything we wanted. I had started a poem earlier the day we got the assignment and decided to use it for inspiration and create this creature who lives in the Hollow of the Restless biding its time, pondering the mysteries of life, and gathering knowledge from the things it collects or comes into contact with. I learned an immense amount from experimentation, figuring out how to make soft crochet bones and felt teeth. My personal connection to this project is very strong for I feel in a way I am the creature, or the creature lives in the restless part of my mind. I really liked the idea of having a text, in this case a poem to explain the story. I have become more and more interested in poetry and found this to be the perfect opportunity to delve into it. Symbolism also plays a major part in the piece because each part of the piece represents a greater idea or thought. The eyes represent a revelation, a greater sense of seeing that comes from stepping back and truly witnessing the world around you. The dreadlocks reminded me of fire and therefore hatred and passion, two things which always occur and so in the poem no matter how the creature tries to get rid of them, they grow back. The bones each represent different people and their suffering in life, the teeth represent sympathy and a connection to animals. I always find when I look into the eyes of my dog or other pets that they somehow understand what you are thinking and sympathize. Lastly the Octupus is the time keeper, nine tentacles for the nine years the creature must wait to be free from restlessness. As far as the face paint goes I was trying to achieve a tribal feel and chose to create an environment for the creature to live in for the photographs. Like most of my work the color is very important because I feel is adds to the magic of the story, makes it seem more surreal, more enticing and exciting.

2nd Choice: Kalib and the Water Spirits

I decided to explore my new found interest in puppetry and storytelling by creating a puppet show that fit entirely into a suitcase. The element of the suitcase was very important because of it's portability–I can take the story anywhere, bring the creativity wherever I go. It includes a stage, two scenes, four marionette puppets, and a few props. The two scenes consist of ocean waves and another of a small shack with a drying rack of fish next to it. The four puppets include the young boy Kalib, the Spirit of the Seas, the Spirit of the Lakes, and the Spirit of the Rivers. The theater and scenes are crafted out of cardboard, fabric, popsicle sticks, and a suitcase. The puppets’ heads and hands are crafted out of Sculpey and then painted with acrylics, and their bodies are made out of an assortment of fabrics. Once the puppets were assembled, I used popsicle sticks and fishing line to make them marionettes. The story behind the puppets involves the water spirits searching out a human ally who will show the rest of humanity the harm they cause when they pollute the water of the world and take it for granted. Kalib’s mission is to travel the earth, teaching people about the consequences of their actions and show them how to conserve and recycle. I chose to write a story that addressed an environmental issue of our time because we spent some class time discussing these issues and how artists can present them in a new light. My decision to use basic materials like cardboard and popsicle sticks was to prove that not much is needed to create a whole other world, even if it is just one that fits into a suitcase. Lots of physical measuring and technical problems had to be addressed as well, like how to get everything to fit properly without being squished.
I wanted this piece to appeal to both children and adults, because sometimes adults need to be pulled away from the pressures of life and see things from a different perspective. The story is very important because the moral involved affects our world today, though I do admit that I feel as if I could have spent more time on the story and the actual performance but time simply ran out as far as the due date.

Jump! : My first choice

This piece is all about my childhood and the process of growing up. The young girl stands on the edge of the dock wondering if she should jump into the swarming technicolor waters of life or stay on solid ground where it is safe. The water looks so enticing but claws reach out to grab her and in the end she really has no choice but to jump. I really enjoyed exploring how I could create an environment out of the various fabrics and discovering how some of the fabrics gave even more meaning to the piece because they came from past events in my life. There are swatches of my elementary school uniform, parts of a dress I used to always wear as a little girl, pieces of a costume for a play I was in, and pieces of denim from the torn jeans of a boy I was once interested in. All of these connections only add to the history and theme of a loss of innocence through growing up.

The Beginning

This is the beginning of my Artistic Adventure Quest for Elements of Visual Thinking. I will choose three works I have done throughout the course of the year as my basis.