Response to Switcheroo

After listening to the interview piece with Ira Glass, Etgar Keret and Cindy Sherman, I wonder how many artists would enjoy the fact that someone was impersonating them.  Although if one stops to think this through, Cindy Sherman's art is an impersonation.  She, in fact, uses herself, dressed and posed as her medium of art expression, or impersonation of how she sees that particular character or portrayal.  When she is asked by Ira Glass how she really feels about someone at her exhibition impersonating her, her answer was a bit surprising.  She thought it was GREAT and said she would encourage the person to do it again!  One certainly has to be comfortable with their own art and identity to respond in such a manner.  Ira concludes that there are times when such impersonations are truly harmless, while other times such acts are literally criminal and just plain wrong.  In this case, there was a happy ending with no harm, no foul.  That's art! 

Research for Independent Design

I researched the legend of the sand dollar after looking at an arrowhead sand dollar that I had in a collection.  I wanted to use the delicate pattern of the lily which is etched on one side because it was such a part of the natural beauty of the piece.  When I found the written legend, I thought I could expand on the sand dollar by interpreting the legend by stacking the paper pieces and stringing them together in some type of hanging art piece.  At first I thought a mobile would be a good choice, but then was convinced it would be too cliché.  So I decided to stack the sand dollar to appear as it would, if it was floating onto the sand and left a small graduated trail, with the lily cut out and stacked as one piece, the tear drop stacked as one piece, and lastly, the doves stacked as another piece. The doves are not visible and are contained within the sand dollar, and can only be accessed if the shell is broken.  The final product is the piece hanging in the arch.

Legend of the Sand Dollar

Pictures on Paper Stacking

 





Response to the article on touch.

The article on touch examines the many meanings and implications touch has in the world, not just of humans but animals as well.  The greater impact seems to be the well-being it plays in the proper development of human beings particularly in infancy.  It cites studies results regarding such human measures of heart rate, blood pressure, stress, weight gain, pain and pleasure.  In most cases, when either man or animals are deprived of this most needed form of communication, there is a most marked result in failure to thrive.  Psychologists can prove also that most real damage to children happens in infancy through childhood by cold, uncaring parents that have deprived their children of the basic human need for love and affection and touch is part of this human need.  Touch is so important that it makes a difference even in what we do with our future as our lives develop and we choose careers.  Touch is a form of communication and we know when it is appropriate and when it is not, almost solely by what makes us comfortable or uncomfortable.  Without Braille, those that cannot see would have an impossible life without communication or a way of expression.  Touch is a very basic human need, and a very basic need in animals, as cited in the article as well.  Touch, however, is very important in the life of an artist as he must be able to communicate through his expression of emotion, his ability to execute his chosen art by touch, whether that is in painting, sculpting, printing, writing, or whatever art form is his forte.  The article allows us to be reminded how something we take so for granted, actually is a very special gift, a gift that communicates even more than words sometimes can express.   

It's About Time Addition and Subtraction Photos

 

For the process of addition I applied pins for piercing in this photo and the next photo.

 

 

 

 

I wet the carving and applied soap flakes to this photo and the next.

 

 

 

 

I dripped food coloring over the carving as shown here and below.

 

 

 

 

I applied sesame seeds to the carving here and below.

 

 

I started the subtraction process by removing the piercings.

 

For the subtraction process I severed the beak.

 

 

I then severed his tail feathers.

 

  

 

 

 

I then removed the sesame seeds in preparation of liquefying the carving.

 

  

 

I then chopped the carving into little pieces for melting.

 

I then melted the carvings in the microwave, little by little.

 

The final form is as a bowl of bird nest soup.  

 

It's About Time Soap Carvings