Here’s a hundred pieces laid for the first time. While I was making I was working under an assumption of how it would look, so it was very exciting to see it come together like this.
Keeping them in a long and narrow formation gives it quite a regimented militaristic feel and also gives more of an impression of time passing while repeating.
(I didn’t realise how wonky the lines were until after I took the photo)
Progression Part 2; 11-28
I stop here at 28, which seems like the tipping point to create the effect I’m going for. While this is the minimum number, I want the maximum effect I can achieve which is why the final work will have the hundred pieces.
While looking through these photos I am reminded of the “paradox of the heap” - a philosophical problem concerning the counting of groups.
It concerns the issue of drawing the line when using vague terms.
An example;
1 grain of wheat does not make a heap.
If 1 grain of wheat does not make a heap then 2 grains of wheat do not.
If 2 grains of wheat do not make a heap then 3 grains do not.
…
If 9,999 grains of wheat do not make a heap then 10,000 do not.10,000 grains of wheat do not make a heap.
This is, in everyday use, absurd but it is hard to reason against.
It is only arbitrary feelings of correctness which guide me to make judgements in this case.
Progression Part 1; 1-10
Here are some shots I took while laying all the individual pieces out for the first time. At this stage I was planning to pick one face or head out of the hundred and elevate/venerate it, and that’s why the single up-turned face it featured here. It creates an interesting conversation in the groups.
In these lower numbers I don’t think the impression of effort and labour is conveyed, and it becomes more about the individual care and craft of the faces. The parts are seen separately, not as a bulk.
Many people who I talked to wanted me to display these face up (or out, as many also thought it should be a wall-piece) but while it is intriguing aesthetically, I feel being able to see the fingermarks is integral to the piece.
As an artifact of the making process it highlights the effort involved in creating the piece.
Playing around with the arrangement for the first time (they were too delicate at the raw clay stage) it reminded a bit of waves lapping repeatedly.
I’ve seen some people cut slits into where they want the opening and then they push out from behind.
This works better for smaller openings, and I’ve used similar techniques when hand-building. Working with moulded clay to get bigger openings has proven a little more elsive for me…
Thank you though!
An experiment in altering the form after being pressed into the mould.
It’s an intriguing effect that isn’t useful for my current project, but I would like to pursue more in the future. Is it possible to open the mouth (or the eyes or such) without causing so much destruction to the face? If not what could this distortion be harnessed to possibly express?
Please like my Degree Show’s facebook page!
There’s a sampling of everybody’s work being posted, and other news too.
This is all leading up to the big day on June the 8th.
Just finished loading a kiln. I got the firing last minute because someone cancelled theirs, so I’m ahead of schedule firing-wise!
Production has ramped up for me. Here’s a few of pieces I made just before the easter break. I made over thirty pieces in two weeks, which is very unusual for me.
These are the “standard” pieces, I also made more of the ”special” pieces, as I’m now calling them.
