jodierundellprocessandproduction

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

10 images

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Project Statement

This project explores the subconscious through the visualisation of Freud’s id, ego, and superego. Using instinctive processes like pouring paint, crystal growth, and automatic writing, I created self-representative forms and mirrored installations to confront internal conflict, memory, and vulnerability whilst inviting viewers to reflect on their own psychological states.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Process and Production Evaluation

This project has ended up being more personal and exploiting than originally intended. It gave me permission to allow space to explore the complexities of my own subconscious and how it manifests in everyday thought, memory, and emotion. Consistently inspired by Freud’s theory of the id, ego, and superego, I aimed to visually and physically represent these internal forces through instinctively hands-on processes. I found myself naturally drawn to materials and techniques that involved a degree of unpredictability like Max Ernsts instinctual automatism technique, whether that was pouring paint, growing crystals, or automatic writing which helped mirror the unconscious mind’s chaotic and often uncontrollable nature.

My earlier experiments with paint pouring were an important and almost permanent technique through the project. Watching the paint move and settle, it let me think of the subconscious as something that both erodes and preserves like the memories we forget versus those that stay vividly intact. This idea pushed me to experiment with salt and aluminium sulphate or even children’s crystal growing kits, creating crystal structures that seemed to grow like thoughts forming or memories hardening. The process was slow and uncertain, but when it worked, it felt symbolic of how our internal world often develops quietly, over time, without us fully realising.

Seeing Linder Sterling’s work in person at the Hayward Gallery felt strangely aligned with my own developing aesthetic. Her use of the female form, distortion, and bold materiality gave me the confidence to continue using my mannequins and to include myself physically within the work. From that point on, the project became more intimate. I began to see the mannequins not as only objects but as extensions of myself, each embodying a different psychological state.

The final installation brought all of these ideas together. Each mannequin either painted, written on, or left bare all stood facing a mirror that reflected its psyche, The smashed mirror sat behind the writing covered figure; the untouched mirror behind the bare cast; and the crystal-covered mirror behind the paint-poured form. Having to glue the id mannequin back together after it broke felt unintentionally intentional as it mirrored the impulsiveness and damage that can come from that part of ourselves. Even though the figures had to lean on plinths instead of standing freely, the presence of the mirrors still created an intimate moment for the viewer, being able to see each mannequin staring at itself, while the viewer could also see their reflection in the background. That duality of watching and being watched added another layer to the work that I hadn’t initially anticipated.

I also created a voile-covered mirror, hung separately, which I see as a more direct self-portrait of the subconscious. The veil blurs the viewer’s reflection, making them question not only what they see, but what lies beneath. It obscures the face and invites the viewer to look deeper to find themselves.

What I’m most proud of is how consistent the project remained from start to finish. I followed my instincts, embraced the mistakes, and allowed the work to guide me. Not only physically but emotionally, and symbolically it felt really honest and vulnerable. This project helped me confront parts of myself and gave form to the intangible. I feel I’ve truly communicated the complexity of the subconscious through my own visual language.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Final set up

My final setup consisted of three mannequins positioned in front of three body-sized mirrors—each pairing symbolising Freud’s theory of the id, ego, and superego. The automatic writing mannequin faced the smashed mirror, the untouched mannequin stood in front of the clear, central mirror to represent the mediator, and the paint-poured mannequin reflected into the crystallised mirror. Each figure gazing into its own reflection, creating a layered visual of self-awareness, while also allowing the viewer to see their own reflection behind these symbolic forms.

Although I originally intended for the mannequins to stand freely, I had to use a plinth for support after one fell and broke although appropriately, it was the id mannequin, now held together with glue, which felt weirdly fitting in its chaotic and impulsive symbolism. Despite this change, I’m happy with the outcome. The inclusion of the voile-covered mirror on the wall encourages a more direct, abstract engagement with the subconscious, asking viewers to confront their own self-portrait through distortion and suggestion.

While I would have preferred a more immersive interaction with free-standing figures, the setup successfully conveyed a psychological mirror for both myself and the viewer.

**It should also be noted: in order to follow health and safety procedures: the smashed mirror was then covered with a clear, vinyl contact paper in order to refrain any smashed glass particles from falling and to prevent any accidental injuries.**

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Voile covered mirror

The veiled mirror acts as a powerful metaphor for the subconscious: present, reflective, but always obscured. By covering it in voile, I created a self-portrait that invites the viewer to confront a version of themselves that is softened, distorted, and elusive. It mirrors the way the subconscious filters memory and identity but never fully visible, yet always shaping what we see. This work ties back to my earlier explorations with the id, ego, and superego, offering a reflective space for the psyche to emerge in its most subtle form.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Stills of video performance

Digital art edits

Possible prints

These stills taken from my video performances feel like a distilled essence of the concepts I explored throughout the project. They visually solidify the contrasts between chaos, vulnerability, and controlwhilst capturing the emotional weight of the subconscious in a frozen moment. By editing and printing these frames, I would be able to give permanence to something originally transient, allowing the psyche to linger visually and physically in space.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Photoshop manipulation of performance videos of paint pouring

I also applied the same process too the paint pouring videos, merging together the clips together in Photoshop to create a more immersive effect. By overlapping different moments of the paint pouring down my body and the mannequin, I was able to emphasise the overwhelming, inescapable pressure linked to the superego. The repeated, cascading layers of paint visually intensified the feeling of being shaped and controlled by external forces, while also highlighting the emotional weight of the act. This method allowed me to deepen the visual complexity of the piece and further connect it to the psychological tension within my concept.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Development Video of Performance, photoshop

Using Photoshop, I merged the three videos of myself writing on my face to create a more layered and dimensional piece. By overlapping the footage, I wanted to reflect the complexity and chaos of the subconscious, where multiple thoughts and emotions exist simultaneously. The merging of movements and marks created a distorted, almost overwhelming visual effect, deepening the connection to the raw, instinctive nature of the id. This digital manipulation allowed me to push the work further and making the internal struggle more visible, fragmented, and alive.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Video performance, writing on my face

In another performance, I was filmed, myself sitting and writing over my own face while holding the mannequin covered in automatic writing. This act was a direct continuation of my exploration of the id by being raw, instinctive, and emotionally driven. By marking my own skin in the same impulsive way I had marked the mannequin, I brought the subconscious into the physical realm. It felt intimate and confronting, as if I were allowing my inner thoughts to surface without filter. Holding the mannequin linked me back to earlier work, but writing on myself made the experience far more personal, blurring the line between subject and concept.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Performance video, paint poured over myself, friend poured paint.

Standing in front of the camera while a friend poured paint over me, I wanted to fully embody the concept of the superego. Holding the poured-paint mannequin connected me back to the earlier work, but involving another person in the act added a new layer. Having the paint poured onto me rather than doing it myself became a performative way of exploring control, pressure, and restraint. I became part of the piece, not just as the creator but as the subject, receiving the weight of the superego rather than applying it. It felt important to experience that visually and physically, reinforcing the emotional intensity behind the concept.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Photography, holding cast, myself

These photographs connect back to my earlier exploration of the psyche through visual symbolism. Holding the plain plaster mannequin links directly to the “ego” figure in my previous mannequin trio—left untouched to represent neutrality and self-awareness. Inspired by Linder Sterling’s works, I used this setup to explore the fragile space between self-perception and the internal psyche, continuing my journey into how we view and protect our subconscious selves. I really enjoy the vulnerability these images hold, both in their simplicity and in including myself within them. Holding the plain plaster cast allowed me to connect more personally with the concept of the ego, building on the earlier mannequin work. By physically placing myself in the frame, the piece took on a more intimate and resonant tone, bridging the gap between the symbolic and the personal.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Linder Exhibtion - Hayward Gallery, London, April 2025

After visiting the Linder Sterling exhibition at the Hayward Gallery, I felt a strong connection between her work and the ideas I’ve been exploring in my own practice. Her bold use of the body, material, and surreal styling resonated deeply with the aesthetic I had already begun developing using mannequins and paint. It felt like an uncanny coincidence almost as though I had been unconsciously working in parallel to her. Seeing her work gave me a renewed sense of direction and confidence, and it inspired me to begin involving myself physically in the process alongside the mannequins. I wanted to emulate some of her visual strategies, not to imitate, but to build on a shared language of distortion, layering, and identity. It affirmed that my exploration of the psyche through physical form and transformation is both relevant and resonant.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Cast of mannequin, kept plain and untouched

This final cast was left completely plain and untouched to represent the ego: the mediator between the chaotic instinct of the id and the idealised control of the superego. In contrast to the other two forms, this one holds neutrality and balance. Its stillness and simplicity create space for reflection, acting as a quiet middle ground between extremes. By keeping the surface bare, I wanted to emphasise the ego’s role as observer and stabiliser as it’s not driven by impulse or perfection, but existing in a constant state of negotiation between the two.

[jodierundellprocessandproduction]

Pen, automatic writing, cast of mannequin

This cast represents the id, using automatic writing as a direct outlet for instinctive and unfiltered thought. I wrote impulsively across the plaster form, allowing words to spill out without planning or structure, just raw expression driven by emotion and inner chaos. The overlapping, urgent handwriting mimics the overwhelming mental noise that the id generates: desires, fears, frustration, and unspoken thoughts. There’s no attempt to make it neat or controlled as it’s a release, a visual manifestation of the subconscious at its most exposed. I feel this piece captures the impulsivity and intensity of the id, standing in stark contrast to the more restrained presence of the other forms in the series. I tried my best to cover some of the writings as I realised what I was writing was deeply personal and felt vulnerable if anyone was to read my inner thoughts and frustrations.