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Completed Wall for Semester 2: Movement

I am pleased with this display as I think it reflects well my engagement with this title over the past 6 weeks. I printed some of my photos out on oyster paper that I thought might represent the different ways I tried to immerse myself into the subject of fire. If I were to do this project again but with more time, I think I would try to look more into how fire can put a static object into motion through its properties and how this could have inspired certain artists. I think due to the title I really stuck to the ever changing forms of fire more than any other aspect which I don’t think is a bad thing as there were endless possibilities to look into when going down that particular route. In terms of ethics and sustainability, whilst fire itself is quite a tough thing to be sustainable with, I kept it controlled and heavily documented any blaze I started so as to avoid doing more burning than necessary. Anything that I burned was non-toxic and I always made sure to have someone alongside me to avoid anything going out of control. I also saved a lot of the materials I burned to use for other areas of the project, rather than burning things again at a later date. Contemplating the issue of ethics and sustainability had also prompted me to study the fires forms without involving the burning of materials, such as pointing light at a piece of flowing chiffon, or bending and twisting recycled aluminium to resemble the shapes of a flame. Despite the focus of this project, I think it is worth saying that I did make a conscious effort to use recycled materials such as cardboard, wood, aluminium and even pieces made for the semester 1 project.

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This was quite a challenging piece to complete for me but I think the results really reflect what it was that I was trying to do. The serene work of Andrea Bucci really appealed to me so I wanted to try convey something similar in my own way; something that evoked the beautiful and warm nature of fire rather than it’s destructive and distressing properties.

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Andrea Bucci

(1966 - Present)

Andrea Bucci is an Italian minimalist clay sculptor who often depicts fire in a way that does not evoke alarm or threat, but in a way that transcends the idea of our own mortality and allows only for the appreciation of the spectacular and unique force it is, captured as a still form in time through its medium.

“There are several stages of the work. The most important phase is the initial moulding in which the lines, curves and the movement are crystallised in clay. From that moment on, it is just a matter of purifying the idea from the excess of the matter. The light also plays a very important role in the process, as it gives me the coordinates to use my tools and shows me what to remove.” - A. Bucci

Bucci is primarily concerned with the beauty and tranquil properties of his chosen subject. He enjoys evoking a sense of tranquil wonder in the viewer with their smooth surfaces, minimal forms and overall whimsical incarnations of their subject matter. Bucci’s sculptures “depict “normal” things – stormy seas, the human body, plants, fruits – all with certain accentuations or deformations. The whole purpose is to create artwork – personages and situations that seem as though they have come out of a book of poetry, not out of a kiln.” - https://onartandaesthetics.com/2017/07/12/accentuations-and-deformations-white-sculptures-by-andrea-bucci/

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Burned Acetate Piece Inspired by Yves Kleins Concept of “Recording the Presence of Absence”

Despite burning my thumbs, I am please with how this piece turned out as it is not only visually interesting but I think it is also successful in conveying the presence of the intended absent fire. I really think the contrast between the natural force and the man-made boxy structure of this piece is very evident and effective which is what I had initially hoped for.

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Notes taken after attending a talk by Frieda Breen, a past sculptor student who’s work focuses on the points of contact between her chosen materials and how they integrate with one another. Her contemporary approach to her work is inspiring to me as I think it is very relevant and helpful to my creative thought process for this semester, as heat/fire can instantly change whatever it comes into contact with.

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Burning Acetate

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Experimenting with Acetate

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Chain Reaction Movement Challenge

Monday workshop with Mike Fox

This was an interesting workshop for me because it allowed me to focus primarily on the importance of how objects/materials interact with one another in sculpture. It was a simple idea but prompted the thought process of how I want the different elements in my sculptures to interact with one another and to be aware of what reaction that could evoke in the viewer. This workshop has certainly made me want to look further into the different choices made by artists in their work, and to ask myself what they are trying to say through the relationships their materials have with one another.

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Semester 2 Artist Statement

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Aluminium Flame Lit from Various Angles

I had some fun with this as the flames visuals would change so much depending on which angle it was lit from. The shadows also add drama and looks even more like the real thing. I tried to capture the movement of the flames through twisting and shaping the metal, which I think worked out pretty well. The light reflecting off the aluminium is also very pleasing to the eye. If I were to do this again I would probably use a different armature as the jar prevents the piece from giving the illusion of fire from all angles.

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Inspired by both my little experiments with scratching and the work of K. William LeQuier, I wanted to try to incorporate the two. While I enjoy the creative freedom that the process of scratching allows, I admire LeQuiers ability to capture a natural flow or energy so accurately without directly mimicking it’s properties. I decided that I would use the metal from aluminium cans to create my own flame, with scratched out detail that would hopefully react well to the light. I used a jar as the aperture and masking tape to hold the pieces in place. I struggled to control the craft knife a bit when making my scratches, but I think it added character to the flame in a strange way. I took inspiration from LeQuier by twisting and shaping the flame to give it its fluidity, and using the forms captured during my photography elective as reference (see below).

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Research into glass artist K. William LeQuier, who used natural forces as inspiration for his incredibly delicate and detailed artwork.

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(Scratch tests lit from different angles pt. 2)

Cardboard:

Plastic:

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Scratch tests lit from different angles

When photographing my scratch tests, I noticed how vastly different the same scratches looked when lit from different angles. I would like to incorporate this into my work and investigate it further.

Aluminium Can:

Tinfoil:

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Testing out some scratching tools on different surfaces to see how they react.