#PoeticObjects

[scottxjones]

the poetry of material things

Let us embark on a journey where the ordinary transforms into extraordinary. Lose yourself in the graceful artistry of the poetry of material things.

[researchrecordingpresentation]

Poetic objects: our final outcome

This was the final image used in our Poetic Objects workshop.

In this image we aimed to capture toxic masculinity through the hands (particularly the wrists) becoming entangled in the plastic wrapping of a six pack of beers. We chose to work with this particular piece of plastic because it is notorious for allowing things to crawl into it and become trapped, especially in the oceans. But also because of the play on the words ‘six pack’ being a toxic idealised male body type. 

Originally we were going to use a beer can, however when experimenting with our images we decided to opt for the hands holding a pint glass. We thought this allowed more room for interpretation because the amount of beer left in the glass could be read into. 

Ideally we wanted to do another shoot where the hands were holding a pint glass with only a small amount of beer left in it. This could be read as the male pressure to drink in stereotype and become trapped and confused. 

What we really liked about our image is that it can be read in multiple ways. When we were having our crib, some people believed that we were trying to communicate a message about alcoholism. Personally, I think that because our image has multiple interpretations this made it open to more discussion and therefore successful.

[found-fabricated]

Utensils - adding a new piece set beside an older work but continuing the same visual language. Silver, thorns, beeswax, linen thread and gathered twigs. Landscape objects. #utensils #objects_landscapes #metalware #other #hinterland #hedgerow #visuallanguage #contemporaryart #contemporaryirishart #contemporaryirishartist #contemporarycraft #metalwork #silversmithing #gathered #found #made #sculptural #fromtheland #otherplace #objectsthatspeak #ofaplace #senseofplace #irishlandscape #flatware #stuartcairns #artist #materiallanguage #poeticobjects #visualpoem #visualpoetry https://www.instagram.com/p/B8q445nnIrR/?igshid=10kiykfc5gjg

[manny-illustration-year1]

POETIC OBJECTS-

To kick things off we did some really funky paper cuttings merging two objects into a single image. We had to be speedy and were encouraged to be as inventive as possible, using inverts and outsides of pieces - or layering the paper.

These were some of the favourite ones I did, partly because of how I played with scale and others because they aren’t at all what I’d normally come up with (see far right) but to be honest I really dig them. 

[researchrecordingpresentation]

Poetic objects - practice shots

For our poetic objects workshop myself and my partner explored the theme of masculinity and femininity. We were not sure what theme to take forwards on the Tuesday so on the Wednesday task we set about taking a series of different shots using items which stereotypically represented men and women. 

In this shot we explored the themes of:

women in the workplace

oppression 

gender pay gap 

the glass ceiling in business 

Here, we explored:

hierarchy between the genders in business 

female expectation 

In this shot we looked at:

toxic masculinity 

alcoholism 

addiction 

competition 

restrain and struggle 

finally, here we looked at:

female oppression

female expectation 

housewifery 

industry 

Out of all of our ideas we thought that the most visually striking piece was the one with the hands trapped in the plastic wrapping for a 6 pack of beer. This was the idea that we took forwards.

[manny-illustration-year1]

POETIC OBJECTS-

These were our research sheets for Poetic Objects looking at all the possibilities when it comes to two objects merging as one.

[manny-illustration-year1]

POETIC OBJECTS- 

For the project Poetic objects, I was with Miranda. We decided to first have a wide look at a variety of cross-overs via objects; We doing this through a mind-map, linking ideas and objects to try and reach new ideas. After a while we realised we had a bit of a theme going and decided to press ahead, making thumb-nail idea pages. I feel this worked to our advantage as soon enough we had a wide variety of ideas that meant we could cherry pick the strongest ones to develop. In our first crit it was agreed that we would develop the patchwork/ doormat idea further – using dishcloths or pants to represent a woman’s role in the house. We had trouble deciding between the two, we felt pants shaped in a doormat could represent consent, concerning the idea of women being used as sexual doormats, also linking to marital rape. However, we also liked the idea of dishcloths being made into a blanket. With this we were trying to allude to the idea of a ‘housewife’ with some women waking up and going to sleep still thinking about the housework and what they have to do.

In the end, due to the lack of an appropriately aged model, it represented something quite different and instead we were looking at how for some people being cleanly was a comfort – as with people with ADHD who compulsively clean. I feel like our idea definitely grew throughout and we definitely had to adapt to time stresses but I am happy with the outcome as I think there is still meaning in it through the subversion of an object.