In light of the new year I have decided to take a new direction.
Although I feel I will always remain interested in the process of drawing, I am nervous to put distance between myself and the 2D plane.
I was inspired by an article i saw in the new year, and really feel like this half of the year is the time to challenge myself. I remain heavily interested in figurative work, namely the ‘Human Visage’ but feel that this investigation needs to take a different path. To this I have decided to fully realise the initial interest within my work when staring in First Year, to ‘De-Construct’ portraiture.
I have never really thought about sculpture, but I am intrigued to see where his avenue will lead me. There remains such a particular attention to detail in the form of the figures, which aligns with my interests as an artist, but am able to really move myself away from my slow drawing process.
Over the past week or so I have been furiously researching Sillicone Masks and technique to get the best results from Life Casting. I have decided to think as little as possible about this avenue as it may result in myself reverting back to my former techniques.
I have decided to go with Silicone and Resin Casts, which I will then manipulate in the same way I do to my drawings. I will ai for pictorial detail, but this time will move the outcome into the sculptural realm, and away from the 2D.
I also hope to produce clay mould, and clear resign casts as outcomes, which I feel really dissect the ‘Modern Human Face’. In many ways it can be seen to be a comment on vanity in contemporary society as the image will be inter rely removed the sitter, no longer on a 2D plane or in photographic form as we all have become so used to.
I hope to incorporate drawing, painting and my photography skills into creating these mould, my hope is to truly revolutionise my practise as I develop in a different directions.
In many ways this work will also be an investigation in photography, the way in which i can successfully capture the facial features of the sitter, both through initial photograph, and at the (clay) moulding stage. The above image are the type of clarity I want from my own moulds. However to this I will cast them into clay and experiment with different expressions as well as sculpting in the eyes and maybe even facial features involving hair.
What I am to achieve is a complete replication of the sitter to the best of my ability – and the accompanying disillusionment – as I attempt to remove the aura, character and superficial characteristics of the sitter in the most eerie way
These are so many avenues to be explored from the casting of faces. Not only does it allow a stick focus on the king of iconography that interest me greatly, but it also allows me to expand my practise beyond something I ever through possible. Here there seems great scope for development, as well as an avenue of sculpture that hasn’t really been touched upon – except for prosthetic uses within film and TV
I also want to draw back in many ways, investigating the way depth ‘lifts’ the drawing from the image, making the appearance of 3D. As a result I will combining these sculptures with traditions modes of viewing, especially in terms of drawing and the painting – looking at the way the face (in all its detail) emerges from the flat plane/canvas.
example of work emerging from the flat plane
I also want to really diversify the number of sitters I use throughout my work. I feel that this will be crucial in really motivating my work ethic.
In the coming weeks I will be tracking my work intensely as I test out a number of ideas and class in time for the ‘External Exhibition’ in the summer.