Casting the Jawbone

Photographs, river project, Work in Progress

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Casting the jawbone raised a host of issues that I didn’t realise would be a problem, but hopefully it will work out in the end. Before we could make a hot rubber mould of the jawbone Becky (the technician) and I decided to make a plaster cast of the jaw, as we felt it would be too fragile to make a hot rubber mould from directly.

STEPS

  1. Before we could begin casting I had to fill in the holes in the jaw (where the rest of the teeth originally were) with soft wax, so that it would be easier to cast. I also used a little superglue to secure the two teeth- we were worried that they may have come out of the jaw when we de-moulded it, so this was a preventative measure.
  2. I then pressed the jaw carefully into some clay and built up clay walls around it, and then applied a few layers of vegetable oil to the jaw to help release it from the mould once the alginate had set
  3. I mixed up a small amount of quick set alginate which I poured into the clay mould and left to set
  4. Once this had set I carefully removed the clay and rinsed the jaw and alginate, before greasing it up with more oil, and building up clay walls around it
  5. Another batch of quick set alginate was then poured over this, and left to set
  6. The clay was then removed, and the two halves of the mould separated and the jaw carefully removed.
  7. After cleaning both halves of the mould I fit them together and secured them with elastic bands, and was then ready to pour fine casting plaster into it
  8. The first attempt didn’t work very well and only the thickest section of the jaw came out, so for the second attempt after pouring in the plaster I moved the mould around to encourage the plaster to flow through the whole mould
  9. Once I opened the mould up I realised one half had not worked out, and the other half, where all the detail was, was too thin- to fix this I cut up scrim and layered that and some more plaster on top of it until it was thicker and stronger
  10. I then de-moulded it and created a hot rubber mould from that plaster cast. Because the detail was lost on one side I decided to make a flat mould, rather than a round one that needed to be cut open, to save materials
  11. The final photo on the slideshow is of the original jaw, first failed plaster cast, second plaster cast, and de-moulded wax cast of the jaw- as you can see there are a lot of details that need to be worked back into the wax by hand, but I am confident that it is doable

Wax Casts

Photographs, river project, Videos, Work in Progress

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Photos of the wax casting process- melting the wax in a saucepan before leaving it to cool to pouring temperature (the wax needs to be cool enough that it coats the side of the pan), then pouring into the secured moulds, including the larger brick mould, before de-moulding and removing excess wax/working the details back in.

Video of two wax casts, fresh from the mould- you can see that there is excess wax that needs to be removed, and some of the details need to be worked back in to the casts.

Video made up of a clip showing the second, larger batch, of wax casts fresh from the moulds, followed by a clip of me working on one of these casts to remove excess wax and work a hole back into the cast to mimic the original bone. The final photo is of the wax cast from the previous clip next to the original bone I cast it from- you can see that I have worked some of the details lost during the hot rubber mould process back into the wax cast.

The two clips in this video show the first hollow wax cast of the brick I found on the river, and the second cast next to the original brick- you can see how the hot rubber mould picked up most of the detail from the brick, and how that has translated to the wax casts. You might notice some lines on the casts- this is because to make a hollow cast you need to pour in the wax slowly and roll the mould gently around to ensure the wax coats the mould properly- I did this too slowly so there are lines visible. Next time I use the mould I will be careful to pour the wax faster to avoid this happening- I may melt these two casts down and redo them.  The brick casts need to be hollow as to make a solid bronze of that size would be too costly, and too heavy. I will either have to leave the hole in the bottom, or weld a small piece of metal over the hole, but this is something I will tackle when I get to that stage.

Unfortunately this was all I was able to get done before the workshops closed for the break, but I am looking forward to getting back into the foundry/plaster room and continuing my work! The plan is to make at least two of each bone in wax, and then make at 2 – 4 large moulds to go into the kiln and then be poured, as I want a copy of each bone in aluminium and in bronze. I have also been shown a material called glass wax, which is used in the film industry to make objects that mimic glass, and if  I can afford it I would like to experiment with this medium as well, as it will give me another material and colour to analyse.

Hot Rubber Moulds

river project, Work in Progress

 

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Whilst working on the burn out moulds that didn’t work I also decided to make a few batches of hot rubber moulds. The process is lengthier, but once the final plaster mould is fired in the kiln the waxes will melt out leaving hollow spaces for the molten metal to be poured into.

To start the rubber needs to be melted in the machine, by being fed into the top, and the press placed on top of it, using gravity to push it down to melt. It then drips out of the bottom into a bucket to be poured. Whilst it is melting I prepared the objects, by applying vegetable oil to each object for easier release from the moulds, then embedding them into clay, creating tunnels with the clay for objects that were going to be solid (although for the brick shown in the photos this was not necessary as I wanted it to be hollow and this required one side to pour in the wax). I then made a tube out of metal or plastic secured with duct tape, and pressed it into the clay bases around the objects. The tube then needed to be waterproofed with extra clay, ready for the melted rubber to be poured in. The next step was to pour the hot rubber into the moulds, and leave it to set. Once it was set I then made a basic plaster mix and poured this into the leftover space in the moulds of the bones (not the brick) to create a flat base for them to rest on.

When the plaster had set I then removed the metal/plastic tube and the clay from the moulds, and flipped them the right way up, using a craft knife as shown to make a few cuts into each mould, to allow me to remove the objects from the moulds. Once this was done they needed to be thoroughly washed to remove clay residue, and then secured with elastic bands or duct tape ready to pour the wax into.

Unknown Landscapes/ Impromptu Pop up Show

Exhibitions, Photographs, river project, Videos

The above video is of my “Unknown Landscapes” piece in the end of term pop up exhibition ‘Impromptu’ held in uni, with work from both first and second year students. I wasn’t involved in the set up of the exhibition so I had no idea the video works would be displayed like this, with each screen slightly delayed from the previous screen to create this effect- but I really like it and think it is really effective in showing off my work!

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The images show my work at different stages on the screens, as well as shots of my classmates’ work. The exhibition was small but well curated and I feel that all the pieces worked well together in the space, despite being very different.

Half Term To Do List

Uncategorized
  • Get into the Plaster Room at uni at least 2 days next week to make wax casts with my old and new hot rubber moulds. Work into these waxes in preparation for plaster mould making when I return from the break
  • Update this blog- hot rubber mould process, waxes, shell burn out mould process, Biscuit group video, photos of Biscuit video being projected onto the new uni building, photos of the two monoprints made during the low residency, photos/video from the Impromptu popup show
  • Look up MA Games Design and MA Illustration courses at UAL, find the contact details for course leaders, and email them about my video game project- ask them to pass my email onto their students
  • Continue reading and gathering sources for my video game project- watch some documentaries, make an updated list of articles I have read and prepare a proper bibliography
  • Find different kinds of women to interview!!!!!!!!!
  • Research further into my project on white, and on the river Thames- visit the Lambeth Gardens Museum
  • Go back to the river and find more plastic bottles/other interesting objects
  • 3D
  • Update my website (It looks really rubbish and has none of my new work on it)

BISCUIT Projected

Exhibitions, Group Project, Videos

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Our short film inspired by Jess Thom, BISCUIT, was projected onto the new hall of residence next to Camberwell College of Arts for the official opening night of the new building! This means it was potentially seen by everyone in attendance, including Jess Thom, the Dean of Camberwell, and Grayson Perry! The photo was taken by Jonathan and sent to our group, as we weren’t aware that it was happening on the night. There was no sound due to it being projected, but I’m very proud that our work was shown to such a large audience!

Feedback for My Midpoint Review Video

Assessment, Tutorials

My Feedback

  • The part of playing with light and how it changes your objects looks interesting, you could try to experiment combining the art of light with your current idea. Unfortunately, I can’t recommend anything (at the moment tho) for reading or researching, but Tate Modern is displaying now some exhibitions about women if art and I think there should be something useful for you and your idea. Well done!
  • Archaeological- look at archaeologists and what has previously been found
  • Objects are supposed to be dead- bringing the objects back to life, what is my take on bringing them back to life
  • Links between bones and racial/equality themes, how does it link and why? Bones are always white no matter what your race, developing this link
  • Game- talk to people who make games, as I have no knowledge of it
  •  1 ARE OBJECTS SPECIFIC, SELECTED PURPOSEFULLY TO YOUR PRACTICE?
    2 WHAT IS THE RELATION BETWEEN THE FOUND OBJECTS AND THE SYMBOLISM IN REPRESENTING YOUR THEORY IN QUESTION; CLASSISM, RACISM AND SEXISM?
    3 IS THE LOCATION OF THE THAMES SPECIFICALLY SELECTED, OR IS THERE OPPORTUNITY TO EXPLORE MORE LOCATIONS IN FOUND OBJECTS?
    4 IN YOUR WORK, YOU RE-APPROPRIATE CHANGING THE STATES OF THE ORIGINAL THROUGH DIFFERENT PURPOSES, IS THIS TO CHANGE PERCEPTION AND IDENTITY. OF ONE OBJECT, BUT PRESENTING IT IN NEW LIGHTS TO QUESTION THE VIEWER’S INTERPRETATION?
    5 IN CASTING OBJECTS IN VARIED METHODS, WHITE IS USED COLOUR. IN RELATION TO RACISM, IS THIS SYMBOLIC FOR THE ARYAN RACE- WHICH THE NAZIS FOUND AS THE SUPREME THE “STRONG” RACE. IS WHITE USED TO THEREFORE REPRESENT THESE ISSUES AS YOU DISCUSS COLOUR TO EVOKE AND REFLECT THESE MATTERS?
    6 WHAT IS THE END GOAL OF THE PROJECT, IN RELATION TO WHAT ARE YOU AIMING TO ACHIEVE OVERALL, INTENTIONS?
    7 YOU CONDUCTED A SURVEY, IN DOING SO HOW WILL THIS HELP SUPPORT AND GUIDE YOUR PRACTICE E.G. THE PURPOSE?
    8 YOU GO FROM FOUND OBJECTS TO WRITTEN ILLUSTRATIONS, IS THE MATERIALITY OF YOUR WORK SIGNIFICANT AND CONTEXT?
    9 CLEANING HISTORY AWAY- BLEACHING AND CLEANSING PROCESS OF THE FOUND OBJECTS.
  • Kat I love the way you are focusing on objects
  • Kat – A contrasting range of themes, includes the tangible object and the sociological dimension. I am looking forward to seeing how these threads might perhaps be woven together in subsequent projects.
  • When you coated all of it in white it reminded me of this work:
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  • You showed an interesting path of regenerating found objects, the vacuum pieces catched my attention for sure, I think the bone-light videos are captivating. I would like to get more insight what your reasoning behind these works are. I found that bit by bit in your really personal blog-texts. Respect! There from I do understand your intent behind the video game concept. In a way it feels many things are parallel to each other. I wonder if you could integrate for instance the vacuum pieces and the bone-light imageries into the game and so on?
  • As having a conversation with Kat before, i like the enthusiasm and curiosity she has to try on new materials, and techniques. The vacuum you made create a dialogue of the materials you used to create your artwork with the objects you picked from riverside.
  • I just see your new macro photos of the found objects, very captivate! How do you feel and found the structure, textures you found through the macro view? What kind of materials presentation can you try on developing through these macro textures?
  • I also think that the way how the artworks are presented in future, the context it is present (open or closed space), all these will definitely affect your future installation.
  • Keep up the vibes Kat and I love your work!
  • It would be interesting how you can further explore the theme of time and light, sunrise & sunset – maybe research into heritage sites like Stonehedge, Hypogeum, Ggantija.
  • Kat – I’m really impressed with the range of technical skills you have developed so far, and your early experimentation with the vacuum forming in particular. I’m pleased to see that I’m not the only one who manages to break things. My mum told me the other day about SLIders, and people who’s electromagnetic energies cause technology around them to become disturbed. She reckons she is one, and although I’m not sure I believe it, it might be fun to do a project around. I’m not really sure what your project is about, or how some of the work you have been doing links with your ideas around feminism, so this might be something to consider honing in on. So far, your experiments seem cool, but a bit random. I’m not really familiar with what you do, so that is just my understanding from watching your video.
  • Kat I like the way you tries to change the form of the item you picked in the river and also the idea with micro-lens and the light moving. It just like making the object alive again. And I’m just thinking maybe can also make use of those items picked in river to reproduce a new work(?)
  • From looking at her blog she does reference Rachael Whiteread- which you can see the reference with the casts
  • your video was interesting giving footage of actual making – appreciated
  • the bones are the most interesting – video pieces are mesmerising
  • For me I reference surreal terrains and scapes
  • I wanted to hear more about the Game. Try Unity.
  • it takes it out of context- away from the subject- to a more abstract was great also seeing the videos- producing works fantastic processes
  • Your vacuum packed work reminded me of something another one of my students have been working with recently. Shes collecting rubbish, similar to yourself, and then coating them in a block of resin. The effect is really amazing, she’s jam-packed the container with as much colour, textured rubbish and the resin makes it a permanent piece of work. Frozen in time almost. Just be careful where you use the resin, its toxic and the fumes are bad.
  • Kat how you find the items and manage to restore them and select the items is both brave and truly captivating it was a pleasure meeting you at the low Residency and actually seeing these items ! Some date back hundreds of years . I like how you showed us the process and different ways of using such items. Good job and really interesting to see the direction you will take with this
  • Thought you might be interested in that http://sonialevy.net/hvalreki.html
  • I forgot to mention! The bacteria could be something you could look into??

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Thank you for all your feedback everyone!
Kat xx

Mid-Point Review (Comments for my Peers)

Assessment

I have included notes for each of my classmates below, in bullet-point format for easy reading, with their names in bold, to aid clarity. I hope my feedback is helpful!

Janet

  •  digital experiments visually engaging, capturing a moment in time, using painting
  •  the paintings/gifs reminds me of cell division
  •  strong awareness of own practice
  •  how do you see your paintings/digital experiments evolving going forwards?
  •  the word you created is very beautiful
  •  the gifs of the paintings almost become more interesting than the final painting- the development and evolution of each piece becomes a work in its own right
  •  have you considered projecting your gifs back into the environments that inspired them (where the lichens are) ?

Stephanie

  •  strong body of research- artists, case studies, books, and other
  •  very difficult to hear what you are saying
  • the print workshop you have set up is impressive, I hope you utilise it to its full potential
  •  you seem to rely a little too heavily on digital manipulation, when your imagery is very strong already- perhaps you need to take a step back and try to recreate your digital manipulations by hand, it would be interesting to see what you come up with through this
  •  layering different forms of print, using a photocopier, and other forms of handmade manipulation have potential to extend your work beyond the reliance you seem to have on the digital
  •  sometimes less is more!

Robin

  • the video format is quite unique, and engaging
  •  quotes moved a little too fast to read, would have liked to have read them to get a better understanding of what inspired your work
  •  strong awareness of your 3 key themes and concepts
  •  clear links between your research and practice
  •  the interactive nature of your work is shown well in the video, which is difficult to achieve
  •  you blend the digital into the environments effectively, but it would be nice to see what the people participating thought about your installations, and how it made them feel

Gabby

  • your blog is very visually pleasing
  •  extensive research, there is a symbiotic relationship between your research and practice, and it is clear how they feed into each other
  •  you might like the film Coco- it explores family bonds, memories, and the importance of photographs
  • your project has such a deep emotional connection to you, and this is key to your process
  •  the excerpts of research are well considered and add to, rather than distract from, your topic
  •  voices and sound could be utilised further in your work- it works really well in the video, and I would like to see more of your work involving mixed media, sound, and video, as you have done a good job of this here
  •  your work has a powerful, authentic message, that most of us can relate to in some way or another
  •  adding on to what Paola is saying, but also contradicting it- how can you express loss through the painting? Negative space can be utilised to express this
    – could you create a memory palace for a family member?

Arlette

  •  strong visual theme throughout the video- the video reflects the visuals of your work, which can be difficult to achieve!
  •  the theme of hands runs throughout- from your friend’s hand to your own hands in the videos of your ceramics process, and this is both sensitive and beautiful- it seems more about your journey through learning and making than the final pieces, which works very well
  •  the tactile nature of ceramics, and the unpredictability of the medium- pieces can go wrong in the kiln, they can go wrong on the wheel, and they are often fragile to handle. Can any of this be utilised for your pieces? can you better document these things that go wrong, and can they become finished pieces in themselves, despite their broken nature?
  •  also consider Japanese potters shown to us in the lecture by Maiko Tsutsmi

Kehkashan

  •  the quotes move a little too fast to read, and the font is not the most legible in this format
  • there is a strong body of research and experimentation, inspired by your surroundings and visual artists
  • your pop up exhibition looked very professional, and you should be proud of it!
  • your journal is an interesting idea and I would like to see it developed further- could the imagery you create become part of your mosaics?
  •  I enjoy your mosaics as they don’t all follow a narrative, as most people expect from mosaics- exploring colour and pattern is enough for some of your pieces
  • have you tired working with resin? It can be layered and become more 3D, although acrylic paints can also be layered in this way, bringing depth to your works
  •  you talked very fast, which was a little difficult to follow at times
  •  follow up on the idea that life is a mosaic

Charlotte

  •  It is difficult to hear you in the video
  •  your experimentation explores colour and abstract shapes, but I would avoid falling into your comfort zone if possible
  •  have you considered projecting your works back into the environments where you took the photographs?
  • the feedback you received from the survey could be further utilised
  • the ceramic pieces have something there- I feel moving into 3D using ceramics, laser cut plastic, acetate, or card could bring more depth to your project
  •  these 3D objects could be used as a teaching tool or in an interactive workshop to generate new compositions which can be constantly moved and changed by the audience- running an interactive workshop could be fun! And it would be interesting to see how children and adults interact- is there a difference? (Also large scale could be really fun and interactive!)

Anfal

  •  I feel that social media is overdone, but it is unusual to see it approached from a different angle, seen through a non-Western lens
  •  community bonding and political climate are viewed from the angle of judgement, an interesting juxtaposition
  •  have you done any physical manipulation with your imagery to compliment the digital manipulation?
  •  I feel that the photos should feel more natural and less staged, so photos taken out on the street will capture this better than staged photoshoots
  •  where/how do you intend to do your installations? and will you invite the subjects to see what you have done with their photos?
  •  there is a strong visual language throughout and I agree that narrative is important
  • consider an outcome for this project- what do you hope to achieve?

Dwa

  •  the music is distracting and made it difficult to focus on you talking
  •  you have been using group and one to one feedback to evolve your work and push it further, which reflects in your work
  •  I feel like your work requires more of a narrative to tie it all together
  •  The installation pieces are very strong and I feel this could be explored further- creating dream-like worlds for audiences to physically explore- perfect for bringing story books to life for children who are too young to read, or who have audio/visual/reading/learning difficulties
  •  I enjoyed working with you during the low residency, but there needs to be a little more depth to why you are making the work you are making
  •  I love the playfulness to your work, and the subtle animations work really well with the themes to gently bring them to life

Justin

  • The main problem you seem to be having is deciding whether you are a participant in your work, or purely an outsider setting up and documenting the experiments- perhaps this can vary piece to piece, depending on what feels right to you for each one- for example sending the recorder to yourself. Could you find someone else significant to send it to- perhaps a family member who relies on “old fashioned” technology, such as radio, letters, and analogue forms of communication?
  • you have a strong subject knowledge through your theoretical research, as well as exhibitions and artist references, which gives your work depth
  •  have you explored the effects of sound on meditation and other forms of self-reflection? Yoga, meditation and other forms of mindfulness often rely on sound/music or lack of sound to stimulate internal reflection, what is it about sound, or lack of it, that allows for this?
  •  I really like the idea of the sound divorced from the visuals, as a visual artist sound is always a secondary thought to me, and the absence of imagery is particularly interesting to me- especially when sending the sound recorder, as if you were to send a camera instead the viewer would still focus on the sound, as I am assuming the envelope would be totally dark- although light might occasionally come through- have you tried this?

Iris

  •  well documented public experiments, engaging with members of the public in a fun way
  • you demonstrate a positive and thoughtful reflection on your experiments
  • I would have liked to see a few more artist references (you probably have them but didn’t have time to fit them into the video)
  • the experiment works better without the video being used as external stimuli- it is more of an authentic reaction to the experiment when they are not being shown anything else
  • the installation in the exhibition was incredibly fun and my friends and I enjoyed playing with the balloons, as it lightened the serious atmosphere in the gallery space, and made us laugh, even though they were filled with normal air
  • retail therapy is an interesting topic, the idea of gratification through buying temporary happiness through possessions is no less genuine, but it is a product of our society. Your balloon experiments created an equally fleeting happiness, but it may have had a lasting impact on each person’s day
  • expectation can make happiness feel more hollow, if the feeling isn’t as long lasting or as absorbing as you hoped it would be

Paola

  • Unsure about your font choice (coming from Comic Sans No.1 fan)
  •  I feel that social media is an overdone topic so pushing it further into the 3D and installation makes it feel less stale, and more engaging
  •  why do you want to simulate what you make onscreen offscreen? Is there a reason for this?
  • The fabric pieces are striking and their fluidity adds something more, as your static sculptures purely reflect what you make on screen
  •  animated and moving image could bring your work further to life, perhaps videos of your fabric moving in the breeze or in water? as the photos of the fabrics are still static
  •  installing the fabrics and moving works into gallery spaces has a different feel to if you install them in outdoor settings- perhaps experiment further and decide which works best for your idea. The gallery space still has a feeling of curation that is present online in social media, whereas the outdoors has a different feeling
  • colour theory
  • if you want to truly break away from the screen you need to leave behind the boxes and rectangles and materials that mimic the screen- use curves, wood, explore other materials and shapes, to really bring it out of the screen and into real life
  • you can also screenprint onto wood/perspex or print photo etchings/ect

Lyu Wen

  •  clear research, and definitions of your topics
  •  I would like to see excerpts from your work, as it is harder to engage without seeing how your research has influenced your work
  •  it would also have been interesting to see clips/photos of your references, as again it is hard to understand their influence on your work without visuals
  •  performance art vs video art- is it more about your documentation of the works, or the performances themselves?
  •  clear evolution of your ideas, but the rebellious nature of your performances brought them to life, be careful not to lose that original energy!
  •  how important is the length of time to each piece? Do you plan out how long each piece will last before you do it, or is it more intuitive and decided as you do the performance? What role does the length of time play in each piece?
  • reminds me of Marina Abramovich

Ben

  •  interesting body of research, it is good to see clear visual inspirations for your work
  •  are we the gods of our own digital spaces?
  •  use of 3D scanners to create new digital works from a tactile origin- this juxtaposition works really well and I hope you continue with this
  •  have you considered then 3D printing these digital works, before 3D scanning them back into the digital realm again? It could further subvert the pieces, and would refer back to the original project that inspired it (using the scanner to create glitches)
  • an interesting topic of research could be mythologies- refers back to the busts, and also the idea of being gods in our own realms

Eugenia

  • where does the interest in furniture come from?
  •  strong visual experiments with photography and 3D software, but it feels like you lack a direction for your project
  •  the comedy videos are very entertaining and there is something there that you could develop further, should you choose to
  •  perhaps you need to stop seeking to change yourself, and figure out what it is that you enjoy doing- art doesn’t always need to have a purpose or meaning, sometimes merely the act of doing it and enjoying it is enough
  •  it feels like you are putting a lot of pressure on yourself to generate work that makes sense and communicates something, which isn’t always necessary
  •  your ideas and work has a strong visual language, but your design mindset holds you back from your full potential
  • That sense of fun and playfulness in some of the ideas you have shown can definitely become something more, and has a lot of potential

Nadine

  • self editing, how can you approach this topic in a new way?
  •  clear visual language, taking small sections of social media and enlarging them, using the formats of social media
  •  prayers in comic sans- I love it!
  •  I feel like there is too much of a negative portrayal of social media and the internet, and how we consume media, what are the positive effects it can have on society and the individual? This could be a different angle to view it from
  •  A single idea could be focussed on and explored further- pushing it beyond the confines of what it currently is. There feels like there are too many disjointed ideas, none of which have been explored to their full potential
  •  It feels like there needs to be more research into whichever idea you end up going with, to give the project more depth and substance, beyond the visual experimentation

Vanessa

  •  Video clips work well to illustrate your ideas and themes
  •  deconstructing your images and reconstructing them in 3D could be a route to try
  •  exploring painting whilst restricted by time,
  •  the video experiment works well
  •  your references are clear and the influence can be seen in your work, although you may want to try and move away from such a direct influence in the future

Alena

  • strong visual style, paired with music the animations/films work well
  •  moodboards communicate your references clearly
  •  printing the eyes onto acetate would allow the light to pass through more clearly if you intend to continue playing with light and shadow
  •  Eyes and light and shadow would be an interesting juxtaposition as eyes cannot have a clear shadow, you could also research how eyes take in light and play around with that in our work

Vivian

  • Estrangement of the familiar- this phrase has something, and could be explored further
  • Escapism as a topic, how does it relate to the modern world?
  • The animations and video clips work well together- the video is very well made!
  • I am unsure how I feel about your depictions of fat bodies, as a fat person
  • The combination of the everyday overlaid with your imaginings and dream-like imagery works really well, how can you bring this into the real world?
  • Narrative seems key to your work, so I feel you should build on that, and allow your research to take you to new places with your work

Lee

  • I like that you have used a text to voice generator to narrate your video, the interaction with the digital works well
  • The references are well presented, and your explanation of data art was informative, as I wasn’t previously sure what it was
  • You spend a long time talking about your references, and I would like to see more of your own work, as the influence the references has had on you
  • Speaking about the journeys you have navigated from fine artist to designer, and back again, speaks to me, personally, as I have faced a similar journey, but I agree that these journeys make our work and processes stronger
  • I would like to see your process, rather than just the final pieces, as I find I am unsure how you reached the final outcomes, and often the process is just as fascinating as the finished pieces
  • I also would have liked to hear your sound experiments within the video, as it is hard to imagine abstract sounds without any idea of what they might sound like
  • You seem to have a clear direction you wish to progress towards, and I look forward to seeing/hearing what that might become

BISCUIT – A group project led by Jess Thom

Group Project, Videos

This project was part of the 10 day low residency, where the online students joined us in London, and ran for one day. We started this project with an introduction and talk by Jess Thom, the artist behind https://www.touretteshero.com/ .

She spoke to us about Tourettes Hero, and also about her daily life living with Tourettes Syndrome, and then asked us to group up and create a video per group, inspired by her website, tics, and work. I was put into a group with Justin Lee Vervin, Paola Pinna, and Steph Bebbington, and together we created this piece.

We were initially interested in one particular tic that Jess displayed whilst talking to us- the word “Biscuit” often shouted. I had made notes of some of the verbal tics Jess had displayed during her talk and we used those as a starting point. After discussing our ideas we came up with a rough plan, and the first thing we did was to record ourselves with a sound recorder saying the word “Biscuit” over and over in various tones and differing volumes, to create the soundtrack for our video. Justin then took this recording and spent the day mixing it to create the sound you can hear in the video. Whilst he was doing this, Paola and I went on an adventure- we went into Sainsburys to take photos of objects mentioned in Jess’ verbal tics, such as sausages, different kinds of biscuit, pencils, and other things. We got told off by staff, after multiple attempts, and then decided to try our luck in the corner shop opposite uni. We then sent our photos on to Steph, who digitally manipulated the images via Photoshop, alongside other royalty-free images she had found whilst we were out taking the photos. We also typed up the word “Biscuit” as well as “risk it” “fuck it” “is it” and “fist it” as when we listened to the sound we recorded we could hear those word too (also “fuck it” was another verbal tic of Jess’). Paola then printed those out and collaged, sprayed, and wrote on the print outs. She then photographed these and sent them on to me.

My main role in the project, aside from being recorded with the rest of the group, and taking photos for the video, was to collate all the images, and later the sound, into the video above using Premier Pro, as I was the only one in the group with experience of this programme.

Overall I really enjoyed this project and am very proud of the finished piece- we worked well as a group and managed to combine our individual talents into a well thought out and put together video. I would have liked the video to be longer, but we had to finish it in the day we were given, and due to how long editing takes I did the best I could in the time we had. Also I feel the video could have lost impact and felt too repetitive if it were much longer, so it was probably for the best!