A Glove or an abstract shape?

Making plaster castings of latex gloves and abstract shapes.
Virtually lost in a world of lifeless abstractions.

Blank thoughts

Continuing with researching about memory, and looking into memory loss and dementia.
From reading the book 'The man that mistook his wife for a hat' by Oliver Sacks, a neurologist who documents the stories of his patients suffering from unusual cases of dememtia.
The book is made up of short stories, I found the first story particularly interesting, it explains how this one patient becomes unaware of the identity of everyday objects and he can only see them as an abstract shape or he explains what their function could be but doesnt actually know what the object is.
In one particular part of the book the patient can't seem to remember what a glove is, when the doctor asks him what the object (glove) is he lists what its functions could be;

• A continuious surface
• Infolded on itself
• Five outpouchings
• A container of some sort
• It would contain its contents

Project evaluation

Memory erasing

 

Throughout this project my intention has been to broaden my use of different and unusual materials. Many of my samples portray a minimal approach to the use of materials, by using gesso and plaster; as seen in the images they have been applied with a repetitive nature in order to express the concept of something (a memory or thought) gradually building up over a certain period of time. Through my samples I wanted to express how in relation to my original idea of memory erasing that perhaps memory can never truly be erased and that it is deep-rooted inside and it may not be clear but it still remains; by following this concept I made my samples very subtle and delicate, concealing marks through drawing and stitch.

Initially most of my samples were rather flat and I experimented with different ways of making more 3D samples. From researching dementia and other memory loss illnesses, many sufferers will go for long periods of time not remembering anything and then there will be some kind of spark that makes them remember something (the light bulb effect), a long forgotten thought or memory. I started then using light bulbs and glow in the dark paint, bringing actual light to the samples.

The samples using the glow in the dark paint made me think more about the use of colour, as I have used a very minimal palate, the glow in the dark makes very neutral marks until the surroundings darken and the marks turn a luminous green. This also reflects my idea of concealing and revealing as the marks are concealed by the light of the room. Also from attending the embroidery workshops it has made me think more about the marks made from stitch and how to apply them using different media.

My main inspiration for this particular project originally came from watching a film called ‘The eternal sunshine of the spotless mind’, about how two people have one another erased from their memories but how overtime they slowly remember each other. This then led to further research about the science behind memory erasing and how during the twin towers disaster many people were trained to use this specialist equipment on the victims of the disaster. For the summer project I researched brain circuits and experimented with ideas of making my own circuits through repetitive stitch and trying to make sense of a subject that is very complex but then simplifying it in my own my and creating samples in an order and categorising them.

This project has been moulded in a way to potentially be displayed as an installation piece in a gallery. I think some of the pieces I have made in this project would benefit from being displayed in a very blank space as I would want the space to reflect the clinical look of the work relating back to the scientific elements, I think this would make the audience think more about what each piece reflects in terms of minimalism and the concealed meaning behind them.

 

 

 

Final board display

Light Boxes

Taking elements from the plaster light box castings and making a series of four silk organza forms concealing the small plaster components, each painted with luminous paint. Each marking represents a thought or memory embedded within the brain that is hidden or fogotten.

Robert Ryman

I have always had a great admiration for the the work of Robert Ryman. From reading an article about particular elements to consider when putting together an exhibiton, his main concern is lighting and its perception by the viewer.
 in his statement Ryman writes: “In my studio I see the paintings with daylight from above, on cloudy and sunny days, and in incandescent light, in various strengths, without daylight. It is not just the intensity of the light, but the direction of the source that is important, and in each light situation the paintings looked different. At one point, I thought I would not be able to show the paintings because I could not know how they would look. How is someone going to know how the paintings work with light? However, I quickly got over that. Paintings don’t have much meaning unless they go out into the world”.

Light boxes in the dark

I found that photographing the light boxes in darkness quite challenging, as the paint can only be revelaled in complete darkness. But here is the evdence of the hidden colour whithin the sampes, contained within the light boxes.

Minimalism

How the storage space for retaining memories is restircted, and applying this to my drawing.
Blanking out spaces.

Memory research

Scientists have come to realise that our memories are not inert pockets of data and they dont remain constant.
Even though every memory feels like an honest representation, that sense of authenticity is the biggest lie of all.
Everytime we recall an event, the structure of that memory in the brain is altered in the light of the present moment, warped by our current feelings and knowledge.

Erasing memory

Blocking out and Blank spaces.. From watching the film the eternal sunshine of the spotless mind, about how two people have eachother erased from their memories.

But perhaps some part of you will never forget what has passed and is embedded within your deepest of memoreis and can never truly be erased.

Light reflective markings

Experimenting with luminous paint, thinking about how the markings are concelaed when shown in the light and then revealed in the dark.

Concealing and revealing light

Using luminous paint to seal light into the silk organza cube forms (light boxes). When shown under light they appear to be a neutural tone and then the colour is revealed when shown in darkness.

Plaster light boxes

Finding ways of concelaing light, casting 'light boxes' in plaster and coating the inside of them with luminous paint.