Google Hangout post for 29th Nov

This work is for assignment 2 of BoW and is currently still a work in progress. Any thoughts on the project would be appreciated.




A still image of the body print composition for the bottom of the inclined base:

An excerpt from the book "The Men with the Pink Triangle" that may accompany this piece of work to help anchor its meaning and give some context:

Update:

This proved to be a very useful session with the other OCA participants. The feedback on my proposed structure was that the concept was good but the visual presentation still needed refining. The overall consensus was that the mine cart structure that sits on top of the inclined base was an unnecessary element. Stan thought it looked somewhat toy-like which was representative of the overall piece because of its tabletop scale. I would like to make this structure life size (although probably not a task I would be able to tackle for practical reasons). Stephanie and John thought the piece would be stronger without the mine cart. Stephanie made a very good point, that I am voicing the same message three times over with this piece; the text caption, the bodyprint, and the mine cart, all say the same thing. When this was pointed out I could immediately see that the viewer's eye flicks back and forth between the mine cart and bodyprint image - they compete with each other. The bodyprint element becomes stronger on its own and the message remains the same.

I am coming around to the idea of using just the base and bodyprint... Although I love my mine cart! What is that Stephen King comment on improving your writing? That a writer needs to "kill your darlings". I can feel the pain...

Comments were also made about choice of colour. What message was the colour tone of the bodyprint sending. John called the print 'alluring' and I've had some Facebook comments about it being beautiful. We had a useful discussion about the nature of the aesthetics of an artwork and how to hook an audience with its aesthetic appeal regardless of the seriousness of the message.

My choice of using fabric to cover the base was also commented on. John commented that the structure looked 'shroud like' and similarities to the bodyprint on fabric reminding him of the Turin shroud. I've made this connection too - not sure what to make of these thoughts at the moment. To be honest I'm not totally sold on the use of fabric either. I'm still thinking about it...

Some useful references:

Primo Levi - If This is a Man

Zadie Smith - On beauty

Steffi Klenz

Pauline Boudry/Renate Lorenz - N.O. Body

Poly Vinyl - may be useful as an alternative to my fabric printing choices.