Putting the Cherry on the cake - Final assembly

Throughout the making process, I felt like I was preparing myself in a cookery class. Finally, I can assemble my cake … I mean master piece

The show must go on…

I revisited my final cut pro skills and produced another film of construction and deconstruction- maybe this can be projected with the final piece when its is melting … or will this distract you from the actual piece?

Now all we have to do is wait for the ‘moment’. Cant wait till I melt it!!!



At least I once lived:
                                              Jessica Man Teng Ma                                                 



Making the box- DIY here we come

Making the box

Created a lot of noise with a lot of shhhh in the background – but hay,

finally achieved it and I did it all by myself.

(My dad will be so proud)

The hob discretely sits inside the box - lets hope its transfer heat well enough

The fun starts here

Realisation

In previous post, I said wanted to make repetitions of the same wax models ( similar to a 5 point star), but after experimenting and making a series of the replicas, I decided to change my idea. From Wabi Sabi concept, everything they present is quite natural with a non force element to their art. In a way, I want to forward this feeling through into my work, thus letting go and moulded the wax to how I feel at the time.

Doing so not only created complete new shapes every time, but also in a way strengthened my ephemeral concept seeing non of these mini models can be made again.

Red was also a colour chosen to be represented in this final piece …why? To me, red has always be a colour of warning, affection and love- with both positive and negative annotations; I want the observer to imagin and feel for themselves. In my terms – red represents the danger we bring to nature… but how will you feel when you seen the destruction of the piece?

I think – white will be the first layer of the structure- graduating to red. When the final piece melts, I predict it to have red in the middle as the focal point with the colours fading to the outside- what do you think will happen? Will I be wrong?

Letting go was one of Wabi Sabi’s quote – to appreciate the beauty of what happens in the pass, I must follow this concept and await for the results patiently

If this piece was a scent what will it be?

I made an oblique strategy for myself in this case.... I keep having images of 15 Candles and 1 Fold in my head- and to represent my feelings for it, I have chosen 2 scents- vanilla for the bottom layers of the structure to a softer more natural ginger and orange to represent the red layers. As I don’t know what the final outcome of this piece will become just yet – at first, I want it to be something we are very familiar of, but then manoeuvring to something that is less noticeable ( similar to natural disasters we may never notice it actually happened until its too late). Who know- we might not even get a scent when the wax is melting.

In total ( if i have not miscounted) made 229 of these wax models
and you know what- i wanted to make more

Hurrah!!- Solution?

Though I am not suppose to melt wax directing in a pan on top of a heated surface- it has given me the idea of using heat from below to melt the model – now to find the heating mechanism.

After several hours of research- I have found a solution – a portable electric hob. Below are the images of m experiment with this hob- as you can see, the melting works effectively and distributes the heat evenly across the surface making every area of the model to melt!

 To contain the melted wax- a metal plate box can be made- DIY here we come. !!

Realisation – how will it work?

Now that I got a rough concept and idea on the shape of the model – I will need to find a way of ‘melting’ it.

Heat and Light

I can use heat from a light bulb/ spot like to heat the model. Alternatively use a heater or fire to heat it from the ground… as the minimum melting point of wax is 65’C – I think it will be a pretty hot room to stand in…. hmm

Making my own wicked candle

Can I stack the model with a wick curled round it – or several wicks inserted into the model?

Several wicks in model

 



As you can see, the model doesn't disintegrate completely...



Coiling the wick around model

 

 

Looking at the images above- neither wick experiments have achieved what I want- sections of the model was not able to completely melt which defeats the idea of demolishing a structure entirely.

Thinking back to the original concept of wax sculpturing, I have mentioned I wanted to take ‘wax’ away from the ‘candle’ perception – I guess adding wicks to the model collaborate the 2 together naturally.

Oops- back to drawing board

Practice ideas - what i aim to achieve

Looking through my photographs, I am still fascinated but my first oblique strategy outcome – 15 Candles and 1 Fold. I am going to take this folding concept of wax further- but apply the stacking concept to it – similar to my final cut pro ‘when all thing fail’ video.

3D stacking structure i made at start of
module.

                                      15 Candles and 1                                      

 

Quick model making and messing around

This is the shape i want to repreat and stack

Similar to the 'boxes' i created for 3D structure,i want to create
a 5 point shape- but possible be in a smaller scale but more volume and quantities  of it

After reading a wax sculpturing book- they suggested mixing Paraffin
and Beeswax together would give the most flexible moulding solution
-i think i need to play with ratios to get it spot on

Capturing

To capture the essence and true meaning of this final piece- I aim to run this ‘melting’ concept live, and document it in film and photography. Therefore, the ultimate final piece is the ‘outcome’ of what is melted, film and prints of the process. I think the combination of all the documentation process concludes very well to what I new skills and knowledge I have achieve in this Creative Practice Module.

Experimentation – how to destroy

At the moment, I don’t want to focus too much on creating a fashion orientated piece but explain and work on the concept of ephemeral instead. To know what is best for my final piece, I began experimenting with types of melting and displaying I can achieve

Dripping from the air

To achieve the uncontrolled effect of painting- similar to encaustic art- I first played with wax dripping from the air… verdict- probably failure as the fire kept lighting out due to the nature of flame. Below are the results of my experiment.

I am really intrigued as to what results I would get if candle was all dripped out, but as the smoke and flame from the wick creates a burning effect on the candle, black soot remains in the ‘painting’ which I think defaces the ‘beauty’ aspect I am trying to achieve.

The initial drips were really simple yet beautiful- but as time went by,
the flame turned wax into soot- then resulted in candle being put out
after all 

When flame was lighting/ melting the wax, it created a really impressive pattern- almost like a repelent chemical reaction - similar to Helen Storey's molecule experiements

I later turned candle back right round again- tilt it slightly and watched the wax drip from the side..... very tendious process !!!
The outcome of this is the image above... what do you think?

Melting with wick

 

Next I tried melting normal candles on a flat surface and documented it in a film .

The process takes a while to burn out but I think it really captures ‘life’ from the movement of the wax. The aftermath is also very calming and quiet compared to the dripping experiment. I think this style of display will represent better in my ephemeral piece- showing hints of destruction in a quiet yet damaging way

 

From these 2 styles of ‘melting’, I think the ‘wick’ melting works better in creating the uncontrollable and natural effect of destruction. Now need to plan what to melt.

My work and others

'' Seeing beauty in imperfection and accepting life’s transience; 'nothing lasts, nothing is finished and nothing is perfect'' Quote taken from www.wabisabi.com

Throughout this creative practice module, I have been focusing more on the neglected beauty of life, and somewhat the more depressing elements of its pass existence and state change. In this module I purposely tried to not think to hard in achieving my goal or a certain outcome, but to let my natural actions do all the work.

Repetition, Reflection, Undefined and Restriction were all words which I first noticed myself to focus on after the first and second field trip – with this at the back of my mind, I slowly grew to become more driving towards these works;  creating work that’s quiet, natural and in a way imperfect.

After midway presentation, Sian (Course tutor) directed me to understand the work of Wabi Sabi. This Japanese art group focuses on embracing the simple aesthetics of a piece of work. After further reading, I am really aspired to the Wabi Sabi movements of using imperfection to speak the perfect. Life itself isn’t perfect from start – however, it is the way we live and experience that makes our life ‘perfect’.

The patients of discovery and the growing of time is such a strong representation of Wabi Sabi that I now see myself working in this style without evening noticing it before.  It is really moving to understand and finally put myself in this context – at least I know I’m the not only one enjoying the beauty of life as it is and let nature do its talking. 

My final piece … ‘To capture the beauty of change and its aging nature’

As quoted on Wabi Sabi website

‘’ life awaiting discovery’’

“When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be,” Lao-Tzu

www.wabisabi.org.uk

This quote above is truly inspiring… just like the oblique strategy, I let go of my past pieces to await its beauty in another state - Will I be able to still let go of something I value highly- to then let it shine brighter and further in another form? Who knows, I can only let it be…

Helen Storey and Tony Ryan -Wonderland Exhibition- Sheffield

At this exhibition- a strong message was given. Reported on the BBC ‘Dissolving dress unveiled’, the producers of this piece Helen Story and Tony Ryan wanted to use this act to question the sustainability of the current fashion industry. Technology and science has been combined to create fibres and fabric that dissolve in water-leaving an underwater display.

BBC News, Dissolving dress unveiled, 18 June 2008

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7462496.stm

Wonderland - Image taken from showstudio.com

The concept is truly inspiring and the remains is somewhat stronger in telling us the story of ones survival.

Linking to the ‘Wonderland’ concept, the 2 professors also documented their experiments on film. These films can be found on ShowStudio website and I have especially evoked strong feelings for series ‘Video # 2, work in progress.

Video #2, work in progress, image taken from showstudio.com

Although the video has no direct links towards the final piece created, the display truly captured the life, movement and colour of the chemical reactions caused by dropping the treated fibres into water. Seeing this type of experiment has strengthened my desire to display and capture my work as a video. No one knows what will happen, and no one can tell the truth better than a video of the actual cause.

www.showstudio.com

Disappearing fashion – how extreme can you get?

Fashion has always been the core of this module- but how has other people used ephemeral fashion to represent their feelings?

Helen Storey was one inspiration to this concept of mine, but after further researching into this area of dissolving fashion, I have come across other institutes with the same environmental thoughts of mine.

Sheffield Hallam University previously designed and presented a series of wedding dress with a dissolving concept and technology. http://www.trendhunter.com/ reported the wedding dresses to dissolve in 5 stages, all creating differently designed garments and as quoted by editor Allison Love

‘’not dissolving completely, but definitely changing from a wedding dress you would rather forget, to multiple completely new clothing choices’’  Trend Hunter, Dissolving wedding dress, May 11 2010

http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/dissolving-wedding-dresses

Sheffield Hallam University, Dissolving Wedding Dress

This collection was particular designed to change the way peoples deal with clothing, in particular – the throwaway fashion market.

In conclusion, I think this collection is really interesting and definitely something which I should explore in my ephemeral concept. Not only does it play with the idea of altering garments to maximise its uses, it was also similar to my thought - designed to attack the throwaway fashion market… but is now the right time to express through fashion?

Nevertheless, it has made me crave even more to start this disappearing final piece of mine….

Ephemeral concept

After series of research, I am growing on the idea of creating something that is ephemeral. Wax has the ability to melt, and that is the property I want to explore in.

The reason I want to focus on this idea is based on the concept of non- existence and chance I have been discussing throughout this creative module. I really want to create a sculpture that is pushed to its extreme – but then having the ability to vanish over a period of time and change. As discussed in my ‘Street photography’ post, the right ‘Moment’ is what I want to emphasise in my final piece. Time is ever travelling and does not wait for anyone and everyone.

What if this sculpture was to vanish through natural causes- what would be the remains of it?

Though wax may have no parallel matter to fashion, fashion seasons and design turnovers are quickly changing and dissolving – just like melting wax. Throwaway fashion is largely adopted by the mass market and no matter how wonderful the piece may sit in your wardrobe, it may be neglected easily.

With my final piece, I want to collide the two Medias together and communicate the thought of ‘appreciation’ across.

What other critiques think about throw away fashion

Telegraph, Drapers, BBC etc etc have all surveyed and reported the fast moving trend of throwaway fashion has evidently created more land waste in UK – up to 30% increase. At first I was just focusing on the idea of capturing time and appreciation, but having read the series of affect it has to our world and environment, it has given me ever the more reason to demonstrate this ephemeral factor of fashion across.

Eternal Art- or is it the beauty of time?

To strengthen my thought on the idea of ephemeral art and design, I want to first understand and discover how and what other artist and designers have done to achieve this concept.

First on my list was to research disappearing pieces with a fashion or art concept.

Nicole Dextrax

One environmental artist I came across while researching was Nicole Dextras. While looking through her portfolio of work, I started to grow a lot of interest into the idea of combining the surrounding area with my work…installation?

In her most recent work, she has used ice as a material to express her feelings towards the current environmental affairs.

Below are a series of work found on her website http://www.nicoledextras.com/ that uses the most common natural material – water (ice) to form very expressive conclusion of life.

 

Ice Typography – a series of cast ice words planted in corresponding locations. Each word and scenery has a meaning and it is not until we read the word, we stop, listen and appreciate the truth. The words slowly melt and disappear with no trace, and I think this element really captures the true meaning of life. A lot of the time we need reminding of the forgotten past, and it is not until we are told, we let things slip away with no chase able trace. This piece of work not only convey the marriage of the 2 stories, but also used as a tool to announce environmental issues.

‘’This fundamental split in perception lies at the crux of our environmental crisis. I therefore choose to create within an ephemeral vernacular to accentuate the collective physical and psychological experience of flux and change.’’ Nicole Dextras

Another series of work which is too very inspiring is ‘IceShift’

Distressed and deconstructed clothing have been cast in ice with a carefully selected light screen projected onto it. The final outcome of this piece was not the actual installation or the frozen garment, but prints which captured the garments past life. In a way, I see this garment similar to my ‘Soulless’ piece; A structure that has been manipulated and covered in a different material to alter its truth and meaning.

 

  

After reading about this series, again, she wanted to create ‘correlation between humans and the biological environment’, but with an added intention. The choice of deconstructed garments was not only used to show the more ‘complex reading of the figure’ but to also demonstrated the current DIY movements in fashion and hand crafted clothing.

I really like the concept of representing work in another media – could my ephemeral piece be a ‘before’ and ‘after’ image? Or a series of changing images?

Right, I know you might have had enough of Dextras work, but there is one more I really want to show you- I think it’s just an amazing scene.

Similar to the frozen garments, pieces of fabric has been dipped and frozen in ice – as you can see, they have been mould into its surrounding and are only permanent till they melt thoroughly. To me, this piece really brings out the concept of life and death. Once the core has disappeared, no matter how beautiful it once was, you can never trace or reform it again.

Seeing other artist using nature and natural movements as the core of their art, it has really given me confidence to continue my ephemeral fashion piece idea. Although the concept does not convey the same meaning, it has not only given me ideas of what I can do to capture the life of the ‘once’ exist, but also strengthen my thought of wanting to created a disappearing piece.

All images taken from http://www.nicoledextras.com/