- The project can be constructed by machine or by hand but not with staples or glue.
- An assortment of fabrics will be provided, but students may use other materials as necessary
- The project is a self-portrait in the broadest sense, meaning that it should represent some aspect of your self or your experience. It may be process-based or representational or both.
- You may paint or otherwise apply any finish necessary to your project after it is constructed.
- The piece may be wearable.
Sheila Hicks
NY Times
Art in America
Metropolis Magazine
Fabienne Lasserre
Artist's website
PS1 Studio Visit
Gallery Diet
J. Morgan Puett
Artist's website
CCA Graduate Lecture Series
Alexander McQueen
Savage Beauty @ the Met
Orly Genger
Larissa Goldston Gallery
NY Times Magazine
The self in sculpture:
Louise Bourgeois
Film trailer
Telegraph article
Tom Friedman
Public Art Fund lecture
Rafael's sculpture incorporated an unbalanced ratio of fabric and assorted wires. The silhouette of the work consisted of a vague and dreary posture which represented the gesture of a human form. The structure mimicked an androgynous person sitting on a pedestal with it's thigh like forms resting on different planes. While the arms remained in a downward position, with the head lowered, and the back severely slouched, the curvature of the body created a jagged "S" form. Its wire construction rested beneath a textured light blue garment.
ReplyDeleteGiving the viewer a melancholic essence, the over-worked craftsmanship of the wire displayed its hollow patterns remaining uncovered. The dichotomy between the outfit that the form wore and the material in which it laid over, suspected a Venn-diagram of soft and hard, sharing similarities in the loose style of the work.
The piece embodied an apathetic situation that displayed a sense of longing and despair. Considering that the unsheltered fragment sat above the ground on the pedestal suggested a higher thought, a deeper meaning.
Feeling that the work lacked a third element that might have enhanced the value of the skeletal and half-naked sculpture, the use of material still played an effective role in the figurative aspect of the pose. Entailing the tired and uncomfortable contour of a lifeless observation redefined the perspective on Rafael's self-portrait.
This piece called “Olmec Reflections” is created by Diana Garcia in 2011. This sculpture was intended to be a non representational self portrait. The sculpture has rock like “pillows” stacked upon one another. There are different shapes, sizes and textures. You can tell by the seams of the bundles that some are sewn by hand and others by machine. The stack is about 3 feet tall the peak barely reaches my waist. The fabrics
ReplyDeletechosen are all very neutral and earth tones. You can tell they are mostly upholstery fabrics, they are quite thick and stiff, however, I notice a soft, velvety grey fabric in the stack as well. The lighter tone bundles had some graphite scribbled on them and there was also a little white plaster splattered on the bundles. Not sure what the intentions of these choices were and if they were effective?
I believed Diana worked hard in assembling this piece by forming these shapes and sewing them one by one. I noticed she used hard, stiff material along with soft and flimsy materials. What caught my attention was the difference in the “moods” of these materials. It made me feel a bit confused on what the artist was trying to communicate. It seems inviting, yet uninviting. Regardless, the piece did have a sense of togetherness or unity and was thought out proportionally.
What this work seems to be representing is a pile of rocks. I see landscape reference. I think the artist was successful in executing this idea. I know the work is a self portrait, therefore she is relating the structure to herself in some way. Maybe it reminds her of a place in nature where she feels or felt one with the Earth? I also see
that the juxtaposition of the rough and soft materials may be representing the way she sees herself, an emotional contradiction?
Overall, I feel this piece can be more effective in a larger scale. Possibly adding more of the bundles to the stack and allowing their form to speak for themselves. I think the piece can do without the graphite scribbles. I feel it may be more emotional, although it may not even be her intentions, but I do think more needed to be done to create an impact or make a connection with the piece and the artist.