From 3D to 2D

 

 

 

My final piece uses a process photo from the project where we mixed two differnt building styles into a single structure. I combined Japanese style with Gothic style and created a mix between a shrine and a church. To make this piece I searched for a source photo that had the proper perspective and the look I was going for. I then cut out the building from my process photo and placed it within the source photo. I then added a stone texture and a filter using photoshop. I beleive my structure fits fairly well among all of the buildings in addition to the Gothic church in the background.

Paper Sculpture Themed Object

I have chosen Japanese styled hats as my theme for the three themed paper sculptures.

In this picture I am practicing with gesso to see how well it holds a form.

Here I am experimenting with glue and gesso to see which one holds the paper down well and is less visible.

This was to see how long crumpled paper that was twisted would hold its form after being dunked in water.

These two pieces were utilizing solely water to try and get the paper to become a solid shape.

After my experiments I decided to make a paper mache mask as part of one of my pieces.

I first took clay and put it over a skull from one of the anatomical dummies. I then exaggerated some of the features such as the cheek bones, chin, and nose to make it look more like the mempo (face mask) I had seen in my research.

These next few pictures show the face mask after I peeled the clay off of it and applied two coatings of gesso on the front and back to give it a stiffer form. The paper mache itself is three layers thick but I would recommend using even more layers as the mask was a little flimsy.

In the next two photos I have applied red acrylic paint to make the mask stand out more and to make it a little stiffer. 

These two photos show the kabuto or samurai helmet which goes along with the mempo. I layered at least eight piece of wet paper over a bowl and let it dry to create its form. I then tied them together and applied a few coats of gesso to make it stiffer.

Here I cut out a visor and painted it black. I then cut out strips of thick paper and laced them together with thin, twisted paper and attached it to the rest of the piece to form the neck guard.

Next I added some thin, twisted paper to the mempo so it could be tied to the face and then I coated the rest of the helmet in red acrylic paint to match the mempo.

My second piece resembles a rice paddy hat. I took large strips of paper and layered them over one another. I then traced the circumference of a trash can lid and cut out the circles. I took these circles, drenched them in water and then smoothed them into the trash can lid to achieved this concave form.

To get the pattern you see I first cut slits into one of the circles I had previously cut out and then wove long strips of paper into them to get a woven grass effect.

I then supported the interior to keep its shape with a system of stiff paper to create a type of network to keep the paper from flopping around too much. Finally, I tied some twisted paper to this structure and painted them gold to use a the chin strap.

My third themed object is modeled after a headband I saw that was woven from straw. I made mine by taking long strips of paper, twisting them, and then weaving them together to get this shape. I then dunked it in water and let it dry in hopes that it would shrink slightly and hold together more tightly.

These two pictures show the completed head band on a model head. The head was a little big for the head band but I did not want to damage my piece by forcing it onto the sculpture.

Here is the completed kabuto and mempo displayed on the stature head.

These final pictures show the completed rice paddy hat and its substructure to keep its form.

Memento 

My memento represents the walks I would often take with my family at Fairfield Hills in CT. I enjoyed these walks around Fairfield Hills because the hospital that was located there was very fun to explore. It had at one time been a psychiatric hospital but was closed down officially in 1995 and has fallen into complete disrepair. Everything front chipped paint to broken windows give the hospital a much more eerie feel. Additionally there are tunnels running underneath the main buildings to transport patients. Many of the sixteen buildings are cordoned off by chain link fences to deter trespassers but you can peer unto the windows of other ones and see trash, dust, and dried leaves.

 I used metal wire to symbolize the chain link fencing that surrounds many of the buildings. The circle of latex is cut out from a latex glove to represent the sterile feeling that the grounds seem to permeate.

 The red ribbon is representative of the lives that once occupied the hospital grounds and gave it life. Now the grounds are lifeless, there is no movement or activity other than some joggers.

The final piece is made into a circle because our walks would almost always take us in a giant circle around the property and bring us back to our starting destination. Additionally the metal is tugging at the latex to show how the purpose of the hospital was stretched out for as long as it could until it was ultimately closed down.

Paper Sculpture Theme Inspiration

 

 

The following six images are inspirations for my them; Japanese hats. The first two masks called the mempo are traditionally worn by samurai and are heavily symbolic. The kabuto (Samurai helmet) are equally intricate but are not impractical in battle which drew my interest. The woven hats are beautifully shaped and show great skill on the part of the creator which is why I have chosen this theme. I want to create something that is challenging and conventional but also artistic.

Image Provided by: http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/lot/an-iron-half-mask-edo-period-4151053-details.aspx?intObjectID=4151053

 

 

Image Provided by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mempo#/media/File:Menpo_3.JPG

 

 

 

Image Proved by: https://www.pinterest.com/pin/99079260525911486/

 

 

Image Provided by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuto#/media/File:MAP_Expo_Oitaragainari_kawari_kabuto_XVII_02_01_2012.jpg

 

 

Image Provided by: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabuto#/media/File:Zunari_kabuto1.JPG

 

Image Provided by: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/fe/f1/07/fef107603a246d807781bb2b2df3e745.jpg

Diane Ackerman

Response to 'Touch' Article

Touch is perhaps the first sense that provides the most valid information as a child. Through touch, an infant can immediately determine whether the object they are caressing causes pain or pleasure and they will then continue to explore the object or quickly retract their hand based on the information they have gathered. The sense of touch is key to keeping ourselves safe by helping us gather information about the world around us. After all, there is something to be said about, 'first hand experience.' When we touch an object we learn its structure, texture, temperature, and many other tiny bits of information that allow us to form an image in our mind. Whats more is we rarely forget the feeling associated with the objects we touch. This makes the sense of touch a very powerful and necessary reminder of the world around us. When we receive an injury our body notifies the brain via stimuli around the affected area. The brain takes note of this and sends out pain signals so we understand that what we are touching is causing us damage. It is trying to preserve us through these signals of pain. Touch acts as a rather primal but effective way of understanding the world. We can quickly discover if the ground we sit on would irritate our skin or if the sun is too hot for direct exposure. Without this sense of touch we would quickly endanger our lives as we would not understand what is harmful to us. We would also become partially separated from the world as we would be unable to feel our essence, our contact with our surroundings. We become a more concrete part of the world by interacting with it and touch allows us to accomplish this. It is through touch that we foster a closer relationship and appreciation with what we can feel. The delicate and subtle curves of a seashell or the gritty, compact feeling of stone; all such textures are analyzed through touch. Touch allows us to break down the world and see beyond what our eyes can analyze.   

Inventory / The Tokens
Response to Christopher Turner’s Article

This article reveals the hidden meaning even small or otherwise common objects can have embedded within them. The article ties in to our discussion of souvenirs and mementoes that can have unseen meaning behind them depending on the experience the owner associates with it. For example, the article discusses a very interesting and touching use of mementoes adopted by mothers wishing to one day reclaim their child if their circumstances were to change. To one day reclaim your child by showing them the other half of an object broken in two would truly create an unforgettable moment. It does not matter whether it is a pocket watch or a padlock, items can represent anything from ancestry to a notable event. Objects are simply placeholders for emotions, ideas, experiences, and so many more intangible creations. For the children that were lucky enough to receive a token from their mother, that object must have in part defined them. It provided them with a physical reminder that there was someone out in the world who did care about them and hoped to one day return or at least tell them where they came from. These reminders guide our actions and our personalities by providing us with the ground work of who we are as people. We all try to be our own person, an individual, but we all at one time or another seem to cling to something we inherited to help define us. The deeds of past family members, where we grew up, and other such experience are our jumping off point to create experiences for ourselves which will in turn inspire others.     

Susan Stewart Question Response

1. The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale.

I find this to be quite true as the U.S. standard of measurement for twelve inches is called a 'foot'. People constantly compare the height of buildings to the height of people and it does make sense because buildings are designed to accommodate the measurements of the average human being in order to make them comfortable moving around in. In the books about dinosaurs I used to read when I was younger, the author would consistently place a human being next to the dinosaur for scale. This is likely because we are all familiar with what the average measurements of a human being are. We can all use this base knowledge to help comprehend something that is less familiar, such as the size of a dinosaur or a building.

2. The capacity of objects are to serve as traces of authentic experience.

Objects do act as physical reminders of past events. I still have a grass model of a grass hopper that I was given around age ten by a crafts maker on a street corner when I was visiting New York with my family. The actual experience was me and my family walking around New York and seeing the sights but the grass hopper that was given to me by the crafts maker is a reminder of this authentic experience. 

3. The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the three dimensional into the miniature, that which can be enveloped by the body.

Souvenirs do have the ability to represent the very culture of its surroundings whether they be physical or ideological. The purpose of most souvenirs is to embody what experiences commonly take place there. For example if you go to Paris it will not be difficult to find a miniature Eiffel Tower in Paris France nor will it be difficult to find a local souvenir that relates to Ponce de Leon or Pedro Menendez because our town came to be by their actions. Souvenirs act as an embodiment to the visual and cultural aspects you experience when visiting other areas and they allow you to recall these experience via a visual aid. I can still remember the damp feeling of walking down winding, misty paths of flowers and foliage every time I see the vase my mother bought at a botanical garden. 

4. Nostalgia cannot be sustained without loss.

I am inclined to agree with this because nostalgia refers to a longing for a happy memory that is from the past. Therefore, we must 'lose' some of our memory in order to feel nostalgic about something. If we remembered everything we experienced perfectly then it may prove difficult to have nostalgia. But, when we recall a memory, typically a happy one, we might experience the same happy feelings we did at that moment and have a desire to reclaim them. For instance, not too long ago I was looking over old family photos and found one of my family at a house I used to live in up north. I had many good experiences there and I enjoyed going on after dinner walks all around town seeing the sights such as the library, the movie theater, and the general store. Seeing this photo brought back those happy memories and it was quite interesting as I had not thought about that home for quite a long time.  

5. To have a souvenir of the exotic is to possess both a specimen and a trophy. 

A souvenir is not a difficult thing to obtain but a truly exotic one can be quite an addition to your life experiences. To be able to sort through the mountain of common, unimpressive, and poorly made souvenirs you find at most tourist destinations and find something worth while to take back home is quite the accomplishment. The souvenir is quite the specimen because it is interesting to look at because it is uncommon but it is also a trophy due to the unlikely event you would be able to find a souvenir worthy of pulling out your wallet. Unfortunately our local St. George Street is no exception to having a plethora of useless souvenirs. So many of the shops have dried out alligator heads, sea shells, and nearly every other generic souvenir you can think of which makes it quite the success to find something that will truly represent a memorable expression of St. Augustine.