Verisimilitude; Week Two “Material Assemblages”

This week, we are challenged to create assemblages of materials sculptures. The goal is to assemble objects into new forms, taking apart and putting together pieces to create a sculpture. Today we were instructed to focus on junctions or the connections between materials. We will then use these experiments to develop work later in the week.

I found it easiest to consider the verb list again while creating. I had all my materials gathered then needed to work out how to assemble them, so words like ‘stack’, ‘balance’, ‘hang’ etc helped with this.

Assemblage One

• 

• 

An unusual bringing together of objects, relying on each other to hold their position. I prefer the second angle, I feel like it gives more context to the audience, however the busy background distracts from the assemblage.

Assemblage Two

• 

Composed of old rusting trampoline springs hooked together, with the addition of an artificial flower stem, the final result looks like a sad bouquet. This is why I decided to hold it this way.

Assemblage Three

• 

• 

With the verbs of ‘stack’ and ‘balance’ on my mind, I took game pieces and cards which are designed for stacking. This assemblage result was simple and a little underwhelming but an interesting experiment.

Assemblage Four

• 

• 

I was handling this netting to brainstorms ways to interact with it and noticed the way it puts pressure on skin. I was excited to see what else I could squeeze through the netting. Materials I considered were jelly and toothpaste, as they have the right consistency, but I didn’t have jelly on hand. Here is my experiment with toothpaste, and I hope to experiment with jelly later.

Assemblage Five

During my making process, I wanted to focus in on the connections. My connections so far have been through just touching or holding each other. In this piece I experiment with a connections that is more secure or has a lasting impact on the material. I took sewing machine needles and forced them through a plastic container. Each needle was a different width and experienced different resistance during the puncturing connection. I then used twine to entangle the pieces, the twine being obsolete given that the needles were securely embedded in the plastic. I liked exploring these connections, both with purpose and without one.

Assemblage Six

• 

• 

• 

• 

My final experiment involved an old broom that had been rotting outside and some beads. I threaded the beads onto the bristles of the broom. This created a connection that was not secured in any way, but while in this orientation, gravity would keep them in place. I tried my best to space them evenly across and backwards through the bristles.

Reflection

I think my experiments were successful. By exploring many different connections with a range of materials I was able to make some interesting assemblages. I think by exploring these connections, I can use multiple different types in one piece to create an unstable and temporary result. In the next stage, I would like to increase the number of materials and types of connections in each assemblage. This is because I think my two to three material assemblages I made today are a little simple.