This week our focus when creating sculpture works has shifted from drawing on our environment and surroundings, to gathering materials and assembling them into new forms. The idea is to use ‘Real things’ founded at our disposal that isn’t related so much with traditional art materials.
I had a various amount of personal items that I brought down to Tauranga for lockdown. I choose to limit myself to the items in the room I was staying in which limited my options, instantly allowing my mind to form ideas rather than continue to form a mental map of items in the house I could use.
My first assemblage I began with the first items I saw on my dresser. These being a decorative Hennessy bottle, jewellery, rice bowl, coins, CD’s, succulent. The difference of the tasks from the intentions to the assemblages is that we were shifting our focus from integrating the space and environment to concentrating on a specific assemblage, removing the influence of the environment on the piece. I have given a neutral background to the best of my ability, accompanied by natural lighting.
This assemblage I have simplified at first. Filling the Hennessy bottle with water and stacking the bottle on top of CD’s. During this process I was keeping in mind the neutral setting and lighting, I then thought about coloured water to differentiate the Hennessy and water from the neutral background further. I then wanted to add to the bottle as it felt quite naked without the cork (I had lost it), so addition of jewellery around the bottle neck was made. By turning the CD’s on the stack as I did it gave to me the feeling of stairs or the path to something upwards. The decorative Hennessy bottle takes away from a traditional presence, integrating a lighthearted almost spiritual sense with the amethyst adorning the bottle.
Already 2 assemblages into this task and I can already reflect on the ideas and way I resonate with this sculpture task. As using already founded material Ive been able to attach a narrative alongside the sculpture, this is a result of the materials utilised.
My 3rd assemblage is pushing out of my comfort zone, further a personal narrative in my material assemblages. We can first notice the shift into a deeper personal narrative by the materials chosen, red jasper crystals, selenite crystal bowl, and my medication. After assembling this assemblage I took about 5-10 minute to observe and reflect, I can across themes of mental health, self care, and independence. As by using crystals and crystals to hold my medication it is a sense of self care and independence as I founded the tools of crystals through discovery of spirituality. Spirituality has assisted me through my mental health journey and upon recoveries.
Utilising more items founded on my dresser I have compiled a collection of items I use day to day when leaving the house. All a collection of items that tell a story, a timeline even, we can see this as I have included a license plate which is from a past vehicle of mine and a mask that I happen to wear day to day in 2021 due to COVID. I love this assemblage and its a compilation of items I would take out day to day from 2018to 2021. The rainbow lanyard on my keys is from my first vehicle when I was 16, licence plate from my car in 2019, a veil (worn for spiritual reasons), and sunglasses.
Through these assemblages Ive founded a broad variety of ways I can depict personal and new narratives, these being personal and non-personal founded matters. I want to incorporate this new skill/ tool in my own personal creative works.
I do wish I had used more ambiguous founded materials, ones the contain less representation, though I have founded new processes and skills in this task already in how I form and depict my assemblages
With my next assemblage I wanted to break away from subconsciously creating a personal narrative alongside the materials used for the assemblage. I quite enjoyed the circle created from the necklace, from both view it is aesthetically pleasing to the eye for the assemblage. This is an idea I will push further in my developments to include founded materials used in an ambiguous sense.