Progress Thus Far

I've taken photos of my progress thus far.
This was a starting point for my caterpillars. The hole at the ends of these objects was meant for hanging. This starting point reminded me of a solid, fat sausage! But after some time, it began to take shape. Once I liked how it basically looked, I took my fettling knife and did a little dissection by slicing the backs open, then using a wire tool to scoop out all of the 'innards'. Lastly, sealing it up smoothly for a nice, hollow piece that wasn't too heavy. Holes were punctured for air release.
I really like how smooth they are. They are in position to begin making their cocoons, which I also made. I love how infantile and fragile they feel in my hands, even though they are multiple times their original size.
These are the ones I've made so far. Some of them are leather hard, some are still very wet. Some of the cocoons are sealed (like the form on the inside hasn't matured yet) and some have begun to open and reveal the mature form inside.

This is a close up of one of the cocoons. I plan to have them all glazed in opaque pale color (off white or grayish, I'm not sure yet). I just want them to be plain to start. Coming out of the opened cocoons I want to have unexpected things coming out of them. That I want to be a surprise, so I wont tell you what yet. :)

This is a tree I was thinking of using for the site. Hanging from various heights, I wanted it to be something you might happen upon and be surprised to see. I was thinking about the expected and unexpected in evolution and transformation. We always expect the same thing to come out of a cocoon, just like some parents expect their child to grow up to be a picture they have in their mind of someone they would want to associate with or wished they could be. Often, as we know, we do not grow up as our parents thought. I want my piece to voice that unexpected surprise, where you think you are going to see something and then see something completely different, whether it be a good or bad surprise. Expect the unexpected. I love those kind of surprises.


In other news, here are some test tiles! (Mine and Karen's are on the same board.) Jen, Karen and I all made slip this morning (after some drill bit difficulties) and feel that it came out great! The slip felt WONDERFUL on your fingers. So silky! :)

And that's about it for now in the 'progress' category.

Response to the Kwon article & presentation

I thought we had a really great discussion about this article today, and I was REALLY interested to see the video presented about the tree. Reading the article, I found myself looking up different artists to see the works that they were discussing. I loved how the tree was moved so carefully to preserve the organisms. I feel like that might be a really interesting project for the classroom. Taking a piece of a dead tree and having a terrarium and just watching as time passes how things can grow and multiply can be very beautiful. It is a mixture of science and art that I really love to try and talk about sometimes in my own work with the beauty of nature and things found in nature that we don't always stop to look at and think about.

Article Response: Amber & Karen's article titled "Craft's Horizons"

The author of this article explored the question about what we see or take as craft today. He gave us numerous names of people who may fall into the category of craft, and we explored a few. What do you think? Do they fall into the category of 'craft'?

-Rings by Sevan Bicakci-

Also, the author suggests that various artists use craftsman and other people to produce their art, but then only the "artist" themselves are credited. What do you think about this?

(made by Bond Street firm Bentley and Skinner)

Roni Horn's "Pink Tons"

(manufactured for her by the German firm Schott)

Charles Ray's "Hinoki"
(exact replica of a fallen tree, fashioned by a team of wood carvers in Osaka)

And how about industry?

The author states:
"Without these craftspeople, the global economy would be in even more trouble than it already is."

The works at the link are by artists who are embracing production and it's benefits. (Object Factory). To us, this show is a note of optimism, like the author states in the last paragraph.

Fair Trade is not about charity, but about giving a fair deal to marginalized third world producers.

Global Gallery is a non-profit, volunteer operated, marketplace in the Short North that promotes fair-trade and cultural awareness. Fair Trade products and handicrafts from around the world in our store help provide each artisan with a fair wage to support their families.

Still haven't figured out how to reorder things in a slideshow, but here it is! ^_^




This slideshow shows work I showed in class and a couple more. I enjoy meticulous drawings, exploring nature and relationships between various species of insects in my work. I also have my final ceramic work from last summer, where I feel I learned a lot about ceramics but have so much more room to grow. I prefer to create objects and things which may or may not be functional and which represent what I find to be beautiful and interesting in nature and the world that surrounds us. I enjoy carrying themes, and underlying messages in works.

Hi! This is my very first, brand spanking new blog. Enjoy!