3.Textures

Artists and their Materials

Rosalie Gascoigne
Harlequin

Gascoigne creates the work ‘Harlequin’ through fragments of sawn wood attached to craft-board. Using ‘used’ or ‘raw’ materials is a feature of many of Gascoigne’s works, saying ‘usually when I start I like the stuff, the raw material in the first place, and that's usually a must, you've got to lug it home and scrub it and all that sort of stuff.’(1998 abc interview*) Through her use of materials, Gascoigne aims to challenge our notions of art as the ‘masterpiece’ and what constitutes an artwork. Furthermore, by using recycled materials, Gascoigne examines the way in which artists can transform the meaning of the materials or objects they use through their artistic practice. In ‘Harlequin,’ Gascoigne uses fragments of sawn wood to create an abstract, non-figurative image, using her materials in a more expressive way rather than attempting to represent a figure, or mimic reality. The contrast in textures, colours and grain of the wood is a focal point of this work, making the work’s meaning not only ambiguous, but incredibly subjective. Thus, Gascoigne uses her materials to accentuate her themes and ideas.

* http://www.abc.net.au/arts/headspace/tv/express/gascoigne/default.htm



Fiona Hall
Paradisus Terrestris


Hall constructs this series of sculptures through aluminum and steel, delicately moulding the filigreed plant sculptures sprouting out of re-used, polished sardine cans. The use of a mundane object such as a used sardine can adds an element of humour and satire to the work, for she manipulates the sardine can to portray rather sensuous sections of the human body. The friction between the mundane material and what it is used for highlights Hall’s message of the current human life and biodiversity on earth as struggling to coexist with industrial waste and manufacturing of the modern age. Indeed, Director Rhana Devenport , a curator of Hall’s 2007 exhibition in New Zealand, refers to the work as a ‘passionate and meticulous investigation of the biological world and the severe environmental pressures that humanity continues to place upon it.’** Consequently, it is evident that Hall’s use of materials contributes significantly to the meaning of this work.

**http://www.creativenz.govt.nz/tabid/59/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/132/Experience-the-world-of-Fiona-Hall.aspx

First attempt at Secondary Model

model with stairs

A work in progress

4.18 sketches

Click for clearer image

Week 1

Images

1:'Tree of Life' by Michelle Lee

My Year 12 'Body of Work' was heavily influenced by traditional Japanese art and the works of Gustav Klimt. I used various Eastern decorative techniques and iconography to create the four panels, which look at the symbology of the Tree of Life throughout history and culture - representative of humanity’s quest for immortality. By following the life cycle of the tree and the butterfly through the seasons, I attempted to show regeneration and the circularity of life as the true meaning of immortality. The gold-leafed background emphasises the religious and spiritual undertones of my subject.



2: ‘Reflection of a Mineral’ by Yasuhiro Yamashita



Located in the center of Tokyo, Yamashita had to fulfill strict legal conditions and the requirement of a roofed garage, as well as dealing with an extremely confined space, when designing this free-standing house. His design suggests the refraction of light on a mineral, a phenomenon that is both continually changing and multi-faceted. This is manifested through various sky-lights and angular shapes and lines throughout the house. However what remains extraordinary about this design is Yamashita’s ability to express all these elements within such a restricted environment and space, enabling him to win two prestigious international awards in 2008.

3 : An Original Photograph


While travelling down an escalator in a Hawaiian shopping centre, I found myself amidst a canopy of gold-winged butterflies, an unexpected but beautiful spectacle. This commercial installation was incredibly successful and had a huge impact on customers and visitors, due to its artistic but relatively simple concept. What was particularly effective was the fact that this four-storey mobile lead up to a glass dome, creating shafts of light.

Artists

Hall: minature, mutating, satirical.

Moffat: honesty, provokes, mundane.

Gasciogne: fragments, repeating, ambiguous.