I think I was thinking too literally about the stacking having to take the form of geometric shapes and my previous experiments aren't exciting enough to interact with, at least not on their own. I have been inspired by the sculptural work of Elly Thomas for a long time, especially the use of both hard and soft abstract forms often made from paper-mache, latex or stretchy material. A lot of her studio practice is taking the forms she makes and creating irregular stacks to create sculptural dialogues between the shapes, materials and the connection with the body during the process. Thomas's work has this interesting quality where the forms seem to resemble things (such as fruit or plants) yet not fully which allows the imagination to take place as to what each shape could represent, an abstraction of the everyday. They each have a different texture ... some squishy, some rough but it makes the work more of a sensory experience.
This led me to explore more unpredictable forms, abstract and ergonomic which have a relationship to the body and its senses to introduce interactivity without being too literal in its shape. I gathered materials from previous projects as well as sourcing some new ones from a material shop, spending time researching the materials and their sensory benefit. I was drawn to thick fleece and corduroy which had interesting textures. I then laid out all the fabrics and began cutting two-part sculptures without having a predetermined form, this allowed them to be more organic. Some of the shapes resembled flowers and others body part - I really like this idea of the recognisable with the unrecognisable which is present in Elly Thomas' work. The forms would be versatile to the viewer. After sewing, I stuffed the sculptures with a variety of materials including pasta, rice, styrofoam cubes which reflected materials often present in children's crafts and play. The sound and texture played part in the process as I wanted to explore the ideas of sensory allowing the audience to create noises through the way in which they interact. Out of all the experimentations I have done so far, I think the sensory sculptures have been the most refined due to the far they have a clear purpose without the forms feeling too much like a toy. I do, however, believe I need to make more to create an impact - maybe lots of certain types of colours or sounds that can be organised into piles or sections in a room.
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