PROPOSAL -
For my final resolved outcome I wanted to create an immersive environment made from several soft sculptures that are be adaptable to the space and the participant. Made from white faux leather and toy stuffing, ‘Slope’, ‘Spikey’, ‘Flat Ring’ and the two parts of ‘Double Seat’ are free-standing and malleable that can hold the body but also be squished similarly to Neto’s ‘Humanoids Family’ the idea of compression with support – a humorous, yet comforting, sensory experience. Together they accumulate to a collection named ‘Squishkind’ playing on the idea that they are beings rather than purely aesthetic sculptures.
I was drawn to the modifiable dynamic of Franz West’s ‘Adaptives’ and therefore chose to make my work in several parts so that they are buildable and can connect to the rest of the sculptures as well as the body within the white cube space (which is also adaptable). Furthermore, the abstract nature of the shapes allows for difference in social interaction and ‘doubt and perplexity’ that Tim Stott expressed about the practice of Carsten Höller. In imagining the space, I was interested in the transformative nature of Pipilotti Rist’s large scale projections; my five sculptures can exist in the space as an installation akin to a soft play area but once projected on become an otherworldly multi-sensory environment. As Homan suggested in ‘Whoever cannot give, also receives nothing’, art can be transformative and because the sculptures are deliberately white means that the work can be altered to a visually striking, otherworldly space that is not necessarily of the contexts or aesthetics of the outside world.
INSTALLATION -
Once all my sculptures were complete I transported them to uni to properly document them in a white-cube space - I was going to photograph my work at home but I didn't have a space large enough with a blank walk (maybe this could have been interesting but I wanted a blank, adaptaptable space that could be transformed). This might be something to explore in future works. I began the process by simply moving the sculptures around the space, due to a heavy weight this was almost a performance in itself and I really wished I had filmed this process. I tried different combinations, playing around with how the shapes fitted in the space, created conversation with one another by the way they leaned and balanced. I really liked the white surface of the sculptures against the white cube space, they felt like extensions or beings that have emerged from the space, blurring the space in abstraction and interactive potentiality.
In further exploration of my work, I used projections as a way of flooding the space with colour and texture through photoshopped clay background I had made earlier in the year. I thought these would work well due to there sensory and playful appearance. I really enjoyed this process, it radically changed the sculptures and its surrounding environment, created this otherworld feel - a sensorial play space that transports the participant. It was interesting how the blobs and squiggles in the image hugged the shapes, responding to the angles and shape. My one problem is that I wished I had made a floor element to the work, like a large flat soft sculpture, an oversized child's play mat or crash mat. Maria Nepomuceno 'Tempo Para Respirar' (2012) utilised the floor space through hand woven rugs, layered with several abstract sculptures creating an environment with connotations of an organ system. Having the space totally covered in fabric made the work feel inviting and that it could continue on throughout the gallery, transforming space to a tactile experience. However, the floor in the studios worked well to project the images onto, morphing from the shape to the floor and wall. Theres always something to improve on and this is something I can explore in my future work, 'Squishkind' can continue to evolve through additions of sensory elements.
In reflection of 'Squishkind' (part 1 of my final piece) I am really pleased with this resolved outcome of my work. The white sculptures are adaptable through their white faux leather fabric and abstract shape, the viewer can activate the work through the positioning in the room - making new environments and dialogues, the space can never be the same twice and is constant flux. The projections can immerse the viewer in a highly saturated, immersive, sensory environment composed of sculptural beings that have autonomy. ‘Slope’, ‘Spikey’, ‘Flat Ring’ and ‘Double Seat’ form a collective to create an immersive environment akin to soft-play a soft play area or sensory room. The free-standing and malleable shapes are adaptable, hold the body and are transformed through interactivity and large scale projections.