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WORK

Stop Motion Short Films:

 

Attempting to display the decay and death of the plants.

I therefore experimented with making films of the plants growing (left hand film) and then reversed (right hand film) them to show the decay. 

A few of the films show the full growth and decay of the plants.

The films were shown on loop as they are only a few seconds long.

 

 

The use of stop motion film created a feel of the cyclical nature of decay and growth as opposed to the finality of death, I therefore abandoned the use of stop motion film in favour of the whiteboard as a contemporary method of representing impermanence.

Short Films:

 

These are two short films experimenting with the performance part of drawing on a whiteboard.

These films show me rubbing out sections of the spider diagrams that I have created, and then reversing them to rub the words back in. 

I found that these didn't really reflect the vanitas theme that I was working with and so I decided to focus on the drawings of the flowers.

 

The first film shows the real time version of rubbing out the work, the second (left hand side) shows a stop motion version of erasing the board, the third (right hand side) shows a reversed version of this and so I rub the words back in.

Inkling film:

 

To experiment with other media I attempted to use an Inkling. An Inkling allowed me to draw onto a peice of paper whilst it recorded all the movements of my pen and therefore created a short film of my drawing being drawn. I then used this to create a stop motion version of the Inkling drawing being created and reversing it within the same film. However, this also reflects the circle of life more than the finality of death and I therefore left this medium behind.

Chalkboards:

 

In looking at the work of Tacita Dean I decided to experiment with drawing onto a chalkboard as opposed to a whiteboard to test whether this reflected the impermanence of life more effectively. However, I found this medium harder to work and that it appeared less relevant to contemporary society. The whiteboard is like a contemporary version of the chalkboard. I therefore decided that detailed effect of the whiteboard reflected my intentions better.

Plant
Plant (detail)
Plant (detail)
Plant
Plant
My days are like an evening shadow
Is that it when you die?

Whiteboards:

 

This is the medium that I decided would best reflect the impermanence of life as the detail that the ink of the whiteboard marker allows gives detail athat reflects the detail of the human body, whilst the dry-wipe marker means that the marks may be remvoed at any time by even as little as a hair.

 

I experimented with including spider diagrams of my thoughts with my drawings, and initially this was effective, but they became too contrived and distracted from the intentions behind the work. I also attempted using text and this also was not as effective as the drawings on their own.

 

For the degree show I decided to draw on three large scale (2.4m x 1.2m) boards (tryptch reflects the Trinity) using roses and daffodils in my compositions. I decided to use both dry-wipe marker pen on two of the three whiteboards and permanent marker on the final board, allowing for easier storage and transportation of the third board and allowing me to experiment with viewer’s reactions to the media.

Whiteboard Drawing
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Leaf
Leaves
I wither away like grass
My days are like an evening shadow
Is that it when you die?
Whiteboard spider diagrams
Whiteboard spider diagrams
Whiteboard spider diagrams
Whiteboard spider diagrams
Whiteboard spider diagrams
Whiteboard spider diagrams
My days are like an evening shadow
For we are but of yesterday
For we are but of yesterday
For we are but of yesterday

Pen and ink drawings:

 

I debated displaying the original drawings within the exhibition but found that the pen and ink medium didn't reflect the impermanence as the whiteboard drawings and etchings did. 

Fly
Fly
Dead Rose
Dead Leaf
Rose Bud
All flesh is like grass
All flesh is like grass
All flesh is like grass
Daffodil
The grass withers
Wilting Daffodil
The grass withers
The grass withers
Wilted Daffodil
Wilting Daffodils
Rose and Daffodil
Goldfinch - symbol of Jesus Christ

Etchings:

 

The technique of etching is a historical technique used in the 16th and 17th centuries which creates a fragile appearance to the images, and though the prints can be reproduced the use of handmade paper means each print is individual and appears fragile, reflecting the temporal appearance I intended. I have therefore created two series of three etchings on hand made paper to reflect the historical representation of the Trinity through the use of triptych.

As for man, his days are like grass
You swap them away as with a flood
You swap them away as with a flood
You swap them away as with a flood
And all of us wither like a leaf,
For days pass away like smoke, and
You swap them away as with a flood
So also will the rich man fade away
Thus He remembered that they were
Of old you laid the foundations of
I am passing like a shadow when it
I, I am he who comforts you; who are
For we are but of yesterday, and
...There is hardly a skip between me
...Its flower falls, and its beauty
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Man this is born of woman is of a
For they will soon fade like the
Make me know my end and what is the
For the sun rises with scorching
What does man gain by all the toil
Vanity of vanities, says the
You are just a vapour that appears
Man is like a mere breath; His days
My days are like a lengthened shadow
Like a flower he comes forth and
Now my days are swifter than a
...for the wind passes over it, and
...They will perish, but you will
All flesh is grass, and all its
My days are swifter than a weaver's
...You will change them like a robe
As for man, his days are like grass;

TV screen presentation:

 

This is a video which I created to go on the TV screen that is positioned within the Foyer space where I will be hanging my exhibition. The video shows unreferenced Bible verses that fade in and out on a loop. The grey colour used for the texts allows for the TV screen to blend well into the rest of my work without causing distraction. The quotes bring about thought to the symbolism used within the drawings and the fragility of the mediums used.

Exhibition Photographs:

For we are but of yesterday
For the sun rises with scorching
In the morning it flourishes and is
All flesh is like grass and all its
All flesh is like grass and all its
All flesh is like grass and all its
All flesh is like grass and all its
The grass withers, and the flower
The grass withers, and the flower
The grass withers, and the flower
The grass withers, and the flower
As for man, his days are like grass;

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