Evaluation of Final Collection

Overall, I find the pieces of work that I have made to be highly successful within the communication of discomfort. The work I have made presents discomfort from my perspective backed up by research. Throughout the duration of this project I have explored a wide range of how to communicate my theme to finalise upon the pieces shown within my collection. Through refinement of materials and research created my final collection is a successful body of work to show my theme of discomfort. The following shows analysis of my final pieces of work:

Piece One:

These sculptures as of discomfort surrounding personal space and people in general, by using skin coloured fabrics and expanding foam to appear intestinal to present ideas of nausea. Using texture further within this piece to create the aesthetics of discomfort for audiences to experience or touch. As the fabric tube is using a soft shade and then the second sculpture using a cotton. This the contrasting the idea of comfort within these soft fabrics by stuffing them with cardboard. Linking back to this idea of comfort and discomfort juxtaposition within my sculptures, also seen throughout my whole body of work. Then following onto this by using expanding foam as it spews out of the sides, engulfing the fabric tubes – presenting this idea of how consuming anxiety is and the great amounts of nausea and discomfort it causes for many. By then painting this in intestinal colours/shades it creates the piece toy appear more bodily and further express ideas of disgust by making the piece to have a more human appearance, appearing as a growth, organic and bodily form growing out of the wall. The aesthetics of the piece are unsatisfying, however the soft materials intertwined links back to the juxtaposition of comfort and discomfort. This use of juxtaposition was inspired by Helen Chadwick and Sarah Lucas using soft sculptures and juxtaposition using organic and bodily forms within sculptures to create to present discomfort – personifying a sculpture. The personification of my anxiety was inspired by how I want to present my experience but also how Sarah Lucas uses tube sculptures to create tube bodily forms to per-sway so much emotion towards audiences and I feel I have successfully communicated this within this piece of work. I feel that the materials I have used within this piece have shown these desired effects of juxtaposition but also the display of discomfort through creating these sculptures to look organic, as a growth coming out of the wall, personifying the bodily form of the sculpture. This successfully presents discomfort and anxiety in the way I had desired.

Piece Two:

For this piece of work, I have created an interactive gallery bench for audiences, to present ideas of anxiety and the nausea it can cause. By using fleshy tones on the expanding foam on the bench it will appear bodily, while still using ideas of finding discomfort within comfort and this juxtaposition used throughout my whole body of work inspired by Helen Chadwick. The comfort presented by the bench, which is then engulfed in ‘intestines’ presenting ideas that, its hard to find comfort in anything when experiencing anxiety. Even in objects, such as a bench, which is used to find comfort the anxiety never goes it still remains leaving a nauseous feeling – presented by the knotted intestines (expanding foam). This all ties into the idea of using juxtaposition, inspired by Helen Chadwick, to present discomfort in a bodily, interactive, and sculptural way, creating disgust but also interactive and interest for audiences. I chose to use expanding foam due to its similar appearance to intestines (once painted), creating the bodily and grotesque form which I wanted to capture within my work/project. By using a bench to create comfort but also making it uncomfortable to sit on due to the expanding foams texture, further plays into the idea of discomfort caused by anxiety along with personal space and the interactivity of my work. To experience this piece, you have to sit on it, breaking personal space which is a large area of anxiety I have found for many within my research. I find this piece successful within the communication of my message of discomfort through ways of texture, interactivity, and the juxtaposition of materials.

Piece Three:

This piece presents ideas of discomfort and anxiety with the sub theme of personal space as a large focus due to my research finding that this is what creates discomfort for a large majority. I have used a range of soft fabrics along with latex poured onto these fabric tubes to show/present ideas of nausea. By spewing the latex onto the fabric tubes, it makes them appear that bile has been projected onto them, exaggerating the severe discomfort and nausea that us caused by anxiety of breaking personal space/anxiety in general. The use of expanding foam is also presenting this idea of nausea to audiences through the fleshy, bodily, and intestinal appearance to them once painted. The pools of latex coming out from under the expanding foam chair has been used to further show these ideas of nausea within pools of vomit. By creating the piece to look grotesque but using soft materials it plays into the idea of using juxtaposition of comfort and discomfort to appeal to audiences. The then textures of the piece of the contrasting textures will add to the sensory discomforts and effects of anxiety as textures can cause anxiety for others. The use of texture is used to manipulate physical discomfort on audiences through the contrasting texture along with the rubbery texture of the latex contrasting the soft plushy fabric tubes. The use of colour within the bodily and fleshy tones have been used to present as people. Presenting as bodily, crammed together, and appearing as though they are growing out of the wall. To further add to the organic bodily appearance to my work – making the soft sculpture appear living. Overall, I find this piece highly successful within communicating my ideas of discomfort of personal space within a sculptural form. However, within the future I need to think through the suspension of my piece before committing to making, understand how it will be put up firsts before making. Other than this I find this piece highly successful within my concept and project.

Piece Four:

This piece used long fabric tubes in skin tones covered in latex to present the discomfort of personal space. Using the fabric tubes to resent themselves as people and the latex resenting itself as bile, manipulating the nausea of anxiety to become physical for audiences to feel and see. I have used these materials due to the likely appearance towards the body/bile. Using skin tones with the cotton to present these long tubes as people – bunched together and able to walk through, linking back to this idea of personal space and the discomfort it creates. The invasion of the tubes space then personifies them as people showing my ideas of discomfort personal space creates. The texture of the latex against the skin along with the appearance of the latex against the skin along with the appearance of the latex spewed all over which is aesthetically disturbing, along with the physical textures of the latex being uncomfortable. By focusing upon the discomfort of personal space within my work, I have focused on using colour, texture, and interactivity to create emotion within my message of my work. Overall, I find this piece of work successful within the communication go personal space through the bodily, growth appearance of the piece of work. Along with it’s the textures of the soft materials then contrasted by the visceral, grotesque message when put together. However, it I were to improve this piece of work I would add more tubes to either side of the piece but I did not have enough time to create more as it would have taken another two weeks extra. Other than that, I am happy with this piece of work due to its reflection on how I would like to present discomfort and anxiety. Along with, this creating interactivity with audiences to help understand the emotions and sensation of discomfort.

Piece Five:

This piece explores discomfort through the use of projection, colour, and audio. By using colour and audio, interactivity of my work to this anxiety and discomfort onto audiences. Using red block colour projection to show ideas of embarrassment. Red faced embarrassment as the inspiration for this piece, using the spotlight of red further adds to the idea of embarrassment due to the attention being on those interacting, due to the spotlight. The audience looking at those interacting will make further discomfort due to the pressures of people looking at you, the spotlight may cause anxiety for those interacting. The audio plays loops of layered chewing recorded on a voice recorder, then edited on GarageBand – each audio is two minutes long. Misophonia causes serious distress and can replay in my head for hours, which is why I chose to loop the audios. Together with the lighting and audio it will create an altogether uncomfortable experience, which is the ultimate goal. Using inspiration from Mona Hatoum within the use of projection to present discomfort. The use of red within my work/this piece has been used to add to the idea of discomfort, as red is symbolic of danger so the use of red, along with the spotlight, may spike some audiences fight or flight which is the desired effect of this piece due to its exploration upon anxiety. However, if I were to change this piece I would make it in a more isolated area and have another fully exposed to other people within the exhibition to see the effects on how people interact with the piece, their reaction and how their body language changes. Due to this display piece being fully exposed where anyone can see you it may cause more discomfort, but if it were isolated the experience of the piece may be different. However, I still find this piece of work highly successful in the communication of discomforts using body language of audiences, lighting, and audio as the main interest of anxiety within this piece of work. Against my other pieces within this collection I still find it highly successful even though the use of materials are vastly different.