Hello friends. This week my blog is a little late due to the fact that I am in Washington DC (we drove 10 hours to get here). We are here for the Rally to Restore Sanity and the March to Keep Fear Alive. After having a long conversation with my friend about taking the weekend off to travel, I've decided that it's good to get away, clear my head, and look at my work on Monday with fresh eyes.
I was in the ceramics studio for 6 hours this week for studio time working on my large ceramic sculptures. I will upload new pictures of them (they've grown) on Monday when I get home. I wasn't feeling very happy with the direction the pieces have taken, mostly due to the scale and loss of control I've experienced while working on these bigger pieces. They are looking more like pillars than gestural organisms. I am going with the flow because I've been working on them for so long but I cannot wait to start working on smaller/medium size pieces.
After driving in the car for over nineteen hours this week I have become enthralled with the colors of the changing trees and deteriorating rocks of Pennsylvania... the burgundy, deep yellow ochre, pale gray, and and burnt umber of lifeless branches.. driving along the turnpike (although a pain in the butt) was a beautiful sight, one that I would like to experiment with and possible incorporate into the color of my pieces.
I am getting closer to finishing my large pieces, hopefully by the end of the week if all goes well. I've been doing some sketching/thinking about the nest pieces I want to begin. They will be around the same size as the fist one, maybe a little larger. I have come up with different ideas that address the placement of the pieces on the ground, the wall, and maybe even suspension. I may be a little ahead of myself but I've been imaging some interesting forms. I want to try and play with the idea of gravity and extension in the pieces. i.e. extending the neck of the form so that it seem unreal in the the length and balance of the overall organism.
The texture for the large pieces is simple and generally covers the entire piece. These look more Rock-like in my minds eye, a drake gray, maybe even stratified sections signified by a slight color change. I'm not a 100% on the color change because I don't know if horizontal bands help or hurt the form. I don't wan to to take much attention away but the fact that these pieces are so big and lack a large gesture it may be okay to have slight color change.
These are the things I am pondering now. All looks well, I am just excited to start working on new pieces.
PS the RALLY WAS SO FING COOOOL! So many people, great performances, hilarious signs. A great trip overall and nice to get a little break
October 29, 2010
October 24, 2010
Picture Update
Yo here are the pictures of the in progress work. They're both just over two feet tall and growing.
October 22, 2010
Going Big
This week in Studio:
Ceramics Studio: 3 hours
Over the break I worked mostly on the two larger sculptures. One has a base size of 54 inches and the other of 34 inches. They are about two feet tall at this point with a lot more growing to do. I hope for the largest sculpture to be the size of myself (around 5 feet) and the other one to be around 4 feet or so. They both could end up larger depending on how the form plays out. They have both been fun to make but at the same time very challenging. I go back and forth from feeling like I have complete control of the medium, to none at all. Working large is physically demanding which I enjoy, yet it can be difficult to perpetually push your mind and body at the same time.
I've looked into textures, sampling from nature (the veins of leaves and how they break up space, and the cracking of rock I saw in the Hagia Sophia, pics right and left) as well as fro
m my own work I completed sophomore year. I think for one of the sculptures (since I will be using washes on them) I will use the texture, although not exactly the same, from my piece shown below and to the right. I will keep the piece matte and either simplify or make the lines more complex depending on how it looks. This texture makes me think of root vegetables or objects originating from beneath the ground.
I am drawn to these rock textures and patterns because of their spontaneity, but also by the fact that they have been altered or placed in their space by a human. In some ways that is what I am doing, taking these natural ideas/objects/forms, meddling with them and the placing them in a new context. On the other hand I do enjoy the textures from the leaves or the moss/rock growth because they have been untouched and formed because of of their environment.
At this point I really want to concentrate on building these sculptures and getting the general gesture established. I think because the clay at this scale is so difficult for me to control that these will not necessarily look how I've planned them to. I'm very excited to see what happens when i take my original form and enlarge it on a mass scale. I think the initial response will vary quite a bit from the first two pieces.
This weekend I would like to do more research (image finding, artist searching) on segmentation and rocks/fossils. I would also like to continue building these pieces up and see where they go. Also maybe do some planing on starting and other line of forms to evolve.
I will post in progress photos of the sculptures later today or tomorrow once I get images of them yay.
Ceramics Studio: 3 hours
Over the break I worked mostly on the two larger sculptures. One has a base size of 54 inches and the other of 34 inches. They are about two feet tall at this point with a lot more growing to do. I hope for the largest sculpture to be the size of myself (around 5 feet) and the other one to be around 4 feet or so. They both could end up larger depending on how the form plays out. They have both been fun to make but at the same time very challenging. I go back and forth from feeling like I have complete control of the medium, to none at all. Working large is physically demanding which I enjoy, yet it can be difficult to perpetually push your mind and body at the same time.
I've looked into textures, sampling from nature (the veins of leaves and how they break up space, and the cracking of rock I saw in the Hagia Sophia, pics right and left) as well as fro
m my own work I completed sophomore year. I think for one of the sculptures (since I will be using washes on them) I will use the texture, although not exactly the same, from my piece shown below and to the right. I will keep the piece matte and either simplify or make the lines more complex depending on how it looks. This texture makes me think of root vegetables or objects originating from beneath the ground. 
I am drawn to these rock textures and patterns because of their spontaneity, but also by the fact that they have been altered or placed in their space by a human. In some ways that is what I am doing, taking these natural ideas/objects/forms, meddling with them and the placing them in a new context. On the other hand I do enjoy the textures from the leaves or the moss/rock growth because they have been untouched and formed because of of their environment.
At this point I really want to concentrate on building these sculptures and getting the general gesture established. I think because the clay at this scale is so difficult for me to control that these will not necessarily look how I've planned them to. I'm very excited to see what happens when i take my original form and enlarge it on a mass scale. I think the initial response will vary quite a bit from the first two pieces.
This weekend I would like to do more research (image finding, artist searching) on segmentation and rocks/fossils. I would also like to continue building these pieces up and see where they go. Also maybe do some planing on starting and other line of forms to evolve.
I will post in progress photos of the sculptures later today or tomorrow once I get images of them yay.
October 15, 2010
Turkish Coffee
This week in Studio
Ceramics studio work: 6 hours
Talk with people: 30 mins
This week flew by in my book. I feel like I didn't get much done, but at least it's fall break and I have a lot of time to work. This week I started two new sculptures, with one's circumference size at 34 inches and the other at 54. They are going to be big. I have a love hate relationship with working big in clay because of the technical difficulties. So far I've been having some trouble with the building but I am continuously figuring out ways to fix the problems/ prevent them in the first place. I am a complete idiot and broke the top part off of my first sculpture and then broke it AGAIN. Ahh it is very frustrating but I'm trying to fix it to the best of my ability.
Over this weekend I want to continue working on these sculptures but I would like to have more intention. More intention with everything that I'm doing, from the concept to the construction. I feel good about my proposal. I really enjoyed writing it, especially after I read a particular review about a piece of John Grade's work by Stefano Catalani. I was only able to view the first part of the article, nonetheless it was insightful. Catalani cites the opening paragraph of Kenneth Clark's literature "Landscape Into Art" and discusses the relationship that humans have developed with nature. He speaks about our intentions in applying significance within natural objects determined by our own specific cultural context. He states that " the cultural context and systems of beliefs we are part of cannot avoid meeting the pool of visual images, symbols, and modes of representation the artist used in creating the artwork in order to make it legible." I want to exploit this idea and sway the viewers associations by what information I choose to include in my sculptures. I have enjoyed showing people my work in progress so much because every time a new person sees them they visualize something completely different from the last person. I've heard spider legs, antenna, plants, and even polyps. I relish in this idea of imaginative interpretation and want to continue playing with that.
Next I will work on research and texture, in addition to building my sculptures. As I said before I want to work with more intention. I've started looking for spaces to display at the end of the year. No luck so far but I have some contacts I'm about to hit up. I'm going to attach my proposal just in case you want to read it. Here is an image of an installation by Yayoi Kusama which is similar to how I would want to display my work.
Yay for fall break!
Mid-term Integrative Project Proposal
Katharine Drake
Section 003
October 14th 2010
I am simply looking to find meaning within myself, to better understand my existence within this landscape, those I have traveled to, and to those I have never seen. I want to create ceramic sculptural ‘families’ originating from biological organisms and their environments. I am responding to various living organisms that in no way can verbally communicate with me. With this investigation into the formal elements of clay in conjunction with the concepts of change, mutation, and ambiguity, I hope to find answers for myself and allow others to question and visualize their relationship to nature. I want my audience to reflect about the sculptures as objects, as well as their immediate associations or relationships to the forms. By referencing biological ideas of evolution or speciation I want to engage the viewers by altering the size, color, texture, and form of my work. The rest of my progression will result by responding to my initial sculpture’s gesture, shape, and size. I would like to investigate the idea of family in relation to biological classifications and genetic mutation, while reflecting my own personal emotions of anxiety and interaction demonstrated by the shapes and touching of the sculptures.
I visualize my work resulting in an installation piece. I see twenty or more ceramic creatures growing from the floor, possibly the walls of a white gallery space. The forms will interact with each other and contain strong individual character and emotions. I will pay for the materials with grant money or out of my own pocket. Clay will be a maximum amount of 250 dollars for two semesters use. I want to find my own space to exhibit with other IP students, in which case we will fundraise. I will create my work within my space in the ceramics studio.
References
Yayoi Kusama
The Moment of Regeneration 2004
Sadashi Inuzuka
Mizu, Series 2003
Tara Donovan
Mylar, 2008
John Grade
Ring, 2006
Jason Briggs
Flirt
Campbell, Neil A., and Jane B. Reece. Student Study Guide for Biology. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.
Catalani, Stefano. “The Natural Course of Things,” Dis/integration exhibition catalog, Bellevue, WA: Bellevue Arts Museum, 2008.
Excerpt: “Once the natural world is tamed through the agency of light and color, or material and plastic values, we look at its representation- or rather presentations- as reflections of our hopes and expectation, fears and capitulations: we look to see ourselves”
Ceramics studio work: 6 hours
Talk with people: 30 mins
This week flew by in my book. I feel like I didn't get much done, but at least it's fall break and I have a lot of time to work. This week I started two new sculptures, with one's circumference size at 34 inches and the other at 54. They are going to be big. I have a love hate relationship with working big in clay because of the technical difficulties. So far I've been having some trouble with the building but I am continuously figuring out ways to fix the problems/ prevent them in the first place. I am a complete idiot and broke the top part off of my first sculpture and then broke it AGAIN. Ahh it is very frustrating but I'm trying to fix it to the best of my ability.
Over this weekend I want to continue working on these sculptures but I would like to have more intention. More intention with everything that I'm doing, from the concept to the construction. I feel good about my proposal. I really enjoyed writing it, especially after I read a particular review about a piece of John Grade's work by Stefano Catalani. I was only able to view the first part of the article, nonetheless it was insightful. Catalani cites the opening paragraph of Kenneth Clark's literature "Landscape Into Art" and discusses the relationship that humans have developed with nature. He speaks about our intentions in applying significance within natural objects determined by our own specific cultural context. He states that " the cultural context and systems of beliefs we are part of cannot avoid meeting the pool of visual images, symbols, and modes of representation the artist used in creating the artwork in order to make it legible." I want to exploit this idea and sway the viewers associations by what information I choose to include in my sculptures. I have enjoyed showing people my work in progress so much because every time a new person sees them they visualize something completely different from the last person. I've heard spider legs, antenna, plants, and even polyps. I relish in this idea of imaginative interpretation and want to continue playing with that.
Next I will work on research and texture, in addition to building my sculptures. As I said before I want to work with more intention. I've started looking for spaces to display at the end of the year. No luck so far but I have some contacts I'm about to hit up. I'm going to attach my proposal just in case you want to read it. Here is an image of an installation by Yayoi Kusama which is similar to how I would want to display my work.
Yay for fall break!
Mid-term Integrative Project Proposal
Katharine Drake
Section 003
October 14th 2010
I am simply looking to find meaning within myself, to better understand my existence within this landscape, those I have traveled to, and to those I have never seen. I want to create ceramic sculptural ‘families’ originating from biological organisms and their environments. I am responding to various living organisms that in no way can verbally communicate with me. With this investigation into the formal elements of clay in conjunction with the concepts of change, mutation, and ambiguity, I hope to find answers for myself and allow others to question and visualize their relationship to nature. I want my audience to reflect about the sculptures as objects, as well as their immediate associations or relationships to the forms. By referencing biological ideas of evolution or speciation I want to engage the viewers by altering the size, color, texture, and form of my work. The rest of my progression will result by responding to my initial sculpture’s gesture, shape, and size. I would like to investigate the idea of family in relation to biological classifications and genetic mutation, while reflecting my own personal emotions of anxiety and interaction demonstrated by the shapes and touching of the sculptures.
I visualize my work resulting in an installation piece. I see twenty or more ceramic creatures growing from the floor, possibly the walls of a white gallery space. The forms will interact with each other and contain strong individual character and emotions. I will pay for the materials with grant money or out of my own pocket. Clay will be a maximum amount of 250 dollars for two semesters use. I want to find my own space to exhibit with other IP students, in which case we will fundraise. I will create my work within my space in the ceramics studio.
References
Yayoi Kusama
The Moment of Regeneration 2004
Sadashi Inuzuka
Mizu, Series 2003
Tara Donovan
Mylar, 2008
John Grade
Ring, 2006
Jason Briggs
Flirt
Campbell, Neil A., and Jane B. Reece. Student Study Guide for Biology. 6th ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001. Print.
Catalani, Stefano. “The Natural Course of Things,” Dis/integration exhibition catalog, Bellevue, WA: Bellevue Arts Museum, 2008.
Excerpt: “Once the natural world is tamed through the agency of light and color, or material and plastic values, we look at its representation- or rather presentations- as reflections of our hopes and expectation, fears and capitulations: we look to see ourselves”
October 8, 2010
Getting Jiggy with It
What I did this week in studio!
Work in Ceramics studio: 5 hoursTalk with lovely GSI's/Mingle/Read: 1 hour
This past weekend/week I worked on my second sculpture which is a pair to the first one I finished. I am really digging how these forms are interacting with each other and the negative space between the two. I think the segmentation and gesture of the forms portray a humorous character. I would like this, as Amanda said, "dumpy" or clumsy form to continue pressing the limits of extension. I've had some technical difficulties while building, most pertaining to the weight of the upper half of the sculpture causing the clay to break in half. I am working through it though because I want the smaller sculpture to reach and extend it's body under the first. These pieces should flow into each other by utilizing the space and structure. (This is a totally random side note but it would be totally awesome if I could have water coming from the larger sculpture's mouth flowing into the smaller ones, as if it were a fountain. Not for real though). With the second piece I attempted to build a melting or more bulbous shape, which happened in the bottom of the piece but not so much in the top.
Overall I am re
ally happy with the direction these are going in. I did some glaze testing yesterday and are being fired today so by Sunday I should have a better idea of what some of my coloring options will be...... Glazing has always been tough for me because when I plan or think about my sculptures half of the time I only picture them as leather hard ( what they are in the photos) and the other half I choose to not think about because it scares me. I'm trying to see glazing as an opportunity to get my point across even more so and not as a burden. I was talking with Saree about the pieces the other day and came to the conclusion that if I use cooler colors I will convey a more ocean or sea creature organism but if I use warmer colors (which are harder to retain through the firing process) I will be referencing more land organisms. At this point I'm not really quite sure what to do. I want my sculptures to pop, which would mean using bright colors, but at the same time I could go the other direction and uses washes to make them seem as if they're growing up, or originating from the earth. Could go wither way. Also because there is no texture on the pieces I co
uld use a glaze called Terra Sig which would emphasize and maybe even shine the smooth surface of the clay. It's hard when there are so many options. I just need to buckle down on what I'm trying to say and then it won't be so difficult to decide.I am a lucky woman this week. There is a small studio space in the ceramics studio and I asked John for it and he said yes! Yayyy. There's a picture of it below. It's great because
I can have all of my images up and around me while I'm working and also creates my own personal working/storage space.
This weekend/week I plan on making some smaller mock up sculptures due to many suggestions. I will play around with the space and shape of the forms. I also want to start working on a larger sculpture and continue looking into textures of different sea creatures to possible emulate on a larger scale. I also want to write about families and my experience in Turkey, I feel that they may become a part of my project. The picture's I've uploaded are taken from many angles, especially looking down, so I can see what the viewers will seeing while walking around or from a distance.
Pretty groovy.
October 1, 2010
What I did:
Make Clay (hard work yay): 2 1/2 hours
Talk with Amanda or Erica: 30 mins
Work in Ceramics: 2 hours
Write proposal: 45 mins
Collected images: 30 mins
I feel much better about my project now than I did the other week. I have a direction, one that I am excited about. Over the weekend I stuck myself in the ceramics studio and created a sculpture that originated from me looking at kelp. Although the end product looks nothing like what I had directly been looking at, it nonetheless was successful in many ways and acts as a good basis for exploration. I see this piece as a train of thought acted on out loud and more of an experiment. I created the piece a little differently than I usually do by making each segment individually and then attaching them afterwards (usually it's just one whole big piece) which allowed me to play with the balance of the overall structure. There is no texture on this piece, but by suggestion of Erica I think I'm going to make a multiple mini sculptures and being to fool around with the surfaces and glazes. I have not explored glazing as much as I would have like to over the past couple of years so now is the time. The size of the piece is about 25 inches tall--- and I want to go BIGGER.
I've decided to put the rough draft of my proposal up because I think it reflects the current state in my project.
"I want to create multiple ceramic sculpture ‘families’ originating from biological forms. I would like the sculptures to manifest themselves as creatures in order to generate a peculiar environment. By looking at small biological organisms as inspiration, I would like to enlarge, distort, and combine these features to fabricate new visual objects. In some cases I would reference familiar forms, and in others I would cite obscu
re fragments of the environment. Various artists such as John Grade, Tara Donovan create visual landscapes with natural and synthetic materials that allow the viewer to experience a particular space; an aspect that I want to consider while presenting my work. Artist Sadashi Inuzuka involves his interpretation of invasive species by creating “sculptural elements that are metaphors for the natural world and our relationship to it” (Sadashi 2010). I want my project to generate questions and thoughts about the microscopic organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Our natural environment fascinates me by what remains undiscovered or fathomable. By using multiple reference points I would hope to spark imagination and curiosity about what may or may not exist within our world limits."
Sadashi Inuzuka Statement. Dubhe Carreño Gallery, 2010. Web. Sept. 2010.
http://www.dubhecarrenogallery.com/sadashi_statement.htm
Organisms:
We cannot see
That don’t exist
That are unidentifiable
Look like something else
We cannot imagine
Microscopic- invisible to the naked eye
Have a character
I have a lot of different image I want to print out and hang around myself while I'm working in the ceramics studio (I might ask John on Monday if I can have the little studio space that's in there :) so I can have them surrounding me while I work.
This weekend and for next week I think it is important for me to be in the ceramics studio working, but also continuing to look up different artists, biological influences, and sketching out my ideas.
Make Clay (hard work yay): 2 1/2 hours
Talk with Amanda or Erica: 30 mins
Work in Ceramics: 2 hours
Write proposal: 45 mins
Collected images: 30 mins
I feel much better about my project now than I did the other week. I have a direction, one that I am excited about. Over the weekend I stuck myself in the ceramics studio and created a sculpture that originated from me looking at kelp. Although the end product looks nothing like what I had directly been looking at, it nonetheless was successful in many ways and acts as a good basis for exploration. I see this piece as a train of thought acted on out loud and more of an experiment. I created the piece a little differently than I usually do by making each segment individually and then attaching them afterwards (usually it's just one whole big piece) which allowed me to play with the balance of the overall structure. There is no texture on this piece, but by suggestion of Erica I think I'm going to make a multiple mini sculptures and being to fool around with the surfaces and glazes. I have not explored glazing as much as I would have like to over the past couple of years so now is the time. The size of the piece is about 25 inches tall--- and I want to go BIGGER.
I've decided to put the rough draft of my proposal up because I think it reflects the current state in my project.
"I want to create multiple ceramic sculpture ‘families’ originating from biological forms. I would like the sculptures to manifest themselves as creatures in order to generate a peculiar environment. By looking at small biological organisms as inspiration, I would like to enlarge, distort, and combine these features to fabricate new visual objects. In some cases I would reference familiar forms, and in others I would cite obscu
re fragments of the environment. Various artists such as John Grade, Tara Donovan create visual landscapes with natural and synthetic materials that allow the viewer to experience a particular space; an aspect that I want to consider while presenting my work. Artist Sadashi Inuzuka involves his interpretation of invasive species by creating “sculptural elements that are metaphors for the natural world and our relationship to it” (Sadashi 2010). I want my project to generate questions and thoughts about the microscopic organisms that are invisible to the naked eye. Our natural environment fascinates me by what remains undiscovered or fathomable. By using multiple reference points I would hope to spark imagination and curiosity about what may or may not exist within our world limits."Sadashi Inuzuka Statement. Dubhe Carreño Gallery, 2010. Web. Sept. 2010.
http://www.dubhecarrenogallery.com/sadashi_statement.htm
Organisms:
We cannot see
That don’t exist
That are unidentifiable
Look like something else
We cannot imagine
Microscopic- invisible to the naked eye
Have a character
I have a lot of different image I want to print out and hang around myself while I'm working in the ceramics studio (I might ask John on Monday if I can have the little studio space that's in there :) so I can have them surrounding me while I work.
This weekend and for next week I think it is important for me to be in the ceramics studio working, but also continuing to look up different artists, biological influences, and sketching out my ideas.
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