Sculptor short interview

Today met an sculptor, will visit his studio soon. Just drop down some notes about what he said, will prepare some question for visiting his studio.

sculptors path issue:

– every year so many sculpture student graduate but only a few keep on working as sculptor –

– a sculptor need space to make, for storage –

– renting a studio is important but not easy –

– uni may only teach the concept part –

– dentist or doctor graduate with skills, could find job; sculptors graduate and need to walk on their own –

sculpture issue:

– making abstract art is difficult to judge –

– anything could be good or bad in the world of abstract –

– where he born without any sculpture history; for Asia, there are many like religion, soldiers, etc –

To be continue~

Continue searching for Studio visiting

And I keep searching for artist I could visit,

Arran Gregory, graduated from Chelsea, I found his work in Facebook before, is a bit similar to mine but yea of course, he got his own style and material already; and I still finding~ hope I could have a chance to visit his working place~

for my reference, this page keep showing interesting animals arts, photos, facts…..etc

http://twistedsifter.com/category/animals

ref again,

japanese sculptor with special materials for animal sculpture:

http://www.tomohiro-inaba.com

Affordable Art Fair – continue with sculptures or installation

installation or wall decoration, let me think of Usua’s work:

very thin ceramics to form waves, collage or movements:

realistic animals sculptures:

animal sculpture with refuse, collected item or upcycling:

funny sculpture maybe representing war or fighting:

seeing James driftwood sculpture in person….he is one of my research paper content too:

the whole exhibition is by different gallery, some gallery even run by the artist him/herself, making me think of……could I do it myself?! promoting myself, selling my art, promoting others making profit….staying alive…….in artist path.

Affordable Art Fair – Painting or Illustration or 2D

Went to affordable Air Fair in Battersea Park on Sunday, those art works showing are under £5,000. I am going to see since…..I would like to be an artist, I want to find out what’s the minimum standard, quality, concept or any requirement else as an affordable art piece. the pictures I took are mainly sculptures, animals sculptures. however the painting and illustration are also amazing.

There are painter painting on steel or metal board, the scratch and shinny texture enhancing the beauty and attractive audience:

Using Smoke to draw, with random and specified shaped…..quite similar to my animals forming concept:

using wood or saw as the main materials, cutting shadows:

something like illusion collage:

a MA fine art fresh graduated student with BA in textile…..woo amazing work with her own style own materials…….jealous…..when could I find mine?!?!?!?

Nice art piece showing animals with movement:

Studio Visiting Project

Oscar asked us to find a studio, visit it and present on 6 Nov, as there is limitation in time, I am finding artist or studio base in London

here I emailed to Kendra but response disappointed me.

going to find another one….Ben Long, he is also one of my research paper’s content.

at the same time when I was searching on google, found another interesting animal sculptor, he collecting and using scrap metal to make sculptures. and some products as well~Robert Jefferson Travis Pond, Portland base artist.

http://www.steelpond.com

Unit 1 Assessment

Today setting up the assessment, to show the whole process that we did from Sep2013 until now. Space are limited, hopefully the showing are clear and easy to understand~

Assessment timeline of Unit1

Preparing the assessment, here’s a simple timeline that illustrate what I did in Unit 1 project.

Sculpture for Survivors~

Continue the sculpture making, first showing the colour testing, by pigment under glaze, and transparent glaze on top

Bald Eagle, out of kiln finally, 3-4 pieces fallen off, next time stick it harder!!!

And new animal making by new material, Stoneware, Raku original. with more particles inside the clay, better for sculpture.

and until now….the zebra’s head is coming…..but…someone broke it…:(

is really sad…..well….okay…..rebuild!!!

yesterday process

today process:

Tutorial with Shane on 16Oct2014

After 9Oct group tutorial, I got some feedback and ideas.  Since some comments like….my work are only some art pieces, not really helping the society….the animals…. I a thinking if I could show the installation in Feb show, with different animals having different donation box specific to one organization. This week discuss with Shane,  he gave some suggestion base on this idea, 1) donation box related to real money may not a good idea, what if using token, audiences act like voting to different animal box; and on the other hand, I got a web for donation…..final sum of the money will be divided into proportion shown in the token voting. 2) any interactive method to let audience join the art? like they donate once will let me build one more line on the sculpture?! 3) donation got return…which could be a gift or daily product for audience, so that they could use everyday and be reminded~

Another issue we discussed is about a confusing question always in my mind. Barnaby always said I am not enough passion about saving animals….just making use of the project to be an artist….I do not deny that I would like to be an artist but doesn’t mean that I don’t want to save them. Shane pointed out, he also got many art and event, he likes environment, through the art and event he raise the audiences awareness. He position himself as an artist. Suddenly my mind seems cleared…I just position myself as a maker, sculptor first, it doesn’t mean I do not love animal…..in a way, I make sculpture or installation to raise people awareness, that’s why Barnaby keep asking design daily product I just not willing to do. Thanks Shane!!! All is about how you position yourself, could be a furniture designer, movie director, illustrator, whatever….I just position myself as sculptor!!!

Finally we talked a bit art and design…designer design things to change the world….this is what I got from Shane…on the other hand, Oscar (other tutor this year) said designer position himself in the world, what I think is in the Earth, inside the Ozone layer, they design things to help or change society; while Artist position themselves outside the Ozone layer….making art pieces to tell stories….. (he said “the World”…while I visualize it by “the Earth”). I do agree with them and still, finding a way or a word to describe what I feel about art/design issue.

Clay for Survivors’ making

Recently trying to use the clay for my structural animal form. different units were used, to make rhino, tiger and eagle’s head. What I am using now is just earthenware. Asked and searched for the clay, better use stoneware which is harder, or try the  Crank, which is kind of stoneware, with bigger particle inside, that’s suitable for sculptures. Rhino was fired, seems good, only a one or 2 joints cracked while the tiger was damaged before firing, the joints not really well. The eagle looks good waiting to be dried out and fire.

for rhino, using bars, it blends easily under pressure. That could be a different style but looks good as well. If go on developing this style, all bars should be blended.

tiger by different polygons, 3-sides or 4-sided randomly. the polygon-clay was wait for a day to be drier. otherwise that is difficult to maintain the shape. off cut wood used for support. However, experts like Billy and Amanda suggested me to use newspaper next time; 1) clay will strink when dry, wooden pieces would make it crack while newspaper is flexible. 2) newspaper could be fired together and burnt out afterwards while wood is not a good idea to go together. Finally I was really careless when moving the tiger to fire…..damaged the base but will fire it though. Thus when I begin to make next time, better use a piece of newspaper under it so that easier to move.

after the two works…..this time making a bald eagle’s head is better. clay is harder and more patient into the work.