Tiger Head after hyphen project

The work received many feed back from the passer-by, in exhbition road, I tend to cast the whole lip balm body and craft it to show in final show,

after the event, I think the best way to let audience know the story is to let them involves in something, I want to let people craft the body (tiger’s pattern) and take away some lip balm for their use. This is the original idea, however due to the health and safety issue, to show in college, this part have been taken away…..still I need to think of an idea~

here’s some photo of the head with body~

4 animals casting update

There are some problems for the casting of 4 animals, I tried twice for tiger, still not a very good result. And the mold was also wasted. The 3 main problem is…..

1) I wanna lower the separated pieces of mold…that makes the final work difficult to come out

2) the colour powder – mica powder, the more I added in, the weaker the bonding of lip stick.

3) as the model I made with smaller parts when compared with the tiger head, so that it is easier to be damaged.

things to improve from this experience

1) Make some model with similar size and volume as tiger head

2) may use some mold that could break from outside, so that when casting solidified, just cut or open the mold from outside.

Here’s some procedure reference from the casting:

prepared a lot of bucket that mixed the ingredients already

mica powder added, the mixture and movement are amazing,

cocoa powder added for brown color

casted and wait for solidified

second cast for the tiger,

yea, all of them are not suitable for the final show, still need some improvement. Thus I am just showing the tiger head in final show.

RA graduation show

Today went to the Royal Academy of Art, graduation show, with some interesting materials art. giving me impact.

This artist got several pieces using different materials, mixing them…this one by wax, I think is mainly candles, to create the lighting effect….well I think the yellow ribbon or paper strip not necessary and disturbing the composition…but the candle he/she using is creative and looks great…texture, time, gravity….many things let audiences to feel

the other artist using various materials, PVC, ketchup, sugar, plaster….etc…to create sculpture…more like experimental project…and the show do not have all artists’ concepts and personal statement….which making me confusing.

showing works just on the floor….is good or bad? I think easy to be broke and yea….better have a plinth for eye level….maybe is his/her idea.

This one artist use photo paper exposure under moon light….to see the amount of algae and the colour relationship. there is a water current and algae setup, useful?helpful? hmmmmm…..not really….could improve by demonstrating  a real exposure or tube management

yea…here’s the description

I like the following the most….artist using glass fabric…acrylic (I think) to cast the metallic tube on ceiling…something really dull and dirty…..after casting by her, Rebecca Ackroyd….it become colourful and attractive

public art/ installation when you arrive RA…o, I need to plan the application for picton prize~!!!

Extinction Prediction/ Uni work update

Just read an article in HK yahoo, saying that the Earth is having the 6th extinction period very soon. The main reason included deforestation, pollution and global warming. Species extinct in a rapid rate, which is 100 times than the average speed recorded before. Chain reaction starting from environment damaged, food chain, climate change….all growing like a snow ball.

ref: https://hk.news.yahoo.com/%E5%9C%B0%E7%90%83%E6%AD%A5%E5%85%A5%E7%AC%AC6%E6%AC%A1%E7%89%A9%E7%A8%AE%E5%A4%A7%E6%BB%85%E7%B5%95-091400149.html

whenever see the report or news about this, I feel what I am doing is right, I prefer working and creating art in this direction…rather than topics about politics problem.

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This week keep concentrating on making the sculpture mold, and finally all done. Will cast them the coming days, and at the same time I have collected the unwanted lipstick, preparing for the other sculpture too.

Tiger Mold:

Elephant mould:

this is the largest one among 4 mould and quite difficult to make, hope the casting will be alright

and I got some rough planning for my final show,

Facts research for deforestation problem affecting animals/ Inviting list

Sumatran Tiger:two-third of Sumatran Tiger living habitat being destroyed from 2009-2011,

http://world.time.com/2013/10/31/palm-oil-is-killing-the-sumatran-tiger/ http://www.tigersincrisis.com/the_status.htm _______________________________________________________

Sumatran Rhino: population reduced 80% in the past 25 years; no more than 100 in the wild.

http://www.rhinoandforestfund.org/en/resources/das-borneonashorn.html http://www.rhinos.org/rhinos/state-of-the-rhino-2013?gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2IHBEBYO1iiyVH_fxJ7OQwgksmbYgbjfGFnOtWv0XxcaAmN28P8HAQ ______________________________________________________

Sumatran Orangutan: Population reduces from 60,000 to 40,000 in a decade. Will be extinct in the coming 25 years.

http://www.orangutan.com/threats-to-orangutans/ http://orangutan.org/rainforest/the-effects-of-palm-oil/ http://www.orangutans.com.au/Orangutans-Survival-Information/About-Palm-Oil.aspx?gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2KDSEktX1e4t6JIYDAKpmeBSlXrl1JO4KiP4OQdetksaAh5o8P8HAQ _______________________________________________________________

Sumatran Elephant: They might extinct in the coming 10 years?! http://www.onegreenplanet.org/news/now-palm-oil-is-also-killing-indonesias-elephants/ https://www.thedodo.com/endangered-young-elephants-lik-446581118.html _____________________________________________________________

and some organization for my inviting list:

http://www.wwf.org.uk/wildlife/?pc=ANZ004001&ds_medium=cpc&gclid=Cj0KEQjwzPSrBRC_oOXfxPWP6t0BEiQARqav2LWU1oz4crVbvGqsCNN9O_0zE8r2rvPZHvK3Y1_0TSQaAujf8P8HAQ&gclsrc=aw.ds

http://www.actforwildlife.org.uk/ Rainforest Foundation UK http://www.synchronicityearth.org/ WWF http://www.elephantfamily.org _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Reference Text:

Labelling the palm oil

http://www.elephantfamily.org/what-we-do/conservation-news/list/?tag=Palm+Oil

Endangered animals icon:

http://www.eoearth.org/view/article/153748/

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_status

Tiger Mould update/ Elephant Clay Modeling

Last layer for the tiger mould:

the shape of top left corner is mainly for the standing while casting, due to the direction that mixture going in is from bottom right, so….and yea, save some plaster as well, haha

When the mould of Tiger, Rhino and Orangutan were already finished…meanwhile, the biggest one is being modeled at home, this one I use some blending tube instead of the hard and straight tube I used before…..

quite like this radical form with the tube…but no idea of how to cast and moulding

keep it wet keep it fresh

bought the tube for modeling, have to insert wire (3 lines together) in order to control the tube in shape.

yea, like a spring ….looks funny….hm….good in standing, but seems not perfect yet

support for standing

  

to be continued tonight and hope to finish the mould this week

Symposium on last Thursday

Some recap on last Thursday Symposium, to present the process about our final project….mainly sharing how we walk from unit 1 to now…the work we focusing, I have mentioned my assessment in Unit 1 was really bad in results…..and to face the failure….I keep researching to find a topic, find a direction for my project…I cannot say it is successful now but I do feel that I learned from Maiko and will keep on in the future…the way she pushed us, the challenge she gave us….are really invaluable and let me feel worth to come studying.

Ok. for the symposium, here’s some questions from classmates:

why I choose that 4 animals.

V: this 4 animals suffering from the problem directly, in Malaysia and Indonesia

Oscar suggest me can also mention this 4 animals are iconic and….to draw people’s attention, I’ d better start from it first. and yea, of course there are many other animals got extinction problem

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why I choose lipstick (so many product using palm oil)

V: lipstick/lipbalm are high turn over in the market, every 4 seconds sold 1 piece…is a product that suitable for raising awareness…….and (I think I could further develop my sculpture with other products like chocolate…etc)

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How to bring out the message if the work is so dominated by our emotion.

This is mainly for all students that doing something so close, Maiko and Oscar want us pull out a bit and think of how to communicate with audience…

for me, I already presented….an interactive way, and souvenir for audience is good for communicate with audience

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and they also recommended me to memories how the data and statistic about the palm oil problem affecting the animals…more numbers when answering such question, to let people know how serious it is.

Sculpture update (Rhino/Orangutan/Tiger)

RHINO update

last layer for the rhino moulding

finished, remind myself the screw could not be inside, now the wood board could not separate…is not good for next step…e.g. drying and opening of mould.

open it!

the dividing not very successful, hope it do not affect the casting so much

the lower piece, bottom left corner not firm and hard enough due to not mixing well of plaster….to be careful of washing

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ORANGUTAN update

starting from wooden frame and wire to form the basic structure.

putting the clay on

after 2-3 nights…keep editing the….this model is difficult in balancing, and I want to make a good form with my style as well….so finally finished

     

now go for moulding, something to hold his back so that it maintain “floating” on the plaster

as the form is complicated…leaking always happen

this is what I said “floating”

the mixing of plaster should be in quick and accurate amount…CONCENTRATE 

finally I divided the mould into 7 pieces, and the rhino one just 3

all wooden board removed for opening

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TIGER update

same…begin with wood and wire

clay on…this one ….difficult on standing

rough shape

the back…top view…I love the shape very much….a bit similar to my toy (battlecat from he-man)

almost finish, the gain or pattern will be sculpt after casting…..since those pattern will further make the sculpture weak…crack….and adding difficulty to the moulding …….and….one of the reason is every tiger’s pattern are individual….like fingerprints of human…so sculpt it out would be fun!

keeping it wet by plastic and wet towel

bring to uni and start moulding

the eyes take me so long for crafting, editting and crafting back and for….

the hand’s are cracked and brokennnnnnn! this one is too challenging, coz I do not have a stand for it….how to make it floats on plaster?!

finally start….remember to spray oil, on both the clay surface and plaster dividing, is really useful!!!

to be continued~

impact from Hyphen moving gallery

Yesterday 11am-3:30pm I am showing the tiger lipbalm in the Exhibition Road, is collaboration with Hyphen Project, bring out the message of “thank you London” at the same time. As a art student, I thank London for the Museum and Gallery all around, the respectful to artist so that I could got impact and inspiration to my works.

So, after the day, keep talking to the passerby, answering the questions about my works. I gained a lot, here I am dropping some notes about what is good for the on going project.

1) there should be a name for the tiger, a gender as well? so…yea the coming 4 sculpture….I’d better give them names.

2) I met someone worked in the Synchronicity Earth, which also for environmental protection, will invite them for the final show.

3) a student also working on similar project, about palm oil issue, I share my blog to her and feel that the UK education is good to let student know such topic.

4) met some people like my concept and the topic I am working on, that’s encouraging me much.

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for my own ref, the sounvenir process