caoimhe glennon

sculptures to be fixed to the body| distortions of the body | Sculpture 

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-skeletal sculpture- 

instead of just taking photos of this piece in a studio setting, i gave it a different setting by bringing it outside. i really like how it changed the look of the piece. i wanted to avoid putting it near natural things, feeling that it already had a natural look to it, putting it near man-made objects and settings would help accentuate its more raw features. 

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~Artist Research~

Jeanne Vicérial

Jeanne Vicérial is a textile artist, and is the first person in France to be awarded a PhD in the practice of fashion design. During her thesis, she teamed up with the mechatronics department at MINES ParisTech to develop a patented robotised process for producing made-to-measure clothes with no waste. In her artsistic practice,  she develops a fluctuating body of work, forging links between design, crafts, fashion, the arts and sciences. Baroque and unsettling, her creations are designed as works of art rooted in innovative textiles and textures. They address contemporary environmental issues and the question of the ties between ready-to-wear and haute couture. She founded the design and research studio Clinique Vestimentaire in her quest to use her work to substantially redefine ideas about the body and clothes.

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-costume sculpture- 

finished outcome of the costume sculpture based on my skecthes

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-skeletal sculpture- 

This sculpture is based on a distored version of a ribcgae. Made from broken up pieces of a previous sculpture, it started off as a piece that was only made with the intention of being worn but as it was being made it started to take on an animalistic character to it which i found interesting. 

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~Artist Research~

Nick Cave 

Nick Cave is an American fabric sculptor, dancer, and performance artist.  He creates “Soundsuits”-surreally majestic objects blending fashion and sculpture- that fully conceal the body, they serve as an alien second skin that obscures race, gender, and class, allowing viewers to look without bias towards the wearer’s identity. Cave regularly performs in the sculptures himself, dancing either before the public or for the camera, activating their full potential as costume, musical instrument, and living icon. Dazzling in their movement, Cave’s sculptures are crafted in collaboration with artisans from a dizzying array of materials that include beads, raffia, buttons, sequins, twigs, fur, and fabric. The “Soundsuits” are also displayed in exhibitions as static sculptures. 

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-costume sculpture- 

This is the headpiece for the costume sculpture i am making. Creating the structual base for it was a bit difficult as i wanted it to be as close to my sketches as possible while also being wearable.  I chose to cover it in plaster bandage as i felt it would compliment the image i was going for. 

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-distorting/concealing the body- 

For this project, sculptures to be fixed to a body, I wish to look at distorting or concealing the body. To warp and hide one’s true form. Where photoshop is able to shift and alter ‘imperfect’ traits into ones that are desirable, I want to take these fixations we may have on these ‘imperfections’ to an extreme, distorting them and erasing familiar features.  These sketches are an idea for a costume where the head piece is a contorted and warped version of a torso, and where the torso would be and would connect to the body is formless and featureless. All focus is on the head piece. 

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~Project Statement~

For this semester, I wanted to explore an area that would be simple and achievable yet interesting and plentiful. I chose patterned movement, specifically the patterned movement of pendulums. With my three electives; photography, painting and sculpture, I was able to investigate pendulums and its many movements through these three areas. I wanted an easy transition to occur between each elective and for the work I did in each to be able to communicate with one another. The reason as to why I had chosen pendulums was because I find its movements very relaxing and meditative and its results to be very pleasing to the eye, its chaotic yet predictable nature.

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~movement project~

-sculpture- 

After feeling inspired by the smaller 3d forms and getting some encouragement, i decieded to try and make a large scuplture based on another pendulum form. This piece would have measures aroun 160cm when standing. Unfortunately, i was not able to complete this piece- the piece was not expected to stand itself and i knew it would need some support, but being my first time taking on a scuplture this large i under estimated how delicate the piece turned out to be. i tried to strengthen and bulk it out with plaster bandage, but i soon felt defeated as the deadline was nearing and i knew i couldn’t finish it. I accept my failure and want to document my attempt at an ambious sculpture. 

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~Artist Inspiration~

Bernice Abbott

Berenice Abbott was an American photographer known for her portraits and documentary photographs. Her photographs purposely facilitated the interaction and dialogue between the photographer, the photographic print, and the viewer. Around the late 40s and ending in the 6os, Abbott took up scientific photography. As the space race began in America, science as a whole was pushed into the everyday and was encouraged more to be thought in schools- so scientific photography became an important project for Abbott during this time and she collaborated with the Physical Science Study Committee (PSSC) at MIT to create photographs to be used in high school science textbooks. 

"Science is the great reality of our time. The union of photography with science will evolve the new art."

Franz west

Franz west was an Austrian sculptor and conceptual artist who is known for his colourful and playful public art- which can be found in cities all over the world. His early work was inspired by the Viennese Actionism movement of the early 70s, consisting of applying or “adapting” new materials to everyday objects such as wrapping coke bottles in gauze or creating large “sausage-like” sculptures out of welded metal.  “West's choice of materials is indicative of his rejection of high culture's pretentions. He made his art from plaster, papier mâché, wire, aluminium, Styrofoam and carpet: materials one might expect to find in the home, the workshop or a typical school art room. In all of West's works his creative process is left visible; nothing is perfect or smooth. It is often said that he felt it does not matter what art looks like but how it is used.”- Michael Irwin, Ocula, 2010

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~movement project~

-translating 2d to 3d-

I wanted to make some scuplture pieces that interpreted the photos i took of a pendulum, so i shaped a piece of wire that was based on one of my favourite forms from the pendulum photos. After this i wrapped some fabric around it to bulk it up and then bound it in string.  I’m really happy with how this turned out, although it was tedious i felt that it was worth the effort. I enjoy how the piece is self supporting and when looked at the right angle resembles the form it was based off.  i had began work on ones similar to this but due to the deadline nearing i wasnt able to finish them fully and neglected to document them. 

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~movement project~

-pendulum painting- 

A video documenting the process of a pendulum painting. I had made the paint to a better viscosity so the paint went much smoother and bled less. 

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~movement project~

-pendulum painting-

more pendulum paintings. These two were inspired by both my expiermentation with charcole being applied as a base as well as Cy Twombly’s chalkboard series. In his chalkboard works, he makes a series of repeating loops- the same action again and again, but due to the natural human err, each loops is slightly different. So when doing the base of charcole for these, i too drew a repeating motion that can still be seen under the also repeating pattern of the paint. 

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~Artist Research~

Cy Twombly 

Cy Twombly was an American painter, sculptor and photographer who came about at the end of the Abstract Expressionist generation. He is known for his large-scale and looping marking are some of his most notable paintings - mainly working on solid fields of grey, tan or off-white colours, these freely-scribbled and graffiti-like works. Many of his works have been inspired by the works of Roman and Greek mythology, and this can be seen in how he may title some of the pieces.   One of his most recognised works are his blackboard paintings. While sitting on the shoulders of friend and using only house paint and crayon, Twombly produced a number of these monumental pieces. As the friend moved and shuttled back and forth along the length of the canvas, Twombly was able to create these long, continuous and fluid lines, repeating colourless scrawls that are reminiscent of chalk on a blackboard.  

I really like Twombly’s blackboard paintings, the repetition and simplicity of it all really encapsulates me. How even though he makes the same movement with his arm or wrist each time, the shape and angle of the action changes.  The pattern of this ever so slightly different loops on this massive canvas, is very intriguing to look at and study.

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~scuplture workshop~

-chain reaction- 

A compliation of figuring out how to set off each part of the piece and also its failures.