SCFLO

exploring creativity

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Jill Orr’s ‘The Sleep of reason produces monsters’ (2002). 

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[randomghost]

Dream Paradiso Concept Art Warrior by Zeen Chin

[billy-blue]

Southern Cross to bear and behold - Jill Orr (2007)

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Reflection

What’s behind your mask?

Inspired by Jill Orr’s Goya piece ‘The sleep of reason produces monsters’ - the focus being, in the artist’s words, to work as “an antidote or reality check for the media depictions of the most horrific human situations which are seen from our peaceful lounge rooms through the screen and in photograph” (Orr, 2002). The piece consisted of animal bones and muscle, the performance was conducted using the remains as the primary material - the exposure to the shocking scene educed the artist to seemingly appear animalistic and primitive - ‘losing herself’ and her ‘social mask’. This piece is the main driving inspiration behind my newest artwork; What’s behind your mask? - Which aspires to convey the message that one’s appearance may fool society of their genuine nature. 

The American Psychological Association (2002) defined the term behavior as “the actions by which an organism adjusts to its environment” (para .3). In my interpretation I see that every person hides behind a disguise, or mask – one that is appropriate for who or what we confront, I also see that people who place prejudicial molds on other individuals – place a social mask upon them according to the circumstance. Doing this can produce spaces for error and misunderstanding between one another.

 In response to the issue of misunderstanding and fooling fellow members of the human population with ‘social masks’, I have produced a series of artworks revealing the true faces behind the masks of characters. These characters are used as examples to the general public that there is “more than meets the eye”. One character used was a beautiful woman with seemingly perfect features and a ‘clean’ look – behind her broken mask, however, shows the woman as abused, hurt and suffering. Pieces such as this one can be used to tackle social issues of the modern day, placing posters across populated sites would enable the piece to raise awareness of the flaws within society. In contrast, another piece created depicted Neil Degrasse Tyson, a famous astrophysicist, this time his inner child lied behind his mask, marking the age when in Tyson’s words “I learned from Carl [Sagan] the kind of person I wanted to become.” (Tyson, 2014). This tells the story behind the character that very few know – developing the viewers vision of Tyson.

 ‘What’s behind your mask?’ has one final example. An image of a white mask shown to be broken – behind the mask is a hollow interior with the text “What’s behind your mask?” surrounding the image – this addresses the public to think about who they truly are within.

 This series of artworks can continue developing as new social issues are presented. Anything that relates to the ‘social masks’ of people can be used as a medium; racism, terrorism, politics, immigration and authority forces for example.

References

American Psychological Association. (2002). Glossary of Psychological Terms. Retrieved from: http://www.apa.org/research/action/glossary.aspx?tab=2

Orr, J. (2002). Series / Exhibitions / The Sleep Of Reason Produces Monsters. Retrieved from: http://jillorr.com.au/e/the-sleep-of-reason-produces-monsters 

Tyson, N.D. (Host) & Druyan, A. (Director). (2014). A sky full of ghosts. [Episode 4]. Cannold, M (Executive Producer). Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey. BBC.

[scflo]

25 posts!

[planned-planethood]

A new NASA study found that the massive Larsen B ice shelf is melting so fast that it will almost certainly be gone in about 4.5 years.

Without ice shelves there, the glaciers melt into the ocean at a much more rapid rate.

Larsen B is about the size of Lake Michigan and Lake Superior… combined.

Read more on JPL’s website here.

The Senate NASA budget proposal (led by Ted Cruz) cuts NASA’s Earth science budget by about 1/3rd.

(Image credit: NSIDC/Ted Scambos)

[mysharona1987]

[ourbrightshadows]

The greatest danger to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.

Robert Swan (via ourbrightshadows)

[growing-in-christ]

We all want progress. But progress means getting nearer to the place where you want to be. And if you have taken a wrong turning, then to go forward does not get you any nearer. If you are on the wrong road, progress means doing an about-turn and walking back to the right road; and in that case the man who turns back soonest is the most progressive man.

C.S. Lewis (via growing-in-christ)

[flower-girl-love-blog]

[dreambigbutactbigger]

You can do it..

[indigo-childd]

[unhopelessly]

We’re always waiting to make change, always waiting for that next monday, next week, next month, next year. Stop waiting, start right now! Life’s short, live it.

Emma Chapman (unhopelessly)

[scflo]

(via Climate Change: Vital Signs of the Planet: It's the final act for Larsen B Ice Shelf)

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Consumerism, pollution, addiction and neglection may very well lead us to a world with no greenery or life.. since “each day is a new beginning”... why not make it a for the better?