#assess2

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Period Shaming // Experiment 2

I created this photo series called “Cycles” to promote the aspect that periods are a natural aspect of life.

Photographer : Shruti Ramia

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Final Work - ‘Celebrate’

The final work made out of recycled products, with inspiration taken from Yuken Teruya’s paper cuttings.

Concept Statement

The relationship between humans and the environment can be considered as love – hate. Human actions impact it greatly, which is why I wanted to commemorate this relationship through the creation of a flower bouquet.

Flower bouquets are often used as a symbol for celebrations such as birthdays and weddings. However, they also facilitate reflection through mourning. This is the binary of ‘Celebrate’, imagining the human as both the ‘creator’ and ‘recipient’ of the bouquet, in regards to the environment. The human can create the bouquet; choosing to recycle products, sustain and reduce waste, while they can also ‘receive’; consuming materials from the environment. Through the composition of particular materials and the aesthetic of a flower bouquet, ‘Celebrate’ spans many concepts.

By using a mixture of cardboard and plastics from disposable packaging, the un-valuable ‘trash’ is turned into an object of value, also reversing the cycle of man – made interference, transforming the un – natural back into the natural. The use of these man – made materials also allow the meaning of ‘Celebrate’ to span context and time. The materials used do not break down fast when compared to the wilting of flowers. This contrast of material decay also emphasises the impacts of human influence on the environment, with the effects being slow to realise, just like the decay of a plastic bag.

This also comments on the use of resources and sustainability, the ability to consume outweighing the ability to produce. Consumerism and the demand for the ‘fast’ creates an excess of perfectly usable products that end up in landfill, deemed obsolete by materiality. For example, Apple’s production of a new phone every few months encourages society’s ‘throw away mentality’ disposing of products that perform the same function. The demand for the ‘fast’ can also be seen in Fast food corporations such as McDonalds. By prioritising efficiency, the care for the impacts of trash created by consumerism are completely overshadowed by sales. ‘Celebrate’ also challenges the ability to produce and foreshadows the future of the environment and ecologies.

Every year 18.7 million acres of forest is lost every year due to deforestation. This bouquet was also made with inspiration from Yuken Teruya’s work Notice:Forests, where the work acts as a memorial for the environment, paying homage to all that is lost in the process; the trees, wildlife and the ecology that surrounds it.

Reflection

In a world which prioritises speed and efficiency, the making of ‘Celebrate’ contrasts the material itself, created by commercial manufacturing processes. Handmaking the flowers and composing the bouquet took care and time, a guide and reflection of the stance society should undertake.

 Bibliography (references used throughout project)

M. K. Korsu, ‘The Albedo Dreams Kite Making Workshop’ , http://www.artsufartsu.net/the-albedo-dreams-kite-making-workshop/, 24 Feb 2013

Av - Arkki, ‘Mari Keski - Korsu’, http://www.av-arkki.fi/en/artists/mari-keski-korsu_en/, 2013

The Queensland Government Gallery of Modern Art, ‘Yuken Teruya’, https://www.qagoma.qld.gov.au/goma10hub/artists/yuken-teruya, 2007

Y. Teruya, ‘Notice - Forest’, http://yukenteruyastudio.com/projects-1/notice-forest-1.html, 2017

World Wildlife Fund, ‘Deforestation’, https://www.worldwildlife.org/threats/deforestation, 2018

Live Science, ‘Deforestation: Facts, Causes & Effects’, https://www.livescience.com/27692-deforestation.html, 2018

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Period Shaming // Experiment 1 // Smaller Version

I re-edited the initial period shaming video I took while walking around the city. This video goes for 1 min 30 seconds so that it is easier to show my class what I did.

Photographer: Shruti Ramia and Lynette Vo

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Concept Statement // ADAD1102 // Period Shaming

Can creative acts be rebellious when rebellion has become canonised in art, design and media histories? What would a contemporary creative rebellion look like?

‘Cycles’

The definition of rebellion, as defined by Google, is “the action or process of resisting authority, control, or convention”. That is, opposing strong ideas have surrounded society which are constantly supressed by authoritative figures. Women, for a long time, have been victims of suppression in society. Whether being told to dress in certain ways or talk and act differently amongst different occasions. Feminism has certainly been canonised in today’s society, especially in the 21st Century art industry. Yet, a large of feminist artists tackle issues which have been put aside or considered not important. Creative rebellion would most definitely been a stand for issues that are being put aside to raise awareness through eye-opening ways.

My project “Cycles” is a wearable piece and collection of photos curated together to create awareness of menstruation taboo in women causing period shaming. Period shaming or menstruation taboo has been an issue for women all around that world which has been constantly concealed due to the shameful nature of it. Superstitious beliefs include, in various societies, such as not being able to enter temples in India or in East Africa where physical contact with plants and flowers is said to cause them to dry out and many more myths that surround menstruation in parts of the world. Most Western cultures within today’s society do not believe in such superstitions, nor menstruation taboos. However, the effects of said taboos are still widely influential in today’s society. Therefore, most women believe that it is at least good manners, and sometimes necessary, to hide evidence of menstruation not only from public view, but in private as well.

From being banned from participating in any religious activities to the evolution of hiding pads and tampons in grocery baskets, why are women so ashamed of a bodily function that they have no control of? Through this project, Cycles, I wish to examine the ways in which these menstruation taboos, via various restrictions in each different culture, lead to period shaming in women. Overall, I argue that the negative ideals behind menstruation taboos should be abolished and liberation of menstruation should be exemplified.

My piece exposes the pads concealed by women to break barriers between these ridiculous beliefs and society. The action of walking around the city with a t-shirt made using pads with the words “#STOPPERIODSHAMING”, is a direct reference to exposing the menstruation equipment out of its natural packaging, the plastic wrapper which is hidden away by women. I conducted this experiment to document reactions of society and their take on this issue. Many citizens avoided eye-contact or glared at my t-shirt in shock and disgrace. People still looked down on my actions, yet no one commented on the shirt directly, either laughing to themselves or to their friend. This result was considered as a failure to my envisioned result, as I wanted positive reactions from society. However, it did prove my argument that the liberation of menstruation does not yet exist or is fully accepted by society.

The second experience of Cycles, consists of 6 photographs of, each of which depict a white cotton pad with purple flowers on top of it. The series of pictures demonstrate the natural process a women goes through when on her periods. From purchasing the pads, to wearing the pads and then disposing of it. The flower is symbolic of the period, denoting the natural aspect of the cycle where the flowers are essentially harmless just like menstruation is. The soft red overlay in the photographs also represents the period blood. The final photograph is a creation of three pads with flowers and leaves on top of them. Underneath the pads include the words “It’s a natural process #STOPPERIODSHAMING” in white pen. This poster was hung upon in a public place, in UNSW where women would be able to empathise with the issue. Once, again many people were shocked to see such a poster outside a bathroom, yet no one ever commented on the issue.

Through this project, I wish to start conversations amongst many women and men in order to resolve this issue in the future. Menstruation should not considered as shameful and every women should be proud to be part of an important biological function.  

Bibliography

Webster S, 'THE HISTORY OF THE CURSE: A COMPARATIVE LOOK AT THE RELIGIOUS AND SOCIAL TABOOS OF MENSTRUATION AND THE INFLUENCE THEY HAVE ON AMERICAN SOCIETY TODAY', 2017, University of North Carolina, (accessed 18 September 2017)

'10 Period Myths You Didn't Know Existed', BuzzFeed, 2017,  https://www.buzzfeed.com/wateraid/10-period-myths-you-didnt-know-existed-q7iz?utm_term=.xyd8mk8m1g#.jt57Em7E2z (accessed 18 September 2017)

'Define Rebellion - Google Search', Google.com.au, 2017, https://www.google.com.au/search?q=define+rebellion&oq=define+reb&aqs=chrome.0.69i59j0j69i57j35i39j0l2.1259j0j1&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8, (accessed 19 September 2017)

Fingerson L, Girls In Power : Gender, Body, And Menstruation In Adolescence, State University of New York Press 2017, https://ebookcentral-proquest-com.wwwproxy1.library.unsw.edu.au/lib/unsw/detail.action?docID=3407536 (accessed 19 September 2017)

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Bibliography

Adamczewski, F., Designer Textiles Stitching for Interiors The Embroiderers Guild, Netherlands, David & Charles, 1987.

Benn, E., Treasures from the Embroiderers' Guild collection, Newton Abbot, Devon, David & Charles, 1991, pp. 61-63.

Harding, L, & S Cramer., Cubism & Australian art, Carlton, Vic., Miegunyah Press, 2009.

O’Mahony, M. (ed.), World Art The Essential Illustrated History, London, Flame Tree Publishing, 2007.

Robbins, D., "Sources of Cubism and Futurism", Art Journal, vol. 41, 1981, pp. 324-327. http://web.a.ebscohost.com/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=12&sid=723724ed-42d9-4759-a4ef-a12539493175%40sessionmgr4006

Artists: 

Artnet, "Stanton MacDonald-Wright | artnet.". in Artnet.com, , 2017, http://www.artnet.com/artists/stanton-macdonald-wright/ [accessed 7 September 2017].

E Mills, "Eleri Mills, Hafan - Home", in Eleri Mills, 2017, http://www.elerimills.co.uk/ [accessed 10 September 2017].

Takadoi, K, "WORKS.". in KAZUHITO TAKADOI, , 2017, http://www.kazuhitotakadoi.com/work [accessed 12 September 2017].

Unknown, "Synthetic Cubism Period by Georges Braque & Pablo Picasso (Summary).". in Cubism: Definition, Artists, Paintings & More!, Wordpress, 2016, http://cubismsite.com/synthetic-cubism/ [accessed 7 September 2017].

Warren, V, "Verina Warren | Peak District Artisans.". in Peakdistrictartisans.co.uk, 2017, http://www.peakdistrictartisans.co.uk/artist/verina-warren/ [accessed 12 September 2017].

Wolseley, J, "John Wolseley | Home.". in Johnwolseley.net, 2017, http://www.johnwolseley.net/ [accessed 12 September 2017].

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Artist statement

Extracting from my previous assessment, where I focused on humans creating their own environment, I decided to focus on the coexistence between the humans and the environment and how humans will eventually take over the environment. 

Originally, I was looking building environments out of recycled materials that would be found in that area. For example, an environment would be build depending on the objects found near the beach. I did some test trials with the objects I had at home. The first experiment I carved a tree shape onto the cardboard box and then painted it black with white drips. Another experiment, I painted a can with a natural landscape in an effort to show that the resources that we use come from the environment. However, the concept was not sticking with me since I no longer found it as interesting as before. Therefore, I decided to abandon it and focus on another direction.

I then wanted to explore how the environment is slowly being taken over by humans through buildings and inhabitance, which would eventually result in the loss of many flora and fauna. I originally became interested in synthetic cubism since my previous poster had a very flat image and was reminiscent of cubism. I began to look at artists like Picasso who was one of the founders for this art period. After some experimenting around I became interested in using embroidery into my artworks so I looked for artists who worked with this material. I found inspiration in the artist Eleri Mills who paints in the background of her artworks and threads over the top. She gives a very sketch like quality to them. I also like her colour palette, which despite not being bright like the synthetic cubism, but the colours gives off a sense of mood and atmosphere to the artwork which I would like to attempt to convey. One of my experiments I used oil pastels and drew onto the cardboard in a cubist manner and also sewed a building like shape into it. While I did like this idea, I found that the pastels were too dominant in the artwork and the building was not emphasised enough. 

For my final work, I decided to use the Australian landscape as my inspiration since I was born in Australia and I wanted to look at how the humans have coexisted with the environment. I decided to use watercolour as my medium, as I wanted to convey the fragility of the environment and how quickly it can disappear in an instant. I had some difficulties painting this since watercolour does not really want to stay on the canvas and also I needed to be careful that my hands were not wet so that I did not smudge the artwork or else the colours would get muddy. My intention was to paint in a cubist manner, which is almost achieved on the trees but, the rest of the landscape became more detailed since later on the embroidery would serve be cubist inspired. I left some spaces white in an effort to convey they sky and to also to give it depth and dimension. The image that was embroidered was a set of buildings that I had difficulty in choosing as I wanted to convey humans coexisting, yet slowly changing the environment. I looked at cities with high density populations but I felt it would not work with the Australian inspired landscape, so in the end I used Sydney as my city. Black thread was used to do the outlines of the buildings as I wanted a colour that was a stark contrast to the pale watercolours. Different thickness of the thread was used for some buildings in an attempt to show depth. The buildings were originally going to be extremely detail but then I realised that the extra detail would be fighting against the background as there would be too much for the eye to look at. Therefore, only the outline is seen and the audience can fill in the blanks for the artwork. 

I was really happy with the outcome of my artwork as it conveyed the blend between nature and humans where the buildings will eventually erase nature but attempts are being made to coexist for now. 

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More inspiration

I also became interested in the art of embroidery since I never really added that to my artworks. I became inspired by artists like:

Kazuhito Takadoi:

Being a fibre artist he looks at using materials from the natural environemnt to weave into or create new types of art. I like the incorporation of nature with an embroidery feel as it gives off a peaceful and zen like quality to his art pieces. 

Eleri Mills:

Her artworks became an inspiration to me seeing that she looks at painting and embroidering the landscape. Her artworks have a sketch like quality to them and the scales of the artworks are enormous. 

Y Dildu/ The Arbour, 2017 (Mixed media) 

Verina Warren:

An artist who works on painted embroidery and her works are very detailed. I like the colours she uses as they all blend together and do not look jarring to the eye. 

John Woseley: 

His artworks were watercolour based and extremely detailed. I like his incorporation of the environment and how detailed the artworks are, yet a sense of fragility is conveyed. 

From the embers- Leaf surge, 2003 (lithograph)

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Experiment 4/ Week 8

In class we looked at the idea of value so for my piece, I wanted to link it to my assessment 2 artwork where I looked at how humans want to create their own perfect world. However, I wanted to explore a different area and look at humans coexisting/ replacing the natural environment. I went for a cubism inspired look for nature and also did some embroidery over the top. I really like this type of art and will potentially use this style for my major work