For assessment two our group tested the idea of emotions being encapsulated and documented into tangible forms. As a continuation of this I wanted to attempt to document the rhythmic processes of our internal bodily functions. This project reflects my deep interest in the separation between consciousness and our physical bodies/ physicality and the intersections between natural and artificial, familiar and alien. I drew influence from various art works which emphasised the division between mind and body, in some cases considering the body as its own entity, in others allowing a glimpse of inner processes through recorded sound such as The Sonic Body installation created by the artists Harry Neve, Thomas Michalak and Anna Orliac. In this work the sounds of bodily processes are isolated and magnified to make the listener more aware of the processes within them. The Cloaca Professional (or poop machine) by Wim Delvoy was of particular interest as it is a functioning mechanical digestive system modelled off the human body, thus transforming something real into a machine which in turn emphasises how alien our digestive systems are to us. Through the process of experimentation I have utilised the sculptural form in combination with sound to create a kinetic, abstract and tangible documentation of internal bodily function, which appreciates it as a rhythmic process/ or performance that is hidden by skin. This projects is divided into 3 separate parts to form a cohesive body of work; The innards (the form), the sound of the innards (which is contained and emanates from within the form) and the skin that contains them. By transforming an internal process that escapes our conscious attention into an external one, I am creating a documentation of a process which seems alien but is rhythmically occurring within us.
Process of experimentation and discovery to reach final outcome:
I initially had plans to construct the form out of clay, however time constraints didn't permit me to do so. I'm glad about this as a ceramic surface (once the speaker was inside) would have caused the sound to project as it bounced of its surface, which was not the result I was aiming for.
Therefore I experimented with constructing the form out of expandable foam. As foam absorbs sound, I hoped that once I placed the speaker within the form it would add to the idea of coming from within a body, and therefore give the impression of being contained and immersed in liquid. The foam also produces textures that resemble pores and polyps, and can be painted easily.This is the first time I have used this material and it was a horribly sticky, ever expanding nightmare. However once it had cured it began to resemble an organic shape that I had hoped for.
I created 3 foam forms, testing different shapes, textures and colours. I added layer upon layer of acrylic paint in different tones until I felt they had an appearance of being from nature. The body is mostly made up of fluid, so it was very important to me that the form should have the impression of being wet, so I covered it in vaseline which was disgusting and finally some varnish so it would look extra moist. I then cut into 2 of the forms to place the speakers inside, which I should have done prior to applying vaseline. For the sound piece I chose foley sounds of various bodily noises as well as sounds recorded underwater. I played with the distortion, eq levels and arrangement until I had a piece that to me reflected a wet and cavernous environment, and the rhythmical processes within a body. I then proceeded to experiment with ways to present the forms in combination with the sound piece. Having made 3 similar foam sculptures, I decided to leave 2 of them out of the final presentation as I felt they didn't communicate the intention of the work further than if I just had one form. Rather having one form allowed it the space to communicate my intention louder. Also for the purposes of presenting the final work in video format, it looked over crowded. It was a little difficult to figure out how to present the sound in a video format as well, as the speakers were inside the sculptures that were now not part of the finished piece. Had I been presenting the work in the flesh I would have included the other two sculptures with the speakers inside but somewhat distanced from the other piece. I didn't want to place the track directly onto the video because then it wouldn't give the impression of coming from 'within'. So I decided to have the track play from the sculptures off screen, but I wasn't entirely happy with the outcome, but this project probably wasn't entirely suited to be shown in video format. Lastly for the final component of this body of work I wanted to emphasise the idea of our bodily processes hidden from us by a flimsy veil of skin. I tried to convey this idea by covering parts of the form in flesh coloured plasticine, which would not stick to the vaseline covered surface. I felt this failure necessary as I realised that space between the sculpture (innards), space between the skin and space between the audience would best communicate the relationship yet distance between these elements- the sense of the familiar yet foreign. Eventually I choose to construct small flesh coloured plasticine tubes which I placed in front of the form to best communicate this idea of a dwarfed fence of flesh.
For the final presentation I added a rotating stand to add physical movement to the sculptural form, which I felt helped to tie the pieces together- and thus further communicate my intention.
