#kitten.cozy

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: some final shots of our installation!

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: uh wow sorry for spamming with every new update. I think these designs will be final, though I might want to add more to the top face there...next step: painting/coloring!

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: some more WIP shots...I'm really liking how the bird one is coming out so far. Still need to work on the design for the fire-monster...

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: Work in progress shots of the front and back panels of my box mask...

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: An update on one of my masks. Initially, I was going to create a sort of 'bonnet' which would be a cone that spiraled out from the base (person's head) but we quickly realized that while it could hold its own weight, adding fabrics (to add texture, color, etc) would weigh it down. Instead, I came up with this idea: a box that fit over one's shoulders and had two sides (front and back) so there are two emotions. The box's shape is such that the top is wider so someone can bend down and peer through the top at the camera.

A note of the actual designs: one face is a happy 'cute' emotion, and gives hints of being bird-like. (I'm thinking the color could be shades of pink). The other face expresses anger or frustration and is more monster-like. (This face could be red and fiery, which is rather cliché, but would look good against pink). The idea for the faces is that the eyes and mouth would be carved out of the base, but then there would be layering to the eyebrows, nose, etc to make them pop. As for the sides,the red and pink could blend together and I could attach a multitude of strings, yarn, beads to the top edge to swing around. (To color this, I was thinking we could put white primer paint on, then I could mix the paints I have at home for the other pieces...)

i may sound kind of rushed about this idea, but it's a rather complex concept, and I want to be able to acknowledge all of the aspects...

[milkpluscookiesblog]

IP: Here we have a real-life progress shot of one of the four masks I'm working on. Since we are attempting to have multiple colors (and no duplicate colors), this one will be white, which will also contrast the black one I made (will hopefully get a photo of that soon).

This one is rather tricky: the Great-Stuff is pliable, so it won't break when bent, but it only bends so far and cannot warp around someone's head. To work around that problem, I'm trying to set up a sort of scaffolding for the mask to be supported by when worn. There are handles down the front and panels on the side to counterbalance any weight. Like the handles, the top panel will have rods on the top to create a semi-solid surface to rest on the head. The side panels will be more simple, and act mostly as counter-weights as the person shifts around. Finally, not shown in the notes, there will be gossamer, white fabric attached to the top which will float around, kind of like a veil, but more see-through than its black counter-part.

...That's all for now. Tomorrow, we'll be going to Best Buy to discuss the best tablet that supports the Foto-Booth app (mostly discussing memory and price?) We decided Foto-Booth was the best way to go in terms of saving and sharing photos.

[milkpluscookiesblog]

Plans for final project

From last meeting, we came up with a lot of ideas and we definitely need to narrow them down, since we can't do all of them! Here are some basic notes:

A: photo booth

-AB: one or two large masks (framing the booth) -AC: wearable masks (viewer participation)

B: display of work (emphasis on stories behind the masks themselves, minimal interaction)

C: masks with movable/adjustable pieces people can assemble (not/wearable?)

other: method of recording: pictures/video (self operational?)

These ideas sound a bit vague, but I'll try to explain them here:

For this direction, we want to involve the viewer with the art, by having them contribute their ideas and manipulating whatever materials we provided.

For instance, in Plan C there will be several bases of general faces, and may noses, eyes, mouths, etc to add/arrange. The idea would be that no two faces were exactly the same and people could express their individuality by manipulating the faces however they liked. They would not be constrained by having to make conventional faces (two eyes, one mouth and nose).

Plan A is a bit more broad, but the masks are fixed in a certain way, meaning the participant wouldn't be able to change it. In the photo booth, the participant's whole body would be visible so that they could use body language as well as the new face they would adorn. Alternately, if we only photographed a bust shot, it's just some person wearing a mask. Yes, their identity is changed, but it's not all too exciting. Also, we have to decide whether to include one massive mask (that could be displayed on the outside to attract visitors) or focus our energy on making several wearable masks.

I think Plan B is more of a last choice (I didn't order these plans in probability of execution, only as they popped into my head) and that's if we run out of time and can't fully complete Plan A or C. It's more likely we'll do either Plan A or C because the level of interaction they require would make our final presentation more unusual and dynamic, which I think supports the Austin motto: Keep Austin Weird! I mean, it's nice to have a large display of something and have a nice story about the progress to make them, but it's not as unique or "out there" as I would like...

The last issue is about how we can record people's interaction with our masks. We would like to let people take photos away so they can show other people, but we would also like our own copies to show in a presentation of the accumulation of creations people made. Currently, we're deciding on whether we need to stand with the camera or let it function on its own and how to save the photo (maybe to a computer) and print them out (bringing a printer...)

I guess that's all for now...

[milkpluscookiesblog]

Project Description drafts

Title: Made by Nature, Constructed by Man

one sentence: This installation of masks and photos displays how the human mind aspires to find something of itself in its surroundings, whether natural or artificial.

three sentences: People are always searching for their identities, and some find them when they reflect into nature. It is also possible for one to hide their true selves with their surroundings. Thee masks and faces represent the dual nature or human desire to discover, manipulate, or hide their identity.

(follow-up paragraph): These masks and faces were made with both natural and artificial materials. Of the natural materials, me and my mentor found an assortment of twigs from around her studio, anything from brambles to vines to full tree branches. The materials for the artificial masks were found in the same manner; however, artificial materials are not limited to certain textures (for instance, plastic and metal can come in different forms) and in that sense, provided more contrast than most natural materials.

This is a personal exercise that initially involved writing one, then three, then five sentences, then two paragraphs, but I've altered the format to one sentence, then two three sentence paragraphs. These are rough drafts, which I hope to improve upon next session...