Week Six

This week I have been exploring the use of mirrors as part of my sculptures. I created one half of the sculpture and allowed the reflection of the mirror to create the other half. Not only am I creating the illusion of space but I am also showing how the space we occupy dictates our perception of an object. In the sculpture the viewer can see two opposing views of the sculpture simultaneously. Above are some examples of observational drawings from my sketchbook that I drew in order to transfer my 3D pieces back into 2D as well as to get a better understanding of how the sculpture itself. I also began making a series of sculptures in clay. With these pieces I will begin to explore colour in relation to the sculptures and how colour may affect how the viewer perceives the piece.     

Week Five

 

 

This week I continued my exploration around how we perceive space. Again I have altered the space that the sculptures occupy which changes how the piece is viewed. I have hung the sculptures from a wooden frame which adds borders to the space the 3D piece occupies and makes the space much smaller. The frame also gives more obvious viewpoints to observe the piece from. I also experimented with different materials this week. So far I have been working with the idea that the sculpture is a three-sided, concave box with another box or design occupying the space within it. However I made an inverse of this design in clay making a solid box with a block missing from it. I also experimented with mirrors to create the illusion of space using a half of the sculpture and allowing the mirror to create the other half. Next week I plan on creating more pieces in clay and I may also start experimenting with print so that I am transferring the idea between 3D and 2D.   

Kitty Kraus

Below is a sculptural piece from Kitty Kruas. The piece deals with infinite space, the relationship between light and space, the representation of space, how we perceive space and translating a space into something else. A light is placed within a box, which has mirrors on its interior walls; the reflected light leaks out from the small divides left in between the boxes walls. The light is left to rest on the outer walls of the space containing the series of boxes. Kruas is taking the space within the boxes and reproducing it through light into a space that the viewer can inhabit; she is making us aware of a space that we are not usually able to access. She is also taking the idea of an infinite space, a box of mirrors, and representing it through light, the viewer can see the lines of light growing weaker as they are reflected back and forth on the walls of the box until they escape through the gaps in the box. I find it very interesting that she was able to take a space and represent it through a different medium in such a unique way. The light on the walls also gives the illusion of space. The lines of light slowly join together at points on the outer walls creating lines of perspective thus giving the illusion of a new space extending out beyond the walls of the gallery. This can be seen in the bottom two images.

Richard Sweeney

I have been researching Richard Sweeney’s work in relation to my project “To Sense My Space”. I find it interesting that Sweeney’s work deals with how objects occupy space and how one can manipulate materials to make new spaces and shapes.  From the images below Sweeney’s exploration of space is apparent. In the first image we can see how Sweeney has cut out a series of square objects and folded them so that they stand vertically.  Using these shapes Sweeney is exploring positive and negative space and how shapes interact with the space around them. The shadows created by the squares also become a part of the sculpture. The shadows create another partial square that is now connected back to the cut out shapes; this gives the illusion of a complete square. I like the idea of using shadows or negative spaces around an object to create new shapes in conjunction with the object.

 

The image below has an emphasis on lighting and colour. The sculpture is illuminated from bellow which changes how we perceive the piece. Now the vacant space left by the cut out shapes has become the focal point of the sculpture. The orange light allows the vacant space to blend with the cut out shapes as they now become similar in colour; this again creates new shapes in the space.

 

The final piece below deals with how an object interacts with the space around it. The paper sculpture delicately flows through the middle of the stairwell occupying a space which is usually ignored and unused. With this sculpture Sweeney makes the viewer aware of the space around them. 

 

Week Four

 

 

Last week I continued my investigation into three dimensional works. Above is a selection of work from my sketchbook and of sculptures I have made. I began to explore the idea that how and where I place the sculptures effects how the viewer perceives them. The original set I made were placed on the ground with the base of sculptures on the floor however when I placed them on a wall I changed the plane on which the sculptures are positioned, the sculptures are no longer grounded by their base but rather by the edge of the box. I was also able to turn the sculptures upside-down because the sculptures no longer needed their base to stay upright. I also began to experiment with different materials. I used different types of plastics to create reflective and see-through pieces. Creating the sculptures in see-through material may be very interesting as I can then create the illusion that the viewer is looking at the sculpture in reverse or from behind. This week I plan to explore more materials such as ceramics and plaster and I also want to create a sculpture where the pieces are hanging in the air to again change the space the sculptures reside in.  

Robert Smithson

Here is a selection of work from the artist Robert Smithson.  These sculptures look at perspective and the illusion of space which I find really interesting. Smithson makes us question how we perceive space and the assumptions we make about space. The first two pieces to the left are perfect examples of this. The reflections of the mounds of debris create the illusion of space. The top image is very interesting in that the mound has been separated into four sections divided by mirrors, however the over flow of the soil joins up with the reflections so as to create the illusion of a single, unified mound. The other two images deal with issues of perspective. In the first image there are two points of perspective, the overall series of sculptures moving back into the distance creates one point of perspective but also each individual sculpture creates a point perspective as the boxes shrink in size from lowest to highest. The bottom image also deals with perspective. In the particular position the photo has been taken the outline of the hexagonal shapes form a new structure, however if you were to move around the sculpture you would only see the individual hexagonal shapes and the illusion would be broken. In both of these sculptures the viewer has to be in a certain place to get the full effect of the piece. I think it’s a very interesting idea to create a sculpture that can only be viewed from a certain space around it, this makes the viewer think about the space they are in and how that relates to the sculpture.     

Week Three

 

I began this week by studying and creating simple line drawings based around optical illusions and optical art. I was exploring the ideas of how we make assumptions about space based on our senses and how we can easily alter how we perceive a space by manipulating our senses. Most optical art has been made in 2D so I began to look at converting my two dimensional ideas into sculptural pieces. I made small prototypes from paper and pen to figure out how I would translate my ideas into three dimensional works. As you can see from the selection of work above I have now moved on to making a series of larger sculptures based off the same ideas. However the sculpture might only work from certain viewpoints so I may need to bring the sculptures back to 2D later on by photographing them. Next week I might also place the pieces in certain spaces or in a certain order so that it might add to the illusion. I could also use these sculptures and combine them with animation or film to make some really interesting work.