tell me what to swallow
Medium: found object
Size: 24cm x 24cm
completed: march 2015
exhibition text
Tell Me What to Swallow is a clay sculpture piece inspired by the Pop Art movement. Using clay and found objects, I wanted to create a piece that conveys the concept of modern consumerism. I created a replica of a Yakity Yak toy to represent society as a whole and how we can be negatively impacted by consumerism. Using a plate and fork as a found object of the piece to convey how we are being "fed" or influenced by consumerism and popular culture.
artistic inspirationWith ‘Tell Me What to Swallow’ I was inspired by the works of Claes Oldenburg and the infamous "Yakity-Yak" toy . Claes Oldenburg portrays the ideas of originality that is hard to come by with modern advertising and artworks. He shows this in his works by duplicating well known images that tend to challenge originality that is found in pop culture. I was influenced by the Yakity-Yak toy because I thought that it would represent the theme I wanted to convey perfectly. Using both inspirations, I wanted to mash both the concept of consumerism and pop culture together.By doing this, I wanted to show how I struggle with expressing myself as an individual and how I struggle to openly demonstrate my own original ideas. With the main image of an inferior version of myself looking upon a deemed superior version of myself, I wanted to express Oldenburg’s ideas of how media affects society. I wanted this piece to represent how consumerism can take a toll on the world when used negatively or in a greedy manner.
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research
Consumerism:
Clay Sculpting Techniques:
- destructive, in the long run, to the environment
- a contributing factor to poverty around the world
- a contributing factor to hunger amongst such immense wealth
- and numerous other social and ecological problems
Clay Sculpting Techniques:
- Grogged clay is better at supporting itself and ideal for large sculptures, while finer clays are good for small-scale work. It is worth experimenting with different clays, as sculpting is often a highly tactile experience; the physical qualities of one clay may suit you more than those of another
- Sculpting with clay often involves supporting the structure as it is created. Small-scale pieces can be supported with scrunched up newspaper, pieces of sponge, or sticks with clay applied to each end. Larger pieces can be supported by constructing internal walls and structures as you build.
- Be aware that any non-ceramic materials that go into the kiln as part of your ceramic works, internal supports or other additives, and which burn away during the firing, may result in harmful fumes. Adequate ventilation is vital for all firings and ideally extraction fans should be fitted.
process
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Process:
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reflection
My experience with clay sculpting has been an interesting process overall. Being the third clay sculpture I've ever created at Reagan, I definitely had a few struggles and fails that I learned from. With my first idea, my biggest struggle was trying to do intricate and smaller designs with a larger ended carving tool. While I did realize that there are smaller designed tools specifically used for these intricate details, I ended up learning this too late and my first design didn't work out. While I did end up liking the design for my final piece, I'm not completely satisfied with the end result. The overall smoothness of the clay piece didn't turn out as clean as I wanted, making my piece turn out not looking like the yakity-yak toy how I wanted it to. My biggest struggle with completing carving out the pieces I needed for the design while still having good craftsmanship. Since I was already behind when I began carving and smoothing out my final design ended up doing it kind of sloppily. The sculpture wasn't completely symmetrical and ended up having a lot of holes through it. Even with these struggles I did enjoy creating this project, and I am proud that I was able to create complete the project in the time that I did.
works cited
http://whitney.org/Collection/ClaesOldenburg/2002255as
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/yakity-yak-60-years-of-teeth-that-talk-back/
http://www.globalissues.org/article/238/effects-of-consumerism
http://www.figurines-sculpture.com/sculpture-technique.html
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-sculpture/a-couple-of-cool-clay-sculpture-techniques/
http://www.collectorsweekly.com/articles/yakity-yak-60-years-of-teeth-that-talk-back/
http://www.globalissues.org/article/238/effects-of-consumerism
http://www.figurines-sculpture.com/sculpture-technique.html
http://ceramicartsdaily.org/ceramic-art-and-artists/ceramic-sculpture/a-couple-of-cool-clay-sculpture-techniques/