Making and Material Notes

Notes on making connections with ways of making and rational for using particular materials.

Skin

Our skin is hydrophilic, as is the algae-based bioplastic I make. Both are organic.

Making Skins on Bubble Wrap

I usually make skins on a coated metal surface which forms relatively smooth skins. I tried various materials to form skins on, including fabrics, wood and plastic, and have successfully used bubble wrap in experiments. I considered connections between skin and bubble wrap in deciding to use bubble wrap to cast. Bubble wrap is used in packaging to protect fragile objects, and skin is much the same in how it protects our fragile internals. The pattern created from casting skins of ABB on the bubble wrap looks somewhat like reptilian skin and, therefore, could be considered a good signifier of "skin"; reptiles are also bodies of water.

Skin Grafts

Skin grafts also come to mind in looking at the ABB skins. Skin grafts involve taking skin from an undamaged part of the body and applying it to where it is missing.  I considered the layering of sheets of the organic ABB material and how that is comparable to skin grafting in medical procedures. I have an idea around “harvesting” ABB skins and grafting them onto a substrate to mimic natural skin in creating my vessels/bodies of water. Using a grafting-type process may enable me to make larger works.

Using Glass

I have used glass with my ABB in my work and considered how to rationalise its use and create a connection to bodies. Glass and bone can be conceptually related in a few ways. I considered how glass can be structural in creating a body of water as bone is in the body.  Glass can also be used in medical implants, such as dental crowns and artificial joints. There are similarities in bone and glass in their strength and fragility. Bone and glass can both be prone to breakage and fractures in certain conditions. They are also strong and can withstand significant forces and stresses when properly supported.

In considering the use of glass, I also considered how many vessels that hold water are made of glass. The connectivity between different bodies of water (living and geological) over time could be represented by glass vessels or pieces of glass. An idea formed about creating works with ABB and numerous pieces of glass from different vessels.

Sketching Ideas

Making

I obtained various glass vessels from op shops including some spherical shaped ones. I picked these as circular/sperical forms seem to have come up a few times in relation to water (Deuterium molecule, water glyphs, some forms within Venus figurines, Earth itself). I made various skins (smooth and textured) and melted them over the glass substrate and layering several sheets. I filled the vessel with broken glass from numerous vessels (signifying the connections to the many vessels that water has passed through) and then filled the vessel 80% with water.  Probably will be considered far too much of a literal representation of ideas but I quite like it. Why? The texture, the luminosity that comes from light passing through it, the natural colour, the feeling I get from it of skin, the glass and water inside which makes it more than just an object,  its a vessel. The thought is maybe to cluster them and place them on glass sand on the floor.

I thought I could also break this down further using just broken glass and skins. Skins would purely be representational of bodies of water and broken glass the other vessels the water has flowed through. Maybe a more acceptable idea for the art world for its obscurity.