Initial Experiments - Line drawings

Initial experiments - Fatty and fleshy textured objects

Series of digital edits of images of flesh and body harvested online and taken myself. Some of these images have been taken from pornography and I found an interesting observation/challenge here was to explore and tread the line between obscenity and decency. 

 

 At first I was inadvertently exploring this, as I was simply trying to created selections of flesh and anatomy. But then this idea of the 'edge of decency' became apparent and a humorous process. I haven't been trying to create something titillating at all, just abstractions of form and body, often ambiguous of sex. 
To develop these pieces I will do some digital collages combining multiple of these images creating new, more abstracted forms. Another development would be to animate these forms and also to film in a similar style.


These images have been a follow on from my original line drawing experiments inspired by Hans Bellmer's drawings and an album artwork from Venezuelan producer Arca's ablum Xen, which was made by graphic designer Jesse Kanda.

In these pieces of work I liked the fluidity of line and form and the playful more abstract outcomes.  Bellmer's work is often erotic and fetishistic and although this was not something I aimed for the use of sex and the body was relevant. Jesse Kanda's work is  similar in a lot of ways except for the more modern digitized approach of computer generated images which often explore similar themes.Other of Kanda's work is more video orientated and he will also be an interesting reference when I start to film and animate.











                                                                                   

 Observations, advancements questions:

-When does obscene become clean? 
-When does something become obscene?
-Define obscene?  
-Awareness of the changing state of obscenity?

-Explore the language of the body and it's relationship to the language of sex/sexuality.
-Look at the humorous nature of the anatomy and this line between obscenity and decency.
- Look at the textures of the body and the textures of the different mediums I have explored and their relationship to the central theme of transformation.

Welcome aboard...

Welcome to my Final Major Project:

Investigations in Metamorphoses.

 

Statment of Intent - Start Concept -

My intention with this project is to explore the theme of Self Transformation. Currently within this theme I have these main dichotomies:
-Masculinity and Femininity (Gender Identity)
-Metaphysical and Material (Belief)
-Sanity and Madness (Psychosis- Links to Beliefs and Real/Unreal and Intro/Extro)
-Introversion and Extroversion (Personality)
-Real and Unreal? (Philosophy – Existence)
-Chaos and Order/ Good and Evil (Mathematics/Physics and Absolutism/Mysticism/Religion)
The fact that these sub-themes appear as dichotomies is an initial problem to solve as so often a binary of something being either 'this or that' is an insufficient way to describe feelings and events within a person. Navigating the spectrum of feeling which lies within and outside these boundaries is how I may do this.  My obvious major problem will be visualising and expressing these themes though I do have blurry ideas for this already. Another aim is to politically charge my work so relating this theme of self-transformation to the world and society in which I live is key. In terms of practical work this will include experiments in print, painting, film/animation, sound recording, poetry/performance and installation. 
For the final outcome/exhibition I aim to create a multi-disciplinary body of work combining some or all the aforementioned disciplines.