Apr 9, 20204 min read

Open-space construction

Updated: Apr 13, 2020

Inspiration

Khalil Chishtee

Khalil Chishtee plastic [Sculpture] At: https://nahsknights.wordpress.com/2015/06/09/khalil-chishtee/ (Accessed 09.04.2020)

Pakistani sculptor works with plastic. He also, like me, believes that plastic is the material of our time. But for me, his topics of work are very simple or commonplace. Here is one person proposing to another, or people hug and hold a gun behind their backs ... Themes are straight and striking right in the forehead. Simple and not interesting. At the same time, as I see, he uses new plastic bags, which means that there is a large purchase of this material to create a work of art. And then I thought about the fact that for me it is probably important not to create more dirt (mess) in society. It is so overloaded with physical and moral spam that it seems to be correct to use secondary material, following the example of Rauschenberg. Collect garbage and give it a new meaning. But the moral limitations of working with "garbage" I still have.

Nils Volker

Nils Völker 2019 Twenty Four, Festival Interstice, Église Saint-Nicolas, Caen size variable, plastic cushions, aluminum plate, wood, fans, custom electronics and programming (France) At: http://www.nilsvoelker.com/content/twentyfour/index.html (Accessed 09.04.2020)

The artist uses plastic bags in motion and places them in the context of architecture. Programmed fans play with the shape of plastic bags. Here arise references to plastic bags flying in the wind, and an independent substance that lives separately from us, and a counterweight to architecture as history and new material.

Pawel Althamer

Pawel Althamer, 2013 Konrad, plastic and plaster on metal construction (137 x 98.8 cm) Stamped "Konrad" on the right foot. [Sculpture] At: https://www.phillips.com/detail/pawel-althamer/NY010815/127 (Accessed 09.04.2020)

The body is disassembled into components. Such an implementation shows the suffering of a person, his essence.

Nick van Woert

Nick van Woert, If I Wrote a Poem (2019) [Sculpture] At: https://grimmgallery.com/press-release/if-i-wrote-a-poem/nick-van-woert-if-i-wrote-a-poem-2019-1/ (Accessed 09.04.2020)

Nick Van Woert 2013 Untitled [Sculpture] At: https://curiator.com/art/nick-van-woert/2 (Accessed 09.04.2020)

On the one hand, the sculptor’s works are overloaded with context; on the other, they are simply flooded with paint;) But such a simple implementation, especially with a changed plane, causes a contradiction for the viewer, which provokes analysis.

Work

I was interested to continue working with plastic, attracted by its suppleness, abstract form, the "fullness" of the material.

My thoughts revolve around the topic of social networks and our personalities in this space. What are we showing to the public and what is hidden? It turns out this kind of deformation of consciousness - on the network I am successful, beautiful and rich, but in reality, it’s not so. Thinking about the implementation, I tried to combine a perverted form with a slogan-gesture. “Give me the phone!” “Take a selfie!”...

That is, on the one hand, no one is forcing us to do a lot of work to promote the profile on social networks, but on the other hand, a new generation of “stars” has formed in social networks, which can be considered as a result of the operation of the "consumption machine". And these trend makers post an enormous quantity of images which form our see. This is a new kind of profession.

What are these people good at? What attracts millions to follow their account? Just a vibrant life and interesting content? I wonder if these followers notice permanent product placement in such accounts or not?

I put all these thoughts into the form of plastic.

Plastic imperishable, a new generation of material. I was looking for a distorted form, but still which would resemble a human form. And suddenly, in the process, I saw this character.

I had a canvas of 80 x 60 cm with a decorative pattern and I fit this person into this tracery - this image of such a double behaviour.

On the one hand, without a body with distorted forms, and on the other hand, a face. Self-confidence - without it, a channel in social networks will not be popular. Thus, for the first time in my life, I found a form in a sculpture, which I translated into a drawing. The face of a social network.

Working further with the form of plastic, difficulties appeared with the stability of the structure itself. By the way, instead of a stand from below, I decided to hang the form, since, on the one hand, it would give a movement, revived the form, and on the other hand, it reminds me of a puppet, someone holds it and manipulates it.

I needed to test the boundaries of this work. How can I make it stronger? Can I pour it with cement and make it static? I rejected the last idea because then the material is not visible, the movement will disappear and the essence will change. And why would I make it "stronger"? I believe plastic and such instability fits my concept. But I tried to work on the further idea of defining the form and possibly colourize it. The papier-mâché technique seemed to be the most suitable because lightweight material on top of the plastic would hold the shape, and I could paint it.

But the result is on the face.

The basic form was not stable for such a technique.

In my opinion, such a composition can be considered complete.

Two types of material related to each other as a body and clothing. The guide metal rods appear as veins on the human body. If the work is exhibited nearby with a portrait, then in such a context, the idea can be considered complete.

But I tried to look for another form. Without a sketch, but use the material itself as a sketch.

I rearranged the material until an expressive gesture appeared. The man in the kokoshnik is a national Russian dress. Such an association arose in connection with the work of Uldus Bakhtiozina.