Metamorphosis

Metamorphosis

Making Armatures and Development of an Idea

22/09/15

Making a to scale Sculpture:

During this session we were beginning to put into practice what knowledge of different 3D materials we learnt about last year into our sculpture work. 

We were using wire and modrock, as well as using a caliper to get correct measurements so that the replica of what we were copying was to scale and as exact as possible. 

We were each given a bone to look at and then copy, first by making a basic armature out of wire, and then building upon the armature using modrock. 

My basic armature was composed of two pieces of wire; one length was folded numerous times so that it was the right length and was thicker, and therefore easier to work with, the second piece was a balled up length, which I then attached to the end of the other piece. Once I had done this, I began wrapping modrock around it, carefully observing the bone I was copying so that the sculpture was as accurate as possible. 

The overall result is something that is almost to scale and closely resembles what I was copying. The top of my sculpture is slightly bumpy rather than flat, and is slightly more narrow than the actual bone. 

Whilst doing it, I had been turning the bone around so that I could accurately replicate it, however, upon turning it, I had got the bottom bit jumbled, and it was much larger than the actual bone because of how many layers I had added to try and get the shape right. It also sticks out more at the bottom that the actual bone. 

Next time I do this I will carefully observe the details of what I am copying before I begin applying the material, and I will also pay close attention while I am making the sculpture so that I can get it more accurate. I will also start somewhere else on the sculpture, since I started at the top, which was probably the easiest part to make, and I will also take my time.

Idea Development:

The idea of this project is to come up with my own representation of the metamorphosis paintings in a 3D form. 

To start coming up with idea's, I first looked into each of the three paintings that were created based on the poem, and then started building onto my own idea.

Diana and Actaeon: Actaeon stumbles upon Diana in her secret bathing place and makes her angry.

The Death of Actaeon: In revenge, Diana turns Actaeon into a stag so that his own hunting dogs would kill him.

Diana and Callisto: Jupiter (The king of Gods) disguises himself as Diana in order to seduce one of the entourage, Callisto. Callisto becomes pregnant and is then banished from the entourage by Diana.

After looking into the story of each painting, I then began formulating idea's. Originally, I was going to focus on the different emotions in each painting and represent them in some way, however, after some consideration, I then thought about using purity as my main theme and building the sculptures around that.

The reason I have chosen purity is because I feel these three paintings represent the purity of Diana and her entourage, and how far she would go to protect it from being compromised.

Diana is chaste and pure, and when Actaeon stumbles upon her in Diana and Actaeon, that purity is suddenly threatened and she feels the need to protect it. In The Death of Actaeon, the reason she is still uncovered upon meeting Actaeon to get her revenge, is because she is still pure and no longer feels that her purity is threatened because she is putting an end to what threatened it in the first place. At the time of the painting, femenism and the sexualization of the female body wasn't interpreted the same as it is now. Finally, in Diana and Callisto, the purity of her entourage has been compromised and once again, Diana feels the need to protect it. However, because in the story, Callisto is a favourite of Diana's, she does not kill her, instead she banishes her.

Words related to purity:

-untouched

-white

-pure

-clean

-virgin

-clear

-heavenly

-raw

-fresh

-immaculate

-stainless

-untainted

-unsullied