model-making fun

Before the degree show in ECA, we have this opportunity to show in the foyer of Talbot Rice Gallery. After discussing for several times, we came up with this idea that dressing-up that space into different foyers. However, it is not that easy to do it in life-size so we decided to make a model of the foyer and each person can arrange his/her own interpretation of foyer. The end product will be prints and video and will show in that space.

Sander built the structure of the whole model which was perfectly made before he went to Japan. Then I helped Lindsay and Despina to do more details and decoration. It's so good to work with them!!!

Some photos of the process :)

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casting plan (05)

After finishing the first round of bronze trash-making, I started to think about how to display them. And then I traced back to the concept of this project. The trash I chose was those would appear on streets rather than the garbage from our domestic environment. Those materials are cheap and designed for discarding easily. By changing those materials into bronze, you can't just discard them at will because of their value or their weight. In addition, the reason that I twisted them is trying to suggest they had been used and not only brand new products. I attempted to increase the value of trash.

In terms of display, I once thought of using plinth to show them. However, plinth will also elevate the value of objects but I think bronze has already suggested that idea. Also, these objects should be on the ground according to their nature. I think I will place them on the floor but at the same time I am still not sure about the further details for showing them. Need to come up with some ideas!!!

Today is the second round of bronze-pouring. Taking pictures of my bronze trash with those trashy(but expensive) bronze right before the pouring.

p.s

Just signed up for the very last triad next tuesday with Kenny, Niall and Allie. Hope I can get some ideas about display from the triad.

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casting plan (04) banana challenge

One of my object for trash-making is banana peel. After talking to John, he also thought this would be the most challenging one because the peel was very thin and the shape was curvy. The liquid bronze maybe won't go through the whole mould. However I still want to try it. At the same time, I look up online to see if there are some artworks about banana peel. Surprisingly I find some interesting images and works of banana peel.

1.

There was a giant banana peel in Copenhagen. It was part of a campaign for keeping Copenhagen clean. The sticker says "Ren by: Det er en kunst att holde byen ren" which means "Clean city: It is an art to keep the city clean." ( via Flickr: Aprile C )

Five days later, it became another trash somehow make the city dirty. How ironic! ( via Flickr: Johannesen )

2.

Banana Peel Installation by Adriana Lara at the New Museum's 'The Generational: Younger Than Jesus' Show (food art), 2009. For the banana peel installation, a museum employee is instructed to eat a banana each morning and discard the peel somewhere in the exhibition space, and, appropriately, there's a security guard always hovering nearby to protect it.

During the show, a visiter even kicked the banana peel away. The contrast of the trash and artwork and the fine line between these two different polars was very interesting and obvious by this accident. ( via EAT ME DAILY )

3.

A jewellery collection inspired by banana peel was designed by McGowan and McClain. 

( via General Valentine and McGowan and McClain )

4.

I think this is the most famous banana and its peel in the world...

  

by Andy Warhol

5.

Shattered Banana Peel by the artist Brock Davis. This is from the series called Make Something Cool Everyday: 2009. I like the way he broke the characteristic of banana peel. From this photograph, the soft banana peel transformed into broken and sharp pieces of glass or ceramic. I love it!!! Just like the title suggested, he did do something interesting on 25.01.2009.

( via Brock Davis )

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dancing (02)

I knew this clip from my favourite movie "Ghost World"
Dance! Dance! Dance!


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casting plan (03)

I finished some trash-making and spent lots of time filing and polishing. I wouldn't say it was 100% successful but I was quite happy with the outcome. Need to carry on the rest of the trash-making!

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bags

Screen-printing bags are for fund-raising for our degree show.
The title is "a rush and a push and the land is ours"
Lindsay's and my drawings appear on the canvas bag today.
HOORAY!!!!

Thanks to our AWESOME PR TEAM - Kim, Sander, Linda and Iain to make this happen!!!

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casting plan (02)

Today is the bronze-pouring day. The time in foundry is always pleasant. The dripping, red, liquid bronze always fascinates me. In addition, I enjoy the process of labour works like applying mixture onto the mould or shoveling sand although it makes me tired afterwards. It is just like a sacred ritual in order to get a perfect goal or trophy.

A million thanks to John! Thank you for always being patience and kind and helping me a lot all the time!!!

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rabbit in Brazil wonderland

One picture got selected to show as illustration in a Brazilian magazine --- ffw mag! The sneaky pink rabbit traveled to Brazil in November, 2011.

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casting plan (01)

Got this new idea for sculpture making which is inspired from my first year casting experiment. It was a twisted juice box. I didn't think very much at that time. I was just quite fancy the curvy and twisted lines. Also, the bronze elevate the value of an expendable object. In a way, trash might become treasure.

Continuing this thinking, I come up with this idea to make several bronze sculptures of trash. I hope I can make 5 or 6. Use the characteristic of material to give those objects some new meanings. Considering the time I got, I decide to use materials that can be burned off to cast into bronze directly. After discussing with John, it is not necessary to make the mould because I don't need to duplicate them. This plan sounds feasible and I really hope I can make it work.

 

The objects I have in mind such as cigarette pack, paper cup, plastic water bottle, polyester box and so on. Need to try several to get some interesting shape and silhouette.

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阿富汗與茶樹茶

為了簽證的事情我去了兩次格拉斯哥。這個類似簽證中心又或是移民局的機構位在一個前不著村後不著店的地方，一整排得辦公室大概有三四百公尺長，在道路的一邊，而另一邊則是集合住宅，一樓的每一戶的院子裡只有疏於照顧的草地和置身其中的垃圾，加上兩天的天氣都很糟糕，灰色的天空沒有任何雲朵或是藍天的肌理，加在一塊兒著實讓人非常的沮喪。

對於簽證的事情我總是戰戰兢兢，於是我提早了大約一個半小時就到了，就在辦公室的正對面的街角有一家小小的咖啡熟食店，於是我進去找了個窗邊的位置，點了一杯咖啡一邊等待。店內零散的兩三桌客人，都不是白人，我猜應該也都是來辦簽證事務的人吧。到了約莫十二點，店內開始擠進衣著打扮像是上班族的人來買午餐，三明治，咖啡，麵包和湯。這時一個看起來像是中東或是南亞長相的大哥揀了我旁邊的位置坐下，看他手上拿著跟我一樣的信封和文件，應該也是來簽證中心辦事的吧。於是我開口攀談，問他是否也是來辦簽證的，他說他的簽證申請被拒絕了，他是來上訴的。於是不免俗的我們開始了身家背景短暫的自我介紹。他從阿富汗來，在英國好像已經五六年了，是用難民的身分進入英國的，他說家鄉的狀況還是很不好，當時花了很大一番力氣從阿富汗出走，先到了杜拜，接著去土耳其，因此從希臘入境了歐盟，於是輾轉從義大利，法國，比利時然後來到了英國。談話間他似乎都是一派輕鬆寫意，拒簽上訴這些對我來說極度嚴重的事情對他來說好像也不是那麼糟糕，他說若是真的不行就在找另外一個國家吧！"那你呢？"他問我畢業後有什麼打算呢？想留在英國嗎？我說想阿但是現實不允許我這麼做，然後說起暑假時連找一份兼職工作都找不到，他說如果我現在真的很需要工作的話他有一個在愛丁堡的工作機會可以介紹給我云云。臨走前，我問起他的工作，他說他在一家炸魚薯條店上班，一週休息一天，我腦中浮現了他辛勤工作的模樣。他說他朋友辦完事了，隔著玻璃窗，看見一個圍著頭巾的女子朝著我們的方向走來，於是我們握手道再見。每每有這種與陌生人短暫的交會，都會讓我開始想像他們的生活，那些有形無形的樣貌。離開咖啡店前，我想著他說的工作機會，於是想像著我在午夜炸薯條的樣子，我想頭上會戴著那種快餐店店員戴的船型小帽，白色的，配上藍綠色和白色的條紋圍裙。在每一次油炸之後，我會用熱抹布把不鏽鋼流理台上的點點油漬擦拭乾淨。旁邊站著的是阿富汗先生，熟練的為薯條撒鹽倒醋，跟來店裡的熟客抑或是醉漢閒話家常。忽然覺得這樣的生活好像也沒有什麼不好，簡單而平淡。

因為簽證中心的作業系統在我上次去的時候大當機，於是我還得再去一次。這次心情沒有那麼緊張了，因為有種已經熟門熟路的感覺。一如上個禮拜我搭早上十點的火車從愛丁堡出發，預計十一點前抵達格拉斯哥。在火車上，一如往常我選了個有桌子靠窗的位子，當火車停妥在下一站的月台時，在車窗外站著的是家裡附近的咖啡館老闆。那是一家名叫TeaTreeTea的咖啡店，因為在往學校的路上，當我剛來到愛丁堡時，這是我最常去的咖啡店。跟我在私人咖啡店工作過有很大的關聯吧，對於這些獨立的小店總是更有一分情感上的連結。還記得他們在店裡通往地下室樓梯口的角落放著一塊墓碑造型的小黑板，上面寫著"RIP, St. arbucks"，我想這是他們對於就開在街角，距離他們約莫十公尺的跨國企業，小小的，幽默的抗議。老闆是一個很隨性的男子，他留著長長微捲的頭髮和大鬍子，波西米亞風味。一年四季他都穿著短褲和運動鞋，配上圍裙，有一種不搭軋的喜感。在我去了約莫三四次之後，當我還站在吧台前猶豫要喝什麼時，老闆大聲的問說"Big americano today as well?" 我心想著老闆認得我了，因為大部份時間我總是選擇美式因為它總是比拿鐵便宜一些，內心暗自害怕老闆該不會察覺到我的摳門了吧，哈哈！於是我說因為被你猜中了，所以我今天要改點拿鐵了。這讓我想起以前上班的時候，遇到常來的客人，都會問說今天也是喝美式嗎？三明治不要加洋蔥對不對？諸如此類的問題。之後的日子裡，就算沒那麼常去店裡喝咖啡了，在上學的路上常常遇到老闆在街角抽菸，看見我都是簡單的一句"Hiya"或是"How are you, mate?"的問候，或是經過店門口望向店裡，在吧台裡的他會跟我揮手或是點點頭，那樣的招呼。喔，我忘了說就在一個多月前，TeaTreeTea關起來了，起先我以為是他們休假或是店裡要重新裝潢才連續幾天都大門深鎖，直到看見房屋仲介的租屋告示架在窗口我才意識店真的收起來了，然後祈禱他們只是搬家而已，只是咖啡店的門窗上沒有任何搬遷的訊息，我好難過。直到今天，隔著車窗我看見了很久不見的老闆，不曉得是不是我自己過分的詮釋和解讀，我覺得老闆看起來有些憔悴和哀傷。第一次看他穿上牛仔褲配上皮靴子，少了圍裙和運動鞋，有些不習慣。上車後他在我斜後方的位子坐了下來，我用眼角餘光看見他在把玩他的iphone。我沒有勇氣上前去跟他打招呼或是問候一番，於是一路來到了格拉斯哥。下車後我尾隨著老闆想看看他來格拉斯哥做些甚麼，希望看見他正在打造另外一家店。但是手長腳長的他在出了車站後就不見蹤影了。這幾天在皮夾裡翻到昔日TeaTreeTea的集點卡，上面有兩個老闆的畫記，於是又讓我又想起了這些有關茶樹茶的種種。

今天走在路上聞到春天的味道，春天終於來了，所以不需要太憂傷。