Thursday 19 April 2012

Breaking the mould

The time came to experiment and make. I have purchased so forth ingredients:

  • clay
  • lego bricks
  • latex
  • plaster of paris
  • alginate
  • siligel
  • metal gauze
  • metal sheeting
  • bees wax
 I wanted to try a two part mould so I could cast a full object in the media of my choice. I collected an array of objects from around the house and my studio...

keys  shells  doll parts  amulets  animal objects  teeth bones  skull  wire  cogs  flowers  seed pods



      

Siligel self hardening putty


Pushing the key into clay and building a plasticine wall to hold the plaster


Doll leg in clay with Lego wall (lets the plaster through as not completely air tight)




embedding objects into clay and building a wall to hold the plaster

                            

  a shark's tooth



a foot, a key and a two part plaster mould


separating the mould


Alginate pour


broken doll leg cast


To be continued...

Today's rant - unwanted dog dirt

Ok, so I have been told (by expert blogger JS) that it's more fun to use my blog to rant. The problem is, I would be ranting all night. I once went through a phase of watching Curb your Enthusiasm, only to find that the more I watched it...the more I started becoming Larry David. He's a man who likes a rant and a good ole complain.

So, today's rant:

I stayed in my pyjamas for most of the day. 1) partly because I couldn't be bothered getting washed and dressed, 2) I was working and didn't have time to get washed and dressed. (This, I find is one of the many pleasures of being self employed). 3) it was raining outside.
Eventually it got so late that I was embarrassed to answer the door when the postman knocked (with my recent Ebay delivery), I resigned to the fact that I had to eventually get dressed. Having not yet walked the dog, I threw on some clothes and bundled myself in what seemed like swaddling clothes. The weather has turned dismal again, resulting in me leaving the house each day looking like a fat Russian peasant.
So as I opened the front door and faced the grey skies and torrential rain, what was there to greet me? Oh yes....a great big dog shit! I would like to add at this point that IT WAS NOT FROM MY DOG. I know who's dog it was though...the family up the road who never f*****g clean up after their cocker spaniel. They just let it wander along, shitting and pissing wherever it takes it's fancy. It's been carrying on like this for a good while now, years in fact. Last time it happened I collected it in a poo bag (the shit, not the dog), and left it on their doorstep. Nothing happened.
So, I had the nice job of clearing up the now rained-on poo from my path, and there's something I hate about cleaning up other dog's poo. I don't mind my own dog's poo, but I felt dirtied after the experience.

So the question is.....what do I do next?

a) Put the shit on the neighbour's doorstep again
b) Put it in my own wheelie bin (which is where it is at present)
c) Make a sign saying "don't f*****g let your hound shit in my garden
d) other


Rant over...for now.

The Key as a symbol

Historically, the key has been one of man`s most universal symbols. Christian saints, pagan gods, medieval kings - all have been shown holding keys as symbols of their spiritual or temporal power. Spiritually, the key has represented the power to open the door between this world and the next. Temporally, it has represented rule over everything, from empires and feudal kingdoms to single households.
Throughout history, keys have been used to symbolize man`s ability to gain access to those things of either a material or spiritual nature which are of the greatest significance to him.
An ancient key tradition that still survives stems from the practice of emperors, kings, princes and persons in positions of august authority presenting elaborately designed "chamberlain keys" to officials as symbols of their appointment to high office. Today, this is manifested in the presentation of a "key to the city" to visiting dignitaries.
 The key denotes liberation, knowledge, the mysteries, initiation. In Christianity the key is the emblem of St. Peter as guardian of the gate of heaven; it is also an attribute of the Pope. In Japanese mythology the three keys of the granary are love, wealth and happiness.







I have had a fascination with keys for a long time. I can remember, as a child digging in the garden to find lost or discarded keys. The older and rustier the better.
I now have a collection of keys and locks, from old padlocks, giant wooden doorway locks, metal door locks, exquisite tiny keys used for fob watches, old clock keys, huge door keys and others which I have not yet identified. I have been experimenting with casting a few of these.

Superstition

The key is also known as a belief for curing nosebleeds. Dropping a key was also known as a sign of bad luck, or at least a removal., as indicated by Thomas Hardy:

'I hope nothing is wrong about mistress,' said Maryann...'but an unlucky token came to me indoors this morning. I went to unlock the door and dropped the key, and it fell upon the stone floorand broke into two pieces. Breaking a key is a dreadful bodement. I wish mis'ess was home'
Hardy, Far from the Madding Crowd (1874)

Keys could also bring protection

If a newly-born infant cries, three keys should be placed in the bottom of the cradle.





Saints, Signs and Symbols

With the knowledge that the de Mortillet collection has a significant amount of religious objects, I have decided to research into the symbolism of saints. Saints are a main feature of the votives and have many offerings and meanings devoted to them.
Maybe we could use use this as inspiration when designing our own pieces.

A few examples of Saints and their symbols:

St Agatha - Gold pincers on a red field
St Agnes - White lamb, gold book, on a red field
St Alban - A gold saltire on a blue field
St Alphege - Gold axe-head on silver handle, and field of red
St Sebastian - Gold arrows on a red field
St Romuald - A gold ladder on a black field
St Stephen - A gold palm branch, silver stones, on a red field
St Thomas Aquinas - A gold sun in splendour with the eye, on a black field

Other symbols include:
crosses
stars
flowers, fruits, trees


Flowers, fruit, trees

Acacia - Immortality of the soul
Almond - Divine approval of favour, (St Mary the Virgin)
Apple - Salvation, sin
Carnation - (Red), Pure love
Cherry - Good works
Daisy - Innocence
Iris - The sorrow of the Virgin for the Passion of the Lord Jesus Christ
Ivy - Life external, Fidelity
Laurel - Triumph, eternity
Lily - Purity
Narcissus - Divine love
Oak - Faith and endurance
Olive branch - Peace
Palm - Spiritual victory
Pomegranate - Fertility
Poppy - Fertility
Violet - Humility
Wheat - Bountifulness


Significance of colour

Black - solemity, negatation, sickness, death
Black and White - Humility, purity of life
Blue - Heavenly love, unveiling of truth, St Mary
Brown - Spititual death and degradation
Gold (see white)
Grey - Ashes, humility, mourning
Green - Spring, triumph of life over death,charity, good works, hope
Purple - Royalty, Imperial power
Red - Martyred saints, love, hate, sovereign power
Violet - Love, truth, passion, suffering
White (Gold) - Innocence of soul, purity, holiness of life, Christmas, Easter, etc.
Yellow - Dingy:Infernal light, degradation,jealousy, treason, deceit