Summative Post: Documentation

Artist Statement

Inspired by a passion for animal rights, my mirror paintings intend to portray confusion and isolation felt by the animals used in laboratory testing.

Many people are naïve to the use of animals in this way in modern society. My work tries to keep the issue alive by portraying this problem in a manner which is not too repulsive or offensive, so as not to deter the viewer whilst maintaining an essence of unease.

I hope to encourage the audience to reflect on how they would feel by imagining themselves in this sterile and lonely environment.

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Since the beginning of the year, my work has developed and evolved quite far from its origins whilst maintaining many techniques.

Having been working on my dissertation, I began the year creating collage pieces with an animal welfare theme; relating to my dissertation. I was researching lots of advertising techniques, and I wanted to employ some of these techniques into my own work. Dissertation research is definitely one of the most influencing factors of my work.
Post #1: https://lounomeat.wordpress.com/2014/10/20/term-1-subject-animal-collage/

Another important aspect of my work was both display and interactivity. I particularly wanted to make my work interactive, as advertising research shows it makes an advert more memorable. As my work is essentially an advert for animal welfare, I thought this would be both appropriate and effective.
Post #2: https://lounomeat.wordpress.com/2014/10/28/term-1-subject-collage-display/

I started working some small ideas alongside the collage; one being the destruction and distortion of soft toys. I used these sculptural pieces to create ‘Warped Scans’ which went on to influence my paintings; following through with the surrounding blackness which reflects isolation.
Post #3: https://lounomeat.wordpress.com/2014/11/14/term-1-subject-warped-scans-with-exploited-soft-toys/

Having decided over the Christmas period that I was fed up of collage and soft toys – these mediums not feeling like ‘me’ – I thought about what I wanted to present in the exhibition, and realised that I wanted to paint.
Post #4: https://lounomeat.wordpress.com/2015/02/17/term-2-subject-mirror-painting/

Finally, I chose to only paint monkeys rather than other animals, as they are more ‘human-like’, and this evolved to become my exhibition piece.
Post #5: https://lounomeat.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/term-2-mirror-monkeys/

Term 3: Naming my Exhibition Work

James Green had previously asked me if I’d considered naming my work, as it can add to your overall artworks. I have been thinking about names for the collection of mirrors, as well as if I wanted to individually name each piece.

I decided that I would give each monkey a human name, and label the piece as such. Human names create connections and empathy toward an animal, by making them more relate-able and turning them into an individual rather than being objectified. This can be seen in many animal welfare advertisements like the following one by the BUAV:

I want to call the collection “Reflect”, and then label each piece individual human names such as “Dave thinks you should” so the individual piece relates to the collection title, as in; “Dave thinks you should Reflect”. This message has two meanings; one being that you should think about what goes on for laboratory animals and the things you can do to avoid helping the suffering, as well as a literal meaning – actually reflecting one’s own eyes.

UPDATE
Having spoken to tutors and discussed labels and naming for the work, it was suggested that I don’t label each individual piece as it could look messy. Instead, I have labelled my selection of oil paintings simply “Reflect” and hope the double message of both literal reflection as well as mental reflection will come across.

Term 3: Sorting My Exhibition Space

Having been allocated my space, I set about gum-taping any joins, sanding down the walls, filling any holes, and painting the walls white. After leaving it to dry, I was able to begin putting up my work.

Initially, I had intended to have a diagonal ascending line of my work. However, a straight horizontal line displays more professionally for the exhibition. I also intended to just glue hooks to the backs of my mirrors, and then hang these on nails. However, the heat of a glue gun may crack the delicate mirrors. On speaking with David Fitzjohn, he suggested I could try and make the pieces look as if they were ‘floating’ by mounting the mirrors onto a wood protrusion first. However, this still left the problem of attaching the mirrors to the wood. I spoke to Alan the ‘tech man’ and he suggested using double sided foam pads. I purchased some of these, and used a tester mirror to attach it to the wall. I left this for 24 hours to check the pads would be strong enough to hold the mirrors, as I don’t want them to fall off halfway through the exhibition.

MDF Mounts

The Space

I used a piece of string and a spirit level to keep all the squares in line and level. However, due to the fact the walls themselves are hollow internally, the screws keeping the wood in place don’t have much to hold onto. This resulted in the wooden blocks ‘spinning’ on the axis of one screw. I intended to nail or tack the bottoms of the wooden pieces, but this didn’t work successfully as the heads weren’t flush with the wood. Instead, I used a sticky foam pad to keep them in place. I stuck five of these pads to each wooden block, and set about mounting my paintings.

Final Display

Term 3 Final Group Tutorial

The final tutorial with the group related to exhibition layout; how we intend to display our work. I showed James my previous post about possible layouts. Whilst he and the group agreed that the square grid layout was more aesthetically pleasing, it wasn’t the most practical for the exhibition as only one or two people would be able to view the work at once. It was also discussed that the diagonal line may be difficult to get evenly spaced, and that one straight horizontal line would look more professional.

Term 3: Mirror Layout

I have been thinking about how I want to lay out my pieces. I plan to glue-gun hooks to the back, and then use nails to hang them on the wall. I want to try and provide a range of heights for the pieces, as this will allow both the tall and the short access to line up their eyes with the eyes of the monkeys.

I have just used empty circles and squares as representations of the pieces.

Layout 1

Layout 2

Layouts 1 and 2 show sloping ascending and descending alternating shapes. This would provide an eye-level for a variety of heights, whilst also encouraging people to stretch a bit higher or bend down lower in order to see the pieces not at their exact height.

Layout 3

Layout 3 also provides for a number of heights – this time in a straight vertical line and alternating between round and square mirrors.

On making these layouts, I realised that one of my square mirrors doesn’t have rounded corners, whereas all the others do. Unfortunately, it is one of my favourite pieces and so I definitely want to choose it as one of my displayed pieces. This has made me consider a different layout which will incorporate the ‘odd’ mirror.

Layout 4

This square grid layout provides some height difference over three rows, but it allows me to place the ‘pointy corner’ mirror in the middle as the focus piece, and work the other matching mirrors around it.

David Fitzjohn suggested I speak to Alan the ‘tech guy’ as he has a method of hanging pieces which would allow my mirrors to stand just proud of the wall – sort of floating – as well as being more securely attached so they aren’t able to be lifted off.

Term 3: More Mirror Monkeys

Over Easter, I have been continuing to produce paintings of monkeys on mirrors. I have tried to portray a selection of monkeys with various metal instruments and bars penetrating their faces or confining them. I started by trying to portray realistic devices used to keep the animals in place. However, I decided that a realistic portrayal wasn’t necessary; these tests are pointless and immoral, therefore the portrayal of such implements might as well also be pointless and unnecessary.

I intended the mirrors to be uniform in shape and size. However, availability of mirrors was a problem and I now have two different style; square and round. I shall experiment with different layout patterns.

Term 2: Mirror Monkeys

Having experimented with different species of frequently used lab animal, I decided to only paint monkeys. I chose monkeys over other animals, as they are the most relatable animal; sharing many human characteristics. I felt this would be the best option in order to try and draw comparisons between human and animal.

I think my painting is improving as I get used to applying paint to mirror, and simply just getting back into practise with painting.

These mirrors are all different sizes and shapes. I shall try and get the same size and shaped mirrors so they are uniform.