Alternative Miss World 1991

Skin and Body


After making my latex samples i wanted to see how they worked as another material to cover the body leaving small parts visible or being opaque to see the body underneath. I liked the way the latex pulled and distorted the skin but also the colours and textures make it harder to see whats underneath. The texture of latex when stretched over the skin like tight clothing can sexualise something and make it body conscious like pvc clothing. The idea of someone being squeezed into tight latex like material and the way the skin has pulled in my pictures makes it awkward but in a funny way.

These are the ones i tried out today on arms and legs...

Today i did some further photographs of body parts and skin covered and changed with materials. My first idea came from Mari Iwaharas work using typography and language using the skin. I wanted to see what the outcomes were and the processes of concealing or obscuring body parts. Seeing parts of the skin and body isolated in one image can change your perception of where it is and
what it is. When i first saw Maris work it looked rude and made me unsure what parts of the body were used until you look closer, i think most people at first look of something thats obscure their mind jumps straight to something sinister or dirty. This instant judgement and perception when using skin and body parts i want to play on further.

These are my attempts with Chloe which were much more difficult than i thought they would be. A large part of the time we spent was actually figuring out where on the body and how, we then moved onto looking at natural shapes the body makes without using wire on them such as a C in the ear and a B in the nose. I felt this excercise helped me with my work, it made me be aware of communication with the body and how it can be changed.

Natural body forms:

Altered body forms:

X

N

I

Z

Y

D

H

M

Proxemics

 I first looked at body sculptures that could be worn or have the effect of being worn when they are static and cant be moved. I mostly worked with covering the face as it created anonymity of the person and gave them their own space. From having their own space they would then experience whether it had a positive or negative effect, if they felt claustrophobic and uncomfortable about others around them or (similar to when we all sat in our boxes) that it became comfortable having their own personal space that felt secluded and safe.



This then lead me onto proxemics and our own personal spaces. I made sketches similar to these but with a hole cut out for the person inside to see out of. This in turn allowed others to test the personal space of the participant and stand as close as they like with sole communication with their eyes which many people feel uncomfortable with eye contact. This also lead me onto making sketches of sculpture that could be worn as a way of keeping people at a certain distance that was comfortable or uncomfortable. Tomorrow I'm going to be making some prototypes of these and recording what i find.

This made me think about how we communicate and use our bodies to tell others about our social distances. Its within our culture in Britain to avoid human contact, someone sitting next to you on an empty train, standing too close when talking to someone and even shaking hands although its body contact there is still a fair distance between the two people. This is called haptics, non verbal communication involving touch for example when greeting someone. When someone is too close its also in our culture to be polite and move away or be quietly angry and annoyed by huffing or tutting in the hope they'll take the hint and move. Even in close situations like on a train or confined area everyone moves around awkwardly to get into a more closed off position that they feel slightly more comfortable in.

Tomorrow i want to make some body casts in closed and open positions wearing boiler suits which will change the body shape into a more unisex form that most people could fit into. From this i want to photograph and record other people trying to fit into the casts mimicking the body language. 





Andrew's Adventures in Loganland

Alternative Miss World 2009

Alternative Miss World- Useful Websites

http://alternativemissworld.co.uk/

http://andrewlogan.com/tag/alternative-miss-world

http://www.guardian.co.uk/culture/video/2009/may/01/alternative-miss-world-andrew-logan

http://www.tumblr.com/tagged/alternative%20miss%20world

http://www.dontpaniconline.com/magazine/radar/andrew-logan-alternative-miss-world

Polyurethane Foam and Plastic

Ive been a bit confused on what to do for Alternative Miss World with my materials. Ive enjoyed using plaster but the weight of it probably wont work for my ideas as it needs to be light ish to stand up. My idea is to use a messy raw sort of material that can be cheap or look inexpensive, i want to pour this over my sculpture that will run onto the floor to hopefully give it some structure and hold it to the floor. These are some sketches of my ideas so far.

I like the effect plaster gives and like that it looks chalky and matte and also that parts are crumbling away and deteriating. However for the scale im wanting to make this i dont think it will work or stand up, the legs i made had to be stapled to the wall and still this wouldnt hold it for too long. I started looking into other materials that would be a lot lighter, i experimented with some latex but only in a 2d form so i need to try it on 3d surfaces to see how it looks. I liked the shiny rubbery surface it made when i mixed it with glitter, i want to use cheap tacky sort of materials like glitter etc.

My next idea was expanding foam as i could still use chicken wire to make the basic shape. Also after making the legs with plaster the effect it gave inside would be similar or stronger when using expanding foam which i liked.





The main artist i could think of that used foam was Folkert De Jong who puts pigment into the foam to colour it although it isnt expanding, the colours and textures remind me of cakes and sweets.


Folkert has also collaborated with fashion designer Walter Van Beirendonck, this may help if i decide to make a costume/sculptural piece.

Someone who uses polyurethane plastic is Nick Van Woert,  he uses historical sculptures and busts then covers with plastic to disfigure and cover the sculpture but also the way he lets the plastic sets then displays changes the gravity of the work.

These materials are normally used for casting, an artist using resin casting is Darren Lago he contrasts the material with the subject matter but i find his use of materials more interesting. He puts pigment into the resin using bright sweet colours then glass over the top. Another idea would be to make a cast using the material instead of pouring over something else.

Alternative Miss World Initial Ideas

After watching Andrew Logans A British Guide to Showing Off  i noted down main themes i noticed, other than the ones given such as Void or Earth, i mainly noticed the theme of gender and sexuality, what defines gender and the spectrum between male and female. The view of the female body is seen in more of a humorous and cheeky way and the body is accentuated and almost celebrated as art rather than something to be covered. It made me think about how i define the term 'female' and 'male' and the people inbetween who merge these terms and become something new.

When i did A Rakes Progress i went to make a quick sculpture from the initial idea of A Rakes Progress focusing on the prostitues, i noticed how those characters were always in the background and never seemed to be a main character almost as though they were props or objects in the composition. Howeverrrrrrrrr this project went on way longer than i thought it would because i got caught up in using plaster and the effects it gives. But from this it gave me ideas and followed on well to alternative miss world with the idea of femaile sexuality and gender.

These arent recent pictures from my new sculpture, my newer ones are a lot more heavy handed and exagerated like Rebecca Warrens work using clay. The way i make the sculptures is also kind of how i draw in life drawing.





I researched into the subjetc matter of her sculptures which originally came from Robert Crumbs cartoon sketches which were quite offensive and harsh. He worked from American mainstream and his 'ideal woman' but then again in a lot of his drawings he would draw the men small and weak compared to the women.

I want to carry on with this theme of female sexuality an identity, my first idea if i were to make a costume would be to make an everyday object into a costume to show the objectification of women, with it being made into a theatrical humorous costume it would show the attitude most people have towards sexist comments and jokes and abuse women can get in the streets for the way they look.