Negative space...

I thought another way of visually showing my weight loss, would be to represent it as been negative space on the body. As excess weight has a negative effect on our general health I thought this could work.
I started exploring this using clay to represent the negative space. However, if I developed this idea, I would have to use air drying clay. The reason for this is that normal clay would dry out and crack when it is not fired, I could also get this in various colours.
I added clay round about the areas of the body I was taking measurement from...

However, this did not look aesthetically pleasing so I then tried to masking off areas...

 

 

Still not working!

There's a hundred and one things I could try in terms of experimentation, however, this still isn't working for me. I think the reason for this is because it lacks a personal connection to the journey I'm going through. In all honesty, this response would be a cop out, as I've be divulging extremely personal information about my body and I think it would be a mistake not to use this!
I feel even if I included my measurements with this work it would still provide no evidence of my personal journey, which would make it un-relatable in my opinion. In order to create a successful art work I need to show how the positive changes have benefited me and then convey this to the viewer.
A fresh approach maybe to show my journey through my cloths as slowly but surely they are starting to fit again. I think this is one of the great benefits of this process and I feel it's something most people could relate to. So, it's time to abandon the idea of using a mannequin in favour of using my own body, which I hope will add the person element required to make my work a success.

Commencing Experiments...

Now I have a Maquette, I am now able to explore visual ways of showing my weight loss. I thought a good way of doing this would be to add weight back on as a way of representing my body both before and after the body sculpting process.
I started by covering the Maquette with a plastic bag and creating a wall using clay so I could create one and a half inch plaster panels.

 

At this point, I started to have doubts about how successful this process would be and even if refining it would improve the aesthetics. However, I did not want to abandon this idea with out exhausting all possibilities...
So I shaped the panels using a rasp to see how this would effect the overall look...

 

 

Once the panels were shaped, I used fish gut to secure onto the Maquette, however, if I developed the idea further I would secure using magnets.
I wrapped the tape measure around the Maquette as this would be marked with my inch loss which I would hope would make the piece more relevant in terms of my personal journey.
I also tried painting the panels with latex to represent fat...

 

Not Working...

 

When I had the idea of representing the weight I had lost, I wasn't quite sure what I expected the work to look like. However, I know this is not the visual response I was hoping for.

Despite obvious aesthetical issues (which I could address when refining the process) the model lacks visual impact and has an un-nerving predictable quality. Which makes me want to run in the opposite direction, which I may do.

I'm not completely abandoning this idea yet, as I have an idea that explores negative space in relation to the body. However, I want to create something new, fresh and out of the box exciting and I have a feeling that this approach is none of these things!



 

Mannequin?? Maquette First...

As a visual way of capturing my changes, I had initially wanted to cast my body. However, once I thought about the process required I realised I do not have the resources available to carry this out. So, I had to get creative and think of other methods I could use in order to explore this option further.
It was at this point I though that I could use a polystyrene mannequin as a base for my body. I could then use my experience as a sculptor to recreate my shape using my measurements some mud-rock and plaster.
However, I wanted to be sensible about this so before I followed my usual routine of getting caught up in the idea which almost always results in a hastily purchased barging buy from my old friend the internet. I decided to try this method out by creating a Maquette mannequin made out of Styrofoam.
I started this using two blocks (that I would later join together) and roughly sketched out the shape required. I then used a combination of the hot wire cutter, saw and rasps to shape.

 

 

   

 

Once the block were cut and shaped I then had to join them together to create depth. To do this, I used PVA glue and clamped the pieces together and left them over night.

 

 

 

Once dry I was able to use a rasp and sand paper to add more detail to the Maquette.

 

The Maquette was ready for the next stage, a layer or mud-rock which would provide a good base for the plaster...

 

 

 

 

 

Once both sides had been covered in mud-rock I then added multiple layers of plaster.

 

 

Once this stage was complete I shaped using a rasp, knife and sand paper.

 

  

 

 



My finished Maquette will allow me to explore ideas that relate to capturing any physical changes to my body. 

 

Today I weigh...

I also done my fortnightly weigh-in and the result speak for themselves...

Two weeks ago today

 

Today

Printing Experimentation

I have now completed my first set of prints using the photos I taken while performing facial yoga, To do this, I used the method of silk screen printing onto material.

I used a portable bed for this process as this is a good method for printing onto material

 

I used two different styles one uses smaller photos in a grid format the other uses larger photos that are scattered randomly. I done this so I can identify the method that offers more visual appeal and will retain detail when I use the material to make weight bags.

 

Different formats of print

 

Although it took a bit of practice (to get the acquired pressure required for this process) I was eventually able to print some good quality samples.

 

Silkscreen prints onto material

 

Which I could use to create bags and identify what design works better in this context.

 

Bags made out of the printed material

 



Overall, I felt that using this method was successful and I was impressed with the level of detail captured in the prints. When accessing the difference in style I think the grid format offers more in  terms of visual quality. This is partly down to how movement is portrayed as there is a noticeable flow from picture to picture. I also think this is a better choice for the bags as there is more clarity because the images are smaller, therefore do not get swallowed by the material. I like this idea and want to continue developing it. I will now take photos of me performing my exercise routine and repeat this process as a way of doing this.







 

 

 

Experimenting With Possible Responses...

Now I have collected a substantial amount of visual evidence throughout the last few weeks, I feel I want to start exploring some visual outlet's.
My first response was artist book, however, I'm slightly put off by the fact this was an obvious choice for my project. Therefore, this could be conceded as the safer option and for my final degree project I don't want to be seen as playing it safe, so will need to underpin some unique visual and conceptual qualities before I would consider developing this for a final piece.
I have selected some visual information that could potentially develop the idea of a book/box and I have started to experiment using different methods:

 

A fold out book that uses images to show the measuring exercise

 

 

Food diary, I am following a food plan that rotates on a fortnightly bases and I have been photographing my meals as a way of recording this. I used a cube to represent the structure this has introduced to my routine which also captures the repetitiveness of the plan.

 

 

My inch loss is one of the many benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and could be a good visual tool for communicating this.

 

I now want to use some of the information collected in the first few weeks to create a Marquette box type to try and identify possible routes for development.

 

My Excess Weight...

 

In my personal learning plan I had identified an idea which was to create bags made up of my excess weight. I thought this would act as a solid reminder of the benefits of living a healthy lifestyle and would allow others to gain a personal insight into my physical transformation:

 

 

I created the bag using fabric that I filled with sugar and secured with a postal tag with the words "Excess Weight" printed on it.

 

I used sugar to fill the bags as a literal reference as a reduction of this in my diet was one of the reasons I lost the weight.

I now want to develop the bag further and it was suggested that I printed onto the bag to make it more visually interesting.

I thought as I have referenced the change in my diet I should also represent the change in my exercise routine. To explore this idea, I'm going to use my facial yoga photos and if this is successful, I will photography my full exercise routine (which I could have fun with, I'm thinking 80's exercise instructor so I better dusk off those leg warmers!)

In order to create a good quality print I used photoshop to desaturate the picture and adjust the contrast...

 

 

 

I know I changed the photos to accommodate the print process, however, I think this has gave them a more demanding quality and enhances the performance element within them.

I will now copy the images onto acetate ready for the screen printing process.