All ready for hand-in

 

I took these photos with my phone so they are not the best quality however they get the point across how I have set my work up. I think the main criticism is that I think I should have done the photo bigger possibly A2 instead of A3? and also I would also liked to have taken the photos with my Sony NEX.

 

The photo is a smaller than I originally wanted as I was going to use 3 photos (please see previous posts) and then by the time I realised I wanted to only use 1 photograph it was too late to sort out a larger version. Which is most unfortunate - I have know learnt that in future projects to sort the composition of the final display at least 3 weeks before the deadline - instead of 2 weeks.

 

A piece of work is never finished and there is a lot more that I could have done with it. If I had more time I would have liked to work on the display.

 

 

Academy Day 3

Today I went into my local Academy again and they have offered me to attend for some more weeks after the deadline next week so I gain more experience in preparation for my PGCE application. Which is fantastic news!!

 

Because it was the day after parents evening for most of the teachers they didn't get chance to read through my new personal statement - but they said that they will have a look through it in the next coming weeks. I have also asked if I can bring in my portfolio to show to the current year 12's so they can gain an insight into their next task should they want to apply for university.

 

As ever I really enjoyed the day and it allowed me to gain more experience and knowledge into the profession. I was asked to help in a year 9 art class (which is an option group) and the teacher allowed them quite a substantial amount of freedom in their outcomes. The plan was that the teacher showed them some artists and then each week for homework they could research there favourite artists to influence them. They can create anything, 2D or 3D. Some students embraced this concept however others did not - some needed more encouragement more than others which is where I hopefully helped with.

 

I loved encouraging the handful of students to flourish and I hope that they found it beneficial to hear other ideas. Some were slightly overwhelmed as secondary school art is completely different from degree art! It was lovely to hear them explain their ideas and hear the enthusiasm in their voice once they were confident.

 

I look forward to attending the Academy in the forth coming weeks. I still really feel like I want to do this as a career and doing this placement as continued the flame burning.

Summery and Evaluation

SUMMERY

'Encased of the skin of another’ is based upon a response to Birmingham City Centre in a puppet form.

The definition from the Compact Edition of The Oxford English Dictionary, Volume II is that a puppet is a figure (usually small) representing human being or animal. Nothing is mentioned about strings or shadows and this is the aspect that I have taken.

People tend to have less compassion for rats in comparison to other animals such as sparrows, dog and cats. This is something else I have taken into consideration.

Adaptation is omnipresent in all habitats, it is essential to adapt to survive. Camouflage is the ability to blend in with the surroundings and is a common example of an adaptation. The rat wants to be accepted into the city and attempts to disguise his appearance as a bird. People enjoy feeding the birds around the city and do not encourage rats. I have decided to go with a humorous characteristic and give it a narrative of the rat wanting to ‘belong’ in Birmingham and this is portrayed through my photograph.

In reflection it is like people in and around the city. The way people dress, their behaviour and their general appearance – all evolve to become more acceptable into today’s society.  

The biblical story of ‘The wolf in sheep’s clothing’ has provided with a wealth of support towards this piece as the rat is wearing the wings of a magpie as a costume or disguise.

Once upon a time a Wolf resolved to disguise his appearance in order to secure food more easily. Encased in the skin of a sheep, he pastured with the flock deceiving the shepherd by his costume. In the evening he was shut up by the shepherd in the fold; the gate was closed, and the entrance made thoroughly secure. But the shepherd, returning to the fold during the night to obtain meat for the next day, mistakenly caught up the Wolf instead of a sheep, and killed him instantly.  

To Adapt

Tutorial Feedback (16/04/13)

> Look at 'Jonathan Livingston - Seagull'

> focus more on narrative, identify context

> think about display

> wardrobe of 'clothing'

> is the rat longing for acceptance or is it for survival in the narrative

> look at how people adapt and how animals adapt

> the way it is displayed contributes to the way it is interpenetrated

> be reflective on people in the city

> develop more hangers at a larger scale to make sure we can see them

> use a spirit level when preparing it.

 

After the tutorial today I need to concentrate on a larger narrative that is stronger. What I have is a basic understanding and I just need to refine this. So I started at the word 'adapt' as this to me is the link between all parts.

to adapt 

Verb Make (something) suitable for a new use or purpose; modify. Become adjusted to new conditions.

Synonyms adjust - fit - accommodate - conform - suit   What Does Adaptation Mean?   The special characteristics that enable plants and animals to be successful in a particular environment are called adaptations.  Camouflage, as in a toad's ability to blend in with its surroundings, is a common example of an adaptation. The combination of bright orange and black on a monarch butterfly is an adaptation to warn potential predators that the butterfly is poisonous and prevent it from being eaten. These special features have evolved over long periods of time, through the process of natural selection. Adaptations afford the organism a better chance to survive in its surroundings. SOURCE New 'super rats' evolve resistance to poison   TELEGRAPH FULL STORY "Rats across Britain are evolving a resistance to poison that makes them almost impossible to kill, scientists have warned..."   "...Genetic mutations have produced a new breed of "super rat" with DNA that protects the vermin from standard toxins, according to Professor Robert Smith at the University of Huddersfield..."   "...There are now thought to be around 80 million rats in Britain, a rise of more than 200 per cent since 2007..."

Metropolis

On Tuesday when I went to town to photograph by rat  hybrid for my negotiated study I popped into the BMAG and went to the Metropolis Exhibition.

Overall I really enjoyed the exhibition and I was really inspired by the way the artists had displayed their work.

14. Ola Kolehmainen - Shadows of Church (2006) was one of my favourite pieces because I love how at first glance its Selfridges and then on closer inspection it has a reflection of the church. The way the artist has printed this piece on glass and not an opaque material really emphasises that reflective aspect really well. It was the first thing that people see as they make their way through the gallery and I thought that this piece sums the whole exhibition up.

16. Beat Streuli - Pallasades (2001) was my second favourite because it consisted of two televisions on the wall with a two videos continuously playing of people walking down the Pallasades ramp minding their own business. The shots are of just the people walking and so you cannot see the pavement or surrounding shops. The people are so unaware and it is so fascinating to see the different types of people. It was shot with a long, special lens. It would be interesting too see if the people walking down the ramp would be different today. The fashion, hairstyles, culture aspects etc would be really interesting.

Teaching Agency Letter

I have received this letter and leaflet following my enquiry at the Train To Teach Road show a couple of weeks ago. It proved useful reading and gave me something to refer back to. I am currently working on my new personal statement and I am going to take it with me next Friday when I go to placement again so I can ask the teachers to have a look on it and give there feedback.

When I went to the road show I took part in an 'Application Clinic' and the lady I spoke to was a mentor that is employed by the teaching agency. She was very helpful and guided me through the personal statement structure.

Rats in Canals

RAT KNOWLEDGE

 

"... rats were unwittingly introduced into Britain as stowaways aboard the ships of the eighteenth century....the shy, nocturnal rat is undoubtedly our most disliked, as well as being our most destructive, mammal. It can be found almost everywhere and is as much at home in the countryside, especially if there are old buildings nearby, as in the cities. A canal, with its associated structures and towpath hedgerow makes an ideal environment for the rat..."

 

SOURCE

 

BIRMINGHAM CANAL KNOWLEDGE

 

"Does Birmingham really have more miles of canal than Venice? The exact numbers depend on where you draw the city boundaries, but the whole Birmingham Canal Navigations (BCN) system adds up to 100 miles of canals.

It is one of the most intricate canal networks in the world. The hub of the BCN is the bustling city centre junction at Gas Street Basin. Here, colourful boats and historic canal architecture sit side-by-side with vibrant modern restaurants, cafes and bars. The basin is in the heart of Birmingham’s cosmopolitan nightlife and shopping districts. The mainlines and city centre canals are busy with boaters, walkers and cyclists."

 

SOURCE

Does a rat merit less compassion?

I found a photo on Flickr (please see the source link below) and read the caption underneath. The photo is of a dead rat floating in the canal. I totally agree with the point about the fact if it were a rabbit dead in the dirty canal then we would feel sympathy - but seen as though its a rat we considerably show less compassion. This really does support my work as my rat hybrid/ puppet portrays the fact that he wants be included in Birmingham wildlife - hence the 'in sheeps clothing' aspect.

 

"Humans tend to have strong feelings about rats. If this were a rabbit one might say 'poor creature'. Does a rat merit less compassion?..."

 

"...They thrive on our waste but they can survive without us."

 

SOURCE

In Birmingham Town Centre

Today I ventured to the town to photograph my rat hybrid in context so to speak. I shot all the photos in RAW format and edited them on Photoshop this evening. I have decided to have a series of 3 photos to run along side my installation. I have photographed them by the Birmingham Canals as this is were the most rats have been seen, it also attracts most of the Birmingham wildlife. I really did get some funny looks and comments from passers by - some were fascinated some were truly horrified. The photographs are along the humorous side with a lonely narrative. From the photographs the hybrid is with other animals like geese, pigeons and doves that are moving in the photos, I have tried to give the sense that the rat just wants to belong and 'be one of them'.

 

 

 

The three I would really like to print are ...

 

 

Development & Constraints

Today i worked on the simulated drain idea, previously i have made a cardboard cube with a slots in the top (see previous posts). The idea was to simulate the inside a drain by directing the light through the top and having a tray of water at the bottom to create the reflections on the wall of the cardboard structure. The photos came out like this (see below) and they didn't work as the camera wasnt defining the reflections. The video worked but as the rat doesn't move i cant see it working with a moving background and then a still foreground.

 

< the reflections didnt work but the light source through the top of the drain worked well and were defined.

Last night i decided that i did not like the way the rat hybrid looked like with the crown and cape. I didnt think it fitted in well with my initial concept and it had no fluent meaning and it crept away from the puppet theme.

 

Hanger idea...

 

I decided to change the way the wings looked and i decided that the crown was too striking. So i removed the cape and the crown and made the wings in to something separate and made mini hangers from wire. This idea was to create a wardrobe of wings and the outcome would be a pigeon winged harness and then a magpie one. Once tried this didnt work either as the wire didnt support the weight and it didnt look sophisticated as i imagined. (see above)

 

I also decided that i needed reference to the text that supports my idea. The Aesops tale 'The wolf in sheep's clothing' so i decided to make a little book that my rat could hold.

The new idea now is to have one photograph or series of photographs of my hybrid in Birmingham centre (going back to the very first idea) and then have my hybrid mounted on a suitable peace of wood, on a plinth.

However then I was thinking that you dont find rats on plinths (even though this is a dead rat that is stuffed!) And i came across a clay chimney that looked more like a pipe/ drain i think it would be more suitable to have this on the floor with the rat hybrid inside.

 

I also tried making my own felt rat as an alternative to using a real rat and taxidermy. This really didnt work and wasnt up to the standard of the previous posts as its harder than it looks...

 

 

I have also tried a polymer clay version of a rat head, towards the start of the project I made a pigeon head out of polymer clay and this was deemed to heavy for purpose. So this time round when I made the rat head for a test piece I took David Curtis- Ring's advise and use foil on the inside. I sculpted the head from tin foil and then rolled out the super sculpy over the top. I made some ears and then added some beads for eyes. I then painted it which was a huge mistake as its doesn't look much like fur at all!!

If I were doing it again I would have bury the beads inside the head instead of them sitting on the outside. I would also consider another way of doing the fur.

on a whole super sculpy is a very versatile material and is excellent for this scale of work. It is much lighter with the foil inside and would have been an ideal weight compared to the original tester.

 

This technique isn't suitable for what I wanted it for in the end, but it would have been ideal inside my simulated drain but alas that didn't materialise.