Tributes and Memorials ((updated 05.07))

[Linguini]

Hello! This year I'm in AP 3-D so I have to prepare a portfolio of 12 concentration pieces and 8 breadth pieces. My concentration is "tributes and memorials" and I decided to post my pieces for critiques and comments. :)

The AP deadline was May 8! Please scroll down to see the rest of my portfolio.

I have to admit, I've been suffering from a bad case of senioritis. I need to switch to high gear so I can complete both sections of my portfolio by May.


This is a memorial to all earthquake victims. It was mostly inspired by the Sichuan earthquake. It's made from sculpture clay.

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/Hand-front2.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/Hand-back2.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/Hand-detail8.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/Hand-detail3.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/Hand-detail1.jpg

[Sloas]

Could you elaborate a bit more on the feelings you had while working on this piece? And what emotions you wanted in bring out in the viewer?

[Linguini]

Sure.

When I had first heard about the Sichuan earthquake, I thought, "how terrible," of course, and felt more affected by it than perhaps my friends because I'm Chinese. I didn't fully understand how devastating it was until I saw pictures of it on MSNBC's year in pictures slideshow during the new year. I actually started crying when I saw the pictures of bodies covered by the rubble, and limbs sticking out everywhere. I thought it was extremely striking how just an anonymous hand poking out could produce such emotions. This was during when I was sculpting a hand for my portfolio. I had wanted to reproduce a version of the hand drawing by Escher. In a moment of impulse (and I guess you could say laziness, since I didn't really want to sculpt another hand), I decided to make it a memorial. Since I had mostly made the hand for a technical thing, I didn't really feel particularly attached to the piece then. When I was making the rubble, though, and finally "buried" the hand in it, well, it was extremely depressing. I imagined that the hand could be anyone's - a stranger's, my friend's, or even mine. I guess I experienced a particularly sentimental moment when I assembled the piece.

What I wanted was shock value. I kind of want the viewer to go like, "OMG, it's a hand buried under rubble." But then for them to go, "where's the rest of the person?" because just a hand doesn't make a whole person. Of course, I would think that sadness would be a good emotional response. I want them to think. And perhaps try to imagine what it would be like to be crushed under tons of rubble.

[Sloas]

Very interesting. And yes, when I say it, I went, "Oh snap! A hand reaching out of rocks!"

I interpret it more like you do, I think. My boyfriend and I were actually discussing this piece last night, and the possible meanings.
While I think of a more.. I guess you could say personal, effect, and sadness, he says it feels more like a 'movement' piece.
I think that he felt as if you were making a statement. He said that it may have been a piece created to make people think about what could have been prevented, had the government required stronger structure in buildings.

I was going more for the shock thing, though, I think. At first, I must admit, I was a bit shocked at first, and almost appalled. I first thought of it as presenting a deformed breast, in honor of a breast cancer victim.
But as I studied it, and thought, it changed. Though I can't explain, exactly, how to describe it. But it's good thoughts, if that helps. Haha.
So, this is a very powerful piece, being interpreted in a wide range of ways.

This is a beautiful piece, with very strong emotions tied to it. Not just the concept, either. The hand looks as if it were a casting. You did an awesome job on it. I really like the texture.

I can really see where you felt strongly when assembling the piece. Even though an earthquake has never effected me directly, when I see pictures, or even hear stories of such events, tears come to my eyes.

Sorry, though.. I'm rambling.
In short, this is a very moving piece.

I can't wait to see more from you!

A quick question, though..
What exactly is the rubble made from? Dried clay that has been chiseled for that effect?

[Linguini]

Wow, thank you so much for your reply. It is soooo appreciated. I feel honored that you even discussed it with someone else!

The clay I used is paper clay, so it has bits of fiber in it. All I really had to do was roll out some slabs and set those and some chunks out to dry, then break and smash them up. So the pieces get the texture from the fibers in the clay.

Thanks again! :)

[Linguini]

Hello, I photographed more pieces. :)


It's broken molds of a Barbie doll stitched to a watercolored canvas by wire. You know, girls should be playing with dolls in their childhood, not being used as dolls.
For all the child prostitutes:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/broken.jpg


And this one I have to add more things to make it a full piece, you know. I was thinking perhaps suspended in a box with wire...

For all the organ donors:
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/mybrokenheart-WIPcompilation.jpg
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/mybrokenheart-WIPhands.jpg

It was a whole heart until my teacher dropped it. It was kind of devastating. Some pieces are missing, but I guess it's kind of cool how you can see the glued seams. Eh...I just wish it was whole. I didn't cry when I saw it like I thought I would if one of my pieces broke, though. :D


I'm still working on some of them. One will be many paper cranes. I'm shooting for 400, so I'm almost halfway there.

I need to figure out how to kind of make these pieces a cohesive concentration. I'm starting to lean toward more installation pieces...hmm.

[taurn7]

Wow, you must have put a lot of thought into your work. That heart is beautiful, how did you make the colors fade like that? I can't believe that teacher dropped it. I would've been furious!:wtf: oh well, it still looks great.

As for the doll, I'm not sure what I think of it. Can you explain that a little? Why is it ripped apart and wired?

[Linguini]

Thank you so much! I try very hard to make my pieces meaningful.

For the heart, I used high-fire glaze; the blue I did drips with more layers in the places I wanted to be darker and covered the whole thing in clear glaze, so that's what made it fade a bit. The glazes I used don't move that much and I wanted some movement so I painted on many layers. :)

I would've thought I would be mad, but I was just speechless. I was in denial for a few days and thought I would go to school and it would magically be whole again, but of course it didn't. What can you do, you know?


Yes, sure, about the doll piece. I made a mold of a Barbie so there is more than one doll in the piece, they're just broken. I find Barbies very ironic. It's what many girls play with when they're young (you know, dressing them up, etc.) but then it's viewed almost as the "ideal woman" for its body. So I related this to child prostitution and human trafficking. While most girls are playing with Barbies, these children are being sold like dolls to play with. That is, they are Barbies to play with when they should be the ones playing with dolls and enjoying their childhood and innocence.

Why are they broken? Because these children are broken. (Kind of corny, but true.) I piled them up on each other to be kind of reminiscent of like, genocide pictures of just piles of bodies that are forgotten, because these children that are being trafficked, they are the "forgotten children." And why there are thing coming off of the mass is because even this pile of forgotten children is broken. It's just to emphasize how lost they are, I guess (and it looks kind of cool? XD). With the wire, these girls are being trafficked, they are in slavery, so it's to emphasis how bound they are. There are places where it looks like barbed wire (I should probably take some detail photos, sorry) to say, you know, these children are trapped.

Er, that's basically it. The main part of it is the irony that these girls are being treated like dolls when they should be playing with them, not played with. It's kind of abstract. ^^"

[taurn7]

Thank you for sharing your technique, it came out nicely. Denial is natural, you just gotta move on.

I see the whole picture of the doll piece now, what threw me off was the pileup, it was more like death to me than forgotten girls. But I understand your take on it now.

Keep up the good work, I look forward to see more!

[Linguini]

Hello all! The AP deadline is tomorrow!!

This is my completed concentration. I'm still finalizing my commentary, but it is basically about human suffering. I might post the paragraph in a little while, if anyone cares. :)

Oh, and I'm not sure on the order of these pieces yet. I'll probably figure that out by tonight or tomorrow.



1. Victims of Nuclear War
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/papercranes.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/papercranes-detail.jpg


2. The Starving
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/ribs.jpg


3. Child Prostitutes
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/broken-detail2.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/broken-detail3.jpg


4. Organ Donors
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/heart-front.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/heart-back.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/heart-frontdetail.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/heart-backdetail.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/heart-detail1.jpg


5. Child Soldiers
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/toysoldiers.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/toysoldiers-detail.jpg


6. Victims of Floods
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/flood.jpg


7. Dependents of Drugs
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/needles.jpg
(While this represents drug abuse and addiction, I feel it can also represent those with illnesses that make them rely on drugs, such as insulin for diabetes.)


8. Victims of Earthquakes
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/hand-detail11.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/hand-detail9.jpg


9. Victims of Domestic Abuse
http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/knives-angled2.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/knives-back.jpg

http://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/knives-detail1.jpghttp://i147.photobucket.com/albums/r315/Fettucine/knives-detail3.jpg


You might be thinking, "Oh no! You need twelve concentration pieces!"

(Or you might not. But yeah, the AP concentration has twelve "pieces" in it.)

However, I'm going to do three detail shots, since for the concentration part of the portfolio, you only submit one photo of each piece. I find this pretty ridiculous, since it's a 3-D concentration, and every piece clearly doesn't have only one side.


Okay, I hope you comment on my portfolio! I would greatly appreciate it. :D

[stine sculpture]

Hey,
Just wanted to comment on your work. I am one of those 'shy' lurkers, so it takes a good shove for me to comment. I am VERY touched by your presentation, the pieces are powerful and evoke some deep thought on the part of the veiwer, something Im sure you were intending. I think each piece represents its individual idea subtly, but each one also has many more deep meanings represented in the materials you chose, For example, the domestic violence...what I immediately interpret is the violence of the piece, no question how violent the act is, both physically and emotionally, but then I ask, "why butter knives as opposed to sharp blades, surely that would be more dramatic". The answer I get is...domestic violence is horribly violent, terrifying and often fatal, BUT it is also very often secretive, the abused spouse suffering in silent terror, therefore the rounded, dull edges of the butter knives are perfect to convey the bloody violence of the act, but soften and "hide' the violence from everyone. I get this from all of your pieces, that second, very brilliant subtle nuance that takes some work on the part of the audience to interperet. Very powerful stuff here, I am always impressed by the high level of quality of work I see on the site, but today you have impressed me, and touched me, on a much deeper level.

Edit: I, for one, would love to hear your commentary on your work.

[stine sculpture]

one more thing...as far as your 'broken' heart goes, isnt that what people who need organs have, broken ones? you said you thought you would go to school and it would be magically whole again, I suppose people who find out they will need a heart transplant, or find out a child of theirs will need one to replace their 'broken' one, often are in denial, thinking this must be a nightmare, they will wake up and their heart too, will be magically whole again...

[Linguini]

Wow. I am speechless from reading your reply. I appreciate it so much that you took the time to share with me what you took from my pieces. I never thought I could impress anyone on this site.

I'm also so glad that I actually conveyed what I feel through my pieces. Here is the way I organized my concentration and my answers to the commentary questions:

1. Child Soldiers
2. Child Soldiers Detail
3. Victims of Floods
4. Victims of Domestic Abuse
5. Victims of Nuclear War
6. Child Prostitutes
7. Child Prostitutes Detail
8. Organ Donors
9. Organ Donors Detail
10. The Starving
11. Victims of Earthquakes
12. Victims of Earthquakes Detail

(I didn't include the drug piece - the one with the needles - because I felt it wasn't strong enough.)

What is the central idea of your concentration?
My concentration is based on human suffering. I realized that I could raise awareness of subjects that are dear to me through my art, even if I cannot ease everyone’s pain. The main focus of my concentration is to elicit an emotional response from the viewer and to create depth in the meanings of my pieces through symbolism, shock, and subtlety.

How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. When referencing specific images, please indicate the image numbers.
With each successive piece, I tried to incorporate more hidden meanings and symbols that the viewer can discover. I did not limit myself to one specific media – instead, I chose what I thought would convey the different types of suffering better. Unwittingly, I began to choose media which made me feel closer to the subject matter I was dealing with. I started out using manufactured material and manipulating it, such as in piece number 1/2, “Child Soldiers,” where I melted toy soldiers into blocks. I started using media that would allow me to interact with the piece more, such as in piece number 5, “Victims of Nuclear War,” where I folded and perched each individual crane on their wires. I finally progressed into using clay, with which I felt the most natural and the most connected to the suffering of individuals since I was shaping and molding the majority of the piece. I ended my concentration with piece number 11/12, “Victims of Earthquakes.” Not only did I just use clay as the medium, but I used my own hand as a reference. This deeply impacted me because I started to relate to the victims and their suffering. I would ask myself, “What would it feel like to be buried alive?”



I love how you interpreted the domestic abuse piece. Another reason I decided on using the butter knives is to differentiate between domestic violence and, say, homicides. I thought it would be a bit ironic that butter knives could cause so much hurt and bloodshed, but I wanted people to realize that it is a very dangerous thing. I think one of my favorite parts of creating symbolic pieces is learning how other people interpret them.

Your response to the broken heart...that really struck a chord in me. What you said is so true, and I think I will look at my piece a little differently from now on. A few of the big things I was thinking while I was making the piece was 1) how odd it would be to have someone else's organ - a foreign object - in me, 2) how it is ironic how a person dies and then is able to give life to a number of people, 3) how sad it is that the organs don't last long - perhaps ten years, and 4) how it's even more sad that people don't become organ donors because of myths, such as that you can't have an open casket funeral or that it will deform your body somehow.

I'm sorry, I tend to ramble about my pieces. As I said in my commentary, these are about subjects that I feel everyone needs to be aware of, so I want to share them with everyone. I want to thank you again for your response. It really made my day. :)