process: "Vessel Unfolding aka the pink racoon unfolding (2014)"
1. Vessel Unfolding 2014 (though am thinking – ‘the pink raccoon unfolding’ is far more jazzy.
Umbrellas, Acrylic, Card
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| Final piece in exhbition |
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| Close up |
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| Final piece 2 in exhibition |
I very rarely have a fixed concept and idea that I work with right from the beginning. Unlike some other people who were in this workshop group, where they are thinking about a concept and developing the work in conjunction to the concept.
Looking at the initial images I picked from the collection presented by the workshop leader Alexander:
- the pink folded raccoon
- fragmented, burnt rug
- flower structure drawings (japan)
Thinking about why perhaps I selected these images, the 1st one was due to the folded nature of the images, origami animals – the idea of a flat surface which was no doubt a different shape, then transforming to become another shape which is recognizable as a raccoon.
The idea of mapping comes into play here - whereby the initial quote of ‘ a map is not the territory it represents. Just a representation of it.
Maps charts relationships between points, not above and below them – its like a flattened surface/topology of nature, cities, spaces and places, compressed and squeezed to fit the plane of the surface that it is on. Looking at the tube map, many often mistakenly believe that the tube map is relative to the distances of the places that it represents which is not the case. What you see is not what you get. Thus a perceived and somewhat imaginary depiction of space. How does one unfold begin to ‘unfold the racoon’?
Actually that should have been the title of the piece.
This makes me think, about simplicity which Alexandra’s work inhabits. So much depth and with sheer simplicity which is something Im striving for I suppose. I see that Im interested in so many different things, so hard to find a few things that youre mega interested in. Though at one point in time, you “HAVE’ to bring the lens in somehow.
So with this piece it’s the ‘unfolding’ of space and time….a 360 view or perception, when more often that not, you have a 1pt point perspective of what is in front of you.
Territories can refer to many things. Countries, borders, demarcation, corporate territory, nature and culture territory. Anything where a line both invisible and visible cane be drawn. Is territory like ecology? The extensions of ecology – where it extends to, where it doesn’t, where it could go out to. Was thinking about Media Ecologies – the application of ecology to the digital sphere. Crossing Spheres and creating new demarcations.
Interestingly, I just read about Chris Marker’s film: Grin without a Cat which is about the rise of the new left movement in France and also socialism in general. Its more about the promise and hope but the inconsistency of the existence of the actual substance itself.
“The film features many interviews with French communist leaders, students, and sociologists. The Prague Spring of 1968 is featured, with footage of a Fidel Castro speech in which he expresses political support for the Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia while questioning the legality of the action. Other sections deal with the rise of Salvador Allende and the Watergate Scandal in the United States. There are many subtle references to cats throughout the film, as well as brief shots of raccoons”
Cats and raccoons. Im not sure why he has used raccoons. Had a look into it and cant see the relationship with raccoons….Im wondering if there is some kind of reason, he put the raccoon in there specifically.
