Thursday, December 15, 2016

UNMONUMENTAL MONUMENTATION by Noah Heyman



'Two views on Unmonumental Monumentation'



A monument is something erected in memory of or as enduring evidence of a person or an event of importance. Through this investigation I am interested in exploring the way people immortalizes these events of importance in their lives or the lives of the populous.
 

Traditionally monuments have been used to memorialize and immortalize events of greater importance. I am interested in the way one can monumentalize the unmonumental.


By shrinking the scale of these monuments, both physically and conceptually, an interesting juxtaposition is formed that brings value to the importance of individuals. Through the use of two distinct views on Unmonumental Monumentation I am curious to explore how this juxtaposition operates in different environments. 

 

'Ode to Adventure' is an earlier work it is the beginning of a one sided conversation discussing what living really is.


Each object represents for myself a time and a place. They each carry with themselves a heavy tale of how we met and where we are going. As I travel I am prone to seek out items to add to my collection as with each object I am in a sense adding to myself, creating a more lively narrative of my own life as well as that of the objects I stumble across. In my Ode to Adventure I have gathered objects that each tell a tale of exploration, be it in the literal sense or a more interpersonal one. This Ode is particularly interesting to me because each item within the collage can tell a different story for each person be it the comical and childish threat of a can of mace for one, or the very real intimidation felt by the same object for others. I am curious to continue to push this dialogue of alternative perspective as it truly says a lot about where each viewer comes from and possibly where they are going. An adventure does not always mean hopping a fence or running from the law, life is whatever you make of it. Why not make it an adventure?

Noah Heyman
Sculpture Foundry Fall 2016 @ Alfred





Wednesday, December 14, 2016

SUBCONSCIOUS INVESTIGATIONS by Jackie Fischer


My work is an investigation into my subconscious in hopes of capturing the fluidity I find myself submerged in. From a young age, I've been attracted to spherical, drippy, bulbous and organic forms. What this means exactly I'm unsure of, but will continue to explore this.
 
I'm captivated by the physical qualities existing within ceramic materials, it's malleability and the immediacy the material provides. Metal casting in many ways is quite similar to ceramics. Whether that from the tremendous possibilities obtainable through different processes, the uncertainty, or the vast amount of labor involved within each material. Within both materials each step presents a multitude of questions loaded with new insight, ideas and direction.
  

Working with Morgan Donohue, Visiting Moldmaker from Polich Tallix Foundry
 


My work changes and adapts due to a range in my emotional, spiritual and mental state at the time of construction. I remain open to the unexpected possibilities each material presents throughout the development of the work. Throughout the physical and chemical changes each material withholds I'm constantly provided with new information perpetually leading me to push the limitations of the materials.


  



'Identification'
Environment and interpersonal relationships help form this idea of identity. Identity is not a solid stable concept. Our perception of our world changes through new stimuli were exposed to daily. We’re constantly learning, growing and adapting. Whether we are fully conscious of these changes is another story. Although there are times I’ve stumbled upon new information which was enlightening and have felt somehow different than ever before. Despite the fact that Identity is a rather fluid and ever changing concept we somehow define ourselves within it. Perception is a huge part of it. How we perceive ourselves. How others perceive us. How we think others perceive us can be rather different. Our exterior appearance often gets used to identify. As does the experiences we share with those who we have relations with. In conversations between people often we’ll use descriptive language to describe a third party. In that language we find ourselves describing what would generally make that person stand out helping to identify that person, whether that be previous actions or encounters, hair, clothing style, glasses, eye color, accessories , etc. In the past two and a half years I’ve been identified in conversations as the girl with dreadlocks.
 
Personally I identified myself with them. They were a part of me I carried around for a substantial amount of time. Each one has a story behind it, process, creation, decoration and progress. Some made intentionally and others formed themselves over time. Alike many relationships I have.  All of the beads, bolts, trinkets and feathers were gifts from different encounters I’ve had among my travels across the states. Some made from friends while others gifted from strangers. A majority of the locks were snipped by those who I’ve shared or had impactful / life altering experiences with. Each lock is loaded with the experiences I’ve identified with for so long and now the experiences I’ve had with those who I identify with.

All work by Jackie Fischer in the Fall 2016 
Junior Foundry: National Casting Center Foundry @ Alfred


Tuesday, December 13, 2016

SELF by Hannah Hones

 


I delved into the body of work Self looking to explore my self identity, particularly within my body and how it relates to it. I chose to cast my body and the imprints or impact it makes in the world as well as the volume I take up within the world.



The first part of this journey was within Critiquing social constructions- bra and bare. In these two pieces I explored the quite literal way that society shapes women's bodies, and how that plays into beauty standards and self worth.


 

The second was Female Nipple as a response to the female nipple being considered pornographic on many social media platforms including those used for artwork such as Instagram.


 

 


Impact imprints was created for two separate reasons, the first wanting to cast my body without taking a literal body casting, and the second representing the internalized anger having to do with the shear amount of sexism, both intentional and non, that a woman faces when working in a predominantly male field such as metal working.



 


Figure: Form was cast to look at the body purely as a form, and how I relate to my body in a purely artistic since. Personal volume was cast to represent the physical space I take up in the world. As a woman, I often feel as though I should take up as little space as possible, to be small, quite, collected, and non-confrontational. As a response to this I cast the fullest parts of my body, those that hold the most volume, in iron to make a space for my body to be where it will not be shrunk or encroached upon.


Hannah Hones, Junior Foundry Fall 2016 National Casting Center Foundry @ Alfred


Monday, December 12, 2016

'I CAN BE THE MUSER' by Jessica Feuer


   
'I Can be The Muser'  Room Installation

It is a societal norm in modern day that we purchase what is needed when it is needed and when items around the home break we either pay others to fix them or purchase a new one. To most this is convenient, though in the world that we live in there are so many conveniences.  Many of these conveniences separate the individual from the things that make up the world around them.

 

I can take responsibility of building and creating the furniture and many necessary items in my home. I then become the "user" after striving to be the "maker".

Finding myself increasingly passionate about closing the gap between the "maker" and the "user" with each new project, I can see the reality of being able to start filtering out the unfamiliar, factory made or imported objects with functional creations made by my own two hands or by the hands of those around me.
 
Finding myself as the "muser" of my own imitate world is only a goal at this part of my life so I have taken the items that I have created in preparing myself for such goal and filled a room. Here I present an elevated snap shot of my largest goal in life.
 
 

'Once Carried Alone'

We all carry a lot around with us. We can fill bags upon bags both literally and metaphorically with the items we use as well as emotions we have. For the better of tomorrow times come where 'packing' a bag and leaving it behind is a healthy habit to find yourself in. Some experiences, traumas or good times, they all pass leaving behind just a relic. As for the future, all we can do it aim for our goals, project (if you will) an idea of what it is we want and go for it.

I was lying to myself as I set up for the presentation of my past, present and future featuring myself and all the baggage I carry thought out my days. I say this because I am not alone anymore, I have no need to hold the weight all myself. My partner has made life less heavy for me. If roles here, in the performance part of this installation were reversed, I would lighten his load as well.

by Jessica Feuer 
Junior Foundry Fall 2016