One of the major contributions I’ve been able to make so far in this project is streamlining concepts and ideas into intelligible text.

In terms of gearing up for the presentation and working with our tutor Beatrice I think I’ve been able to boil things down well.

This is something I never really considered as a part of what I do but I have been thinking that writing and storytelling IS actually a vital part of  how I work as an artist, not just my time in academia.  

We need to share our concepts with the rest of the class and tutors soon in a presentation so it’s essential we start sussing our language out. 

Even more importantly, working as a group, sometimes you think everyone’s on the same page but it turns out you had wildly different images playing out in your head than the person right next to you. 

Rather than assuming everyone’s on track, sitting down and putting to words what it is we all actually want to do, has been really helpful in getting the group to move forward productively, make schedules accordingly, assign tasks, etc. 

I have to say so far I feel really lucky in my group as everyone is eager, helpful, and excited to work. 

Here‘s my initial write ups for the 3 prototypes: 

The SKIN sculpture focuses on controversial global standards surrounding skin tones and textures. A 3D face with many layers of latex “skin” in varying tones representing melanin levels will be presented. The viewer will physically peel away layer after layer of this skin.The physical sensation is disturbing. The material feels life-like. The sound and sensation of the peeling act asks the viewer to consider what we do when we go through various beautification processes like skin bleaching, chemical treatments, masks, scrubs, and more, to achieve an outcome society deems more acceptable than our natural state.

The 2D FEATURE PUZZLE asks the viewer to arrange noses, eyes, eyebrows, mouths, and hair pieces, all distinctly regional, together into one visage. In this way, they will experiment with the process of actively collaging together ethnicities. These features are now often being erased from our various cultures, and becoming homogenized. It makes us uncomfortable to piece together obviously different images like this, because we are conditioned to want to see perfect, symmetrical faces.

The SOUND SCULPTURE investigates the act of physically removing and replacing pieces of the skull. A 360 degree model of a head with several modular features will produce an auditory reaction as the viewer adds or subtracts these pieces. The sounds will mimic some of the mechanics of plastic surgery, and asks the viewer to consider the violent nature in which we’re willing to change our appearances, like pulling back eyelids, or shaving our jawbones down.