I have chosen to work with a porcelain kitten. The porcelain serves little purpose other than looking pleasing to the eye. The kitten itself denotes the human desire to take care of pets and fill a space with something that could be perceived as alive. The prone pose of the cat reminds me of the nuanced relationship of cats to their owners as historically cats have been both worshipped and demonized by societies across the globe. I want to explore the relationship of cats with their owners in different forms. Cats are often seen as support animals, able to lower the heart rate and improve the mental state of those around them. Further, cats are also seen as evil creatures and solitary animals, refusing to coexist in packs and families. In these different explorations, cats can be represented as embodying the mental health issues of their owners, at war with one another, and living in a communal pack society.
Project 1 – Accumulations – Spring 2022
Project 1 “Accumulations”
Writing Assignment + Collage:
My object in a literal sense is a hollow ceramic garden figure of a woodsman carrying a bundle of sticks, apples and coal. He is also wearing a cloak and brimmed hat. It doesn’t particularly signify anything in particular other than peoples desire for quaint garden decorations. There isn’t many connotations in particular that this piece holds, it’s rather a mundane object in its literal meaning. However the figure itself does look quite a bit like a wizard and although the original object is probably the furthest thing from a wizard I would like my project to reflect something along the ethereal lines. Taking something as mundane as a simple lawn ornament of a jolly woodsman I would like to manipulate the mold in some way so that the objects can seem to be alive and participating in some ritual of sorts, one that is almost creepy in a sense.
Writing Assignment and Collage Brady Lawlor
For my project, I chose to work with a two-way handheld radio. This device is used to communicate with another person using another handheld radio. The rectangular body of it is made out of plastic, with small rubber buttons. It also has a long stiff rubber antenna that sticks straight out the top.
I think my object represents communication. The need to talk to other people and the hope everyone has to receive a voice back. It symbolizes human connection and how other people can hear what you are saying even though you aren’t nearby. It denotes the necessity to speak and to tell others what is going on in your head.
The radio carries a sort of professional sense wherever it goes, almost making the user feel as if they are relaying an important message to a friend or a secret code to a spy. It makes the user feel powerful and also important in a way. It also carries a hint of amazement to it, as it is so enthralling to hear someone’s voice when they are in another room or even another building.
I want to explore the idea of human communication and connection through devices like this object. To possibly make a statement about the importance of talking to others and the consequences of either isolation or being forgotten about by the person on the other side of the radio.