Site Specific Installation
Title: Humanity's Bestfriend(s)
Size:
Medium: Cardboard and Hot Glue
Date of Completion: May 2021
Exhibition Text
Humanity's Bestfriend(s) is a cardboard and hot glue piece and was created to appreciate the animals we have as pets but more specifically the cat and the dog. Humanity's Bestfriend(s) takes inspiration from Sakaya Ganz's reclaimed metal and plastic pieces as well as Beth Cavener's sculpted pieces. They both created dynamic figures of animals while creating texture with the chosen material. I created texture and depth through my cardboard technique.
Process
Artist Inspiration
Sakaya Ganz uses reclaimed metal and plastic objects to depict animals in motion. She uses the plastic and metal objects to create motion and texture to act as brushstrokes. She does this to reduce waste and show the value and beauty in these everyday discarded items. She is able to do this after getting a degree in Fine Arts and welds metal into various shapes and forms as well.
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Planning Sketches
In this planning sketch, I was first initially thinking of creating an animal facility where animals such as dogs and cats could go in and have fun whether tha be with toys or just relaxing with their owners. I decided against this because some dogs and animals just don't have self control with one another so it could be dangerous especially for smaller animals such as cats.
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This was my final idea and included a cat as well as a dog. I really liked this idea and believed it would create a unique three dimensional piece. I would create this piece using cardboard and layer the pieces on top of one another. I still wasn't sure about positioning of the animals when they were on top but I believed I could figure this out after I had actually assembled both animals to get a clear view of what I wanted.
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Experimentation, Technique, and Process
I began this project with a drawing of a cat. I chose to draw this cat in a dynamic position which is when a cat gets scared. They arch their backs and lift their tail up. I thought this would be a good way to show it was really a cat and leave no chance for anyone to assume otherwise. I also chose this position because it looked more dynamic and as if it was moving rather than if it was just a cat silhouette. The scale for this piece is 1 ft: 1 in. I chose this ration because I wanted the statue/sculpture to be bigger than an average male.
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After creating the smaller outlines within the cat, I used it as a stencil just as I did the first one. Each time the cardboard that got layered on top got smaller and smaller. The small circles on the right are for the head as well as the ears. I was happy with how the littler pieces came out as the cardboard was a little difficult to cut.
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This next step was where I used a hot glue gun to put the pieces together. I layered the biggest to smallest pieces on top of one another . I was somewhat happy with how the pieces came together but was also a little disappointed. The cardboard was thick and the transition from bigger to smaller pieces wasn't as smooth as I thought it would be.
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The next element of the statue was to create the dog. I did this following the same technique as I did the cat creating smaller figures but still following the initial dog shape. This one was a little more complicated as I didn't know how to shape the head. A dog's head is not has round as a cats so I decided to attach the body shapes and the head shape.
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I followed the same technique as cat and used the dog silhouette as a stencil/ I traced each figure as it got smaller and smaller and then cut them out. I glued them all together and this was the final outcome for the dog. I was surprised that I was able to cut the smallest area on the dog's body because it was thin and the cardboard seemed ot be folding in on itself. I was pleased with the overall outcome of the dog but was a little disappointed for the same reason as the cat. The dog looked somewhat flat while I had imagined a much more three dimensional figure.
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I finally had finished the dog and cat part of the statue and all that was left was the pedestal in which they are on top of. I was thinking about any possible to solutions in which I could attach the dog and cat on top of the pedestal without looking messy. If I were to just use the hot glue gun, it would leave a large blob which would probably be very noticeable and unprofessional looking. I decided that I would use toothpicks as a sort of support because many times for clay sculptures and more, the artists often use metal poles as a support to build around. In this case I would be using it as a sort of stand. I glued two toothpicks together and made a total of 6 of these.
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These two poses was my experimentation with the placing of the dog and the cat. I was debating between having both animals face the same way versus having the two animals face each other with their bodies in opposite directions. I chose the second option which is the picture on the right because I believed that it filled up the space more and made the piece look more full and evenly distributed.
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I then created a small box which would act as the pedestal. I glued the dog as well as the cat ontop of the pedestal with the desired position of both. I was very happy with how the finished product came out but If I were to make something similar to this in the future, I would focus on the three dimensional aspect of it as this piece still looks somewhat flat.
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Reflection
Overall, I am very happy with the final outcome of my piece. This was my second time using cardboard with the first time being when I created a mask. This meant that I had some experience with the cutting and shaping of the cardboard which came in handy. This was a little more difficult than creating a mask because it was much smaller and the cuts needed to be clean where as the cuts on the mask were left to be intentionally rigid. I am somewhat disappointed with my final piece though because it came out much flatter and two dimensional than what I had envisioned. I imagined a much more smooth transitioning from the large pieces to the smaller pieces which would create roundness and create the shape of the animal. Rather than this happening, the cardboard layered on each other flatly with not too much depth. Throughout the process, I learned the important of clean cuts as well as tracing accurately so that each piece would fit perfectly with one another as they should. A messy tracing could leave room for disaster such as a part of the figure sticking out when it shouldn't. If I could do something differently, I would use thinner cardboard because I believe that the thick cardboard made the piece look much flatter than what I had thought it would and thinner cardboard would fix this issue as you can layer many more layers compared to the thick cardboard. I learned many new things while researching my inspiration piece such as that material can create texture and imitate brushstrokes without physical brushstrokes being present. Each of my inspiration artists had a different meaning in why they created the work and after reading it, their reasonings were inspirational and I saw disposable things in a new light. If my statue were to be made in real life, I believe I would use reclaimed metal to create it because it diminishes waste while creating something beautiful.
Although I was very proud of this outcome, I also believe many improvements could be made. I think using thinner cardboard would create a more rounded figure. I think this because for me to get the roundness and three dimensional look I was going for, I would need to layer a lot of pieces of the current cardboard which looked unusual at times because it was so thick. I would also like to include a more dynamic shape of the dog to be more risk taking. I decided on the dog silhouette as it standing because this was a simple design that wouldn't be too hard to have cardboard layer but I think back to what if I had used a more dynamic pose. I believe next time if I ever created something similar, I will go with the dynamic pose and try my best to create it.
Although I was very proud of this outcome, I also believe many improvements could be made. I think using thinner cardboard would create a more rounded figure. I think this because for me to get the roundness and three dimensional look I was going for, I would need to layer a lot of pieces of the current cardboard which looked unusual at times because it was so thick. I would also like to include a more dynamic shape of the dog to be more risk taking. I decided on the dog silhouette as it standing because this was a simple design that wouldn't be too hard to have cardboard layer but I think back to what if I had used a more dynamic pose. I believe next time if I ever created something similar, I will go with the dynamic pose and try my best to create it.
Critique
Similarities
-all pieces include creatures in a dynamic pose -the material used for each piece creates texture and depth by mimicking brushstrokes or just by the layering and welding of the material - sticks of some sort were used in all pieces as a form of support for the sculpture |
Differences
- My inspiration pieces only include one creature while my piece includes two - My inspiration pieces are three dimensional and round with material in the body of the creature while my piece is somewhat flat due to the layering of the cardboard - My inspiration pieces have deeper meanings either through material or psychology while my piece is base level and represents exactly what is shown. |
ACT Response
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
I am able to identify the cause effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the portrayal of the piece such as my piece was greatly influenced to be in the shape of a dog and a cat as my inspiration includes dynamic animals shapes.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Each of my inspiration artists have their own unique style when creating their pieces with Sakaya Ganz's piece having rigid edges and harsh features while Beth Cavener's piece is smooth with organic lines.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The generalizations I discovered about animals in this case is that the most popular dog "figure" is a large dog with pointed or droopy ears and a large tail while a cat is usually always small and thin. This was a source of inspiration to what helped me pick my final figures.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme or idea around my research was man's best friends or in this case the domesticated animals which are most commonly pets such as a golden retriever or a small cat.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inferences that I made during my research was that I made an inference that if I was to include a small dog such as a chihuahua or something of that sort, it would be confused for the cat which is not what I wanted.
I am able to identify the cause effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the portrayal of the piece such as my piece was greatly influenced to be in the shape of a dog and a cat as my inspiration includes dynamic animals shapes.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Each of my inspiration artists have their own unique style when creating their pieces with Sakaya Ganz's piece having rigid edges and harsh features while Beth Cavener's piece is smooth with organic lines.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The generalizations I discovered about animals in this case is that the most popular dog "figure" is a large dog with pointed or droopy ears and a large tail while a cat is usually always small and thin. This was a source of inspiration to what helped me pick my final figures.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme or idea around my research was man's best friends or in this case the domesticated animals which are most commonly pets such as a golden retriever or a small cat.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inferences that I made during my research was that I made an inference that if I was to include a small dog such as a chihuahua or something of that sort, it would be confused for the cat which is not what I wanted.
Bibliography
Xenorob, and Beth Cavener. Beth Cavener - Follow the Black Rabbit, Xenorob Https://Followtheblackrabbit.com/Wp-Content/Uploads/2015/03/Logo.png, 15 Dec. 2018, followtheblackrabbit.com/.
SAYAKA GANZ, sayakaganz.com/.
SAYAKA GANZ, sayakaganz.com/.