Organic vs. Industrial
"Rise"
Light Bulb, Soil, and Toy Tree
March, 2017
Light Bulb, Soil, and Toy Tree
March, 2017
With a broken light bulb, a plastic toy tree, and some soil I created a piece that shows the tree as if it was growing from the soil in the bulb. With a light bulb representing all industrialization and the soil and tree as nature, I like to show how industrialization sort of limits nature to an extent with that little bit of "nature" rising through the glass (industrialization).
Inspirational Artist/Work
The inspiration I used isn't more of the the artist and their work, it's mainly based off of one piece in particular. This is Tim Fishlocks piece titled "What Watt?". He created this spherical chandelier, using 1,243 light bulbs, as a memorial to the light bulb. He uses multiple and various shapes and sizes of different light bulbs. What Watt? sort of symbolizes the end of a design that was mostly unchanged since it was invented. Tim does this because of all the forms of the lights that are being phased out by greener alternatives.
Brainstorming
The brainstorming step for this piece was fairly quick thankfully. My first idea was to use clay and form a water pipe that looks as if it's made out of wood. With this idea I was going to use Christopher David White as my inspirational artist. In the center of the pipe you can see the pipe forming a knot. At the end of the pipe there would be some either plastic or some sort of fake vines and leaves sort of "dripping" out from the pipe.
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That first idea quickly became rejected, not only because of the difficulty but mainly because of the fact that I soon had another idea that I was more fond of (on the right). This idea I figured would have much more simplicity. I liked the simplicity because I knew that in the end after I make the sculpture I will have more time to critique it and make improvements. Breaking the light bulb without completely shattering it will be the most difficult step.
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Process/Experimentation
- Gathering the Materials- first I must actually have the materials to begin obviously. So I gather soil just by taking a spoon full from a random spot in front of my house. I use a spoon so I don't use too much. I go out to my local dollar store and buy a toy tree. Finally, I find an old light bulb prefect to use.
- Breaking the Bulb-
- Gathering the Soil- once the bulb is broken I am able to use a spoon to gather up the soil/dirt and place it withing the base of the bulb.
- Planting the Tree- no structural support or anything except for the soil, I place the tree within the soil and adjust it so it stands on its own.
- Finalizing- once everything is in place, I adjust the little things like moving a bit of soil somewhere else or adjust the position of the tree so that it is more visually appealing.
Reflection
Finally, a piece I am pleased with. I did well with the craftsmanship, the placement, the idea, the final photo, and the overall aesthetic. I do however think that maybe the message could of had a better delivery or that i could have done something to make it something that someone isn't going to just look at for a second and look away, because I feel that's what it does.
ACT Connections
- Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
- What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
- What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
- What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
- What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?