Balsa Wood Sculpture - Scale

To emphasize scale in a 3D format I pit tall twisted ropes against short, stunted ropes of the same unique composition. I put them on a raised smooth platform to add interest and also contrast to the rough ropey texture of the noodle arms. 

I originally started the sculpture with the intention on emphasizing repetition, so I spent hours making braided ropes out of rolled masking tape.  

Masking tape braids

I then dripped yellow wood glue down the length of the braids, coating them to make a visually-interesting texture and also for the practical reason of holding them together. I hoped to bundle the braided tape ropes together but the sculpture was not three-dimensionally strong therefore I constructed a base out of balsa wood, propped up by wood pieces on two diagonally opposite corners, starting me on the path to large versus small contrast in scale. I pinned the two types of braids - long and short - onto the wood and covered the bases in yellow wood glue.

I clipped the pins holding each type of braid to match the braid that the pin held: longer pins hold the tallest braids while short stubby pins hold the shortest braids.

 As a final touch I added smooth masking tape around the bottom of the wood structure. This keeps the pins on the bottom from being too distracting and taking away from the main emphasis on scale.

Hippo Soap Carving

Using the Lion King "Circle of Life Friend" hippopotamus from my childhood, I carved two blocks of strongly scented soap for the first time. 

I was quite frankly terrified of the idea of scraping away chunks of soap because of the fact that once you take away, you cannot add it back. And as someone who makes many mistakes and likes wiggle room, this one-way nature of carving sculptures was intimidating. But I started anyway and I'm glad I did because I found an enjoyable pastime and unique skill that I would like to perfect!

I started with one very fat, purple hippo, but the body was very disproportionately plump so I started with high hopes on my second hippo carving.

I decided to try to make the second hippo the same size as the hippo figurine I was copying to see if that would help me get the proportions right. 

As before, I started with a generic, blocky shape and slowly started to bring out the details. 

The final two hippos carved out of soap. 

Memento - "On Longing" Quote-Photograph Connections

 "The body is the primary mode of perceiving scale."
I made a video of me attempting to reconcile my organic form with the rectilinear small scale of the box.

 "Capacity of objects to serve as traces of authentic experience."
In Japan, it is an authentic Japanese Christmas "kurisumasu" experience to eat KFC fried chicken. This costume hat held by a friend in Japan reflects this tradition that may be extremely strange to foreigners.

 "The souvenir reduces the public, the monumental, and the three-dimensional into the miniature, that which can be enveloped by the body."
This is a mini block version of Kaminarimon Temple in Japan that condenses the rich cultural and historical heritage of the temple into a small souvenir commodity.

"To have a souvenir of the exotic is to possess both a specimen and a trophy."

I competed in an international showdance competition in Riesa, Germany and received this German flag wristband from Team Germany.  

"The place of origin must remain unavailable in order for desire to be generated."

This adorable bunny pastry was a gift from my suitemate in Japan. She worked at a pastry shop somewhere in town but I had no idea where, no idea why this cute bunny existed, nor why she had brought it to me to try (because of the language barrier).

Masking Tape Shoes

A pair of classic Vans shoes made entirely out of masking tape

Textural detail of the ripped outer canvas on the side.

The difference in texture and thickness of the front wrap on the sole of the shoe.

The detailed sole of the shoe, only partially cut out where the original shoe sole was worn down.

The other shoe sole, not as worn down as the other shoe.

Some process photos:

The process of cutting out the shoe sole involved transferring the pattern with vine charcoal to get the right proportions then cutting out the parts individually.

Taping the detailed cut-out sole to the bottom inside of the shoe. The strip of tape will be used to lift the toe end of the shoe.

This shows the toe part lifted and the front thick wrap of the shoe ready to be attached.

The shoe bottom was stuffed with rolled tape to fill the space between the sole and the insole. One can also see the sides of the top of the shoe ready to be tucked in and attached.

The shoelace holes of the shoe were punched with a hole punch on the shoe and the outer metal circles cut from layers of tape individually then attached separately.  

WOMAN

Women tend to have smoother skin than men, and shaving is a way to accentuate that gender difference. This video shows the designation of "woman" through the process of shaving.

Toccata, Literally Touched

A toccata is a type of musical composition that is meant to exhibit the performer's touch and technique. In Italian it is the feminine version of "touched." Running with these two ideas, I performed the first page of Soviet Armenian composer Aram Khatchaturian's Toccata by touching the page forcefully. The simultaneous thumpy and clacky sounds bring the idea of touch (the central idea of the piece) to the forefront of the mind. It also lends a whole new perspective on the idea of "feeling" the music.

A Balanced Breakfast

No matter how many tries I get at conquering mornings, it's still a huge struggle to balance myself in that tender time between rolling out of bed and grabbing breakfast. When I finally rise out of peaceful slumber to consciousness and the harsh morning light hits, so do all of my responsibilities that I try really hard to juggle. This video aims to literally (and humorously) document an attempt to balance myself in the morning time. Riding a unicycle illustrates this idea and also nods to the concept of literal weight (owed to gravity) and compositional weight, like that in the video itself. The video composition employs asymmetrical balance in the kitchen scene especially, in which all the action takes place to the left where the fridge and counter space (where the cereal is being prepared) until the unicycle finally drops and the morning bowl of cereal is had. Additionally, the low camera angle plays with scale, making the unicycle wheel appear huge for a majority, and therefore a focal point.