Casting

"...an empty shell, like an empty nest invites day-dreams of refuge." 

- from The Poetics of Space by Gaston Bachelard

In my recent explorations with tinted plaster, I've found that adding pigment to the plaster changes its texture. This has its advantages and disadvantages. On one hand, it seems to prolong the setting process. On the other, the set plaster seems a bit more brittle. I need to keep experimenting to find a way to achieve the vibrancy of color I'm looking for while maintaining the integrity of the material. As I work on this project, it strikes me how much these castings resemble shells.

More Thoughts on Display

Does the way a collection of objects is arranged reveal clues about how it will be interpreted by the viewer?

I've been playing around with different configurations for displaying the leaves. I've settled on two different methods. On the shelf of objects, I will arrange a single loose stack of monochromatic leaves. This will draw connections between the methods of working and also aid in connecting family, cultural and historical narratives. The uniformity of color in the leaves suggests consistency and uniformity of identity. The variety of shapes and sizes reference individuality and growth/maturity. This makes it easily acceptable as a family unit.

The crux of this work's content is individual vs. group/cultural identity. That being said, I've determined that displaying the leaves as a continuous row hung along the wall at eye level is most suitable for supporting the content. In this way the viewer must engage each leaf as a unique individual, that varies in color, size, shape and method of making from its neighbor. From a distance, the leaves merge into a line. In this way, unique, differentiating features of each leaf become less evident, establishing a group identity. 

Bunches or Specimens

Lately I've been cleaning up the leaves and painting their veins. Trimming their edges of pulp that extended beyond the mold proved to be more difficult than I expected. Even using a sharp X-acto knife, the pulp fibers are so short that they tear very easily. 

I've been considering 3 different methods of display:

• Pinning as a row or grid of specimens
• Binding them in bunches with twine
• Stacking them loosely in bunches

Pin detail

Twine detail

Where have all the lightning bugs gone?

 I've been journaling memories this semester and it is proving to be a valuable way to generate ideas for work. One thing that stood out to me was a memory of chasing and catching lightning bugs in my grandmother's backyard. I remembered there being so many. They seemed to hang like storm cloud among the low hanging branches of  trees, flashing as unpredictably as the bolts they are named after. Watching them swarm in my childhood was a near nightly occurrence at dusk during the summer and fall months. These days, I might see one or two of these flying beetles occasionally throughout the season, but can't remember the last time I saw a swarm of them. 

My musings led me to research what if their populations are dwindling. I found that they are, on a global scale and not just locally. As is the case with bees, scientists aren't exactly sure what is causing their disappearance, however there is one theory that increased light pollution disrupts their mating patterns. This revelation has let to several projects I'm currently working on. They deal with a fossilization of memories and personal/family narratives dealing with fireflies through objects. The first one is a plaster cast of the negative space between my hands, depicting the gesture of capturing a lightning bug. This is a sketch and not the final piece. I'm still working out the final form and the best way to construct it.