Entry No 6

Now that I`ve done a lot of research on TRANSFORMATION IN ART, DESIGN & FILM, I am going to reflect on my research and comment about how the practitioners` work is a reflection of various influences.  Today I’m going to focus on Art, whereas in my next 2 entries I will reflect on Design and Film, after which I will prepare another 2 entries regarding my ideas about the creation of my end visual product concept.  I think my concept will take the form of a test piece.

Transformation in Art

In my first 5 entries of this blog, I wrote about:

• scrap metal being transformed into beautiful works of art;

• two paintings that, although very different from each other, both showed the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly; 

• an image with the statement “We don’t need another hero” on it, which shows that the meaning changes if one had to look at the image only without the words.  The words transformed the interpretation of the image;

• discarded toys transformed into a wonderful dog sculpture; and

• used paper cups decorated with beautiful paintings and transforming not only the cups themselves, but also the place where they were installed.

 

 

The artwork produced from used material – scrap metal, toys, paper cups – shows that the artists involved were all influenced by the concepts of reusing and recycling which are very important in today’s world.  People are now aware that, in the years gone by, waste was not managed well and this caused damage to our environment - climate change, pollution, health problems, etc.  With the research that I carried out I realized that even artists are trying to do something to protect our environment and make our world a better place to live in.  In view of this, I decided that my “transformation” test piece should be eco-friendly and it will be made out of used or recycled material, possibly scrap metal.  In fact, I searched for some more information regarding “green companies” (companies who produce environment-friendly products) which use scrap metal.  I found out about the company that produces “Unique Thai Scrap Metal Art”.  This company considers the environment as their number one priority.  Their goal is to be creative in their metal works, using recycled material and non-toxic products.  They transform the metal that they find in scrap yards into beautiful sculptures, mirrors, robots …. and they also create film/mythical characters.  Maybe, for my test piece I will transform used metal into a cartoon character.

 

I did some more research about Allison J. Bratt, one of the artists who painted the transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  She says that she is mostly influenced by "the fluidity of nature, and the tangled web we’re a part of."  I found out that even this artist cares about our natural environment and when she produces her artwork, she tries to use recycled or used material, just like Robert Bradford who makes use of discarded toys and Gwyneth Leech who works with used paper cups. 

I think that Barbara Kruger is influenced by social issues and she produces her artwork – images with statements added to them – to make others reflect about what is going on in our society.  She makes the photos that she finds eye-catching by putting a red background and she uses text with ideas that she wants the viewers to think about, not just read.  The text that she puts is in a way asking the viewers about certain issues, such as feminism, classicism, consumerism, and the freedom and desires of the individual persons in our society.  Her artwork can be very useful during discussions, for example during debates of social importance.  Apart from “We don’t need another hero” I came across other statements by Barbara Kruger, such as “I shop therefore I am,” and “Your body is a battleground."  Her statements all bring out a message.  Maybe I will add a message to my artwork too.