rachel & baby rosie

a number of my recent posts have centred around my major uni project – the brainchild.

im pleased to say that i’ve just finished it – the culmination of about 5 months work!

these are some of the photos of the exhibit, which were taken by my friend, rachel – the same rachel whose face has been cast in the construction of this artefact

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you can read loads more about it on my other blog:
cerebrum filios – children of the brain 

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sleeping like a…

this is a detail shot of the foetus i’ve been building…

ain’t she a cutie!

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it’s upside down…

sometimes paintings are planned – sometimes they just occur. this one falls into the second category.

it just began as colour and marks on the canvas.. and didnt really evolve into anything more than abstract shapes and patterns to be honest.  the canvas was regularly turned, and as soon as images started to refine themselves [a heart, spilled pomegranate seeds,  a ‘my little pony’ foetus!], then i would try to change it again to avoid definition.

however, this has left me with the problem that i cant decide what it is. you can the rotate painting and it still has meaning. it’s easier explained if i show you. most of the time it is hung like this…

“turmoil” [acrylic & markers on A3 canvas. 3rd feb 2011]

people comment that they can see, “a heart, with crashing waves inside of it.”

the more astute/open-minded may even see, “a figure, on it’s knees, bearing the burden of a volatile heart.”

but to all of them i say,

“no. it’s upside down. look again…”

“abortion” [acrylic & markers on A3 canvas]

can you see it?

the foetus

the scalpel-like fingers

the figure clutching it’s head, screaming

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artistic interpretation, eh?

so. i haven’t been able to put my signature to this painting yet, as that will determine the orientation of how to hang this piece. and i’m not sure i will ever be able to decide what works best.

currently, this is my favourite interpretation…

“laser shark attack” [acrylic & markers on A3 canvas]

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desktop

i have mentioned that this blog is so quiet because i have been concentrating on my university work.

i will certainly post about the project here when it is more complete, but this phonepic of my desktop should give you a flavour of some of the stuff i’ve been doing!

for anyone interested in seeing what this is all about, i have another blog where i’m detailing the entire project…

cerebrum filios – the children of the brain

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the children of the brain

a while ago i posted an anatomical drawing of a head that had been bisected open. but curiously, rather than having a brain inside – there was a foetus..

as i enter the final year of my degree, i am using this subject matter as a vehicle to investigate a few ideas.

i suspect theology, medicine, and artistic craftsmanship will all come into focus as i explore it in further depth. no doubt the roles of identity, personality, and user profiles will make appearances too as technology continues to overwhelm our physical place in this digital world.

i will record my journey of research and creation on another blog:

cerebrum filios: the children of the brain

 

please have a look from time-to-time. if any of my posts strike a chord, or relate to your own thoughts or ideas, then i would love to hear what you have to say.

thanks,
chris

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making babies

last night i made a baby!

[foetus – sculpey. 6  july 2011]

sculpey has just become my new favourite thing! i bought 2 blocks a few weeks back, but last night was the first chance id had to use it. i havent sculpted anything for ages, but it felt very natural to be doing it again… [ i must sculpt more].

i knocked together a little foetus, only using abt 1/4 of a 2oz block. then baked it for 15mins. once cooled, it was pretty solid, but still soft enough to carve into with a dull blade. so i can refine/polish the anatomy and surface detail.

i came across sculpey while looking at jason freeny’s work. and tbh, all i know of the material are based on his photographs and sculptural process. i have yet to see if i can rebake it to harden it further. i also dont know if i can add new clay to it, i suspect new layers wont stick unless anchored well. and while it is sturdy, im unsure how robust a tall figure would be – its probable a wireframe base will be required.

i have loads on my plate already, and this is just one more distraction to add to the list of things interfering with the completion of my uni work! lol

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brainchild

when i travel to see my family i usually end up stuck on a coach for a good 6 or 7 hours with nothing to do but read or sleep. however when I travelled at christmas i forgot my book. thankfully i did have my sketchbook, but nothing that could be described as inspiration. so i hit up facebook and asked “who wants a drawing??“

quite a trial by fire that was – trying to incorporate some of the most random suggestions and ideas into a decent sketch whilst hurtling up the motorway on a very bumpy coach. there was something incredibly fun about the interaction with my friends and the personal artistic challenge in that odd situation/environment. in the nicest sense, i couldn’t wait to go home so i could do it again on the return journey! my favourite sketch from those 2 sessions was: ‘an inside-out cow giving birth’

 

at the tail end of april i was to be travelling again, so i made sure i had my sketchbook handy for round 2. i drew zombie cupcakes, frogs on a burning tree-heart, even the cast of nightbreed. but the absolute best suggestion and resulting drawing came from a new friend, rach. She told me that her suggestion was an idea she’d had in her head for some time. i was amazed that i haven’t seen it used in artworks before, cos its such beautiful concept…

“draw me a bisected head with a foetus for a brain…” rachel brockley

[pencil, black ink on paper.29 april 2011]

just think about this idea for a while: a foetus for a brain. there are so many directions my mind spins off at this point… true birth lineage / parasites / the unconscious mind / evolution / twins!! …and what of zombies? i bet that brainbaby is really crunchy 😀 om nom nom!

there was one detail that rach had always imagined, but never mentioned to me. curiously though, i ended up adding it whilst i was drawing, as it seemed like such a natural biological feature – the umbilical cord attaches to the brain stem.

that moment of shared creativity when you have the exact same idea as somebody else is just priceless.  although, i suspect copyright lawyers may not share my perspective…

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ADDENDUM [added 26 may 2011]

as i said, i was surprised not to have seen this idea used in artworks before so ive been looking around since. the closest thing i can find is an image used by the band tool:

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