Exhibition:
This was piece created to define the history of salt. It’s was also created to present a piece that doesn’t last for a certain period of time. I wanted to be able to describe the history salt and why it’s such an important mineral. Inspired by Kara Walker, I used different materials to describe the meaning, because the history of salt was different compared to Kara Walker’s sugar artwork. Both minerals had different impacts; but had effected history greatly. The ephemera was created to show the history of salt and to emulate the idea and style of Kara Walker.
This was piece created to define the history of salt. It’s was also created to present a piece that doesn’t last for a certain period of time. I wanted to be able to describe the history salt and why it’s such an important mineral. Inspired by Kara Walker, I used different materials to describe the meaning, because the history of salt was different compared to Kara Walker’s sugar artwork. Both minerals had different impacts; but had effected history greatly. The ephemera was created to show the history of salt and to emulate the idea and style of Kara Walker.
1) Process, ideas
-Idea-
Conveying the ideas of nature (Plants, Animals, Places)
Use a material that last for a while (salt, sand, water, leaves)
A piece that conveys the theme of nature, but also does not last like a ephemera
Love, Sound, Body figure, Decaying artwork.
-Process-
Find the Artist
Find materials that decay
Understand the history
-Process
1) grab salt
2) card
3) table
4) create the piece in the basement so that there would be disruption
5) outline the rose
6) pour salt onto the table and move around the salt to create the rose
7) check sketch to make sure the rose is at a good size with the root.
8) leave it alone after done and check on it throughout the week to see any changes of the salt.
Conveying the ideas of nature (Plants, Animals, Places)
Use a material that last for a while (salt, sand, water, leaves)
A piece that conveys the theme of nature, but also does not last like a ephemera
Love, Sound, Body figure, Decaying artwork.
-Process-
Find the Artist
Find materials that decay
Understand the history
-Process
1) grab salt
2) card
3) table
4) create the piece in the basement so that there would be disruption
5) outline the rose
6) pour salt onto the table and move around the salt to create the rose
7) check sketch to make sure the rose is at a good size with the root.
8) leave it alone after done and check on it throughout the week to see any changes of the salt.
2) Sketches
4) Research:-Salt damage to plants
http://www.uvm.edu/pss/ppp/articles/salt1.htm -Diffusion https://www.biologycorner.com/bio1/notes_diffusion.html - Salt affecting plants http://www.howplantswork.com/2013/01/31/how-salt-stresses-plants-or-not/ -Salt art https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y5bh80dIH4U -Salt rose https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=If0Ed3QdDEw -Salt history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_salt -Salt history https://www.seasalt.com/salt-101/history-of-salt/ -Kara Walker's http://creativetime.org/projects/karawalker/ http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/12/arts/design/marvelous-sugar-baby-as-a-contribution-to-ephemeral-art.html?_r=0 |
3)Experimenting/Developing ideas
Before even attempting to work with salt, i did a lot of research on how to create certain things with salt, such as flowers, faces, etc. I used different items to create and shape my rose, I used a card, a toothpick to get the little areas that the card couldn't get to. Some of the things i tried to do to make the shadowing parts of rose. I poured more salt on the area, but that kind of got out of hand, because more salt was adding up and i didn't want that. So I had another idea and it was to use the card and run it across the areas that needed shadowing and it worked way better then my first idea. Developing my ephemera was kind of a challenge, because my basement didn't have a lot of air circulation and heat would build up when working down there for hours. issue i had was when it got hot moist would build up causing some areas of the salt to dissolving. The way i solved this was use two fans one that was close to me, but not near the table so that the salt wouldn't blow away and one in the back. That solved the issues i was having throughout the development of my ephemera.
|
Meaning:The meaning of the ephemera piece dates back to the American revolutions, The Civil War and throughout other war times. Salt motivated the American pioneers. The American Revolution had heroes who were salt makers and part of the British strategy was to deny the American rebels access to salt. Salt was on the mind of William Clark in the groundbreaking Lewis and Clark expedition to the Pacific Northwest.
Salt played a key role in the Civil War, as well. In 1864, Union forces made a forced march and fought a 36-hour battle to capture Saltville, Virginia, the site of an important salt processing plant thought essential to sustaining the South’s beleaguered armies. Many civilians distressed over the lack of salt during the wartime Confederacy. Salt was used in warfare as well. The effects of salt deficiency are highlighted in times of war, when human bodies and national economies are strained to their limits. It was recorded that thousands of Napoleon’s troops died during the French retreat from Moscow due to inadequate wound healing and lowered resistance to disease—the results of salt deficiency. Since its discovery several thousand years ago, salt has profoundly affected human life, not just with food consumption and preservation, but also in the human, economic, mythological and religious spheres. Salt was a greatly appreciated exchange commodity, so much so that the “salt routes” were born, through which merchants transported and sold it in countries where it was not produced. 6) Reflection:I'm pleased with the way the salt rose turned out. I really enjoyed creating a rose out of salt, this was probably one of the challenging projects I ever done. First of all there was a lot of salt to deal with. Second creating the rose from a small sketch and expanding it on to a table was quiet difficult, because I needed to get the right proportion so that the rose wasn't looking awkward. Third I had to deal with the conditions of the basement, because when heat was building up around the table the surface of the table got a little wet and some areas of the rose kind of dissolved. If i were able to do another ephemera piece i'd differently use salt again, because it was fun shaping something out of salt. I'd probably change the conditions of where I would create another salt artwork, because lots of things had to be done before i started to work on the ephemera so that conditions were well to work on the salt project.
I wouldn't say that the artwork emulates Kara Walkers artwork, but follows the meaning and the theme. What Kara Walker did was used her artwork to show history within the old sugar shed. I decided to go and research the history of salt and what its affects were during those times. Even though my piece doesn't emulate the work it those take the idea of Kara Walkers |
5) Artist inspiration/culture:
The artist that inspired me to create the salt rose, was Kara Walker. Her creation of The Marvelous Sugar Baby, gave me an idea that using sugar, salt or sand would be an amazing use for my ephemera piece. I relieved the way Walker structured the piece and using history to define her piece. I chose this ephemera because of how the development of the work was carefully done, especially with in that old sugar shed. Another reason as to why I chose Kara Walker as my inspiration is because I wasn't confident enough to create such a piece that would only last for a few months or even seconds. But looking at the work Walker created it allowed me to push forth on creating my piece.
Gopink, Blake. "Fleeting Artworks, Melting Like Sugar." The New York TImes. N.p., 11 July 2014. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
Kruger, Barbara. "Kara Walker." TIME. N.p., 3 May 2007. Web. 26 Nov. 2016.
- Walker's vigilance has produced a compelling reckoning with the twisted trajectories of race in America. Her installations and films forcefully pluralize our notion of a singular "history." |
8) ACT Questions:
1) Clearly Explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effects upon your artwork.
- My inspiration was able to effect my work through many aspect such as the meaning for the piece most people create artworks for there personal beliefs and other things. But my inspiration showed me another ways to create art, by using history of any sort.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Kara Walker was able to bring back history through her own artwork. Using a material that people use on a daily bases; through the creation of the piece people started to understand the history of her piece and the reason as to why she was creating it She had a stand for race and art.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures,etc?
The overall conclusion I had on Kara Walker is that she created art to show the sense of history and to stand up for other and herself. She created art to give others a different kind of feeling towards other race
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I would say that the overall theme of my inspiration would have to be about race, nature, and personal experiences.
5)What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The kind of inferences made throughout reading my research is that no matter what race you are, there is always room for anyone. That excluding a person, just because of they way they act, the skin color is different, or that they don't speak the same language everyone is together. Also that everyone has a voice.
- My inspiration was able to effect my work through many aspect such as the meaning for the piece most people create artworks for there personal beliefs and other things. But my inspiration showed me another ways to create art, by using history of any sort.
2) What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Kara Walker was able to bring back history through her own artwork. Using a material that people use on a daily bases; through the creation of the piece people started to understand the history of her piece and the reason as to why she was creating it She had a stand for race and art.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures,etc?
The overall conclusion I had on Kara Walker is that she created art to show the sense of history and to stand up for other and herself. She created art to give others a different kind of feeling towards other race
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I would say that the overall theme of my inspiration would have to be about race, nature, and personal experiences.
5)What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The kind of inferences made throughout reading my research is that no matter what race you are, there is always room for anyone. That excluding a person, just because of they way they act, the skin color is different, or that they don't speak the same language everyone is together. Also that everyone has a voice.