For the past few weeks when I have had some time I’ve been bashing away at this head, it’s far from finished but it has an air of aged destruction about it.
Hopefully I will get some time to bash it some more over the next few days.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Recently I have come into the possession of some plaster casts from the disbanded studio of Eduardo Paolozzi. At first I was a bit unsure about their providence as I had brought them off a dealer on eBay, let’s admit they don’t look anything special, they came in a box with a scanned letter of authentication but anyone could fake that. So what drew me to these items? really it was the shapes and the knowledge that over many years Paolozzi had amassed and cast many of these plaster forms.
As I got more inspired by these forms, I gradually made contact with the dealer that sold them to me to see if he had any more, little did I know he has one of the biggest collections, He is Graeme Brooks a an artist in his own right and a big collector of Post War Art. In an Article online he talks about how he came into possession of the Paolozzi plasters.
“I had become aware of Marcus Campbell selling the contents of Paolozzi’s Chelsea Studio from his London Bookshop, so realising that this was a ‘one off’ art historical event ploughed all the money into plasters,”
Graeme then elaborates some more about the plasters “Both artists realised that Art is for All, and only resonates when seen, and thus made prolific variations and multiples all within the price range of most buyers. Both anti-elitists modestly and intentionally devalued the price of their own work by making too much, selling at public markets or simply giving away.“
“I have continued this mutually beneficial process by playing a small part in the targeted affordable dissemination of both these great artists life work, which has been a total pleasure and education.” ( comments from an online interview with Post War British and Graeme Brooks 2020 https://postwarbritish.co.uk/graeme-brooks-interview-part-1/)
And it was through this way that I stumbled upon these pieces for sale on eBay and have also started more of a Dialogue with Graeme.
Whilst researching to find out some more about Paolozzi’s fascination with plaster I came across this
Robin Spencer, the authority on Paolozzi, wrote about Paolozzi’s use of plaster:
“With regard to the small plasters, some are from ‘ready-mades’ (including boxed model kits, objects found in charity shops etc); others are cast from his own designs.The plasters from the 1990s were not often cast in any other material. A lot of the animals were made specially for the ‘Arche Noah’ , [Noah’s Ark], exhibition in Munich in 1990.”
“He was very keen that the medium of plaster should have a higher status as a sculptural medium than it had previously enjoyed in the 20th century. He took a particular interest in this question after Albert Elsen’s ‘Rodin Rediscovered’ exhibition (1981) which re-valued Rodin’s practice with plaster.”
Robin Spencer then elaborated some more about the importance of plaster to Paolozzi and his work practice
”Paolozzi’s approach, like that of Picasso and the Surrealists, often involved the use of found objects. His studio was filled with plaster casts of the objects that appealed to him – dolls, toys, machine parts etc.Sometimes these objects would simply be cast, at other times they were chopped up and reassembled, or individually coloured by the artist.As with Rodin’s approach to plaster, Paolozzi often regarded the plaster as the final work and most of Paolozzi’s plasters were never intended for casting or editioning.” (comments from http://www.blondesfineart.com/blondes-blog/eduardo-paolozzi-plaster-maquette-for-sale , November 21, 2017 unfortunately I can not find where this site got Robin Spencer’s quotes from)
But Why Working with Ghosts? well when receiving these artifacts I realised, I could be like most collectors and place them on a shelf to gather dust and fetischise them, or I could actually use them. So I have now started thinking about how I can integrate them within my own work as a collaboration between myself and the late Paolozzi.
Having been researching Paolozzi’s art practice I think he would be interested in this project. Had he had the technology to 3D scan and print items his work may have expanded in many other directions.
So hopefully once I am back in university I can make some silicone moulds of the plasters which I can then recast in plaster and cut up destroy and rebuild in to a new form, much like how Paolozzi would approach a sculpture. Making a collage of found and altered components to create a new sculptural form or language.
Finally Paolozzi has something to say about the word collage
” The word collage is inadequate as a description because the concept should include ” Damage, erase, destroy, deface and transform all parts of a metaphor for the creative act itself” ( Eduardo Paolozzi, ‘ Collage or a Scenario for a Comedy of Critical Hallucination”, in Eduardo Paolozzi: Collages and Drawings, exhibition catalogue, Anthony d’Offay, London 1977)
In between yesterdays symposium (08.12.2020) I was able to take some time and collect my 3D prints that I started printing the week before.
The results have really set the cogs spinning in my head
First up are the above and below prints. these are small sketch prints of my torso holding a piece of card and a stone carved head for the head.
What interests me about these prints is how the scanner has reinterpreted the 3D print part of this sculpture (the body). The clarity of the original has been lost and the information has been degraded, lines have been simplified and smoothed out.
the base on which these figures are standing is also interesting, instead of the printer printing it as a solid uniform texture it has added gradients and a pattern very much like camouflage is this a glitch or has it come about from the software trying to translate the originally scanned image?
This next example though small is tall in stature. Not only has it been altered by using software to stretch the head and add texture but it has also been printed using a copper impregnated filament. This filament is interesting stuff it is a plastic based but with a high percentage of copper particles suspended in it. Once printed it has a look of terracotta and unlike normal PLA a vegetable based plastic filament which has a lightness to it, this filament possesses a solid cast metallic weight.
In its just printed state the model can be worked and polished like copper, but more interestingly if you soak it in vinegar it will oxidise, as can be seen in the picture below. It is this oxidised verdigris that can give an aged artifact feel to something that through technological advancements is clearly part of the 21st century.
This next print is bigger in stature like the smaller prints it is just as interesting, the printing support structures are still attached and I really like this aesthetic as it looks like a monument of sorts
this final piece is again printed with the copper filament, unfortunately it did not complete the print process due to problems with the printer filament, so the top of the head is missing, yet I do not see this as a problem it now gives me the option of placing the model either way round, it is now more of a component, that can now be stacked within other elements of a sculpture.
So what is it that also interests me about 3D printing? In all honesty it is the speed in which something can be produced. It may not replace traditional metal casting methods, but when you don’t have access to a foundry this is a rather good alternative. The production costs work out a lot more affordable due to the materials used.
I am now looking forward to when we return to University as I now want to expand my research within the world of 3D printing and produce some bigger and more complex prints.
.
.
.
.
Yesterday 08.12.2020 the Disconnect group finally delivered our symposium. All in all i think it went well, the presentations flowed well and were captivating, you could see that we had all worked hard on what we were going to deliver and that there was a unity within our group.
As for my presentation I think it went down well. I wanted it to give some sort of insight in to my work practice and how important it is to have a dialogue with other artists.
We can not all be working within our own bubbles, discussion can lead to new avenues of investigation and enquiry
So finally here is my presentation
Finally may I present today’s drawing.
.
.
.
Chalk pastels, charcoal, ink and cardboard envelopes of an Amazon origin.
.
.
.
.
.
I should realise that some things are never really finished, a case in point is this sculpture. I thought I had it figured (picture 2)that is until it came crashing down. This could be its final realisation (picture 1) but who knows it could change again.
.
.
.
If any one is interested tomorrow morning 8/12/2020 I will be presenting a short video as part of this symposium for my MA in fine art at Salford University.
I will be part of 9 people presenting and it should prove to be an interesting morning.
Please click on the QR code and feel free to join us.
.
..
.
.
.
So this is where it then becomes interesting, placing the stone carved head on to this body has now changed it what then ensued were a rapid succession of 3D scans of this composition, they were then all converted and are in the process of being printed.
So next week when I go back to Uni I will have four 3D prints to contemplate.
Another interesting thing to ponder is how the 3D scan of the original figure has slightly degraded and become even more of a ghost, this is something to think about and could be something to go forward with.
.
.
.
.
.
.
And so back Uni and 3D printing. Believe it or not this is a 3D scan of me it was not meant to be as the item we were scanning was in front of the board I was holding and am holding in the scan
.
Now the next post is where the all gets a bit interesting.
.
.
.
The question to be asked is anything ever really finished? I was asked this recently by my good friend David Orme @studio_orme , at the time I said yes but now I have to go back on my words.
These two structures are still guiding me, in some ways they are very nearly there and yet in others it feels they still need something adding to them.
So I expect the real answer is nothing is ever really finished as there is always room for amendments and improvements.
.
.
.
.
The Art and musings of Jeffrey Knopf 