Temporary Solutions to Permanent
Problems
This piece seeks to encapsulate the overwhelming feeling of being torn apart by past and current trauma associated with love and relationships.
2022 | Course Final, Design
Media: Watercolor Illustration Encased in 5 Layers of Bioplastic, Bioplastic Cut-outs, Pastel, Plexiglass, Sculpting Clay, Red String
Process
I started by painting a 15" x 10" watercolor piece and cutting it out with an xacto blade (quite a tedious process, may I say). Since the project explores concepts related to bloodline, relationships, generational trauma and love, I wanted the overall hue to be pink/red; thus, I painted yellow highlights and neon pink shadows before painting the actual colors of each subject.
Then, I made several batches of bioplastics with various color patterns and textures at the RISD Nature Lab to use as cut-outs for background and foreground elements.
The watercolor piece was then mounted on a layer of bioplastic and arranged with the bioplastic cut-outs. Cut-outs include stars, clouds, shards and lyrics written on by pastel. After the composition was finalized, another layer of bioplastic was poured into the tray and set to dry, effectively sealing (or sandwiching) the illustration and cut-outs within two bioplastic layers.
For the sculptural component, air-dry sculpting clay was used to build the severed hand and "fleshy" stands for the acrylic boards. The inner structure of the hand was built through chopsticks with string, which upon thin layers of clay could create the vein-like structures and textures mimicing "torn flesh."
The final project was displayed between two plexiglass boards with red yarn tying (tying together :D).
