Sacred Vessel
Title:Me
Size:10.5cmx10.5cm Medium:Acrylic on Clay Completed:March Intentions:I view the human skull as a vessel for the one of the most sacred things, human life. Mexican who celebrate the holiday Day of the Dead, view the skull in a similar perspective. To demonstrate this belief I found a child figurine to symbolize who I am with my childlike mind, despite my age. The small books represent my love of stories and the knowledge that I have gained from them that my brain contains. Made or Found:Both |
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Artist & Culture
McArdle, Thaneeya. "Making Sugar Skulls." Art Is Fun. N.p., 2008-2016. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.
My piece connects to Mexican beliefs. "The Day of the Dead is a time of celebration and remembrance of loved ones who have passed away, much like Memorial Day in the United States" On November 2nd families visit their loved ones with gifts and foods to honor and celebrate the lives they lived. A popular symbol of this celebration is the skull. Sugar skulls represent the soul of the person who passed away and are also made as a gift for that spirit. This culture views skulls as a vessel for the soul of a human. 1."The Day of the Dead, All Soul’s Day." The Day of the Dead. University of New Mexico, n.d. Web. 04 Mar. 2016. |
Agur, Dyana. "Multicolored Clay from Izucar De Matamoros." Mexican Folk Art. N.p., 2010-2016. Web. 04 Mar. 2016.
I was inspired by the artist Alfonso Castillo Orta. "Alfonso Castillo Orta (1944 – January 2009) was a Mexican potter from the ceramics town of Izúcar de Matamoros, Puebla, whose work made the ceramics of this area internationally known." He sculpts detailed Day of the Dead skulls, paints them, and applies 3D objects like sea life or butterflies to the skulls. His skulls are a little less traditional than the "normal" sugar skull. Obviously my skulls are not as detailed as his are. Castillo was still a great artist to look up to! I incorporated his bold color choices into my piece. 2."Alfonso Castillo Orta." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, Jan. 2016. Web. 4 Mar. 2016. |
Tools
Pugmill-used to mix clay
Moist Clay & Dry Clay-mixed together to make clay Sponge- used to smooth and moisten the clay Clay & Pottery Sculpting Tools- used to shape, add & deduct clay, and to add details Plastic Bag- used to preserve clay when not in use Damp Paper Towels- used to keep clay moist when not in use Wooden Board- used to sculpt on and to keep the table clean Kiln- used to fire the clay |
Process
My planning sketches included the front, back, and profile perspectives of the skull I wanted to create so I would be able to imitate its shape and form. I mixed both dry and moist clay in the Pugmill to make a clay I could sculpt with. I rolled all of the clay into a ball that was the size I wanted the skull to be. Then it was a simple matter of adding clay, for example, where the cheekbones should be, or subtracting clay from areas such as, the eye sockets. Once I had the general out line I began detailing in the teeth using the skinny, rectangular carving tool. Afterwards I cut the back of the skull of and hollowed it out using the looped carving tool. I left the clay less than an inch thick so It would fire properly in the kiln and not explode. My sculpture was then left alone for about a week to dry.
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The skull is a vessel for the most sacred thing possible, human life. My skull contains the essence of who I am. It provides a safe environment for my pink, fleshy, brain. On the inside of the skull I put a figurine of a young girl who looked like me as a child. I found her in the dollhouse in our basement. She represents me. She also is a symbol for no matter how old you are, usually you maintain a younger mentality. I am currently 17 and I feel nothing like it. My father still calls me his four year old, because that is how I act. My sister is 23 and she does not act how I thought someone with that age would act. Next to the figurine are two books piled on top of each other. I have loved books and stories my entire life and my brain, which is carried in my skull, stores all the knowledge that I have gained from them. |
Lastly, I painted the skull with acrylic paints. Mr. Chad advised us not to, because that would give the sculpture a "plastic" look, which I thought would make it look more like a sugar skull. I only lightly decorated it to look like a sugar skull. This way the audience would be able to make the connection.
Reflection
From a design point I am unsure of my skull is practical. In order to fully comprehend the sculpture you would need to have a 360 degree viewing ability. If this sculpture was just seen dead on or from the side, the found object is blocked from view. It makes me wonder if it would have been more ideal for everything to be visible from every angle. However, I do like idea of my mind/essence (the girl figurine) being tucked away and hidden from plain sight. If I were to create another sacred vessel piece I would like to try to sculpt something similar to a treasure chest and inside I would have all the items that I considered to be precious to me as a child.
As for the process what was most challenging was mixing the two different consistencies of clay to get a balance. Occasionally the very moist clay, slip, would be stuck to the top of the press. In response I would scrape it off, put the clay at the bottom, and place the dryer clay, that wouldn't get stuck, on top of it. Sometimes the clay that came out would not be mixed enough and I would have to run it through the mill again. I had never sculpted a skull before but my reference sketches assisted me in that process. The one thing I would tweak about the skull would be making the nasal passages protrude more off the base of the skull like in my sketch.
This process was rather simple and I am proud of what I created.
As for the process what was most challenging was mixing the two different consistencies of clay to get a balance. Occasionally the very moist clay, slip, would be stuck to the top of the press. In response I would scrape it off, put the clay at the bottom, and place the dryer clay, that wouldn't get stuck, on top of it. Sometimes the clay that came out would not be mixed enough and I would have to run it through the mill again. I had never sculpted a skull before but my reference sketches assisted me in that process. The one thing I would tweak about the skull would be making the nasal passages protrude more off the base of the skull like in my sketch.
This process was rather simple and I am proud of what I created.