Conceptual Artmaking Problem:
How can I demonstrate the oddness and conformity rituals of suburban life?
Artmaking Boundaries for my First Artwork:
Note: These may subject to change throughout exploring/ experimentation
- Sculpture/Installation works
- Strategies:
- Transformation
- Disruption
- Juxtaposition
- Materials should relate to suburban life/common household items
- Size will be no bigger than 10 foot X 10 foot...experimental stage
Artwork #1:
Title: Keeping it in the Neighborhood
Media: Construction paper/marker, and 6 glass bowls
Size: 3 foot X 1 foot (approximately)
Commentary:
While I was creating this artwork, I kept asking myself if I was representing conformity/oddness of suburbia? Sometimes in my art, I have trouble being too literal. I feel that I do this to portray a specific message. Though, through this project and class, I have learned that is not an important part of making art. It is through exploration and experimentation that the artist expands on their ideas, and is able to dive into deeper thinking in terms of meaning in their art. The audience of the piece(s) should not be the focus, while creating art!
This piece is plain, boring, and mundane-a common characteristic of suburban life. I also used a limited number (3) of colors of paper to represent the slight variance of a suburban neighborhoods. The names on the paper are the top six most common last names in America today. The glass bowls depict a feeling of restriction, and suffocation. They are almost like bubbles, keeping everything inside the bowls separate from everything outside. The repetitive use of the clear glass bowls also represents conformity. I feel that this piece is successful for my first work in the series. I want to continue exploring and experimenting in how I can expand on the idea of conformity and oddness in suburbia rituals through my artmaking series.
Artwork #2:
Title: Perfect Lawn
Media: 3 inch X 3 inch squares of indoor/outdoor carpet, and 6 glass bowls
Size: 3 foot X 1 foot (approximately)
For my second art piece, I decided to move from grass to concrete-to emphasize the grass squares. I removed the paper with the last names, and replaced them with the grass squares to explore the idea of suburbia lawns. Typically, suburban lawns are perfectly manicured, thus the exact square pieces of carpet. Again, I kept the glass bowls to represent the "bubble life", and idea of conformity throughout the piece.
I am only facing conceptual problems throughout this project. I keep questioning my actions, and do not have confidence in some of my artmaking decisions. This is a common problem that I face while I work on any artwork. I need to keep in mind that the end product is not as important as the thinking, and exploration processes. Some questions and concerns that I am considering for my next work in the series are:
- How can I continue portraying weird and conforming suburban rituals?
- How can I keep the artwork simple and mundane, but keep my essential questions/big idea in mind?
- Are the number of bowls important for the
purpose of my idea(s)?
- How can I push this work further through deeper thinking?
Artwork #3:
Title: Closed Off
Media: 6 gallon ziplock bags, six 3 inch X 3 inch squares of indoor/outdoor carpet
Size: 2 foot X 3.5 foot (approximately)
Commentary:
For my next work in the series, I moved from the glass bowls to ziplock bags as a way to explore the "bubble" idea. Again, this work makes a comment on suburban lawns and the conformity of that perfection. While I was experimenting with the bags, I made a keen observation that the bags represent food and cooking. This in turn can relate to the housewife lifestyle of suburbia America. Looking back in retrospect, I also made a note that the bowls used in prior works also make connections to cooking/housewife/stereotypical mother life. I thought it was interesting that I never made that connection before I used the bags.
I decided to keep all the carpet squares separate, as a continuation from the last work in the series. This work still depicts something boring, odd, and bland. This is one characteristic that I want to demonstrate through my whole series. Through that boring continuation in the art, the series will have unity and also repeat my idea of suburban life.
Artwork #4:
Title: Excess
Media: 1 ziplock bag, six 3 inch X 3 inch squares of indoor/outdoor carpet
Size: 1 foot X 1 foot
Commentary:
During my reflection process from artwork #4: Closed Off, I was having difficulty deciding how to move in a new direction in my series. I then started to think about other characteristics of suburban life, and immediately thought of excess and materialism. This persuaded me to put all of the carpet squares in one bag. It still makes a comment on the suburban lawns, but also makes connections to consumption and excessiveness!
Suburbia typically represents a lifestyle of the wealthy, or well-off social class. The people who normally live here place a high priority on their desires and wants, before things that are considered morally "right" or what should be placed first. Prestige and competition rule the working, while perfection and material possessions rule the home life of suburbia America.
Artwork #5:
Title: Cookie Cutter Life
Media: 1 ziplock gallon bag, six 3 inch X 3 inch squares of indoor/outdoor carpet, and a metal cookie cutter man
Size: 1 foot X 1 foot
Commentary:
This work is very similar to the last piece, but I added the cookie cutter man. While interviewing the class, many people stated the term "cookie cutter" as a way to explain/express their idea of suburbia. The cookie cutter man is another satirical spoof on conformity, and also on the housewife life. The man inside of the bag is trapped in his "bubble" world. I think this piece would have been more successful if I had more identical cutters to demonstrate conformity and repetitiveness, but I believe that it still gets the point across to the viewers.
Another comment that could be made about this work is how it represents both of the sexes. The perfectly manicured lawn typically deals with the husband/man, and the cookie cutter and bag deals with the stereotypical mother/woman figure.
During the creation of this work I came across a technical problem. I tried to cut the shape of the man out of the carpet square, but it was not successful! After some frustration and reflection, I decided that the actual cookie cutter should be in the work to connect the pieces in the series together.
Artwork #6:
Title: Cookie Cutter Life II
Media: 1 gallon ziplock bag, metal cookie cutter man
Size: 1 foot X 1 foot
Commentary:
For my sixth work, I decided to remove the carpet squares from the bag, but leave the cookie cutter man. Then, I continued in my exploration process by placing the work back in the grass, instead of the concrete. I feel that this work is a successful step in the series, because it is continuing the cooking/housewife comment, but refers back to lawn care.
Again, I think that the work would be more interesting if I had more cookie cutter men. In creating more bags, the work might fit into the series better...lets continue in our artmaking...and lets dig for deeper meaning!
Artwork #7:
Title: Cookie Cutter Love
Media: 1 gallon ziplock bag, metal cookie cutter man, and heart
Size: 1 foot X 1 foot
Commentary:
For my last artwork, I made a simple change by adding a heart cookie cutter. I placed the heart outside of the bag, instead of inside with the man. This is a spoof on the love life of suburbia families. The man inside of the bag continues the idea of the "bubble", conformity rituals of this life. The heart cookie cutter poses questions of love in that context. Here are some questions that one might consider while viewing this work:
- Is there really love in suburban homes?
- What proof through different rituals is there about the presence, or no presence, of love?
- How can one represent love here?
- Why did the artist use a cookie cutter heart, instead of another heart or representation of love?
- Would that make a difference in the appearance of the work?
- Would that alter the meaning, or message of the piece?
- Does the placement of the heart make a difference?
- What if it was placed
somewhere else...maybe on top of the outside of the bag?
I think since the heart is placed on the outside of the bag-this demonstrates the message of distance between love and family members, which is common in this lifestyle. Many classmates also made similar comments, when asked about their thoughts on suburbia. People stated that families may seem close and in love in their "bubble" life, but in all reality they are not close at all. Everyone seems to get stuck in this rut of a routine, which distances everyone-an example of this is demonstrated through the experience of the family dinner, in which no real conversation takes place!
I believe that I could continue working on this series of works for some time...I could slowly alter each work throughout the series exploring different ideas and norms of the suburban life.
OVERALL...
Now that I have stopped my artmaking for the time being, I have mixed emotions about my project series questioning suburban life/rituals. I like the materials that I used, especially the indoor/outdoor carpet squares and the clear glass bowls. But through my reflection process, there are some parts which I question.
I wanted to experiment with different materials and try to find ways to approach the topic, and not be too literal at the same time! As a student artist, I have struggled with that throughout all of my projects in school.
I did not have many technical problems throughout the series, which was great and convenient! I think a lot of that depended on the use of "ready-made" materials in my works...Duchamp would be proud! I did have slight alterations on my boundaries in each different work, which is evident in my media and size documentation noted above...
On the other hand, I did have a few conceptual problems, and was not sure if the works would be successful. This could be a lack of confidence in my formal decision choices and artmaking. Titling each work was a main problem that I continued to face in the series. I wanted to be sure that the title did not reveal or conceal any information that would misguide the viewer, or ruin the work in anyway.
The experimentation and exploration process was fun, and made me question my topic further for deeper understanding. At first, it made me uneasy to jump into action on the project without a final product in mind. Though, we have learned throughout this quarter in this class that the end product is not as important as the thinking, questioning, and risk taking processes. Through purposeful play, I was encouraged to find and develop more meaning in my artmaking. My conceptual framework, which I created, leaves this particular series open-ended in a way where one could continue making works. It helps me as the artist to reflect, reconsider what I have already completed, think deeper, and push me further-maybe in a different direction- in my art.