Invisible End of Year Show

Invisibility

Would you believe it but my first year back at college is coming to an end and the End of Year Show is looming! I plan to show the work I have been doing on the Subject of Invisibility.

I set about looking at materials that would render the artwork more or less invisible. I began drawing with a glue gun having found that once set the glue can be peeled away from silicone. (See previous blogs on drawing with a glue gun). I explored different scale, mark making and wether to colour, noting that different glue sticks had different levels of invisibility. I, of course, preferred the more expensive glue. I also liked the use of glue as a metaphor as often us women are the 'glue' that keeps families together. The glue images have a fragile element but are also very strong and the marks that I have made bring to mind doilies, lace.

I photographed myself using iPhoto experimenting with different expressions. Eventually settling on a side on view looking directly out with a fairly blank/calm expression faintly confrontational. I also used the ‘Scream’ which I am layering underneath representing my frustration. The layering has created a blurring of the image and a faint shadow is cast. I intend to suspend the pieces from fishing wire quite high up on the wall.

Through my process I became interested in the word ‘Invisible’ and how I could render the word invisible itself. I made a stencil leaving out the ‘I’s and used the cut out pieces from the stencil to add and take away building up the image. I ran it through the press to create embossed prints. As a result I was left with tissue paper which had also been imprinted with the words and have decided to use these as well.

I am going to use the embossed print as a label for my work.

I am going to wear my HIVIS top to the show to see if it provokes debate.