The Shape of Things to Come

This weeks challenge is a tall order.  I had to carefully reconsider my rules, since the rules I laid out at the beginning don’t cover a lot of issues that came up this week.  The challenge?  To take junk appliances and make sculpture.

“Your challenge is to use at least one of those appliances in your next piece of art.  How you do this is entirely up to you.  But — it has to be three dimensions.  It has to be sculpture.”

Not having access to a junk-garage full of tv’s with free stuff, I had to make do with the Salvation Army’s center for items.  I limited myself to 30 minutes, like the show — but I couldn’t throw everything and the kitchen sink into this endeavor… there just wasn’t that much stuff to be had.

Nonetheless, I came away with a vacuum, some CD players, assorted small electronic gizmos, book, VHS cassette, etc.  total cost was around $20.

Not getting the full details from the show, I had to assume some things:

1. The contestants have “a lot more time” for this project — I am going to assume 24 hours total
2. the studio comes supplied with all typical art materials and tools
3. Additional effort, to frame or mount pieces, are not part of the time (its clear that framing is done after the deadline and before the show.)

To help track my time, I installed a webcam, set to take one frame each 11 seconds — making 24 hours into a five minute video.

The solution is made of cast plaster of paris, expandable foam, chipboard, and plastic electronics.  I’m trying to convey the overhead placed upon us by the ever expanding informational and technological world we choose to participate in.  I wanted a somberness and silence in the piece.