Project 3
Down the Rabbit Hole28 cm tall
Clay and Acrylic Paint November 2020 Exhibition TextDown the Rabbit Hole is a sculpture that was inspired by Rousseau's The Dream, Monet's Woman with a Parasol, and Walt Disney's Alice in Wonderland. The figure falling into the hole is representative of how anxious, intense feelings can seem to swallow us up and how hard it can be to escape these feelings. It is made of DAS air dry modeling clay and is painted over with acrylic paint.
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Planning
Inspiration
Rousseau's visits to Paris's natural history museum, the Jardin des plantes, and faraway people and places from literature inspired the jungle and animals in The Dream. The woman is very out of place, which is intentional and heightens the dreamlike quality of the piece. It is believed that the jungle could be the woman's mind instead of reality. I like this idea of mixing reality and dream, so my piece will also have dreamlike qualities to enhance this. If I have time, I want to embellish my piece with symbols to add more meaning. |
When Monet created this piece, he was losing his sight. This is the reason for the blurry, far away quality of the figures. However, it is still done in the Impressionist style as evident in the multitude of colors in brush strokes and the movement in the piece. I like Monet's use of space in this piece. The figures look like they are in movement and seem vibrant and alive as evident by their poses. The figure in my piece will similarly showcase as much movement as possible. Monet's composition is also very balanced and united; I will create my piece's composition as balanced as possible as well. |
The scene in Alice in Wonderland where she is falling down the rabbit hole is a huge inspiration for this piece. I wanted to create a piece that exemplifies 'falling down the rabbit hole' where the rabbit hole is a symbol for anxiety and dealing with the unknown. Since Alice falls into a world she is confused by, I think it is the perfect metaphor for the feelings I am trying to convey.
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Sketches
Experimentation
The paste worked well with sticking the newspaper clippings to the cardboard pyramid I created. However, I found a problem with the cardboard. Cutting the cardboard was difficult and because it is so stiff, it's not easy to create small, flowing shapes. At this point I began to reconsider this medium because I want this sculpture to be flowing and smooth; cardboard wouldn't allow that. |
After I put on 4 layers of newspaper, I painted the shape to experiment with color. Even with multiple layers of newspaper, paste, and paint, the shape wasn't as nice as I had previously thought. I decided that the process of paper mache was a bit too long for the time span I have and this medium wouldn't give me my desire results. So instead, I bought some clay so I could have more flexibility with shapes and space. It costs more, but it is worth it for a more desirable piece. |
Process
For the rabbit hole, I decided to use a technique I learned in freshman year. I made long coils out of clay and for each subsequent layer I scored and slipped by making cuts at the top of each coil then wetting the cuts. This was very effective in getting them to stick together well. I purposely wanted the top of the hole to flare out, so I tried to make each subsequent coil larger and wider. |
I tried to make the hole steadily flare out, but I discovered at the end that it looked more lopsided than anything else. At this point, the clay was already too hardened for me to do much about it. (An unfortunate side affect of air dry clay). So I resigned myself to it and decided to paint it to add more detail. |
This is the basic shape of the figure. It started out longer and with feet and hands, but I realized quickly that the clay is very heavy and if I didn't make it lighter, it would not stay on top of the pole. So I decided to make it a bit more abstract. I got rid of unnecessary protuberances and made the figure thinner. It's not exactly what I imagined, but I knew I had to work with what I had. I used toothpicks to help hold together the arms and legs along with slipping and scoring. They aided immensely. I knew I would be using paint on the clay, so I created the basic shape of the nose and chin on the face and left it mostly blank. The figure was very prone to falling apart and it was the most difficult part of the molding process. |
Reflection
With the time I had, I knew the piece couldn't be as detailed or complex as I originally wanted it to be. However, the finished product isn't as bad as I had thought it would turn out. The medium, modeling polymer clay, was very difficult to work with. I found that it dried too fast, was hard to stick together, and heavy. I definitely don't enjoy working with clay. Looking back, the idea of the piece was also flawed from the start. I didn't anticipate the clay being so heavy, so balancing a figure on top of the pole was nearly impossible. I at first attempted to smooth out the coils of the hole, which proved impossible also. There were definitely lots of failures in this piece. On the brighter side, I enjoyed being able to work with my hands. Using water helped immensely and slipping and scoring was a very effective technique for getting clay pieces to stick together. I also liked how I could paint the clay with acrylic paint when it was all shaped and the colors popped well. The clay being air dry was also a pro because I can only work from home and have no access to a kiln. The piece was hard, and easy to present by nearly the day after I molded it. I definitely want to explore clay more in the future and experiment different ways it can be used. However, I'll probably start with a more practical idea from the beginning.
Compare & ContrastSimilarities:
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ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
Rousseau's use of symbolism inspired the idea of a rabbit hole as a metaphor for getting trapped in intense emotions; Monet's central figure and use of movement were the source of my attempts at creating a figure that is in the midst of falling.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors for Monet's sites are educational, but also seem impressed by his use of color and light; the authors of Rousseau's sites are mostly unbiased and don't seem overly amazed. Monet's sites are overall more full of praise and acclaim.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have concluded that art is often just a reflection of the things around artists; Monet painted his wife and son, who he saw every day but loved immensely nonetheless. Rousseau's piece was inspired by gardens and jungles, as well as his mistress; he incorporated these things into a complex piece of art.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted this piece to display anxious feelings, so I wanted art that reflected real people and real emotions. Rousseau's piece is dreamlike and there is a lot of symbolism that demonstrates the woman's mental state; Monet's piece does not display negative emotion, but has such a masterful use of elements that I strive to also be able to use.
What kinds of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Monet did not often make work that was created out of negative emotion, and strived to show that art that focuses on the beauty and splendor of the world around us can also be meaningful in a different way.
Rousseau's use of symbolism inspired the idea of a rabbit hole as a metaphor for getting trapped in intense emotions; Monet's central figure and use of movement were the source of my attempts at creating a figure that is in the midst of falling.
What is the overall approach (POV) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors for Monet's sites are educational, but also seem impressed by his use of color and light; the authors of Rousseau's sites are mostly unbiased and don't seem overly amazed. Monet's sites are overall more full of praise and acclaim.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have concluded that art is often just a reflection of the things around artists; Monet painted his wife and son, who he saw every day but loved immensely nonetheless. Rousseau's piece was inspired by gardens and jungles, as well as his mistress; he incorporated these things into a complex piece of art.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
I wanted this piece to display anxious feelings, so I wanted art that reflected real people and real emotions. Rousseau's piece is dreamlike and there is a lot of symbolism that demonstrates the woman's mental state; Monet's piece does not display negative emotion, but has such a masterful use of elements that I strive to also be able to use.
What kinds of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that Monet did not often make work that was created out of negative emotion, and strived to show that art that focuses on the beauty and splendor of the world around us can also be meaningful in a different way.
Bibliography
“1. Down the Rabbit Hole.” Down the Rabbit Hole | Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, by Lewis Carroll | Sabian Assembly, sabian.org/alice_in_wonderland1.php.
“Dream.” Dream by Henri Rousseau, www.henri-rousseau.com/dream/.
“The Dream.” MoMA Learning, Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/henri-rousseau-the-dream-1910/.
“Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son.” Art Object Page, National Gallery of Art, www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.61379.html.
“Woman with a Parasol, 1875 by Claude Monet.” Woman with a Parasol -- Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875 by Claude Monet, www.claude-monet.com/woman-with-a-parasol.jsp.
“Dream.” Dream by Henri Rousseau, www.henri-rousseau.com/dream/.
“The Dream.” MoMA Learning, Museum of Modern Art, www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/henri-rousseau-the-dream-1910/.
“Woman with a Parasol - Madame Monet and Her Son.” Art Object Page, National Gallery of Art, www.nga.gov/collection/art-object-page.61379.html.
“Woman with a Parasol, 1875 by Claude Monet.” Woman with a Parasol -- Madame Monet and Her Son, 1875 by Claude Monet, www.claude-monet.com/woman-with-a-parasol.jsp.