One site, multiple faces

This week, I took on the assignment that I was told to try, which was to pick one site or object and to put as many different types faces and ways that people could intervene with the faces as I could. I also took a step back and tried to figure out just what it is about material objects and facial expressions/emotions that I find so fascinating.

What I Did:

Time Calendar:
5 hours writing and completing grant application
3.5 hours thinking of one site, multiple faces, and then sketching ideas and drawing faces
.5 hours putting up faces and documenting
2 hours revising my main point: Why emotions and material objects?
1 hour researching artists

Sometimes the faces were blatant...

 And sometimes you could not see them...

until you got close up.

Others didn't necessarily make any sense on the object, but were merely there for a surprise around the corner.

What I Accomplished/Discovered/Encountered:

After completing the faces the on drinking fountain, I realized that I needed to figure out what certain objects I wanted to personify and why I wanted to do this. What is it about material culture and facial expressions/emotions that I find so interesting? I realized I needed to do this because I felt that my project was getting into a realm of which I did not know exactly how to describe it, and things were going in a bunch of different directions. I also didn't know exactly why I was doing what I was doing. After sitting down and figuring these things out, I came to a satisfying conclusion that the thing that interests me the most about material objects is how much Americans take them for granted. So much energy has gone into the production and distribution of every object, but we don't see (or care) about this. I want to focus on materials that I see everyday being used and thrown away excessively. Things like coffee cups, water bottles, napkins, and plastic and paper bags are constantly being used excessively and it really bothers me to see this happen so frequently around me. When people can easily bring their own mugs for coffee, bottles for water, bags for groceries, and just take less napkins (you know you're not going to need 5 for one sandwich), it makes me question why everybody doesn't do this. Therefore, I want to get this message and reminder across to the public to use and waste less.

I also think that using faces with facial expressions can really make this message even more powerful than any words can for a number of reasons. First, people can instantly relate to facial expressions, and they can relate to them better than with words. With being able to relate to them, people may consciously or subconsciously respect the objects more. Second, people see words making messages all the time, but rarely do they see faces making messages, which can come as a surprise and make them remember the object and message more. Third, they have to figure out why these faces are on certain objects; it's not spelled out for them. This figuring it out will have them think about it more, and I think this will have a lasting impression.

After the critique of my drinking fountain, I got some feedback that I really agree with. A lot of my faces are too happy and cartoon-ish to make a real impact on how people view my art. Also some of the faces are not integrated enough with the object, such as the faces on the wall. I think my faces can and should be somewhat humorous, but I think I need to go for a darker humor; one that isn't so cutesy. I want people to have strong reactions so that they are impacted in some way, and I do not think this will happen as much as I want with the faces I made for the drinking fountain.

After researching artists who use trash in their work, I found 2 artists who make very cool and intense pieces. They make people out of trash, but in different ways.  The first is making them from a silhouette and the second just makes them out of trash, but then puts hundreds of them in very public spaces. They both give me this gross sense of the waste that people produce and how trash can define certain people, or a culture.

                                   "Dirty White Trash", 1998, Tim Noble and Sue Webster

               "Trash Man", 1996, HA Schult      Barcelona, 2007

What I Think I Should Do Next:

I made a quick sketch of what faces I want to put on a trash can, but I want to actually do this with a real trash can. I want to make really gross and disturbing faces that will get a lot of reactions from people. I want to push the boundaries of my faces, maybe even go off the edge of where I should be when I am putting these out in public.