Iron Pour today... last aquatint tomorrow

Today I'm pouring a small two-part sand mold in UW-L's Pele Iron Pour hosted by artist/professor of sculpture, Cam Choy. I made the mold from an eye mask (similar to a lone-ranger mask). The mask will be worn by the life-sized female figure made of barbed wire in upcoming installation.

Tomorrow evening I'll be etching my last aquatinting phase before running all 4 plates as proofs. If all goes well I hope to run a final life-sized print sometime this week.

Behind "the gaze"

My current project is a life-sized print installation aimed toward exploring "the gaze" and how it relates to identity and visual pleasure. It will be comprised of a simple, life-sized, line etch of an idealized self-portrait, which will be hung on a wall for viewing. In addition to the print, there will be two life-sized figures engaged in looking at the print (as spectators of the image). One of the figures will be male, and covered in long, pink faux-fur. The other figure will be made of barbed wire and will be wearing a cast-iron children's mask (just covering the eyes). The figures will be placed somehow in front of the print, as to convey the act of gazing or connecting with the identity of the print... and not with the human being. Viewers of the installation will be able to interact with the figures as equal participants of the viewing experience; focusing on the etching as the intended receiver of the directed "gaze".

My intent in working on this project is to question a specific form of human identity through an understanding of visual imagery/ visual pleasure. I am particularly interested in "the gaze" and how it works within the realm of instincts (such as ego/narcism and sexuality) to satisfy needs and negate self-perceived deficits. I am further interested in the relationship this phenomenon creates between self and the manners in which we play, relate, and interact with others.