modeling the face for the installation figure...

Still much to do in tweaking the face model before mold making and casting. I will be making a two-part plaster mold and using spray-foam to make the casting. Hoping this will work well as I need something lightweight, rigid, fairly durable, and paintable.

... casting with foam has been a bit challenging. The venting in the molds doesn't work as predictably as with metal casting... lots of air bubbles. I'm on my fourth set of castings, in search of better results. Today I tried using Bondo to fill air holes. Tomorrow... sanding begins. More to come....

Learning How to Shoot

Learning How to Shoot, combines tragic news reports [IRIN Radio] with a close up shot of my mouth glutonously eating a banana and nectarine. The main audio was taken from an IRIN Radio interview [2008] with a captured and enslaved Ugandan girl. The interview is overlaid with another less dominant track from today's date from Afghanistan. This is the first version. I'll be shooting other alternate footage clips to go along with the audio... just to see what comes of it. I'm hoping for more thought provoking imagery... as the audio is quite powerful.

Audio is an important component of this video so you may want to adjust the volume on your computer. If you'd like to read more about the Ugandan story visit IRIN Radio: http://www.irinnews.org

Installation figure...

The figure for my installation, "Subjugated Gaze" is progressing. I am nearly finished with the internal wire frame. Next will be to experiment with foam casts for the hands and face. Then... time to cover the wire structure with the pink faux fur.

Initially, I had cast a masquerade type mask from iron to use with this installation and planned to have a second figure [made from barbed wire]... but now I have decided to keep the installation more simple... less convoluted with diverging concepts. In order to keep my intentions direct, I have decided to include only the male [voyeur] figure engaged in looking at the female, nude intaglio [subject]. My intent is to explore the historic-female subjugated gaze and sort of reenact it through understandings of visual pleasure and how it plays into our identities.

... more to come...

... the actions of identity gestures

Continuing to explore identity / gesture relationships. I am using my macbook pro camera to document typical and random gestures... working to develop a particular type of portraits related to gestural /obscured imagery. I have been using myself as subject for the sake of functional utility and convenience... foregoing the pains of finding willing subjects/models to act out my intended narratives. Hoping to someday try this as a video project. I think it would be interesting to capture the process of identity-related, semantic translation between artist and actor.