Day 6

Lots of thinking as to where this project theme is going: trying to keep it as broad as possible to allow for expansion in many areas. My paper journal has become a space for me to jot down ideas as, and when, they come to me.
Want to persist with the clouds, studying the sky: analysing nature meeting the skyline of industry. The impact that the residues of man's production; pollution in fumes and buildings cause the atmosphere to react and respond - a fragility is formed. I want to create a conversation in my work that looks at this dialogue. Could we call it destruction? Degradation? Defense? Collaboration?

I have been posing myself questions on this topic as i've been researching it: are clouds the beautiful creations of nature that we think? Or, do they now constitute the impact of pollution? Are they more man than nature? Interesting to use the particle make up of these forms... break them down to what they are, and therefore realise their origins. Origins allow us to define. Cycles are an important concept to explore. The cyclical formation and break down of clouds as well as the creation and destruction of pollutants should be considered. Clouds form from water, they rise, collect more water, alter in shape and make-up, their weight eventually causing them to disintegrate and break down: they loose themselves in the atmosphere. Essentially they are going through a complex process. Disruption occurs when man interferes: dialogue is commenting on this impact.

Politicians are now asking us to seriously be aware of the danger and threat of global warming. There is no longer a plea for this topic to be heard. Now it is fuel for a political canon by many leaders in the upcoming general election. A slogan, i think could be quite appropriate, would be:
"We need to freeze global warming."
Consideration point: the need to freeze its progress or impact. Want to explore the way in which raw/natural materials/structures, beginning with a 'crude' make-up can be literally broken down into a fragile existence... or not? Want to look at 'breaking through surfaces... analysing/consider materials at their subatomic/particle level.
The Ozone Layer is a delicate one. It is odd to note that Ozone, the chemical molecule: O3, is infact a very harmful toxin/poison. It is a creation of nature, acting as a barrier to the harmful UV rays of the Sun.

Penetrating a delicate/fragile entity.

Although it has been heavily documented that large areas of it have been destroyed by pollution, it is now being recorded that areas of the layer are regenerating itself. Interesting to follow this regeneration... reflect it back in my work.
How has man alleviated some of the damage? The production of biodegradable materials... a concept borrowed from nature.

Watching the sun set on a clear evening, the progress of clouds and their changing formations can be monitored by the colour alterations taking place on their contours. Thus, we can track progress of a dialogue: the concept of monitoring change is potentially an interesting one. I want to explore this in my work: create superficial tags on materials as they change. The byproducts of melting, destroying, creating and superimposing them on something... powders placed to show movement etc.

Decided to begin my process of research to demonstrate my thinking through metal. To me, it represents an uncomprehensible strength, ideal to undergo experimentation of degradation. I want to penetrate its qualities: discover flaws, make new visual and physical attributes. I want to emphasise that man can control and harm his environment, both intentionally and subconsciously.

Soft and textured, the clouds of the sky are ethereal: a place that man has always had an obsession about being part of; space exploration etc. However, man's wish to dominate his environment remains and so might we have to retain our dominating role and observe the layers of nature from above?

The process of touching - touching the clouds with our hands - touching nature with man's dirty, 'polluting hands' - can nature ever evade the 'tinging' of man's presence? Our environment constantly receives the products of degradation onto new surfaces. Consideration point: taking rust, the byproduct of acid rain on iron structures, and placing it on new surface. ie using degredation itself as a medium? Can I highlight the effect of man through this relocation?



These sculptures that I made in the metal workshop helped me make my thoughts visual. To me, they demonstrate, via the plastic insulation, the way in which man, and un-natural materials, consume and cloak nature. The delicacy of the wire projects a needed delicacy.



Spent quite a while trying to work out how to do this but, after teaching myself how to take videos on my camera, I set myself up a youtube account and am now able to post moving pictures to demonstrate my thoughts. Very pleased! The above piece was a simple trial. I was trying to show progression of one material into another; the way materials create their own unique path; the difficulty of transmitting themselves from one to the next. I want to explore this idea of infiltration in my development, possibly looking at how a material creates a network of components and penetrates another. Perhaps try a strong acid on metal and see how it could eat away and destroy the surface? Elements of control etc. For it is through degradation of a material e.g. crusting, rusting, fragility, break down (from acid rain or pollutant fumes?) that a seemingly new growth or change in texture and strength of the original material happens.

What might happen when we house these harmful substances/materials inside another material that has form, e.g. a particular gas/liquid inside a balloon? How does the balloon respond? Does it deform? Is it penetrated? This example allows examination/scrutiny of the concept of global warming being a product of man reacting with nature. Is it possible to create a situation where these two meet?