Rochester Institute of Technology
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1997
Multiples of one hundred
Ami Martin
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ROCHESTER INSTITUTE
OF
TECHNOLOGY
A
Thesis
Submitted
to the
Faculty
ofThe
College
ofImaging
Arts
andSciences
In
Candidacy
for
the
Degree
ofMASTER
OF FINE ARTS
MULTIPLES
OF ONE HUNDRED
by
Ami L.
Martin
Approvals
Chief Adviser: Leonard Urso
_
Date:
5' ·
I
2. .
Of?
Associate Adviser: Mark Stanitz
-Date:
S-
/ 2 / { 7
7
,
Associate Adviser: Tina Lent, Ph.D
_
Date:
5'-/~
-
q
7
Chairperson: Robert Schmitz
_
I,
Ami
L. Martin, hereby grant permission to the Wallace Memorial Library ofRIT to
reproduce my thesis in whole or in part. Any reproduction will not be for commercial use
or profit.
Signature
_
TABLE OF CONTENTS
List
ofIllustrations
ii
Introduction
1
Idea
3
The Work
andIts Evolution
7
Modernism
andPostmodernism
11
Repetition
andMultiplicity
13
Installation
15
Conclusion
18
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Illustration
One:
Obsessed Perfection
21
Illustration Two:
BeteNoir
22
Illustration Three:
Contained
Beauty
23
Illustration Four:
Aphrodite
ofMelos
24
INTRODUCTION
Throughout human
history,
societies all overthe
worldhave
expectedwomento
conform
to
idealized
standardsofbeauty
andbehavior. These
externalpressureshave
been
internalized
by
womenwholook
atthemselves
andquestiontheir
ownbeauty
andfemininity.
The
power ofthe
socially
constructedideal is
sostrong
that
womenoftenfeel
they
must conform
to
a standard ofbeauty
similarto that
usedto
massmanufacture"Barbie"
dolls.
Deviation
is defined
asfailure. The
standards ofideal
beauty
worklike
straightjackets
to
contain women's selfexpression andnarrowly
confinetheir
selfimages
to
alimited
model.Through
my
workin
metal, stone,
andclay, I
explored multiplevariationson atheme to
deconstruct
the
very
idea
ofasingle standard ofbeauty.
The
paththat
I
followed brought
meto
different
resolutions atdifferent
stagesofthe
creationprocess.Throughout
the process, the
idea
to
createvisually
the
feeling
of containmentwasaconstant.
As
womenare gazedupon witheyesthat
seekuniformity,
sodoes
my
worklook
superficially
uniform.Yet,
aswomenaretruly
different in
body,
mind,
andsoul,
my
pieces
depict individual
variations.There has been
a stigma attachedto
the
word,
feminist.
Men
andwomenrefuseto
hear
whatis
being
said.The
goalofmy
workis
notto
preach radicalfeminist
theory,
but
The
reality,
however,
is
that
womenarestilltreated
as"beautiful"
objects.
Even
in
the
era ofpoliticalcorrectness,
womenarejudged
ontheiraestheticratherthan
theirintellectual
value.If
this
were notthe
reality,
Playboy
magazine couldomitthe
photographsof
the
nudemodelsandjust have
the
good articles.I
understandthere
willbe individuals
whodo
notwantto
hear
my
voicein
art.I
accept
this.
Furthermore,
whenviewers cometo
look
atmy
artwork, I
preferthat
they
comewithclean palates.
In
ourPostmodern
artera, the
viewerhas
had
to
digest
enormous amounts of
theory
and"deep"meaning.I
wishthat
my
viewermay
be
ableto
enjoy
good artwork and extractinformation
aswellastheory,
instead
ofbeing
force fed
information
that
might nothave
any
significanceto them.
It
is
too
easy
to
pass off mediocre artwork andsay,
"to
appreciateit,
youmustunderstand
the
visionofthe
artist."The
realchallengeis
creating
goodartworkthat
cangiveeveryone
pleasure,
regardless ofits
concept andvision.As
anartist,
it is my
THE
IDEA
Womanliness,
therefore,
couldbe
assumed and worn as amask,
both
to
hide
the
possessionofmasculinity
andto
avertthe
reprisalsexpected
if
she werefound
to
possessitmuch
as athiefwillturn
out
his
pockets and askto
be
searchedto
provethat
he
has
notstolen goods.
The
readermay
askhow
I
define
womanliness orwhere
I
draw
the
line between
genuine womanliness andthe
"masquerade."
My
suggestionis
not,
however,
that there
is
any
such
difference:
whether radical orsuperficial,
they
arethe
samething.1
My
thesis
workis intended
to
combine concept and craftsmanship.The
aestheticapproach
I
usedfor
the
actual workwas minimalism.I
wantedthe
viewerto
enjoy
gooddesign
andvisualstimulation.If
viewersdid
notorwould not acceptthe
concept,
they
could at
least enjoy
the
workfor its
aestheticvalue.The
idea for
the
workstemmedfrom
personalexperiencesI
have
encountered as awoman.
The
notionthat
womenneedto
look
and actin
a certainway
to
be
acceptedinto
society
seemsludicrous
to
me.It
is
notonly physically
andmentally confining,
it is
alsoharmful
to
women.The
end resultusually
meansjeopardizing
the
body. We
actlike
foreigners attempting
to
assimilateinto
ahostile
culture,
with ourbodies
continually
threatening
to
betray
ourdifferences.
Each
ofus who seeksthe
rights
ofcitizenship
throughacceptable
femininity
shares a secret with all who attemptto
pass:my
undisguisedself
is
unacceptable,
I
amnot whatI
seem.To
passsuccessfully
is
to
be
momentarily
wrappedin
the
protective coverofconformity.2
1
Joan
Riviere,
"WomanlinessasMasquerade," InsidetheVisibleed.Catherine de Zegher (Massachusetts: MTTPress,
1996),
1.2
Women
are pressuredto
conformto
a standardofbeauty
that
is
unattainable.Our
society
encourageswomento
questiontheir
ownbeauty
and strivefor
something
that
appears
to
be
much morebeautiful,
ratherthan
acceptthemselves
asthey
are.Women
feel
immense
pressureto
conform,
to
remodeltheir
bodies
withendless strings ofdiet
plansand exerciseregimensor
to
hide
themselves
in
shame and selfloathing.3
Women
aretaught to
feel
shameful abouttheirbodies,
evenif
they
are"perfect"in figure.
This
is how
society
controlswomen.Exhalted
by
poets, painters,
andsculptors,
the
female
body,
often reducedto
its
isolated
parts,
has been
mankind's mostpopularsubjectfor
adorationandmyth,
and alsofor
judgment,
ridicule,
estheticalteration,
andviolentabuse.4
Isolated
body
parts areoftenused
to
contain women.Instead
oflooking
atthemselves
aswholes,
womenareforced
to
inspect
every
inch
oftheir
bodies. As if
they
aremachines,
womenfeel
that
if
partsoftheir
bodies
are notfunctioning
up
to
standard,
they
mustfix
them.
Often
fixing
the
partsmeans
mutilating
the
whole.When Kenneth Clark
speaksof oval shapedbreasts from
the
Gothic
ideal,
he
describes
them
as"distressingly
small."5
He
passedjudgment
onhistorical
documentation;
this
stemsfrom
his
ownbias
of whatthe
ideal
shouldlook like.
By
early
1990,
morethan
two
millionAmerican
womenhad
succumbedto
breast
implants,
usually
for
aestheticvalueonly.
The
breast
augmentationbusiness
now grosses$450
million ayear.6
3
Judy
Siebecker,
"Women's OppressionandObsessionwithThinness,"Women.
ImagesandRealitieseds.Amy
Kesselman,
Lily
D.McNair,
andNancy
Schiedewind (California:Mayfield, 1995),
104.4
Susan
Brownmiller,
Femininity (NewYork: LindenPress, 1984),
27. 5Kenneth
Clark,
The Nude (New Jersey: PrincetonUniversity
Press, 1956),
312. 6Furthermore, breasts, hips,
stomach,
andthighs,
the
familiar
placeswherefat
cellscollect,
do
notnecessarily
expandin
uniformproportion.Nearly
every
civilizationhas
sought
to
impose
a uniformshapeuponthe
female
body,
afeminine
aestheticthat
usually
denies solidity
by
rearranging, accentuating,
ordrastically
reducing
someportion ofthe
female
anatomy
or some natural expressionofflesh.7Women
have
had
to
endure painfuldevices
that
have
oftenimmobilized
their
movements andways oflife.
In
ourcountry,
womenhave
undergoneconstricting
corsetsthat
containedthe
body. Women
have
sufferedfrom
shortness ofbreath,
oftencausing
fainting
spells,
whichwereacceptedaswonderful
feminine
behaviors.
They
made women appearfragile
anddependent
ona man's support.Women
alsosuffered,
asthe
result,
ofbeing
constrictedby
corsetswhich wereoften placed on
young
girlswhosebodies
were stillgrowing.In
turn,
their
bodies
became
dependent
onthe
corsetfor
support.In
China,
womensufferedthrough
foot binding.
Small
feet
werecovetedby
the
Chinese;
they
symbolizedwealthandfemininity.
After
years ofhaving
the
foot
bound,
the
foot
wouldbegin
to
growinto
itself
andbecome
a massofuselesstissue
andbones.
Yet,
the
disfigured,
three
inch foot
wascomparedto
alotus blossom. Pruned from
childhood,
the
tiny
foot
was saidto
resemblethe
lotus,
a most reveredflower,
andwiththe
supportofa staffor
leaning
against ahusband
orservant,
the
womanwalkedlike
a whisper ofwindthrough
the willows,
swaying
witheachtimid
step.8In society
today
womenstill sufferfrom
self mutilation and usedevices
to
altertheir
bodies. We
arenowin
asociety
that
pressureswomento
adjust and altertheir
7
Susan
Brownmiller,
Femininity(New York: LindenPress, 1984),
33. 8bodies
to
the trends
offashion.
The
ultra-thinstylewasin fashion just
a coupleyearsago;
womenstarved
themselves to
achievethe
look
ofthe
day.
If
womencould notlose
weight
fast enough,
innovations
such as"control"top
underwearwere marketed.This
underwear
implies
its
title;
it
controlsthe
stomachandbuttocks
by forcing
atight
materialaround
the
designated
body
parts,
thereby
preventing
them
from
protruding.This
constricting
underwear cancause severe stomachpain aftera couplehours
of wear.Should
painbe
acceptablejust for
the
sakeoflooking
good?Some
womenarguethat
they
wantto
look
goodfor
themselves,
but is
the
obsessionoftrying
to
achieveunattainable
beauty
worthselftorment?
I
have
notfound
the
answerbut
canonly
hope
to
THE WORK
AND
ITS
EVOLUTION
In my
thesis
workI
notonly
wantedto
explorethe
idea
ofthe
isolated
body
partsbecoming
the
Achilles'Heel
ofwomen,
but
alsoto
explorefurther
the
idea
that
onebody
part
does
not makethe
wholebody.
One
yearago,
whenI
first
startedworking
onmy
thesis,
I began using
the
female
body
as a symbol.I
usedthe
shapeofthe
breast
asthe
signifierfor
woman.As
awoman,
I
did
not wantto
perpetuatethe
"fetishizing"ofthe
form.
The
resultwasabstracting
the
form,
extruding
only
someofthe
qualitiesofthe
breast,
instead
ofusing
the
literal
image.
The
silverbreast
series, Obsessed
Perfection (illus.
1)
exemplified valueof worth.The
associationofsilveras a precious
commodity
combinedthe
ideas
ofplacing
importance
ona specific
body
part andobjectifying
the
so-calledvalue ofthe
breast.
At
this
juncture,
the
breast
forms
were representational ofwomenand whatwassuppose
to
be
oneoftheirmostimportant features
to
signify
femininity.
In
the
copperbreast
series,
Bete
Noir
(illus.
2)
the
conflict of selfhatred
as a result ofbreast
implants
becomes
displeasing
to
both
eyeandtouch.
In
severalcases,
the
siliconbreast implants
turn
hard
andbegin
to take
onthe
characteristics of rocks.All
that
is left for
the
womanare
the
physicalandmentalscarring
of surgery.All
that
is
left
in
the
copperbreast forms
are
the
scars,
wounds,
and emptinessofdreams for
perfection.The
empty
vesselis
noThe
breast
forms
were astarting
pointfor my
thesis
work.I originally
wantedto
usea more universal
form
as a symbolfor
womanandto
makethe
signifierless
obvious.I
decided
to
suggestwomanas a geometricvolume.The first
seriescreatedunderthis
premiseincluded
the
nipple andhair
boxes,
Contained
Beauty
(illus.
3)
the
boxes
symbolized reliquariesfor
womenandcontainedimportant
evidenceto
indicate
theirfemininity.
The
hair boxes
embodiedactualhair
from
my
ownhead.
[Every
pieceof workI
createbecomes
aselfportrait] Hair
has had
a"long"
history
in
associationwithfemininity
anderoticism.A
woman'sact ofunpinning
and
letting
down her
hair
is interpreted
as ahighly
eroticgesture: a releaseofinhibiting
restraints,
asignofsexualreadinesswhichmay
be
anenticementorasnare,
afrightening
danger,
or,
in
somecases,
a possiblesalvation.9
As
achild,
I
rememberthe
prince whocalled
Rapunzel
to
let her hair
down.
Whether
this
actwasa release ofinhibitions for
Rapunzel
oran act ofhelplessness,
I
recallwanting
long,
beautiful
hair
to
"let
down".
The
hair boxes
containthe
hair
anddo
not allowinhibitions
to
be
released.Instead,
the
box
controls
the
womanand makesher
waitfor
a princeto
saveher.
The
nippleboxes
imply
the
sameconnotationasthe
hair
boxes,
yetI
alsoimagined
some of
the
nippleboxes
to
be
wornas a pendants.If
awoman wasunsure ofher
femininity,
she coulddisplay
it
onthe
outside ofher
clothing;
showing
the
worldthat
she,
in
fact,
was awoman.The
ornamentationofthe
breast
forms
andthe
nipple andhair
boxes
was stilltoo
representational.
For
my
thesis
work, I
intended
to
removeany
referenceto the
female
9
anatomy
andsimplify
the
form.
I
have
usedModernism
as a guideline.Removing
any
ornamentation,
the
minimalistaestheticforces
the
viewerto
appreciatethe
form for
its
intrinsic beauty.
The
viewernolonger
acquires obvious signs andsymbolsbut
viewsthe
work
for
formal
elements(shape,
color,
and composition).When
embarking
onmy
thesis
work, I
deconstructed
the
forms
that
werefamiliar
to
me andconstructeda newform
underthe
parameterofModernism.
It
wasasimple,
pure
form
that
symbolizedwoman.The
form
wasvoid of ornamentationandreducedto
the
shape of a sphere.I
chosethis
shapefor its lyrical
qualities andits
universalrecognition.
The
materialsusedfor
the
forms
consisted of:silver, copper, pewter, porcelain,
and stoneware.
The
forms
wereall constructedby
using
similartechniques:
forming
two
half-bowl
forms,
then
joining
them together.
This
addedto the
consistency
ofthe
forms.
The
forms
wouldlook
superficially
uniform whenseentogether,
yetata closerlook,
the
differences in
eachform
wouldbegin
to
become
apparent.As
womenaretruly
different in
body,
mind,
andspirit,
soweremy
forms for
womendifferent in
shape,
color,
andtexture.
The
premiseofmy
thesis
deals
withidealized
standardsofbeauty
that
representwomen.
The ideal is
alwaysthat
whichis
mostdifficult
andunnaturalto
achievein
a giventime
period.Because
these
ideals
arenearly
impossible
to
achieve,
failure
anddisappointment
areinevitable.
10It
wasimperative
for
the
forms
to
have
anideal.
I
constructed
the
ideal
form
out ofadifferent
medium,
thereby
making it
impossible
for
the
metaland
clay
forms,
regardlessoftheir
refinements,
everto
achieveit.
10
Elayne A.
Saltzberg
andJoan C. Chrisler"Beauty
istheBeast,"Women,
AFeminist Perspectiveed.JoFreedman
Marble
wasthe
logical
solution.The
Aphrodite
ofMelos(illus.
4)
is
considered atrademark
ofbeauty
andis
often revered asthe
ideal
marblesculpture.My
idealized
marble
form
wouldbe
transformed
into
the
Aphrodite
ofMelos.The
marbleform
wouldbe noticeably larger
thanthe
other metalandclay
forms.
The
marblerepresentedeverything
one envied andlonged
to
become,
seemingly
perfectand
beautiful.
Yet
the
reality
ofthe
marblewassuperfluousperfection.I
choseto
hand
carve
the
marbleinstead
ofusing
a machineto
carveit.
I
cameas closeasI
couldto
aperfect
sphere,
but
inevitably
there
werestillflaws.
"Hiding"
the
flaws
in
the
marble waseasily
accomplished.I
wasableto
usearoughcompound.
When
rubbedoverthe
surfaceofthe
marble,
this
gavethe
illusion
ofperfection.
Much
that
weidealize looks from
the
outsideto
be
perfect,
but
the
hidden
reality usually
is
notimpeccable.
MODERNISM
AND
POSTMODERNISM
In
Postmodernism,
the
direct
responseto
Modernism,
the
artworkbecomes
involved
in meaning
and carries aresponsibility
to the
viewerto
convey
social concerns.Postmodernism
rejectsthe
coldness ofModernism.
Art
critic, John
Perreault,
stated:"Presently
we need morethan
silentcubes, blank
canvases,
andgleaming
white walls.We
are sickto
death
of cold plazas and monotonous'curtain
walls,'
skyscrapers...
[as
well
as]
interiors
that
are morelike
empty
meatlockers
than
rooms
to
live
in."11I
do
notthinkwe shoulddisregard
Modernism
that
quickly.Although
the
machine aesthetic and
humanless feel is
extreme, there
is
something
to
be
said about
"less
is
more."12
It
is
the
aesthetic ofModernism
andthe
theory
ofPostmodernism
that
I
usedasthe
basis for
creating
the
fullness
ofmy
artwork.Modernism
offerssimplicity
ofvisionand
Postmodernism
offers conceptual understanding.I
amclearing
my
mind of all artnonsense,
trying
to
accomplish
simplicity
andpurity
ofvisionfor Life
itself,
for
that
is
moreimportant
to
methan
anything
elsein
my
life.
I
am
trying
to
returnto the
earlier conditions ofmy
inner
life,
and
take
out experience asit
has
cometo
mein
the
intervening
yearsthat
has
enrichedit.
Making
something
ofit,
morethanjust
intellectual
diversion.
1311
H. H.
Arnason,
HistoryofModemArt(NewYork:Harry
N.Abrams, 1986),
560. 12Miesvander Roecoinedthephrase"lessismore"
when
describing
hisarchitecturalstyle. 13Carl
Sprinchorn,
"Simplicity
ofVision,"
TheoriesofModem Arted.Herschel B.
Chipp
(California:University
of CaliforniaPress, 1968),
530.I
did
not wantto
burden
the
viewer withweighty,
theoreticalconcepts.There
is
agrowing
trend
in
artto
force
the
viewerto
understandthe
pointfrom
whichthe
artworkwasconceived.
The
viewer,
in
turn,
is
not allowedto
form
an opinionofthe
artworkother
than the
opinionthe
artist wantsthe
viewerto
have.
The
artisthas
created asoap
box
to
standon and preach aboutconcept, concept,
concept.This
arenatires
aviewerand
draws
alimited
crowd as an audience.Postmodernist theory
denies
the
importance
ofthe
author andprivilegesthe
viewer's point of view.
I
wishto
attractall viewersto the
artworkI
create.I
do
notthinkit
is
appropriateto
confinethe
artworkonly
to
individuals
who understandthe
concept.The
rninimalist aesthetic allowsthe
conceptto
be
"hidden"to those
whoeithercannotordo
not wantto
seeit. The
work can remain onaformal
level,
orit
canascendto
aconceptual
level.
Either
way,
I
invite
the
viewerto
decide. The
ambivalenceis
notbecause
I
do
not standbehind
the concept;
it is because
I
wantthe
viewerto
enjoy my
artwork on
any
level.
REPETITION
AND
MULTIPLICITY
Repetition
leading
to
multiplicity
was animportant factor in my
thesis
work.Repetition
serves as ascaffolding in
Modernism
aswell.There
is
a sense ofdevelopment,
ofprogression
through the
repeating
of oneimage
after another.It
existsin
the
dessins
animes,
that
what you cannotsay
in
words,
youtry
to
putin
visualterms.
You
have
to
repeat and repeat and repeat
it. Otherwise
peopledon't
understand what youaretalking
about.14
Repetition
andmultiplicity
are associatedwith modernindustrial
society.It
represents
the
socialdivision
ofworkand alienation.Repetitive
workdominates
individuals,
rendering
themunableto
convey
their
meaning.Their
actions always remaindisarticulated fragments.
The
universal situationtends to
impregnate
daily
life
too,
making
it
more programmed and mechanical.Thus,
"we"arefrequently
unawareof ourhands
andtheiractions.15I
used repetition andmultiplicity
to
makethe
viewermoreawareof
both.
My
hands
werethe
mostimportant
tools
in
the
creation ofmy
thesis
work.They
actednot
only
astools,
but
also asextensions ofmy
mind.My
hands
became
part ofthe
form.
With
every form
I created,
the
hand
wasleft in
the
piece,
in both
aphysicaland anemotionalpresence.
All
four hundred
ofthe
forms
I
created represented selfportraitsofmy
being.
Contrary
to the
premise of repetitionrepresenting
the
industrial
andmechanicalsociety, I
tried
to
demonstrate
repetition as anunderstanding
ofthe
singular self.14
Louise
Bourgeois,
LouiseBourgeois. DrawingsandObservations (Boston: BulfinchPress,
1995)
46. 15Paulo Venancio
Filho,
"Anna Maria Maiolino: TheDoing
Hand,"Inside the Visibleed.Catherine
de Zegher (Cambridge: MTTPress,
1996)442.The
obsessivenatureofrepeating
a singleimage
overandover againmademy
artisticvoice speak
louder
andlouder
witheachform
created.I
have
had
aprecarioustime
trying
to
explainthe
concept ofmy
work.I
am often uncomfortabletalking
aboutmy
concept
in
fear
that
I
willrevealtoo
muchofmy
inner
self.Repetition
allowed meto
speak without
using
words.The
repetitionalsoled
to
multipleforms.
The individual
form is
only
aboutthree
inches
in
width andheight. The
form,
whenstanding alone,
wastoo
small andinsignificant
in
presence.When
the
form
wassurroundedby
multipleforms,
it developed
a powerful existence.
However,
the
beauty
ofthe
individual form
waslost.
The
sculptureI
created represents aspects ofboth
the
individual
andthe
multiple.The
multipleforms
represent one woman andher
individual
parts and alsomultiplewomencreating
a society.When I
represent multiplewomen,
they
aretrying
to
fit
asinglestandardof
beauty
andbecome
contained.When I
represent onewoman,
sheprovesthat
the
wholepackageratherthan
isolated
partsis
the true
beauty.
INSTALLATION
The
body
of workremainedaconstant;
the
arrangement ofthe
installation
evolvedthroughout
the
creation.The
evolutionis important
to the
piece,
by
virtue ofthe
fact
that
it
is
still growing.When
I
first
developed
the
concept,
the
installation
wasplannedto
containthe
groups of
forms
according
to their
mediums.The isolated
groupswould representthe
different
types
ofwomen,
organizedto
emphasizethe
differences,
whetherrace,
height,
weight,
or whatever separatewomendifferent from
one another.The ideal
wouldbe in
the
center ofthe
groupsbut
onahigher
pedestal,
sothat
allthe
groups could seethe
ideal
and
know
it
was eithersomething
to
achieve orsomething
that
couldneverbe
achieved.The
idea
evolvedinto
allthe
forms
ononepedestal,
stillwiththe
ideal in
the
middle
but
nothigher
than the
rest.The
forms
wouldbe lined
up
in
a mathematicalsequence,
so allthe
forms
wouldbe
equally
distanced from
one another.I
wouldmakeagrid
that
wouldcontaindivots for
eachform
to
sitin,
preventing
any
rolling
out of placethat
mightoccur withroundforms.
The idea
stemmedfrom
the
military
andthe
way
soldiersline
up
in
aformal
stance.Soldiers in
uniform appear allto
look
the
same,
eventhough the
assemblage mightinclude
several
different
men andwomen.The
forms
could possessthe
superficialimage
whenarranged
in
sequentialorder.After
creating
somany
forms,
I
realizedthe
pleasing
tactile
quality
ofthe
forms.
I
thought
it
wouldbe
interesting
to
involve
the
viewerbeyond just
visualenjoyment.The
viewer could
interact
withthe
sculptureandphysically
touch
the
forms. To involve
the
viewer even
further,
I
thought
I
couldmanipulatethe
situationby
having
the
viewer pickup
the
forms
and arrangeor rearrangetheir
positions onthe
pedestal.The forms
would sitonone
large
pedestal and nothave
any
conscious arrangement.Louise Bourgeois
oncedescribed
her
sculpturesto
be
socializing
with eachother.16I
began
to
seemy
forms
interacting
with each other and perhapssocializing
aswell.I
wascuriousto
know if
the
viewerwouldunconsciously
choose or not choose aform
because
ofits
aesthetic appeal.I
wonderedif
the
silverforms
wouldbe
moreinviting
than the
blackened
clay
forms. Would
the
viewerunconsciously
create ahierarchy
amongst
the
forms? Would
the
ideal
marbleform
remain untouched sothat
it
wouldnotbecome
soiled,
orwouldit be
touched the
most,
knowing
it
wasthe
ideal? Would
the
viewereven
know if
the
marbleform
wasthe
ideal?
I
imagined
my
forms
could exist outsidethe
walls ofthe
gallery.The
forms
couldbe
arrangedin
any pattern,
just
aslong
asthey
wereoutdoors,
back in
the
earth.The
materials
I
used were eitherminedordug
from
the
earthandhad
undergone a series ofprocesses
to
refinethem,
thereby
rendering
them to
be
usedfor
sculpture.I
decided
to
place
the
forms back
into
their
original environment.However,
for
the thesis
exhibitionI
required aformat
for
the
gallery.The
idea
ofthe
spiralcameto
mindwhenI
laid
outthe
forms. Although in
the
physicalsense,
the
forms had
to
be
inside,
the
spiraldesign
acted as abridge
to the
outside.16
Louise
Bourgeois,
Film: "InsidetheVisible," NationalMuseumfor Women intheArts,
1996.The
spiralhas
many
different
meanings andhas been
usedin different formats.
I
saw
the
spiral asthe
meansto
justify
the
ideal.
The ideal form
wouldbe
placedin
the
center and all
the
otherforms
would spiral outfrom
it
in
relationto their
levels
ofperfection.
When
I
installed
the
body
ofworkin
the
Bevier
Gallery,
I
placedthe
forms
oncrushed marble
creating
a pure white surface.The
forms
sat onthe
samesubstanceasthat
of
the
ideal
form.
I carefully
laid
outthe
forms,
transitioning into
eachother(illus. 5).
The
sculpturebecame
abeautiful
object.It
wasaesthetically
appealing.It followed
the
format
ofModernism
and alsohinted
atPostmodern
concerns.The
arrangementfit
the
gallery
andmy
stateof mind atthat
moment.The
installation
will continueto
evolvedepending
onthe
environment.The
organizationofforms
atthe
Bevier
Gallery
wasastepping
stonefor
things to
come.As
I grow,
asmy
viewers
grow,
sowillthe
sculpture grow.CONCLUSION
My
hands
workI
weave withthreads
ofhope
in my
shriektogether
dwell
pleasurepain
the
callofthe
childrenmy
paradigmis Antigone in her fraternal love
compassion accompanies me
my
sexis
an abstractionavacuum
I
feel
the
walls ofmy
hollow in
the
presence ofthe
othermultiplying
in
spiralsofecstasy
my
hands
workthe
washthey
cookthey
knead
bread
I
moldclay
and with
my
eyesI
readphilosophy
I like poetry
frightened
amI
by
technology
politics
the
dominion
ofintolerance
greed
frightens
meafter
all, why
suchhaste?
and
thou
emphasizethe
difference
so much?for
I
amin
thee
and
thou
artme17
I
choseto
endmy
thesis
withthe
poemby
Anna Maria Maiolino. Her
wordsreflect
the
experiencesand
feelings
I
have
experiencedin
the
creationofthe
body
ofworkthat
became
my
thesis.
It is
uncomfortableto
bare
the
selfin
apublicdomain.
I
have had
to
step
away
from
my
workandlet
it
restin
the
hands
ofthe
viewer.I
have felt like
a childletting
goof
my
parent'shand
onthe
first
day
of school.The
body
of work createdfor
my
thesis
has
become
a point ofdeparture from
which
I
can grow.I originally
plannedto
harvest
animage
that
visually
expressedthe
confinement
that
standardsofbeauty
have
on womenwhile atthe
sametime
creating
artwork
that
was comprehensibleto
everyone.I
neverwantedto
force
the
viewerto
look
through
my
eyes.My
workbecame
my
voiceto
society,
andthe
messagewas spokensoftly;
perhapsit
wasunheard.17
AnnaMaria
Maiolino,
"Of Thee+Me,"InsidetheVisibleed.Catherine de Zegher
(Cambridge:
MITPress,
1996),
472.The
title, Multiples
of One
Hundred,
offeredaliteral
definition
for
the thesis
workaswellasapersonal
definition
ofmy
experiencesas awomanin
our society.The
sculpture consistedofmultipleparts
that
weredivisible
of onehundred. The
mathematicalformula
wasimportant
to the
sculptureenabling
it
to
create aconsistentrepetitiveformat.
The
formula
alsocreatedorder andunity,
characteristics ofModernism.
The
title
alsopresentedaduel
definition. As
awomanin
society,
I
oftenamviewed as
just
apart of alarger
whole,
not anindividual. This
confined andlimited
the
growth of
the
individual.
Women
become
productsthat
mustmeet astandardnoindividual
could attain.Sculpture is
the
ultimateexpressionofself.I
neverconsciously
decided
to
become
an artist.
I
believe it
wasastrong
passionthat
evolvedfrom
withinmy
soul.ILLUSTRATION
ONE
Obsessed
Perfection
ILLUSTRATION
TWO
Bete Noir
ILLUSTRATION
THREE
Contained
Beauty
ILLUSTRATION
FOUR
The Aphrodite
ofMelosILLUSTRATION
FIVE
Multiples
of One
Hundred
*&&?#?*