THE NOTION OF THE EPHEMERAL JIALING LI MA INTERIOR AND SPATIAL DESIGN
The notion of the ephemeral PREFACE The Pocess of the Ephemeral IDEA MATERIAL TESTING The Stoies of the Ephemeral KEN'S OFFICE LITHUANIA The Research of my work Acknowledgements
The notion of the Ephemeral PREFACE My concern here is not only reversible process, but also engage in exploration of directionally, more tightly connect psychological aspect in the ephemeral, linking my formal application more to a sense of story or narrative. People experiences and stories are keep moving and forever changing which have directional and irreversible. My own installations involve passage of time to melting the wax and do so relation to the stories and psychological structure. As such, wax can never attain its previous state. That is the reason why I chose wax for my project.
The process of the Ehpemeral IDEA
My installation hopefully demonstrate the potential for stand out the stories and take viewers on a journey through still and moving image and memory. VWax cube is a symbolization of my experiences and emotion, transitory and ephemeral, They are fragile and fleeting things. Because they are soon to disappear, are to enjoyed to the fullest while they still exist.
Melting wax cube, at the same time is melting the memory into our mind.
The process of the Ephemeral MATERIAL TESTING
My practical work explores the relation of the ephemeral through a material inherently associated with the passing and measuring of time, i.e. wax. Wax may serve as a type of instability. It can become liquid when it reaches the melting point.
During the making process of my project, foundry workshop offer me a lot of help. John was teaching me how to make a mode for wax casting.
The technicians in the wood workshop provided me their support as well. Phillip was helping me on cutting the acrylic with special angle.
I tired different modes for wax casting.
Testing is an important part of the learning process I did experiments to test different wax such as glasswax, paraffin wax and microcrystalline wax. After testing, paraffin wax is the most suitable material for the project.
Making clay mode and wicks for the wax. Puting wax into the mode.
After testing, I was not satisfied the wax blocks which casting by the clay modes. Because clay mode is hard to made the edge sharply. So I decided to build a new wax block by wood mode. Making mistakes indeed is a part of learning process.
The implement of THE EPHEMERAL
The stories of THE EPHEMERAL
Human experience and people's stories are ever-changing in the direction of time like fluid, the changes are irresistible and irreversible. I want to represent the passage of time by the melting of wax, as melted wax can never attain its previous structure. In addition, I want to add some psychological context to enrich my piece by showing that people's stories, experience and emotions change in the flow of time.
Interview
Collect other's stories is a useful way to help my project. These stories inspired me how to develop my own project. Question: is there any place can make you feel different when you visite it in the second time.
Their answer were all talked about the temporary houses which they used to lived. These spaces represent the container which are symbolizing my story which their mind is changing by time.
After interview, their stories made me understand that my project not only focus on the melting process communicate dissolve but also emphasize the psychological aspect.
Ken's office
In interim show, I have attempted to my work is except focus on the melting process communicate dissolve but also emphasize the psychological aspect. I chose my tutor Kenneth Wilder' office for my site. The reason I chose is Ken's office is the most impressive place for me of my UK life. In February 2012, it was my first time to been Chelsea College for interview the master course. I felt a combination of excitement and anxiety. I did presentation in Ken's office and extremely nervous with that. This year(2013), I am the master student in Chelsea college. When I been to Ken's office again, I felt more relax than before with different emotion. Therefore, I used this experience for my background story
In terms of my experiments I did before, I tried to made a diorama of Ken' office with paperboard. And put it into wax cube. In order to afford the high temperature of melted wax, I used resin to cover the model. I separated the office into several small parts and covered them into blocks.
I made a wood mode for wax cube. I put resin block first and cover one layer wax on it. I repeated this step systematically.
When melting the wax cube, I hope the resin blocks can fall down into the exactly places. The process of melting is symbolizing my story which my mind is changing by time. Melting the wax cube has direction as I mentioned before
Lithuania Summer Workshop
It was a special experience and I was happy to work at the Ranch. There were various original materials which inspired me to create something unrestrained. Time is fleeting, 7 days trip gave me a remarkable impression in my mind. It is the reason why I chose to express and reproduce in my final show.
In this project, I made three kinds of light holders. They were combinations of various different material such as found scrap metal objects, wood, willow bark, clay and so on.
Made of local red clay. From smoothing to firing, I selected three kinds of patterns which were drawn, pressed and imprinted on the clay.
Combined wood pieces with bicycle chain, this light container could be installedvertically or horizontally.
Made from willow bark, metal and a mayonnaise bottle. It can be used for decoration or as a lantern.
The Research of my work
I want to explore the notion of the ephemeral because I am inspired by 'Bloom Skin', which is a window installation designed by ISSEY MIYAKE x WOW (2012). This installation is a kinetic piece consisting of eight computer-controlled fans which cause the fabric to hover. It offers a dramatic and ever-changing effect to the shop. The gravity defying effect led me to set up my main aim of this project is try to express the notion of the ephemeral as both spatial and inherently temporal.
Hollis Frampton's 'Nostalgia' (1971) is a black and white 16mm film by Hollis Frampton (Reference) who was an American avant-grade filmmaker, photographer. This film is about Hollis Frampton's memories. His memories are represented by a series of photographs and most of them taken by Frampton. We can see these photographs burning one at a time on a hotplate slowly. And Frampton's stories are recounted via voiceover by filmmaker and colleague Michael Snow. However, the sound and image are not in the same time schedule. The sound is approximately three minutes before the image disappear. When I watch this film, at the beginning, I cannot realize the photo is going to burning. As the photo begins to warp and produce smoke and catching fire finally. This make me understand the photo is putting on a hotplate. The whole process of the work take viewer to experience Frampton's histories.
As Frampton states: ''Nostalgia is mostly about the words and the kind of relationship words can have to images. I began probably as a kind of non-poet, as a kid, and my first interest in images probably had something to do with what clouds of words could rise out of them...I think there is kind of a shift between what is now memory and what was once conjecture and prophecy and so forth. '' (http://hollisframpton.org.uk/nostalgia.htm)
It force the viewer not only to reflect on memory, but also to experience the film's own representations of past, present, and future with using still, moving and voiceover: The still picture represent the past, the present is represented from which we see the film, and the image awaits that we have only heard about is the future. 'Nostalgia' is fix my exploration: one is material transition, each photograph is pristine and still at the beginning of the film but ends with it as ash because burning. Meanwhile, it is closely associate with narrative and irreversible.
As such, 'As Slumber Arrives', the installation which designed by Miyagnaga Aiko(2009,p.64) consistent with Hollis Frampton's film is directional and irreversible as well. Enchanted by ephemerality, Miyagnaga Aiko's work is characterized by its impermanence. Inspired by ''nakazora'' (2006), a archaic Japanese, the word was used to suggest a restless, indecisive state of mind. As Miyanaga's art, it is a kind of a state of ongoing fluctuation, which symbolizes the fact that all things continue to change as they exist, is a continual state of nakasora. In 2003, Miyanaga chose to make the works that first saw her capture the public's attention out of naphthalene. Naphthalene is an organic compound material that solidifies at room temperature but loses its form with the passing of time. She want to express a notion of ephemeral which is the disappearance of things with form. Some everyday items are displayed with a glass box such as shoes, keys, clothes and so on. The items lose their shape gradually and remains is a collection of fragments scattered around the inside of box. The fragments create beautiful and nature effect. The disappearance is come from the existence of the item themselves. I reference it because the process of changing is the emphasis part of her work which can prove the value of time. She used everyday items can make audiences more easily to connect with our daily life. When audiences observing the items, it is seems a kind of interaction and share the familiar feeling with the artist. This is what I want to embody in my project. There is another example can indicate the narrative and material transition is ''Cinderella,''. was a model of the fairy-tale glass slipper which made by naphthalene as well, which dissolved by passing time. Glass slipper is the important character in the famous fairy story drops on the stairs of the royal palace as Cinderella attempts to rush home before the magic disappear at midnight, It is symbolizing the evanescence of the story's spell which for an unusual passage of time that can never be regained.
When people experience the world, space always connect with their mind which like a memory container. Such as the feeling of the specific buildings or the screens are interact and influenced in the process. Some designer usually connect with their personal experience when doing creation and design. A art installation, designed by Do Ho Suh (2011) who is an Korean sculptor and installation artist. 'Perfect Home' is one of his famous work. Due to he still travels between New York and Seoul where full of his memory and family, Do Ho Suh has a idea of 'wanting to carry his home'. Using traditional Korean techniques of sewing, he creates an ephemeral space with very beautiful details. Suh said childhood memories is an important part and nowadays we do not own a place to stay and have to rent apartments for our life in many cities. Therefore, we only rely on photographs to remember or memorize our home. Do Ho Suh create a specific space which strongly connect with psychological aspect. In my opinion, people has some important things in deep inside which we all want to keep and protect. However, these things always be influenced by time or other exterior factors and are already not the same as before. I did the research with my colleges, to ask them is there any impressive place which make them have different feeling when they visiting at the second time. They all talked about their house which they used to rent. As time goes by, these temporary places contain their emotion and memories. However, the emotion only can insist in their mind after they move out. From the beginning to the end, is also is from tangible to intangible. As I said before, it is like a mirage to make people questioned the image is real or not. It different from 'As Slumber Arrives', Do Ho Suh uses a stable material to create 'Perfect Home'. From the intangible image to tangible one.
Interview with Neito Rei.(2009) ART IT, 23 Spring,p.41-47. Kazuko, K. (2009) The fleeting now and eternity. ART IT, 23 Spring, p.64-65.
Bibliography
Lau, C.P. (2012) Last glimpse of Hong Kong. [Internet blog]. Available from: <http://postnphoto.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/last-glimpse-of-hong-kong.html> [ Accessed 19 July 2013] Nisha N. (2011) Reflections on work of artist: Do Ho Suh. [Internet blog]. Available from: < http://ceptartjournalists.blogspot.co.uk/2011/11/reflectionson-work-of-artist-do-ho-suh.html> [Accessed 19 July 2013] Nostalgia (1971) Nostalgia by Hollis Frampton. [Inter net]. Available from:<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voMDL1TgTh4> [Accessed 19 July 2013] Barnett, L. (2006) Masao Yamamoto's 'Nakazora' series. The Daily Telegraph. (London). Retrieved 27 May 2010. Candle Clock (unknown) Candle clock[ Internet Wiki]. Available from:< http:// en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candle_clock> [Accessed 19 July 2013]. Bloom Skin (2012) ''BLOOM SKIN'' ELTTOB TEP ISSEY MIYAKE x WOW [ I n t e r n e t ] . Ava i l abl e f r o m : < h t t p : / / w w w. yo u t u b e. c o m / watch?v=oGTOq4RGMP4> [Accessed 19 July 2013].
It is a project that cannot be finished on my own, I am extremely grateful to all the participants in different experiments:
Acknowledgements
Dr Ken Wilder Robin Jenkins Kristina Kotov John O'sullivan Phillip Rutter Janice Shales Mengjie Liu Ya Gao Seojung Hwang Nabil Audie Ya Chi Wang Kourmpeti Meni