ERATIC ORIGINAL THOUGHTS
MAPS AND NETWORKS:
With the starting point of ‘In and Outside the Body’ I immediately drew my focus to the Hindu belief that ‘the power is in your hair’. This mentality agrees on the idea that one can strengthen their inner shakti by using the hair on their head to transport prana from the sun to the human physical form. I’ve found this concept to be particularly relevant in the past few months since I cut over half of my hair off for the first time in over 4 years and brushed out my Jattas for the second time around two years ago as a sort of challenge to myself. Whilst most religious beliefs are based on traditions alone, science has repeatedly proven a connection between memory, physical energy, stamina, patience, overall awareness and sexual frustration when hair is lost from cutting or continuous fall out. One initial study took place during the Vietnam War when they found that after soldiers receiving military hair cuts their skills significantly depleted. They then tested prospective soldiers on a multitude of different skills, paired them up to another with the same scores and let one keep their long hair and the other received the traditional military buzzcut. This proved the theory to be correct again as those whose heads were shaved came back with worse results post-shaving and those whose long hair remained, achieved consistent results. Based on this testing process I’m going to embark on a project that shows the relationship between two selfs, one with long hair and the other with it cut.
A brief understanding of Shivaya and Jattas
"Hair is an extension of the nervous system, it can be correctly seen as exteriorized nerves, a type of highly evolved 'feelers' or 'antennae' that transmit vast amounts of important information to the brain stem, the limbic system, and the neocortex."
Helen Chadwick – Loop My Loop
"Chadwick was known for "challenging stereotypical perceptions of the body in elegant yet unconventional forms. Her work draws from a range of sources, from myths to science, grappling with a plethora of unconventional, visceral materials that included chocolate, lambs tongues and rotting vegetable matter. Her skilled use of traditional fabrication methods and sophisticated technologies transform these unusual materials into complex installations. Maureen Paley noted that "Helen was always talking about craftsmanship—a constant fount of information". Binary oppositions was a strong theme in Chadwick's work; seductive/repulsive, male/female, organic/man-made. Her combinations "emphasise yet simultaneously dissolve the contrasts between them". Her gender representations forge a sense of ambiguity and a disquieting sexuality blurring the boundaries of ourselves as singular and stable beings.""
Donald Judd - Marfa Texas (2008)
Donald Judd, has based his career on the duality of inside and outside basing his minimal sculptures on how architects, unlike artists, need function for their creations to be successful. Without function architects cease to exist, without an outside, an inside ceases to exist. The idea of one relying on the other could be explored in a yin and yang context or take a more physical approach like scales needing balance. Other ideas that surfaced in the documentary were how he enjoys making it difficult for people to view the work so only people who care go to view it rather than just getting passers by. This premise somewhat contradicts the ideas that have been thrown around regarding exhibiting the installation in the Linear Gallery. Other than remote locations, a piece in the UCA Grad Show a few years ago also explored the idea of challenging ease of viewing. The piece was a video projected on a very low ceiling which you had to lie down and only put your head into the enclosed ‘room’ to see. This did achieve what Judd set out to do as viewers spent much more time watching than they did for other videos that were just displayed on walls. And finally, Judd played with power dynamics and insisted that you don’t put sculpture on a plinth because removing the pedestal puts the viewer on the pedestal.
Man Ray - Emak Bakia (1926) remade (1970)
Man Ray - Woman With Long Hair (1929)
With a lot of concept research and not a lot of visual stimuli I took to Ancient Greek Sculpture, as led on from previous project Cardinal Arugula is Dead, because it has a strong aesthetic quality where the elegant poses can be mimicked. Based on the idea of having two selfs, it seemed obvious to look into the Gemini twins and discover what imagery I could resonate with from their stories.
"The twins also accompanied Jason and the Argonauts on their voyage in search of the Golden Fleece. During that expedition, Pollux demonstrated his boxing skills by killing the king of the Bebryces. When a storm arose on the voyage, the Argonaut Orpheus prayed to the gods and played his harp. The storm immediately ceased, and stars appeared on the heads of the twins."
"On the quest for the Golden Fleece, Orpheus earns his keep by playing a tune so beautiful that it drowns out the mesmerizing song of the Sirens."
"On the quest for the Golden Fleece, Orpheus earns his keep by playing a tune so beautiful that it drowns out the mesmerizing song of the Sirens."
Castor and Pollux aka Dioscuri The Gemini Twins
The stars on the heads of the Dioscuri could easily make a direct visual connection to the Hindu tradition of Bindis which are used to strengthen the third eye. Harp sounds are also easily included into video work providing I can find a harpist? (note to self, contact sister to see if she knows anyone). Sirens could also produce interesting imagery as they are often described like mermaids which we have come to accept have long flowing hair. The final outcome could be of the twins, two sirens or one of each.
Oreet Ashery: Hairoism
A performance dedicated to four hairstyles of four male public figures. In the fifth and final hour Ashery’s face and naked body is covered by hair as the assistants and the audience are invited to create a hairy creature.
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