College year: 1, 2nd semester
Course: 3D Design
Materials: wire armature, aluminum foil, Super Sculpey, Super Sculpey
Firm, artificial flower, polyurethane, Billy Mays Mighty Putty,
plaster, super glue, wood base
TL;DR: Medieval fantasy setting. She is a nature spirit who changes
with the seasons. The story goes there was a war between humans, and a
fallen soldier died in her forest. When she reached for the bloody
sword, its presence peeled away the bark on her hand and rotted her
flesh. (The sword also decayed the surrounding grass.) The symbol is
that human modernism is hurting nature. I’m not a concerned
environmentalist or anything, I just thought of the story. This is
unpainted, but she is supposed to have leaves on her branches and be
very green with her skeletal hand yellowed and desaturated, and the
sword would bleed down the rocks. Lots of symbolism in the composition,
from the eye direction of her hand toward the sword, her hunched pose,
fist close to her heart, silhouette, etc. Was a nightmare to sculpt and
equally difficult to bring back home. Too much negative space. DX
The Story
The sculpture and environment displayed portray
one of the essential moments in the story. It is a time when the birth
of humankind was not too long ago and the humans settled into an orderly
way of life labeled in history as the Middle Ages or the Medieval Era.
One of the fascinations of the species is their ability to discover and
create things never before experienced, from language to elements to
inventions and more. Though with the coming of great things also carries
along tragic consequences. Many wars have emerged onto the lands, and
the death, destruction, and blood left in their wake have stained and
tainted the Earth. The forests are withering, the Nature spirit
despairing. The moment in time of the sculpture and environment reveal
her in her weakest state. She struggles to survive among the pain and
torment and then finally resolves to do something about it. This is the
first time—whether in history or not, we do not know—she reveals her
utmost rage and power, disrupting her usual caring and peaceful nature.
But
perhaps this situation can be seen in a different perspective? Can we
open our minds to see beyond the surface of a supposed story? Should we
consider different possibilities and views? Perhaps this unusual act of
the Nature spirit may not only be out of rage and power but also out of
fear? Could a divine entity be afraid of its own death, the end of its
own existence? The forests and terrain have been on the Earth since the
very birth of the world itself—what happens if or when it disappears? Is
it initially negatively consequential as we expect? Indeed, it will
likely bring about the end of all that thrive on it, but is it the end
of all existence?
The Sculpture and Environment
There
are many visual clues that will lead the observant viewer to an idea
close to the story. The Nature spirit has the silhouette of a tree; the
roots and flower she is emerging out of also help identify a fantasy
theme. She has a young face in this picture, symbolizing the never-aging
forests. She is hunched over, shoulders up, arms and legs close to the
body, like the curled up fetal position: weakness, fear, vulnerability.
Her facial expression already shows sadness, but her left hand that is
balled into a fist and clenching her heart further expresses her utter
anguish. Her eyes and right arm lead the viewer’s eye to the focal point
of the sculpture: her hand reaching for the sword. Her entire body has
vibrant colors of green, yellow, and brown; but from the fingertips
almost to the elbow of the left hand is a less saturated, yellowed,
decayed color; bark is peeling away from the source of the cause, her
hand left bony and skeletal; even the positioning of her dainty fingers
shows fear and reluctant intent, with the pointer finger, thumb, all the
fingers except the middle pulled back (this is especially noticeable in
the profile view where the middle finger alienated from the other
fingers can be seen best). She hasn’t even touched the sword yet she is
already decaying from its presence. The sword is found lodged into a
pile of rocks, indicating the disappeared existence of the owner who is
likely long deceased. The blade is bleeding down the rocks. The general
radius of the grass on the ground around the pile of rocks is also
yellowed and decayed. The environment is a lush and green forest glen,
an opening in the forest, thus making room for god rays to peek through
and further lead the viewer’s eye to the hand reaching for the sword.
All of these visual clues would lead the viewer to the idea that the
sword is defiling everything.
