Concept: Fracture
Size: 13" x 11" x 10"
Material: a globe, broken liquor bottles, phone chargers, cardstock poster board
Process: I took the globe from its original base and punched five holes in what would be the capital cities of U.S.A, U.K, France, Russia and China. I then went on to beat it and smash the globe against the ground. I then took three empty liquor bottles and broke the glass into fine pieces, then placing the glass on the cardstock. Once the globe was broken, I placed the charger tips inside the globe and plugged them into a power surge, which is plugged into the wall.
Final Critique of Max Farrell
ReplyDeleteTitle of piece: “Fragile World”
The materials used to create this piece include: a beaten-down globe, broken glass (from beer bottles), red poster board, phone chargers, and a large connecting chord. Just from looking at the piece, one can tell that the process by which the piece was created involved the concept of fracturing objects: both the globe and the beer bottles. The jagged lines that make up the broken glass bottles, as well as the holes in the globe provide an interesting contrast to the long smooth lines that make up the thick black chords running into the wall. The piece is an open composition, illustrated by the chords running into the wall, and takes a form that exhibits heavy visual weight. Elements that add to the composition’s visual weight include: the overall size and volume of the piece, the colors in of piece (red cardstock and the bright yellows, blues, and oranges of the globe), and the thick black chords that gather on the floor. The craftsmanship parallels the nature of the piece in that fracturing objects is not something done carefully. Although the holes in the globe are not the same size, and are rough around the edges, the concept of fracture would not be as well represented had the holes be cut perfectly into the globe.
Overall, I think the artist’s concept of fracture is well represented. The fractured globe with the dents and punctures suggest that the artist is trying to express his feelings towards a larger global issue. What confuses me, however, is the content surrounding the thick black chords and cell phone chargers in contrast to the idea of fragility. Do the chords suggest that the fragile world is being supported and run by the five countries that are plugged into the wall by cell phone chargers? While the broken glass supporting the globe represents the author’s intended idea of the world being a fragile and dangerous place, the chords bring in a completely different contextual meaning attached to electricity and the five countries with chords in them. Perhaps if the chords drew less attention to the piece (by using fewer chords, or by not using such a large chord connector), the main focus of the piece could be more directed to the idea of fragility and fracture. I think that if the content was a little more focused (tried to represent fewer issues at one time) there might be more unity within the piece.
Thanks for the post Emily. One note would be the concepts of Open and Closed compositions are used with 2D work rather that 3D/sculptures and installations.
ReplyDelete