End of day 2. Playing around with multiple ideas- rather the single one I had intended. This is partly due to the interactions and responses I had both in person and on-line. But I figured isn’t that why I am here- to get feedback and respond?
One new visitor to the space today said
‘Keep up with your message. There’s plenty of people with mental health problems who need this…I am not religious but I am a believer.’
This made me think again about my work- is what I am creating relevant or helpful to a young person/ people with mental health problems? Maybe this thing can’t just be personal to me?
It also made me think about how people were interpreting the window display and the short pieces of text I had put up. I have the word LOVE, in a central position- and both visitors today commented on that.
My thinking now…an alternative Buddha figure/ Goddess figure needs to be more urban, less gendered, less floaty, less eastern…For a figure to work I think you have to be able to relate to it in some way… The image below was created at the end of the day.
Other thoughts-
I now understand why Hinduism has multiple Goddesses- it’s pretty tricky to include everything you need to include in a single image or sculpture- I had a list of about 6 main issues I wanted my creation to cover and I soon realised it would take weeks to compose such an image! (These included protecting the planet, feminine leadership, water conservation, peace between nations, blurring of genders, body shape, some balance between the masculine and feminine…)
I think having a contemporary theme might make it more meaningful to people. In the latter part of today I got out magazines thinking I might collage…but instead I drew some of the images that spoke to me. Thought about how I might simplify them and turn them into 3D sculptures. (She says being primarily a painter!)
What I know is that creation needs to offer the viewer/ user: understanding, sense of peace, love, strength, ideally guidance….
An idea of the work having a hole where their heart would be, symbolising them giving you their heart, came to me yesterday and is still around today. A visitor liked that concept. ‘What more can someone give you than their heart?’
Apologies if this doesn’t seem very coherent….I’m at the ideas stage 😊
My delivery of clay arrived today- so maybe I shall dive into that tomorrow.