Digital Sketches 10/28-10/30

I spoke to Michael on Wednesday and he gave me some really great insight into the anatomical images I've been generating incorporating the "void". At this point in my project, the "void" has come to represent the symbol of cultural and historical notions of the purpose of the female body, which has mostly centered around her ability to reproduce. The "void" therefore, represents a lack of function and purpose when the female body is not producing or reproducing. So, I've come to understand this "void" as a symbol and metaphor in and of itself, not an accurate portrayal of female anatomy but instead an incredibly present cultural construct of the female body.

With that being said, Michael observed that I've let the rest of my sketches, that frame the "void" that I've been drawing, become too abstract. My concept states that this "void", which symbolizes a specific part of female anatomy is situated within familiar aspects of human anatomy (musculature, kidneys, bones, basically, anatomy features that are shared by men and women). I've been working on more accurate sketches of anatomy in order to truly show the juxtaposition between concept and content, unbiased understanding and confusion etc.

Experiment- Tuesday 10/27

I've been focusing a lot on creating printable images. I recently carved another block (this time on a softer relief material...Soft-Kut from Blick art materials). While I try to hone in on the image I will actually end up printing on my body, I've been thinking about other ways to experiment with placing these images on my body, as I am not ready to start printing. I messed around with drawing on a mirror and then taking photographs of the reflection on my body.

The process was very interesting and a little strange. Often, the drawings did not match up perfectly with the outline of my body and the ways I had to position myself and angle the camera I was using was almost performative in and of itself. I think the high ISO I used (800) and my decision to keep the flash of my camera on creates this very disconcerting atmosphere in the photographs. There is something visceral and raw about these images. I definitely see a connection between these photographs and the concept I am going for with my body-prints.

New Drawings

Digital drafts of the "Void" (Print's on my body too)

Danielle suggested that I virtually experiment with placing my prints on my body while I figure out the appropriate inks to use on my skin. I created a composite of my body using various photographs of my stomach and thighs and then "printed" my images on my body. Inspired by the 18th century models I've been researching, in some of the drafts I incorporated a commonly used sheet to seemingly promote an idea of female modesty used to cover up female genitals. Transcribed on my own composite "naked" body, I thought this idea of preserving this idea of femininity in the context of a scientific and medical exploration completely added to the historical concept that women were not sexual beings.

I made a few other photoshop sketches featuring the "void" in order to provide some inspiration/direction for new drawings that I will eventually transform into relief prints.

New Sources of Inspiration

I had a conversation with Anne Mondro a week or two ago about my project and she turned me on to these 18th century medical female anatomy models. To me, the most striking and relevant aspect of these models is the lack of representing any sexual organs. Instead, the distinction found in the female body is shown by this special pocket in the abdomen that holds her unborn child. Perhaps even more significant is the image of the female body when it is not carrying a child:

the female body is literally left with a void in her anatomy. I've become incredibly interested with exploring the image ability of this "void" and the ideas it promotes about the female body, specifically that female sexuality is not significant and instead her body primarily serves as a cite for reproduction and when it is not reproducing it is essentially useless and devoid of substance. I'm interested in drafting variations of this "void" in prints that can be transferred onto my body and perhaps combining this image with current understandings and images of the female body (including musculature, veins and organs.

Prints

I finally finished carving my first two images and got access to the print studio. Last weekend I spent a day running them through the press to gage weather I needed to make any more cuts before I considered the images finished.

I am starting to formulate a process that I think will guide my work thought out my project: the first step has been researching images of anatomy through out history, so far this has consisted of current ideas of female anatomy that I've found on multiple scientific databases online. I've subsequently drawn or photoshop-ed various images, playing with various composition and different combinations of anatomical layers. The last step is deciding on an image to transfer onto a printing surface and then transferring, carving and test printing it.

Heidelberg Project

MINDMAP

I really didn't expect to use any of the programs John Marshall introduced to us last week at the professional practice workshop. However, last Wednesday, Michael had some really interesting insight into how I could start to funnel the massive amounts of information I have been gathering through all of the readings I've been doing. He suggested I start "idea mapping", by choosing an organ or bodily function I've read about and build a "web" of related ideas or associations as a way to both categorize and visualize my ideas.

This exercise could have easily been done on paper, but I remembered this program Marshall had introduced called MINDMAP (http://mindmappingsoftwareblog.com/mmsb/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/index2.html), which lets you "idea map" online in a much more organized (and visually appealing) way. SO, after all of my eye rolling last tuesday (oops), I did indeed learn about a program that is relevant to my practice!

I made two of these "mind maps", one starting with THE FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM and another starting with LUNGS. After all of the readings I'd completed, these were the two most conceptually significant organs (the vagina, ovaries, fallopian tubes etc, making up the female reproductive system). Here they are:

P.S I highly recommend The Velvet Underground station on Pandora.