Malleable

I developed properties that personified the nest and shell. My investigation of the shell resulted from a dream of a skull. The protective layer of the cranium is hard and protective yet fragile. I moulded wire mesh around my face and head in a performance, creating several wire sculptures. The work was reminiscent of the psychological torture in Francis Bacon’s work, yet the sculptures reveal a beauty in their pain. From a 3D perspective they conjure up solid or fluid forms as if they are moving in the wind similar to Alexander Mc Queen’s work. These forlorn heads suggest a hard, protective yet fragile exterior. From their back they are opened up revealing a hollow object. This nest - like sculpture is suggestive of nature. Its shape is reminiscent of the confines of the mind or a home. The performance was similar to the obsessive and manic behavior of a bird when it creates its nest.

“I found the anthropomorphizing of animals interesting: the human attributes we give to animals, and the animal attributes we take on as humans to construct our identity.”

Kiki Smith