Int. Studio 2–Bridge 1

Bridge 1: Mock up based on William Pope L.’s work, “Trinket”

Digital Mock Up:

      For our alternative piece, we incorporated the initial concept and materials of William Pope L.’s “Trinket” and instead altered the installation of the 16 x 54 foot American flag. In response to the media coverage of Obama’s missing lapel pin in 2008 as well as Eric Garner’s tragic death in 2015, the message of political unrest would remain, as well as the visual and physical effect that Pope L. intended to carry his message. Removing the four industrial fans that offered an overwhelming environment and the original detriment of the flags material, we brainstormed another way to subtly and gradually alter the flag, thus portraying an apparent disintegration of democracy. By surrounding the newly installed American flag with unbearable UV Lights, we hope to create an alternative effect and gradually fade the dyes of the flag, just as one’s trust and pride in our nation often shifts and fades. In a much subtler and less obtrusive way, our remade piece would still offer the overarching message of the conflict of American democracy and withstanding unrest, while creating a scene of quiet observation, an environment of reflection and deeper meaning. Just as the strength of our democracy wavers and alters over time, our alternative American flag fades in response, with it’s 51st star withholding a mention of inclusivity and furthering a mindset of change.

William Pope L.’s original “Trinket” :

What we found about “Trinket” :

“Trinket” by Pope L. is a response to two different polarizing events: the first, which was in 2008 was a response to the media’s blowing up of the fact that Obama did not wear his American flag lapel pin at all times during his presidential campaign. The massive size of the flag and the use of industrial fans are meant to emphasize how the media blew up such a little thing. This is also why the piece is called “Trinket.” The second response, and the second time it was displayed was a response to Eric Gardner’s death. The industrial fans are also there to cause the flag to ‘naturally’ fray at the ends, which symbolized the disintegration of democracy.

 

Reflection on Bridge 1:

The idea of doing research can often be tedious, but once you start, if you’re interested in the subject, it ends up being fascinating. William Pope L’s piece, “Trinket,” was interesting to learn about. His message was clear and very visible, and hearing him speak about his work and listening to the emotion with which he speaks was very moving, and made me more eager to understand what fueled his desire to respond to these events in this specific artistic way. I enjoyed looking into what might have gone through his mind while making this piece. There wasn’t one specific place or site where all of the information that we gathered could be found, which made us as a group dive into reading reviews, magazine excerpts, watching videos, etc. Our group worked well together I thought. For being put together straight off of the bat at the beginning of the semester without any knowledge of who we all are, our group seemed to get along well, and work efficiently.

I really enjoyed Pope L.’s work. It obviously has a presence and creates an environment that can be overwhelming to people. As I looked deeper into his work, I kept finding deeper meanings for every part of his piece. The use of the specific industrial fans, the sewing, the extra star, the size, etc. all had a reason for being there, and I think that that is amazing. I don’t think that a lot of people, me included, think about every individual part of a piece and the meaning behind it. We tend to look at the piece as a whole, and can miss the important details that form a stronger and deeper meaning.

When it comes to our proposed idea based on “Trinket,” I think that our team’s piece was good but had a lot of room for improvement. I think that the two pieces are fairly similar, and our ideas could have been pushed a little bit farther. During our class critique, I felt like there were cool propositions that would benefit our original mock up and just what we needed, which was a little more depth to the idea. There were deeper meanings and details that could be explored, and that could improve our proposed piece.

 

 

Leave a reply

Skip to toolbar