For my final studio project, I want to extend my research and exploration of insanity as well as of the color blue. Since beginning to probe through the membrane of insanity for my seminar class/paper, I found my investigation of Foucault’s Madness and Civilization inspired ideas for this project. He discusses insanity in terms of the 15th century madmen who “stands center stage of the guardian of truth” to “remind each man of his truth” (14). I began relating this back to myself, thinking what exactly I could relate to most as to accurately depict the particular feeling through my art. For awhile now, I have been struggling with dissociation; more recently, I have been experiencing it at more intense and frequent rates. This is a kind of madness I experience and understand- it is something I feel I can articulate as I have repeatedly felt it. To induce such a feeling in the viewer, I prefer to have as close proximity to the subject matter at hand as to precisely fabricate the particular emotions it invokes. With this being said, dissociation elicits a state of non-presence, a state in which one feels outside of time itself; the individual remains still as everything and everyone moves around them, and no one at all can recognized the dissonance occuring in their eyes. It is almost as if the individual is not there at all, but merely observing life through an invisible vessel. I would like to manufacture this state through assembling a geometric structure that fits over the head of the viewer. The structure itself would be built with double sided reflective acrylic and shaped to return more than 10 of the viewers reflection encircling their head entirely. Meanwhile, others watching the viewer experience this will also be able to see their own reflection emitted back; the viewer can see their reflection and others through the window though those on the outside would only be able to see their own faces, not the viewers. The goal is to create a feeling of self-confinement and separation from the outside world for the viewer, as well as to effectively return the faces of the onlookers who are unable to recognize the emotions of the viewer trapped inside. I will laser cut the small triangles to then shape them together with either metal rings or a strong adhesive. The structure may also transform into a light that can be suspended in air; conceptually, the light will reflect off all the internal mirrors to emit one singular ray onto the ceiling. Conceptually, this represents the way in which someone with dissociation must self reflect to once again regain their light and presence.
Process Sketches:
Inspiration:
