S&M Final: Picnic Party

Each of the 17 students in our Space & Materiality class were asked to make a table setting inspired by Judy Chicago’s ‘Dinner Party’. The making process must include using the laser lab, wet lab (casting, cermaics), and some kind of analog poster printing process. Each table set should illustrate the artist’s interest and background. In the end, we lined our table sets up at washington square park.

First, as a class, we discussed different arrangements of the tables and voted on the two-row picnic idea:

then we start to design our table sets in a 24×30 in format.

Overall concept:

Initial concept: family, buhhism, childhood.

Final concept: domestic violence, unhealthy relationship.

I wanted to do something about my family and my parents’ relationship that I’ve observed throughout my life so far. In short, my parents aren’t legally divorced but was going to before I was born.  I’ve barely seen my parents acting romantically except in the few pictures they have taken together decades back.  My mom has always wanted to reunite with my dad but it only drives them farther apart from each other.

They argue and fight whenever they’re in the same room. (I know they’re not the only couple that does that). A conversation between them always ends up in yelling and screaming and the sound of things being thrown that travels to my second floor bedroom from two floors above.

One of the unforgettable events happened during Chinese New Year about 6 years ago.  We always celebrate New Year in our hometown hours away from the city we live in. Everyone in the family, about 30 people would gather in a big house built for my grandparents by my dad in our hometown. In the same house, our parents had an argument, as usual, they started throwing things and fighting in front of the whole family. My dad threw a metal ashtray and the ashes spilled all over the floor.  My mom was forced to leave the house and she was wearing a black dress with lace design. Over the years, my mom channeled her pain in this unhealthy marriage into Buddhism. However, I still remember one time that she used a knife to threaten us that she was going to commit suicide. I used elements from that events into my table sets, which included a clay ashtray, a casted knife, a black runner with lace mat, a Buddha statue and a splittable wood frame with their picture in it.

Black Lace Runner:

Splittable Frame:

Clay Ashtray:

With a help of a friend, I learned how to throw a basic ceramic tray

1. pressing a piece of clay against table for a while to soften it and release air bubbles.
2. thow clay on spinning wheel and center it by feeling the extruding part of clay and push it in towards the center
3. using tools to create clean surface
4. using wire to release clay from wheel
5. fix details when clay is less dry
6. bisque fire and dip it in glazing liquid
7. glaze fire

Poster:

Process:

poster translation: Dad, Mom, Can we not smash things this Chinese New Year?

Final posters:

Plaster Castings:

Knife:

Final: the shape isn’t ideal

 

Buddha statue

 

 

Final Product: