For some time now I've been wanting to write about my art practice with images, so that in a sense, I can track how the process unveils itself both for myself and others. My website http://www.melanieboreham.com/ is currently featuring only finished work; however my practice is as much about the journey as about the end result, thus a blog seems to be a good way of encapsulating this journey.
I've just come back from 10 weeks overseas in Europe (France, England, Austria, Germany, Italy, Luxembourg, Stwitzerland, Czech Republic, Belguim, Spain) and China (Shanghai) where my eyes were quite literally opened up to a whole new world. I was engaged by art- a beautiful thing to experience. Although I came across all different genres and mediums, I was particularly taken by the installations I saw.
To name a few: Richard Serra's "The Matter of Time" which I sang to and received resounding echoes in return and Cy Twombly's "Nine Discourses on Commodus" which presents the gradual progression of madness over 9 paintings, both at the Gugghenheim in Bilbao. Cornelia Parker's "Thirty Pieces of Silver" at the Tate Modern- hanging silver constellations. Damien Ortega's "Champ de Vision"- a clever camera obscura installation at the Centre Georges Pompidou (where I spent 5 days) ... I could go on forever, instead I'll include these great works as they become relevant to my work.
This year I am studying Honours at CoFA and after all this inspiration, I have decided to create a multi-disciplinary installation work. I'll be exploring sculpture, textiles, film, photography, lighting and sound with human hair as the literal thread connecting all these art forms. It's really exciting, because despite being drawn towards mixed media art, my practice has mainly been painting and drawing. Blessed I am to have friends/contacts who work within these other areas who can teach me how to use them to their full potential (slightly idealistic I realise)!
So, hair... It's a complex medium, subject and symbol. Many artists have used hair in their work, to explore a number of different issues. Currently I am focusing on disembodied hair as a metaphor for our own conscious or unconscious disembodiment (separation) from ourselves, others, God and the environment. The hair is being sourced from hairdressers, friends, myself and anyone who replies to the many posters I have stuck up around campus. I am not so much interested in the individuals represented in the hair, as I am about the audience who will encounter the work. In effect, this installation will revolve around a physical journey in a physical space to engage the audience in other spaces they might be disconnected from including psychological and metaphysical spaces. How to achieve this link will be my great task!
Here are some images (already slightly dated) of what I have been working on:
A 2m dread (made from scratch) that I've coiled and hung from the ceiling.
Some other dread experiments.
A studio shot of collected hair (I've since received more!!!)
My sorting jars of hair- yes once I collect bags full, I then must seperate the hair from other hairs- a difficult and dirty task.
Hair strands I've bunched together and pinned down using aluminium. I've nailed through the centre so I can hang them in some sort of chandeleer.
A big lump of hair that resembles a chicken (?)
Another block of hair with multi-coloured layers.
A ring made of hair tightly twisted and coiled with red string.
A plaited bracelet of hair.
A dread bracelet.
Mountain like hollow hair pieces, that have since been sewn together.
For the last 3 years I've been seeing faces everywhere. These aren't illusions as I can point them out to others. This is a photo I took in Salzburg of a tissue on the floor that formed a face, which I've added hair to. I'm thinking of doing a series of faces found in the landscape, as they are anonymous.
A picture of myself with a 3m dread that I'd connected to my own hair
Another picture of my long dread with a projection of a netted bag over me.
