Derek Charleton - Demonic Figure

Derek Charleton

Demonic Figure

2021

Steel

1 1/2' x 3 3/4' x 2'

The Demonic Figure piece is one of two figures I was created when I was expanding upon a technique I tried with welding. Similar to the Follower of Leviathan piece, I wanted to further expand upon both the demons that I had been creating for a little bit as well as expanding upon the symbolism present in each one. The demon that I made here was to approach a couple of ideas I had in the back of my mind though. First of course was to further expand the ideas of what these demonic figures really could look like, and how I saw them as. The next was of course expanding the use of imagery and symbolism in each of the pieces I have been making. After that I wanted to play around with the base of the figure, how it stands up, and how it keeps its self upright. Another, and the last idea I wanted to play around with is the incorporation of the material I use into the figure. For example, after a long time of practicing with stick welding, I had a lot of left over welding rods that I wanted to see if I could incorporate into the next figure I would work on. The left over material would then end up becoming a part of the head for this figure

Derek Charleton - Follower of Leviathan

Derek Charleton

Follower of Leviathan

2021

Steel

8" x 17" x 8"

The follower is one of the two figures I was created when I was expanding upon a technique I tried with welding. I wanted to play with a sense of scale for some of my figures, so I had started creating smaller ones build onto the theme of demonic figures I was going for. This was the first smaller scale demon I made that stands alone as a separate piece. Other elements I wanted to expand upon and work into this figure was theological symbolism and biblical scripture imagery, like my heavy incorporation of eyes, the cross, and certain shapes. I had a big emphasis on the imagery in this piece, since it provides a lot of interpretive context to the figure and allows the viewer to give a story for the character represented. It also brings about the connection between the demonic figure to biblical imagery, and a cultural understanding of theology. These theological symbols that are very common through all the old testament style religions is something I find interest in exploring and emphasizing in my art.

There isn't too much about the figure itself, I wanted a demon to portray smaller and more grunt-like forces of evil in the depths of hell. The figure portrayed is under command from high up in the ranks known as Leviathan, which has known to tempt individuals in heresy and blasphemy (from Sebastien Michaelis's writings).  The upside-down cross that makes up it's head brands the figure as someone who was tempted to blasphemy and lives with that action almost like a scar, visible for others to see.

Adam Sexton

Adam Sexton

Untitled

2021

Paper, PVA, styrofoam, paint, fishing line

36" x 16" x 16"

Excitement at the possibility of experiencing something new.

Theresa Keefe

 Theresa Keefe

Momento Mori

steel, foil, fabric, paint

30"x 12" x 12"

This piece was sort of just an amalgamation of what I learned this past semester in sculpture. It is a combination of welding, bending steel, presentation, planning, working with new materials, and in the end having the project not at all what I imagined it would be. By creating the body at home during my concussion, I was limited to what was around my house. I was planning on covering it with plaster or a more solid shell, however, as the foil was peeling up, I went with the material instead of going against it. The flaking skin of the foil present a sort of temporary outward appearance, a sort of slow bodily decay. Even if someone were to try to cover or pause this process with money, it only emphasizes this decay. The steel rib cage represents a sort of aura that people give off, on one hand protecting the body as a shield, on the other sort, it signifies this flowing present knowledge of the living body. The green fabric radiates elegance and simplicity in such a way that it just falls off the form onto the podium below. This coverage of the form in the fabric symbolizes that people cannot just try to fake the presence, the aura, they have, no matter how much they try. The duality between the cheap looking foil and the expensive cloth speaks more toward influencers or celebrities who try to fake their persona in order to be perceived a certain way. However, everyone has the same skeleton, the same ribs that protect, making us human and ever aware of our mortality. The foil roses speak to these same lengths, a symbol of beauty, but also acts as a momento mori. 

John Kozacheson

 

John Kozacheson

Static Conversation

2021

Steel, extension cords, television sets

 

 

I combined sculpture and video and found a fascination with analog static. I see static output from an old television as a way to interpret the cosmos; there is no transmission signal, yet, the television is showing something, a glow from the screen, asking you to see what is not there. The obsolete device picks up on cosmic radiation surrounding the earth and translates it into an electronic language. This random array of gray dots and flat sound have struck me with questions all semester. The power of its ambiguity shows something and yet nothing all at once. Can it show an alien language, be used to communicate to the dead, transport the viewer to a new place, or is it hiding something inside that our primitive minds cannot see? Seeking to form questions and find answers from a seemingly useless form of past failures has transformed my process and research questions. How can I create a sculpture that invites the audience in to look closer, but also causes trepidation and fear?

John Kozacheson

John Kozacheson

Wild-Man

2021

Mixed Media construction, and video projection

 

Contemporary peoples across Europe create suits of natural materials that hide their identities. These suits refer to ancient times when fear of winter, fear of the unknown and fear of death were rampant. These suits varied drastically from area to area, some becoming huge fur covered statues, others adorned in bright colors and bird-like masks. The suits are used to bring back old traditions and ideas to the modern world. Traditions that used rituals and nature to promise plentiful harvests and healthy family members for the year to come. This semester I constructed my own suit, wondering if I could become a wild man, a creature of days past returning to bring hope or fear upon our modern world which is facing a climate crisis. Drawing from my family traditions, I become someone or something else by wearing the suit. I film myself performing in front of a wall-sized projection surrounded by my peers. Questions arise: is the suit a sign of vulnerability? Should the audience feel empathy for this creature?, or is the suit in control of what the audience is seeing? Is the creature separate or a part of the audience that stands with it? Does the chaos originate from the suit? I want to continue to push the boundaries and create my own mythology involving technology, spirituality, and the human body. How do these relate and what makes a compelling experience for my audience? How do I become a “Wild Man'' and what does it want from me? 

 

 

Derek Charleton - Ego Death

Derek Charleton

Ego Death

2021

Steel

5' x 3 1/4' x 4'

Ego Death would be the name of a figure concept I sketched out one time, a figure with a square pyramid for a head with each side having one eye and having a different expression. From what I have been made aware of, ego death is supposedly the loss and dissolution of subjective self-identity. The idea I wanted to draw from with a figure such as ego death is an embodiment of mental disease and psychological corruption, and pure terror. It's able to move through space freely, morphing through floors and walls to bring about psychological destruction.

The sculpture evolved as I worked on creating this figure, and decided to turn it into a more self-reflective type sculpture utilizing this figure and it's idea of psychological disturbance. Originally I was going incorporate stainless steel welding in order to create images and symbols into the body and create the various faces with it, but decided it would be more powerful to leave it bare and reflective. I figured the less is more approach here would work better for the piece. If you walked up real close to it, you would be able to see your reflection, as how shiny and clean the steel is, and I want the viewer to further reflect on that. As it morphs from the surrounding ground, reaching a appendage out in order to interact with the viewer.

Derek Charleton - Robed Figure

Derek Charleton

Robed Figure

2021

Steel and Fabric

1 1/2' x 6 3/4' x 3'

    One of the four figures I did. Originally going to be a Beelzebub interpretation I wanted to do, but I decided to leave more recognizable elements of the figure to be unrecognizable and unknown. I think that was the best direction I could take for this piece, and in contrast to the other characters seem almost odd and out of place. I want the figure to almost interrupt the space, and instilling a sense of discomfort in the space. The idea of fear being driven from the unknown is an element I wanted to drive with this shadowy figure that stands in the corner. Additionally, with the use of a soundtrack that plays from the figure, gives it the idea that it is almost whispering or chanting to the viewers and trying to draw them closer to it to listen. This would be just another way I could create a very uncomfortable and disturbing space for the viewers.

    Alongside with the idea of fear from the darkness and the unknown as the driving factor for the figures design, there are other smaller elements that define the shape and design. The shape and use of cloth to robe the figure with is actually derives from my fears and thoughts of the KKK being evil and somewhat demonic. The use of black cloth to play with the shape of the clothing is to hopefully show the connection of the idea of evil and demonic worship to groups like the KKK. Personally, I have always thought of groups that perform and worship evil to those of evil like the KKK to demonic worship and satanic priests that would sacrifice souls to bring about more evil in the world. This sculpture is an extension of that idea and those feelings.

Grace Schacterle

Grace Schacterle

Trapped

December 2021

Steel, Chicken wire, Air dry clay, Red twine, Shoe polish

3 x 2 x 3 ft

Trapped is a sculpture that I have been planning for a while, but just couldn’t figure out until now. It is about the feeling of being trapped in a broken, abusive home. Unfortunately, many people under 18 years old feel this way in their homes. I wanted to create the house out of steel to represent the stability that the person wishes their real home had, as well as how difficult it is to break through steel, or metaphorically, get out of that living situation. I  suspended the figure in the middle to emphasize the feeling of being stuck with no where to go. And I made the figure in a way where the chicken wire structure was showing through to show that fragility and brokenness that the person feels. Lastly, I decided to put the jumbled up twine on the outside of the house to show that there is a way out and there is hope, even if it may be difficult to untangle themselves from that situation. 

Ulyana Gore

 Ulyana Gore

"Serene Dragons"

2021

Ceramic, plants

18"x12"x20"

    These two dragon planters were inspired by my two dogs, Simon and Ricky. Similar to my last project, I wanted to create a sculptural piece that could go in my garden but also be functional. I also wanted to push what I could do with clay because I am used to primarily making small cups and bowls so I went with something larger scale and I would like to go even bigger in the future. For the larger dragon I started by making a form out of crumpled up newspaper, then covering it with slabs of clay and then building the facial features and other details on top of it. Having the paper form inside of it allowed me to conserve materials since I only needed a thin layer of clay on the outside. This also made it lightweight and easy to hollow out allowing for space to put the flowers.

Tish Williams

An Object For Consideration 5'x 4'x 8.5' Performance Wood, Muslin, Nails, Worn Objects, Chair

This piece is a continuation of my examination of process and identity. It started with the smaller piece at the top. Originally a three dimensional sketch, the small piece occupied a large space in my mind. One major question stuck out during the process. What is sculpture? A definition I came across described sculpture as "not painting, not performance and not spoken word but an object to be considered". In turn, what is the object to be considered in this piece? Is it the stagnant smaller object placed above or is it my body in action? Is it the clothing? Is it the still photo or the video that was taken? The definition mentioned has work arounds and loop holes in it. 

Abby Newton

 

Abby Newton

"Watching People Watch Themselves"

2021

Hardwood, Mirror, Steel

72" x 15" x 15"

Starting from the concept of the panopticon, this piece is an exploration of the consistency of  seeing and being seen. With each darkened peephole concealing a mirror meant to reflect the viewer’s own eye, the viewer sees the repetition of watching themselves again and again as they look into different holes around the piece. As you wait to view the piece yourself, you are watching people react to watching themselves. This layered experience is derived from my own self awareness; I constantly think about being perceived by others.  

Amber Kinson