VCA202x

Title: 3 Little Pigs Year: 2021 Material: Original sculpt made out of plasticine. Mold made out of silicone rubber. Cast made out of resin. Statement: I wanted to create something that was personal to me, but something that everyone could enjoy as well, so I chose to make a pig - which is my favourite animal. I was aiming for a cute animal sculpture with a more silly, abstract feel. I was inspired by Pusheen and the chubbiness and roundness of the character. I wanted to make an animal sculpture that gives you a smile as soon as you look at it. I chose resin as my cast material because I like the transparent, glass-like effect of it, without being fragile like glass. The pig has become immortalized in resin with the cute form being accentuated with a see-through material.

For this work I decided to create a miniature of a water cove. I have had an interest in miniatures and dioramas for a while, and I was excited to try my hand at it. I have made a few during school, but not a diorama for art. I also wanted to work with a variety of materials and when I think of dioramas I think of the variety of materials and techniques to create them. As for the theme, when I think of imaginary worlds I think of creatures and beings that are too fantastical for this world. I have always had a deep love for mythical creatures, such as mermaids and fairies, so I decided to let my work go in the direction mermaids. I decided to make a cove for mermaids to hang out, where they can sit on the rocks, comb their hair, and look at their treasure. I didn’t want to make the actual mermaid figures, I just wanted the sculpture to be about a space for mermaids, and what kind of environment that would look like. I was inspired by my childhood and watching mermaid movies and books, such as The Little Mermaid, where the main character has a large collection of items, so I made sure that there are items in the cove for the mermaids to look at. I also wanted the cove to feel secluded and secretive, so that the mermaids can unwind without the prying eyes of humans.

For this work I created a fun, humorous, narrative piece. The work is about a chubby pig that eats a bunch of cookies and falls asleep. I combined 2 of my favourite things, pigs, and dessert to make something that I thought would help brighten someone’s day. As pigs are stereotyped as being glutinous and lazy, it made sense to try to showcase a pig enjoying food and a nap. I wanted to make something that was kind of goofy, but still cute, so I overexaggerated the belly and the head. I wanted to give the pig a wide, chubby cheek look, so it would feel like the pig still had food in its mouth when it fell asleep – kind of like a chipmunk. While I think the narrative of the piece is simple, I think that simple can be quite effective when showcasing humour, as it doesn’t take as long to get the punch line. The work is made from polymer clay as I wanted to create something that would last, as well as push myself out of my comfort zone, by working with something that I had never worked with before. I painted the pig and cookies with acrylic to give them a vibrant look. I wanted the pig to stand out and be a bright, loud, bubble-gum, pink. I think these colour elements add to the silly feeling as the pig is too bright of a pink for a pig. I wanted to create something humorous as the importance of laughter shouldn’t be overlooked, as laughter is one of the more important parts of being human. While the piece is not human, it should still be something that humans can relate to.