Rowan Mersh - Multimedia Sculptor
I was immediately drawn to Mersh's work because of his ability to transform everyday materials into amazingly complex looking structures. He works with a number of different materials and fabrics to create sculptures, some wearable, and also installation pieces. Mersh beautifully demonstrates the versatility of everyday materials that we may not consider as obvious sculpting equipment.
One of my favourite pieces by Mersh is 'Fabric Sculpture (Untitled)' In this piece, Mersh explores a variety of stretch fabric combinations. It looks as if he has stuffed tights to create the sphere shapes. I love how this sculpture looks as if it is a living organism that twists around as it grows and mutates; hence the varying sizes of the spheres. The way it is suspended, in a cubicle as if in mid air, also makes it look like an unusual creature that is on display.
This piece of work is from 'Fabric Sculpture Series 2.' I was intrigued by this series of works as Mersh has been inspired by the mutations in DNA that cause tumours to grow. He has then compared these tumours to his own material possessions that too have faults that are encompassed within them and unable to be removed, for example defaced coins and CDs containing corrupted data. The materials have then been used to distort the female figure, representing the growths formed by external tumours.
I love how Mersh has taken objects that are damaged from his everyday life to create these structures, making them very personal to him. I also love the idea of the sculpture 'growing' and how the figure is trapped in the fabric with these corrupt materials, just as a cancer sufferer is effectively confined within the same body as the tumour.
To create this Leather Installation Mersh has used cut offs and waste leather, and then rolled them up to create clusters of spirals. Using different coloured and sized pieces of leather, Mersh has created a miniature landscape that reminds me of how cities and towns sprawl across land on maps. I love the relief created by the varying height of the 'spirals.' Here, Mersh has demonstrated how unwanted scraps of material can be transformed into a beautiful piece of artwork.
My Construction
The object I have created is largely inspired by Mersh's Fabric Sculpture. I stuffed tights with bin liners to create different sized balls. I then threaded these spheres through a disc shaped piece of card. After doing this I found that there were still spaces between the balls that I wanted to fill, so I weaved strips of tights through the spaces and sewed them in place.
I have never really worked in 3D before so I found the idea of constructing my own object very challenging. I think I could have made my construction look much more finished if I had more time to make it and find better quality materials. However, because this was my first time creating anything like this, overall I am pleased.
The varying shaped spheres remind me of a cell dividing and growing, and with the woven pieces of material between them it also looks like coral on the seabed. I like how the base of my construction curves upwards in the centre, adding an extra dimension.
Junko Mori - Metalworker
Mori works with forged steel or other metals to create these beautiful and delicate formations. Like Mersh, she is heavily inspired by cell division and mutation. Mori doesn't plan her pieces precisely before construction, but allows them to grow and change throughout the making process, as cells do within the human body. I find it interesting how Mori's method of creating her artwork mirrors the growing process of cells and plants; they can change due to the environment surrounding them.
The small, repetitive shapes that make up her sculptures make them look as if they are being viewed through a microscope, as the pieces are extremely detailed. I can also see similarities with sea plants and creatures within Mori's work.
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