Degree Show 2023
Lily Sidey
BA Art and Design
Just as a map depicts the geographical pathways of the earth, my work seeks to echo the motion of living organisms travelling through a given space. This series of interactive sculptures blends the aesthetics of internal, microscopic vessels with the larger concept of living beings journeying through external environments. Creating a sculptural riff on the mechanisms of childhood toys such as rainmakers and mazes, each form of motion holds an opportunity for investigative play and interactivity. Shifting the focus towards the audience, my sculptures require spectators to activate the different modes of movement. Conceptually, these outcomes look at the outward movement of partakers as they cause the sculptures to move, echoing the concealed bodily movements that simultaneously occur during these actions. This invitation for participants to become physically involved with the work sheds light on the possibilities of creating a more informal and engaging exhibition experience.
Rotary vessel: This mechanism involves a handle that enables the audience to rotate the vessel which causes the movement of beads along the woven wire. The organic voids of the main body enables internal and external journeying of the beads to be observed, creating an abstract and dynamic outcome of my concept of sculptural motion.
Rainmaker vessel: Requires the audience to hold at least one end of the vessel and rotate 180 degrees, creating a falling sensation throughout the vessel as well as the sensory sounds of the beads cascading through the plastic framework.
Woven tube vessel: Features a container that allows the audience to place a bead inside the top end of the tube and watch it flow throughout the vessel.
Handheld maze: Providing the audience with a challenge, this work encourages the viewer to physically hold the work and focus on their present movements as they concentrate on the game. Being prompted to hold the two handles and gently adjust their angle to get the bead from one end of the vein to the other, this work aims to highlight the intricacy of miniature forms of motion.
Beaded maze: Involving interactions of sliding the bead along the wire, the tangled maze gives a sculptural twist on the movement of atomic particles through space.