Thinking Clay
Feeling Bodies
1:
In order for us to understand the body as art, we began by working with clay.
Clay is an organic substance, easily manipulated, easily shaped.
It is dirty and playful in its association and rather than playing introduction games we sat and shaped
how the individual saw their own bodies.
Working with their eyes closed the participants worked on the exterior image that they held in their imagination of their own body forms.
The outcomes were varied and expressive, individual and idiosyncratic.
By closing the eyes the modeling becomes an intuitive act, releasing self conscious awareness as the hands become lost in the shaping of clay.
During this engagement the participants were encouraged to introduce themselves and talk about their practice.
What becomes exposed is that we see the body from front the back of the body becomes an invisible incident in the shaping of the body.
How we see ourselves is how others see us and how we think we are seen and how we feel about what we are seen as.
Clay is an organic substance, easily manipulated, easily shaped.
It is dirty and playful in its association and rather than playing introduction games we sat and shaped
how the individual saw their own bodies.
Working with their eyes closed the participants worked on the exterior image that they held in their imagination of their own body forms.
The outcomes were varied and expressive, individual and idiosyncratic.
By closing the eyes the modeling becomes an intuitive act, releasing self conscious awareness as the hands become lost in the shaping of clay.
During this engagement the participants were encouraged to introduce themselves and talk about their practice.
What becomes exposed is that we see the body from front the back of the body becomes an invisible incident in the shaping of the body.
How we see ourselves is how others see us and how we think we are seen and how we feel about what we are seen as.
2:
Following the modeling of the exterior form of the body the participants were requested to
model the interior organs of the body. The modeling becomes more silent and acutely more delicate.
As an activity it also exposes what people know and do not not about their internal organ system.
model the interior organs of the body. The modeling becomes more silent and acutely more delicate.
As an activity it also exposes what people know and do not not about their internal organ system.
3:
Following the internal organs we asked the participants develop a model of the skelaton
that shows the bone structure of the body.
that shows the bone structure of the body.
END OF DAY ONE