Sculpture Park

   I found the sculpture park very intriguing with the vast different types of art works they had on display. Each one was unique in style, material and meaning. Unfortunately, i was not able to see every single one and feel i have missed out on inspiring work that could tie in to my journey like the Garden of Good and Evil. I especially liked how the artwork was displayed outside in the countryside as nature itself adds a natural piece to the work. I have always been mesmerised by nature and how it changes the way we view certain places. Light naturally changes our emotions as a sunny lit street will seem playful and warm but at night it would be dangerous. The way the light changes a certain space would be interesting to bring into my work and explore on open rooms where the use of light could bring the viewer into the fantasy world created before them.

      For instance, Ed Kluz: Fanciful Buildings of Britain is beautifully put together using prints, paper collages and scraper boards. His work is dark and edges onto scarily fantasy like, with his use of shadows and trees. The buildings look to be apart of a world that was left behind and rotten into a darkly lit part of the mind where you would hide all your fears. Some of his work contain rich colours of red and blue, making it look more inviting. This changes the emotion instantly to power and curiosity. The contrast between these two styles remind me of Coraline and how at first the other world seemed rich and beautiful but quickly turned dark and full of monsters.



    This sculpture was particularly interesting as it looked so realistic but the tree was actually made of metal and screws. This made me think of how we are destroying nature but also our own mental healths. People force a pretence of being okay when around others or create a false reality in order to cope with the one they live in. The screws and obvious parts of the sculpture that don't connect show the gaps in their realitys where they have tried to cover it up and hold themselves together to cope.

   At first i didn't really like this sculpture as it didn't look like much but as i looked closer i saw faces merging together. My first thoughts were that the way it overlaps appears like it was melting but the material looks incredibly heavy so i thought of molten lava turning into rock. The faces trapped within the piece made me think of suffocating relationships but when thinking of my own journey i thought about how intoxicating a fantasy world can be. From a young age we are told stories that make the world appear magical creating expectations for children that won't hold out. But these stories sometimes really hold people who want to live those lives, this causing unfortunate damage to their lives going to extreme measures like plastic surgery to be something they are not. their mind distorts their reality just like this sculpture is distorted. An idea for my own art piece was to use some broken glass in front of another piece of work to distort the image when viewed. 

      Zak Ove: Black and Blue - The invisible Men and the Masque of Blackness is inspired by african culture. The name interest me more than the sculpture itself. Its very mysterious and sounds like a nightmare, if not a very dark tale. This sculpture reminds me of a song by Two Door Cinema Club called "Sleep Alone", the lyrics speak about falling asleep and going into a dream. The lyrics alone create an atmosphere of unknown danger like the title of the sculpture. It sounds soft but is dark when you listen to the meaning of the words.
The chorus: "He sleeps alone
                      He needs no army where he's headed
                     'Cause he knows
                      That they're just ghosts
                       And they can't hurt him if he can't see them, oh
                       And I may go
                      To places I have never been to
                      Just to find
                      The deepest desires in my mind "

 I find many songs by Two Door Cinema Club, instrumentally and lyrically, dream like and feel very connected when putting maladaptive daydreaming into context.

   These two pictures were taken of the surrounding countryside. The picture on the right reminded me of an album cover of  'Walking On Cars' where a tree stands alone with a grey, foggy background and coloured balloons drifted above. The album cover perfectly captures the image and sound of the irish band with the beautiful creative melodies exploring deep emotions, while bringing in feelings of peaceful nature within their songs. Their songs are deep and dramatic but also relaxing and able to transfer their listener. From the very beginning i was obsessed with their sound and style. When first viewing their simple but enchanting album cover i felt very inspired with their use of nature. The picture on the left is interesting to me as the layers within it constantly change. The trees in the horizon bring a mix of autumn shades that make them tower tall despite being in the distance. The rest is a mix of  vertical layers; the bridge with the tree next to it lead away from the initial viewpoint, instead of reaching out to the viewer it leads them into the picture. Lastly the ivory and style of the bridge appear princess/castle like adding a sense of mystical ageing as the ivory takes over.