where the heart is...

Where the Heart is…

Fiona Hughes

Removing cardboard box from muslin cast

For over four years I have made artworks responding to and exploring issues that challenge the conventional notions of home. Gaining the Young artist community development grant presented a first opportunity for me to root the development of a new artwork in the community and in other people’s experiences of Home.

The donated monies resourced materials facilitating the development of a new artistic process in response to the fragility of home. Using Vaseline, PVA glue and varnish I produced a technique for casting cardboard boxes in muslin. The translucent fabric casts of card boxes translate mass produced everyday objects associate with home (though associations of moving house or ‘living out of’ cardboard boxes) into individually crafted, structurally flimsy - but significantly more interesting - replicas of boxes.

An early example of the translucent qualities of the muslin cast of a cardboard box

The funding presented an opportunity to run a two hour workshop teaching the process to 6 participants, including two members of staff, at the Haven Day Centre with New Hope Trust in Watford. For the first 20-30 minutes participants produced pencil drawings on the muslin. The drawings reflected the participant’s personal experiences of, and associations with, Home. The ‘mindless’ process was conducive to seemingly therapeutic, informal conversation about our individual experiences of home as fragile. I then proceeded to teach the participants the technique for making a muslin cast of a cardboard box.

The workshop was a great success; each participant commented on how they enjoyed the project. The unusual sculptural technique meant that individuals who don’t consider themselves good at drawing and more traditional art forms were able to gain a sense of achievement and pride in their ability to produce sculptural art. This will be greater enhanced when the completed artwork, comprising elements produced by the participants, is exhibited professionally in Watford. A number of the participants have frequented my studio since the workshop to watch the development and progression of the finished
artwork.

In studio arranging the cast objects produced during workshop, funded by Young Artist community development grant, at the Haven Day Centre in Watford

The image below is a study to illustrate the vision for arranging and exhibiting the cast objects. I am experimenting with using each cast box in a similar way that a child uses building blocks or Lego bricks with the aim of contrasting idealistic childhood perceptions of Home with the participants and my own adult experiences of Home.

An example of some of the casts produced during workshop at Haven Day Centre

Here is a photo of two of the most recent artwork I have been developing. The photo lacks quality as they were taken on an old phone of mine...

The object is a muslin cast of a cardboard box. The drawings in the previous post demonstrate the technique further developed with drawings on the muslin pre casting

Here are two of the cast boxes stacked next to a pile of cardboard boxes - the image doesn't show a lot, except possibly the contrasting qualities of the of cast box to a 'normal' box.

The project has been difficult - aiming to develop a new work over 6 weeks (all the while in full time emplyoment) and 'in public'. As it happens the last six weeks have also been characterised by two insurance claims (one buildings and one car!) which are time consuming (and stressful) and the death of my boyfriend's grandmother (heartbreaking) amongst other things. Needless to say, progress has been slow.

Nevertheless, I know where I'm going with this project and thanks to the YMCA gained funding which allowed me to run a workshop at a New Hope Trust day centre. Totally exciting to involve participants in the making of this artwork.

Now I've to finish making the rest of the work and prepare it for exhibiting. As per usual, I'll have a number of components (the cast boxes) and as yet don't know how I want them to come together to form a whole. That will be a big decision.

In some ways, I feel that the progress I have made has been appropriate to the time frame. Having a 6 week 'deadline' (thank you NHT and Sophie Ronson for being flexi with that) has meant that I've developed a new work from start to (not quite) finish in a much shorter space of time than I ever have before.

It has been hard to reassure myself that progress has been (nearly) on track. I feel accountable and responsible to NHT/Mike Hewitt and Sophie to reassure them of the progress also and am feeling as though my communication on that front has probably be fairly stunted. I'm grateful to be working with understanding and positive people, to say the least.

Tomorrow and Thursday will be spent in the shop 'finishing off'. The hardest part is getting there...

...it's daunting!

Here are some drawings of what's been in my head.

More photos to follow - but this, I suppose, is the plan. I actually really like it as a 'drawing'...

drawings

Here are some sketches of ideas for using the muslin casts of boxes and images re ideas










I'm really excited because I'm going to be running a work shop at a NHT day centre asking clients to participate in the production process as a way of telling their stories and experiences of home. I am hoping that various people will produce a box to symbolise home for them - rather than numbers on the building bricks, it will be stiched floor plans of home. The muslin cast boxes will then collectively form an installation which I am hoping to exhibit in Watford.

watch this space x

NHT

Here are some images as I continue to try to develop new work as Artist-in-Residence with NHT and the council.




I'm trying to cast boxes using muslin instead of brown parcel paper. Have previously used muslin with plaster to form a home made modrock but the muslin looses all it's qualities. Here I am trying to retain the transluscent qualities of the muslin - which brown parcel paper (which I have frequently 'cast' with) does not have.

It's not photographing very well on my camera phone, but I'm actually really pleased with how it's working. There are a few problems to resolve... like sealing up the end which I have to leave open to take the box out etc.