Module 1. Assignment 2 Reconstruct and add: "KIng of the Seas"

Assignment 2 – Reconstruct and change

KING OF THE SEAS

Exploring our cupboards I finally choose between  a flower watering can made from blue plastic  and – a black silicon glove supposed to be used for hot pans and pots. Looking at their form and function – I had some plans for making an Indian face with beautiful feathers around the handle of the flowerpot – however when exploring the glove it immediately struck me that it was to become a fish – and a fish it became – THE KING OF THE SEA! I did perceive it with fins and scales – and started sketching. 

    I sketched with carbon for the first time in my life – and I had carbon particles all over the table cloth as well as – kind of all around. Luckily I had bought fixative and went outside to spray it and to evaporate the solvent. I became rather content with the sketch – however I have to work hard at perspective – very hard! Actually the shadows on the picture became quite interesting componens in the pictures!

There is a pattern of ridges in the silicon that goes around the glove and I planned to fill it with white stripes (first had ideas of a zebra – fish) but also with more elaborate decorations such as scales.

I planned for the “big” teeth in the upper jaw and realized I had to place them before any work began – I made a slit on each side and threaded the paper through, inside the “jaw”.

  

I also had to make the body a bit less slinky, even though fish is slinky it has some “stamina” to uts body. I filled it with newsprint paper and that worked well.

I continued to glue tiny paper strips into the indentures between the ridges and then started to look at my work. Difficult to make them stick to silicon and I did not want to work with superglue – I would in that case be a case for the A&E  after a few strips.



However with an all purpose glue it worked out. I also started the fitting of the scales – made from paper as well as old aluminium covered lids of aluminium disposable forms. These lids were of different shine which added some extra effect.

     I wanted the “scale” decorations to expand and to become prouder and prouder in order to finish into a very impressive tail fin! When the king of the sea was to be viewed by competitors – he should be both a kind of peacock as well as looking cruel and dangerous.

I continued to sketch – perpective – perspective.

  

  The further development were decorations in increasing size

I like the variations of form – pointed and rounded – and the mix of materials. The silver symbolizes really fish and it would glitter nicely in the sea. I can envision my fish gliding slowly and preying along the depths – looking for somebody, something. I had thoughts of mixing in more colours but decided that he wanted to have an elegant style instead of looking too flashy – my king.

Next important attribute was the tail fin – I thought for quite some time to elongate my fish but decided upon a compact body but impressive and disproportionate fin. I constructed the fin from two old shoulder pads that I dressed in some white-cream moiré fabric. I clipped together the tail in an opposite direction than natural in order to have the tail positioned vertically – to look a bit more impressive. I sew a couple of black seems to fasten the fabric onto the pads – but also to make it a bit decorative. Then I fastened the tail by sewing it onto the silicon and hid later on the edge by a further decoration.

    

The lower part of the fin is more strict, with zick-zack edge whereas the upper part is featherlike, soft and actually looks really lovely and fluffy. I made that by tearing the fabric to create the fluffy impressison. I added some black decoration to the tail – to create a contrast.

Now – time for teething – and I went for small, sharp teeth in the lower jaw, whereas the upper teeth were real horrors. I would not like to have a hand inside that gap – I think my king looks quite dangerous. The lower teeth I made into a whole piece with ragged edges and folded it so it could be glued into the mouth. Result – not bad I think.

 Finally time had come to add the back and top fin and I chose from two solutions: a black with feathery edges or a strict silver fin? I had added tooth picks inside between the glued layers that could be stuck inside the fish. These also created a pattern on the fin as if there were the structures of real fish fins – to some extent at least. They also produced a different shine to the silver surface. I tried both of them but selected the silver fin. The impression was better – in order not to blur the impression of the tail fin and also to strengthen the more elegant look! I made eyes from rounded matt silver plates with insertions of black strips cut and folded as to make a small structure upon the “nose”. I wanted eyes that were not just only flat structures – something more visible and interesting.

And finally – the King of the Sea is born.

Sketch produced by drawing with coal, oil pastel and normal soft pencil

When studying my final work – function? Functioned completely changed. Perhaps one could think of some association – fish as food from glove for cooking pots – however that is a bit too farsighted association. My fish is rather a complete invention and I have envisioned him in the sea escaping all tries to catch him. With this very ornamental fish – I have imagined men, perhaps presidents and kings taken out in boats to do some “relaxing” fishing. However I can see my fish laughing down there at these high powered excursions. He will be admired – he has both strict structures and fluffy, flowing structures. His teeth matches graphically his back fin – I suddenly discovered. Surface structure has been changes as well with all the decorations and the object has really been transformed into something quite different! I like the colours – strictly white and very black, as well as mixed with the shiny, silvery glimmer and glitter. Some elegance, some scare and some fun I think!