Concentration Series

The goal of this project was to produce two 3D compositions that were linked to one theme. I knew I wanted to do something with my experiences as a female. My theme was the idea of felinity and balance between harsh and soft. As females we are told to be quiet and pretty but rarely ever strong and powerful. I wanted to play off the contrast of the two because I believe you can be both.

My first piece of the series is a pair of wings. Wings because they are usually associated with angels who are clean and pure. I wanted to play off this idea. Originally I had ideas to attach a bra structure to the wings but decided against it. To begin I took two metal coat hangers and twisted the hooks together. With the shape of the wings done, I traced them to attach black paper to either side. I covered the front of the wings with black feathers. Feathers because they represent softness but black because it’s not “pure” or something you necessarily associate with softness. I used white paper and ribbon to surface the other side. I started my curling triangles of paper and attaching them to the bottom of the wings. I then improvised because I didn’t think it’d look good if I covered the entire side with the shapes. I then used strips of paper to create a “fringe” look. I then added white ribbon to cover up some of the black paper and add more contrast. I chose to use white paper because paper is sharp and harsh while the white color is pure and clean. I tied a bow to the back of the wings to cover up the wire but also tie (literally) in stereotypical femininity. I then used black ribbon to attach it to the manikin. I used a manikin because I feel like the wings look more impressive on.

For my second piece I decided to create a crown which is associated with power. I was originally inspired by Louis Vuitton heels which are known for their red soles. The idea of heels is feminine and I wanted to play off of that. I recently went to go see the Wonder Woman movie which was incredibly good, I was inspired by her crown/headpiece. These two ideas really helped me form my color scheme. Again I used paper, creating red triangles inside of black triangles. I added gold ribbon (for Wonder Woman) in strips to the triangles. I used hot glue to attach the shapes around a piece of wire. I wanted to again bring in a soft element. I chose to use feathers again but white ones to create contrast with the black and red. I used the feathers to cover up the wire on the inside.

Both my pieces have competing elements. For the wings I wanted to show the pure, white side on the front but then show the dark side on the back, to show how women often put up a clean exterior but deep down have a dark side. I did the opposite with the crown, showing the harsh side on the outside and the soft side on the inside but still poking out.

Overall, I am happy with the turn out. I wish my second piece had been stronger. If I were to do it again I don’t think I would’ve used paper for the triangles because it’s not very strong material. I had trouble with the gold ribbon splitting at the end which makes it look sloppy. I tried my best to clean up the edges! I am happy with the wings. I like how they are even and very clean. I loved working with black and white because it forces you to work with texture which is part of the reason I like the wings. I think I represented my theme well. It may not be obvious but there was a lot of thought behind how everything was pieced together. I’m thinking about extending this series in the future or perhaps sticking with the same theme for a 2D portfolio.