Interim critical review-

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The primary focus of my project still centers around anthropomorphism as outlined in my project proposal which is the concept of attributing human intent to non-human animals, spirits, robots, or other entities, real or imagined, is one way that people make sense of the behaviors and events that they encounter. Humans are a social species with a brain that evolved to quickly process social information. The tendency to view non-humans in terms of human-like characteristics has been theorized to be a product of that evolution. 

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My development and discovery of other artists have influenced my thought process massively as I aim to improve the durability of my pieces, especially with my exhibition at Artspace in Woodbridge coming up, as for the pieces to be at all sellable they must be sturdy and transportable.  

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In my research of other artists work I came across ‘Zoo Portraits’ which is a humorous photo series by Barcelona-based photographer Yago Partal. He amazingly matches animals to appropriate human bodies and even manages to match their personalities and styles. Graphic designer-turned-photographer Sebastian Magnani does similar work with animal head shots and human shoulders, which combines man and his best four-legged friend for a collection of portraits in his series titled Underdogs. Adding the head of a dog to the body of a fashionably dressed human the result is quite amusing and somewhat realistic and this is the direction I have been continuing to take my models. 

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In terms of creating items that are more durable and ‘sellable’ I have been progressing with applying animal heads to vintage doll and Barbie bodies and enhancing these anthropomorphic characters with handmade quirky outfits and accessories. This was inspired by Annie Montgomerie’s work, in which she re uses old dolls bodies to create sustainable and sturdy anthropomorphic figures with felt and fabric heads by reusing other people's junk.

My upcoming exhibition in mind, I have decided to focus next on wall mounting some of my animal heads by placing them on plinths or plaque mounts, I will then personify the animals through piercings, tattoos, and other facial accessories such as hats. In hopes to overcome my flawed creative process due to the breakability of my work hopefully this idea will help my work be less flimsy and more stable. On top of this I will bake the heads for slightly longer in the oven to make them harder, as well as experimenting with alternative stronger materials, such as the monster clay I have started to sculpt with.  

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Further to my 3-day puppetry course with Nick Barnes which was very intense and quite challenging working with new materials but ultimately really interesting being introduced to so many new techniques and methods Although I was at first a bit unsure how to complete my hare in college as I did not have all the suggested materials to hand, I am now really pleased with the progression. I glued muslin to the face with PVA glue as a cheaper alternative to the glaze that was suggested and having now painted it the result is fantastic.  

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Overall, I have been pleased with the outcome of my clay pots created in the 3-day clay workshop, as well as my bear heads and hippo made for the exhibition. I am looking forward to finishing my rabbit puppet and seeing it fully come to life, as well as the pig in a butcher, that I am continuing to work on at home.  

 
I feel as though my concept is strong, therefore throughout the next term I will strive to complete projects as well as find an alternative medium to create a stop motion of my figures, as well as hopefully some form of set for them to be based in. This will help to develop my animatronic skills and patience. I will also aim to improve the quality of clothes I make for my models; this should hopefully be easier if I aim to focus on smaller accessories for the head, such as hats and glasses. In order to achieve this within the timeframe I will need to ensure my weekly evaluations are up-to-date and thorough.