Old Man Time

Here is my final get-up for the Foundations line to mass sculpture project. For the assignment I decided to be father time - check it out. 

Concept & Research Paragraphs [Final Draft]

            Concept 

Inspired by the humorously unrealistic Santa Claus beards seen across malls and shopping centers around Christmas time I have decided to take on the task of creating a beard prosthetic for the foundations line to mass sculpture project. The reason I chose the beard for this project is because of its connotations with knowledge and its relationship with social class and stereotypes. The beard is a symbol of age and maturity and becomes a ruler for measuring the passage of time. People with beards are often placed into certain categories and societal groups and for this reason I believe the beard prosthesis will offer a unique opportunity to comment on the way facial hair changes the way we look and interact with people. From the rich and powerful to the unconventional and homeless the beard is a powerful symbol of life and time showing that we truly can’t read a book by its cover.

Comprising of metal wire, twine and string I will be putting together a scraggily and disheveled wearable beard reminiscent of a homeless person or crazed mathematician. The beard will begin with a main armature wrapped around the ears flowing towards the front of the jaw, with branching sections of smaller wire to support the layering and integrity of the beard. Draping down and to the side of these wires will be numerous strands of twine, wire and yarn following no particular style or cut, which will make up the mass of the beard. Each strand will be attached using a generic knot and should require no glue of external fastening. The final product should result in a realistic 12-inch long beard that you can run your hands through.

Research

Growing a beard has meant many different things over the ages, from showing religious respect for the gods to protest the beard is a symbol of all walks of life and all philosophical ideals. Those who study beards and their history are called pogonologists from “pogon” the Greek word for beard. In modern day Christianity as with numerous other religions almost all of the holy figures are adorned with beards and in fact eight of the figures in Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper are sporting full-grown beards. The beard symbolized a strong relationship with god and subsequently a strong religiosity. In the Muslim faith large unkempt beards are commonplace and show others that one has a determined relationship with Allah. The beard over different times and cultures has also been seen as a sign of virility, dignity and wisdom; Spartan warriors would even punish cowards by shaving off parts of their beards as a form of humiliation.

            In modern day society all of these beliefs about the beard still stand true but there are also several new ones that western culture has adopted into everyday life. From the 1920’s through the 60’s beards in America were considered fairly taboo and instead gained popularity as symbols of the counterculture and homeless life. Beards took a sharp increase in popularity in the 1980’s when businessmen and beatniks would share facial hair all the same. Today the beard has stabilized in popularity and represents all walks of life. Ultimately it is clear that the beard is here to stay, from religious devotion to celebrity stardom to the homeless the beard is a symbol of the diversity of male life and doesn’t appear to be getting shaved off any time soon.

Sources

1. Greg, Brian. "Growing a Beard: The History and Philosophies Behind the Current Trend." Associated Content from Yahoo! - Associatedcontent.com. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/527083/growing_a_beard_the_history_and_philosophies.html?cat=69>.

2. Daoud, Abu. "The Beard Divide." Islam and Christianity. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://islamdom.blogspot.com/2007/08/beard-divide.html>.

3. "Beard." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beard>.

4. "Beard: Encyclopedia II - Beard - History." Enlightenment - The Experience Festival. Web. 01 Dec. 2010. <http://www.experiencefestival.com/a/Beard_-_History/id/1286219>

Concept Paragraph for Prosthesis [Rough]

Inspired by the humorously unrealistic Santa Claus beards seen across malls and shopping centers around Christmas time I have decided to take on the task of creating a beard prosthetic for the foundations line to mass sculpture project. Comprising of metal wire, twine and string I will be putting together a scraggily and disheveled wearable beard reminiscent of a homeless person or crazed mathematician. The beard will begin with a main armature wrapped around the ears flowing towards the front of the jaw, with branching sections of smaller wire to support the layering and integrity of the beard. Draping down and to the side of these wires will be numerous strands of twine, wire and yarn following no particular style or cut, which will make up the mass of the beard. Each strand will be attached using a generic knot and should require no glue of external fastening. The final product should result in the thick 12-inch beard that you can run your hand through and hopefully fool people into thinking is real.

            The reason I chose the beard for this project is because of its connotations with knowledge and its relationship with social class and stereotypes. The beard is a symbol of age and maturity and becomes a ruler for measuring the passage of time. People with beards are often placed into certain categories and societal groups and for this reason I believe the beard prosthesis will offer a unique opportunity to comment on the way facial hair changes the way we look and interact with people. From the rich and powerful to the unconventional and homeless the beard is a powerful symbol of life and time showing that we truly can’t read a book by its cover. 

Beard Prosthetic Sketch

Below is the final (hopefully) sketch of the beard prosthetic I will be working on for the next two weeks. Included in the sketch are the framework of the armature, a detailed drawing of how the wire will be supported by the ear and how the twine will attach to the beard armature. A description of the beard and a commentary on the history and concept will come in a later post.

Barbara Earl-Thomas Inspiration

About a week ago Barbara Earl-Thomas came and visited the Cornish art department in a lecture and discussion about the way we react and treat ideas of race and ethnicity. In her segment she brought up a specific idea which I believe really hits home with the current project I am working on. During the night Barbara brought up the idea of how we look at people and immediately create a stereotype reaction to the person, changing the way we talk to and interact with that person solely based on the way they look. Basically Barbara was bringing up the old proverb "don't read a book by its cover" which connects perfectly with the way people read those who chose to wear beards and extravagant facial hair. When one sees a person with a beard they are immediately filled with a predisposed set of ideas about that person whether it be thinking of that person as wise or a bum. The beard serves many different faces in society and people choose to treat people differently depending on the specific face. Barbara ultimately taught us to look past our initial gut reaction and see people for who they are rather than how they look. 

Inspirational Artists

Below are a few artists which are inspiring my current line to mass project involving the creation of a beard prosthetic. These artists have delt with the construction of bodily additions and thus reflect the art assignment I am working on at the moment.

Lucy Mcrae & Bart Hess

The collaboration between Lucy Mcrae and Bart Hess deals with the issues of the human body and the desire to modify and enhance the human figure. The specific piece I am gaining inspiration from is the foam beard pictured to the left. The piece is a commentary on the grotesqueness of human facial hair and its role in covering the human face and figure. My project too deals with the way beards conceal identity and in some ways create a face which is unrecognizable. Mcrae and Hess create a prosthesis which  uses a slimy substance to decorate the figure and subsequently enhance the human body. Why do people strive to constantly re-invent themselves with clothing and hair styles? - I may never know


Erin Dollar

Erin Dollar takes on beards with a more light-hearted approach and in turn creates woven pieces which inspire both laughter and deep contemplation. Dollar's pieces have inspired me in a more practical sense lending visual clues as to what my beard prosthesis may ultimately look like. The piece shown to the left depicts a full, thick, dark beard which conveys ideas of wisdom and age - precisely the look I am going for. My project will hopefully yield a facial addition which evokes images of the untamed and uninhibited whilst also shedding light on the shrewdness and sophistication of the people who chose to adorn themselves with full grown beards. Dollar chooses and unique subject matter to base her work around, I commend the courage and originality she wields. From this I can only ask one question: why can't women wear beards all the time?

Sources:
http://www.imadeyouabeard.com/search/label/beards%20i%20made
http://beautifuldecay.com/2009/04/11/lucy-mcrae-bart-hess/