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.

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/