For unit 5 i looked at Bacteria as the initial topic
As a fine artist i initially found it quite hard to get the ball rolling for my bacteria, however i took a step back and rather than looking at the ‘microscopic’ i wanted to look at the overall effect of bacteria and how it can change an organic object. i was familiar with the somewhat unusual subject of a cows heart pluck and was curios to see how it would decay and this became my initial and overarching idea for this project.
Bacteria could change state, colour, texture and of course smell which lead to certain set backs which i managed to overcome through a bit of trial and error. for instance the smell of a cows heart isn’t pleasant on its own let alone when its been allowed to rot for three weeks. So i bought a clear plastic box online and managed to practically hermetically seal it in with clingfilm and glue and then sat it outside in the sun, removing the smell and allowing me to see what state it was in. When it came to opening it i used rubber gloves and a face mask and photographed it before disposing of the rather grotesque remains. I now had a body of photos which amazing vivid colours and the stages of decay.
this gave me lots of painterly ideas which i developed as painting ‘models’ in my sketchbook using charcoals, inks, gouache, acrylics and pen. however i didn’t paint a canvas which i would of liked to have done, but i can possibly do so in the future. On top of this i wanted to look at this brief from an ephemeral aspect as it has always been something i have been interested in but is not really under the umbrella of ‘fine art’ so to speak. I have been researching different mediums to suspend the cows heart in but none will really work as the will either react with it or preserve it which is not what i want, so i think water is the easiest and best medium to use. I have bought a large bell jar and want to dissect the cows heart and allow it to decompose in the air tight bell jar and make some observational drawings and paintings from it.
i feel that this project tested me and was an interesting experience something that i want to dive back into at another point possibly even for my FMP. Despite a few bumps in the road i managed to create some interesting and diverse work and ideas, despite not making a ‘final piece’ i developed a variety of processes tried some interesting new concepts which i will want to further develop in my free time
Harry Toller 