Found Colour Assemblage
roses
red candles, white roses, glass vase
While walking through the city, I saw that a local shop had a sign selling “roses”. Immediately, my eyes began scanning for the classic red colour associated with the flower, and it took a moment to remember that roses actually do come in different colours. I began to think about how strongly we attribute certain colours to specific objects. For this piece, I chose to pair the white roses with candles. Incidentally, the most common colour for candles is white or ivory – using white roses and red candles acts as a kind of role reversal. Does adding the colour red to the white rose allow the viewer to recognise the flower more easily?
blue banana
bananas, acrylic paint
In a second experiment with colour associations, I chose to drastically alter the colour on one part a banana. Bananas are known to be yellow, with the insides being a much more pale. By keeping the characteristic bright yellow peel, while adding a single coat of blue acrylic paint to the inner fruit, the rather mundane object turns into something very bizarre. Instantly, the vibrant colour we are so unused to with this object, causes us to believe the painted banana is fake – we question whether that banana is real? What is covering it?
sticky fingers
cotton glove, calamine lotion, bubble gum
Initially for this piece, I was inspired by Rachel Harrison, fascinated by the unsettling forms created in “Should be with Windows or Shutters…” Bubble gum is known for being pink. The pink variations of different bubble gum have become associated with sweetness, cuteness, happiness, etc. However, once chewed, these pinks instantly resemble something else. Chewed bubble gum looks quite a lot like many tissues and organs in the human body. When multiple pieces of chewed bubble gum are arranged together, the result is one that is rather bizarre. While still remaining the same varied shades of pink, the bubble gum goes from being sweet and innocent to causing reactions of disgust. By creating this assemblage on a glove, there is a connection between what is familiar – our hands, fingers, body – with this new otherness.
