Labor
The prompt, "Labor – work that investigates things like evidence of labor such as marks or repeated wear. This could be investigating new forms of labor, I’m thinking influencers. Possibly considering what the future of labor looks like for humans. This could also be the labor of the artist either as evidence or performance" as a sculpture. I am considering doing a theme of overworking or conveying the feeling of being "burnt out" from school and work. I want to use candles because the wax burns down over time like people can.
"A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax dripped over a wire cage"
-i like the way the wax drips off
"A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax depicting the theme "burn out""
"A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax depicting the theme labor"
"A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax depicting the theme of over working"
-the last image is my favorite, I like how its stacked similar to dominoes
"A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax"
Variations of "A sculpture of different colored melted candle wax depicting the theme of over working"
-I am looking more in-depth at the stacked candles lined up
Lots & lots of work-in-progress pictures:
Work-in-progress videos:
Final Images and Video:
AI Artist Statement:
My sculpture is a representation of the theme of labor and the feelings of being burnt out and overworked. The piece features a collection of melted candles, surrounded by a wire framework, creating a sense of entrapment and confinement.
The candles, once solid and firm, now melt and deform under the heat, symbolizing the gradual breakdown of the human spirit in the face of excessive labor. The wire structure, with its tight and restrictive form, represents the various barriers that prevent individuals from breaking free from the cycle of work and exhaustion.
This sculpture serves as a reminder of the toll that work can take on a person, both physically and mentally. It encourages viewers to reflect on the importance of self-care and the need for balance in our lives. It also reminds us of the value of rest and how essential it is for our well-being.
Overall, my sculpture aims to convey a message that speaks to the universal experience of feeling overworked and burnt out, while also highlighting the need for self-care and balance in our lives.
Personal Artist Statement:
Upon thinking about the theme "labor" in depth, I settled on the specific topic of feeling "burnt out" from over-laborious activity. I melted a total of 94 candles for my sculpture, "Torched Wax". I began using the whole candle sticks and gradually stacking them out as more burned in the middle. I then started cutting candles in half to add more colors in different areas. There were only 4 candles per package and I used up almost 2 whole packs. By cutting them in half, I was able to get more variations in color. I noticed an abundance of the color yellow in the candle packages. I would light one candle and hold it with pliers. I would use that one to melt other candles together so I would not waste as much energy from the lighters. I used about three lighters completely during this project. As I built the sculpture out more, there was too much to stay on the piece of parchment paper. I was going to get a white plate, but found a spinning gray circular plate instead. I really like the spinning aspect, but think it would be cool to see the project on a clear plate too. Moving the project from paper to the plate was difficult. I had a few breaks in the wax. I continued to build up more candles to hide the cracks and uneven sitting on the bottom. I used the lighter on some candles to speed up the process a bit and to guide the wax into certain areas. This project took about 20 hours I would say overall. I had to sit and watch the candles the whole time to ensure nothing went wrong. As I got closer to the edges, the wax started to fall off and harden. I would have loved to keep the parts that went off, but they unfortunately broke off the table. The colors of various waxes mixed together and created some cool colors. Every candle looks unique; some are falling over, some are tall, and some are so short you can barely see the remaining wick. Lastly, I added some spirals of wire on top. I was attempting to make a cage, but that was not working very well. I feel the spirals entice the viewer and provide extra material to look at instead of just candles. This may be my favorite project I have completed yet. The therapeutic process of burning each candle and deciding where they go based on color intrigues me.
The theme of labor, to me, is about feeling burnt out or overworked in this project. I burned the candles and watched them melt until I felt 'burnt out' from this project. I kept adding more candles until I felt like the project was complete. I talked with other peers to see how they felt this far along in the semester; they mostly felt tired, exhausted, etc. To me, this conveys the feeling of being burnt out. Each color of the candles corresponds with a different aspect of life that is keeping us busy at the moment. Red is for work, orange for ceramics class, yellow for school as a whole, green for printmaking, blue for business class, purple for family, pink for sculpture class, black for friends, and white for relationships with people in general. These colors are specific for me in what they are symbolic for. They can change meaning depending on the person and what they have going on. I added variations to the wire thickness to give the viewer a bit more of something to look at. I felt the wire and wax paired nicely together. In a way, they put on a special "show" for the viewer.
Altogether, these candles make up a mass of melted wax to represent the time and energy I put into each of these subjects. This is to be a physical representation of my time and how I spent it. At some points, I am overwhelmed as the candles are able to demonstrate based on how melted they are. I found the idea of being able to look at the time I spend doing everything to be intriguing. As a visual learner, I was able to actually comprehend how much time I put into all the aspects of my life. To me, this project is a representation of myself and the amount of time I put into my life on a daily basis.
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