what statement could we make with 5000 etched or cut toilet paper innards? I'm dying to create something but it would have to make a strong statement - beautiful or entertaining or something having to do with recycling. and these rolls are just not speaking to me.
I know ... maybe that's a good thing. but i'm inspired by things like Tara Donovan's work where she takes a common everyday item - lots of them - and displays them in a very stunning way.
all you readers I'm seeing from over at missionmission - if you could, what statement would You make with a million toilet paper innards?
I know ... maybe that's a good thing. but i'm inspired by things like Tara Donovan's work where she takes a common everyday item - lots of them - and displays them in a very stunning way.see past post for more tp laser info.
What other materials, besides the tubes, do you intend to use?
Jeremy - I am totally open at this point. If the end result makes a strong statement, whether it be beautiful or compelling in meaning or effect I will be IN. you have ideas?
Laura - several years ago, I found instructions for making a TV "viewer" out of toilet paper tubes, by covering your set with a grid of them, and covering their ends with translucent (but not wholly transparent) materials. This way, each tube sort of agglomerated the colors of the area of the TV screen it covered. Perhaps the sculptural and viewer aspects could be combined like this in your work.
It also just occurred to me that by connecting the tubes end-to-end, and attaching together vertical columns of them side-by-side, you could make a kind of TP-tube topographic map. If you did this of Twin Peaks, you could have unfurled rolls with toilet paper at the top, blown by a fan to simulate fog and clouds. Using also the inverse of this, you could make a TP-cave, with stalagmites and stalagtites both, and perhaps some Christmas lights to turn it into a TP light grotto.
It might also be interesting to see how closely you could simulate large ordinary objects with horizontal rows and vertical columns of TP tubes, glued together at the sides - e.g. a TP-tube automobile? A version of Beuys' VW van? Thinking about this, I am also reminded of medical imagery - a TP-tube 3-D brain scan? That might also provide a reflection of where the artist is at, working so intently with TP tubes!
Besides viewers, maps, things and data presentations, there are also opportunities for letters and words. I am right now imagining a wall-sized TP version of "gothic"-lettered tattoo, with 3D effects (perhaps a "Twin Peaks" tattoo? is even that a 'hood? PacHeights? all seven hills of SF?).
Well, that's it from me. Have fun!!!
Maybe a TP-roll "tree" or "forest" sculpture/installation, with printed gothic-script tats of genus and species, or printed images of the original or its parts (e.g. bark)? (Can you do color prints visibly on these?)
C - these are great ideas!! your last question - "can you do color prints visibly on these?" if you mean with the laser, no. the laser only burns off material and so what's left is the etching in whatever form this material allows - and this particular paperboard didn't change too much in the burning process as I've seen with, say, cereal boxes. I don't know another way to print on them but maybe painting them or gluing a flat print to them could work.
your topo ideas remind me of the SF 3D cityscape out of jello. i love incorporating gothic lettered tattoos somehow. and the actual sheets of tp atop the Twin Peaks topo ;) for the forest idea, people provide their own graffiti on them and then send them in for assembly.
I just thought of a tp version of a Menger Sponge: http://world.std.com/~j9/sponge/ - could be done in units by people around the world. fractal-like.
or connect them flexibly but sturdily and with random branching so that people could interact with it and freely add onto it. could use paper towel holders as well.
Thanks, Laura. Glad you're into it! The Menger Sponge is a true fractal (when iterated to infinity, as required to produce any object of fractional dimension). It's dimension is approximately 2.7. ;)
There are other fractal patterns that might be constructed out of TP tubes; check out:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fractals_by_Hausdorff_dimension
There seem to be considerations as to how to connect the tubes; it might be cool to have velcro ball connectors that could be used to make tree patterns, branching at any angle; but somehow, I feel that would detract from the "art" quality.
Well - have fun, and keep us posted!
Laura,
Finally found your blog. Really good to read through and hear all about your show and how you are getting your doilies out there.
Really cool,
Julia
Thank you, Julia! nice to see you here.
and thank you, C, for the fractal link. I'd never seen such a full list of fractals to compare like that. I fell in love with the spherical one. Reminds me of how my days sometimes feel - how do I get the big tasks done with all these tiny bitey ones (like chihuahuas) yelpin' all around?
another friend has suggested a huge chandelier. I immediately saw the faces of famous - and well liked! - people etched with little holes for their eyes so their light could shine on with us. could we come up with a million? ok, a thousand? this doesn't play on the material though. nor do the fractal ideas although I like both for their curiosity, unusualness and artistic qualities.