Friday, July 9, 2010

Finished! TV Project #2

e-flaxbow
Kelli Money Huff


Hey All,

I finally finished the second project in my Work of Art: The Next Great Artist challenge. As you may know from previous posts, I am using the television reality series as a way to stimulate my creative muse by doing all the projects assigned to the TV artists. I am waaaaaaay behind them, they are now doing the 5th project and I have just finished #2. However, as I mentioned before, my goal is different and I am not eligible to win the $100,000 that they are competing for.

The title of this episode is The Shape of Things to Come and it is a sculpture to be built from appliance/electronic junk. This is my interpretation of that challenge. Below is the inspiration for my piece.



This photo depicts a Flax Bow, a American Paiute totem that was hung in the homes of tribal members and was believed to promote harmony and good communication between family and household members. As I was looking at the junk that I had accumulated to work with, it occurred to me that the ubiquitous electronic stuff that most of us now have cluttering up our homes and our lives are all mostly about communication. (Does anyone ever have enough electrical outlets?)



Of course, true to my usual methods, this idea came to me in the middle of the night. While it is frustrating and even scary to not have any creative purpose, it is annoying to have it constantly visit in the night. I would like some sleep, thank you very much!!



Finding extremely little information on Flax Bows, even on the Internet, this was the only photo available and I am drawing my own conclusions about the name. My research turned up the fact that the Paiute used flax for weaving and other purposes and it appears that the lower part of the Flax Bow is made of strands of flax. The top which it hangs from is bow shaped. Thus that is where I believe the name came from. My piece derives it's name (e-flaxbow) from the electronic connection. Pun intended.



I like to use symbolism in my work and this piece is no exception. CD's, DVD's, cell phones, a keyboard, a mouse, and an intercom, form the whole concept of communication, both with the people in the home as well as good harmony with the electronics. The weaving which takes the place of the flax on both sides hanging down, is symbolic of the grid, both electrical and the Internet grid that is a vital and indispensable part of our lives. Numerous cables and wires of all types bind all the elements together.



You may have guessed that this is not my usual media or genre, however, I did enjoy this and even became excited about my idea. The next challenge is to create a book cover for a classic novel. I am using a book that holds lots of personal meaning for myself and my daughter, Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery. Thanks to ennadoolf, one of our blog readers, for the idea.



As always I welcome your comments and ideas. Wish me luck.
Peace, love and creativity.

Kelli

5 comments:

Robin Pedrero said...

These are cool! OMG I could not believe it I thought about assigning myself similar projects like work of art too lol

Your works could have won!

Kelli said...

Thank you Robin. That really makes me feel good and proud of my work. Of course I have had more time to comtemplate ideas and to do the work. But again, my goal is different from theirs and at times I have not agreed with the judges. Thanks for the comment and encouragement.

Nancy Eaton said...

Wow, Kelli! You have outdone yourself! After watching the 2nd episode, I figured you'd find a way to just skip that one! I certainly would have! Kudos to you! And, I love your thought processes. Can't wait to see more.

Kelli said...

Well, actually, Nancy, after I made the commitment to do this, I had a conversation with myself that I was not going to allow myself to skip any. What makes me nervous is that I don't know what comes next!

Ravenwillow said...

Love your piece!
I love that show as well.
THey looking for cast members for next season. Check out Bravo's site. You should try out, I think what you've done here could help you, who knows...
I make the traditional Native American type.
Anyone who is interested can find them on my Etsy site

Good luck with the show!