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The Brief!
To create a response piece to the concept words of: Poetic Science
In my preliminary exploration, I delved into the works of artists who merged their creativity with a scientific lens, drawing inspiration from the likes of Maria Sibylla Marion, Ernst Haeckel, Luke Jerram, and Beatrix Potter. Additionally, my research included poetry, where I found profound inspiration in the vivid depictions of the natural world—its beauty and chaos alike—from figures such as John Keats, Rudyard Kipling, and Van Gogh.
I knew I wanted to approach the project from a biological standpoint, driven by my profound curiosity and fascination with the natural world. Throughout my research, I encountered various intriguing scenarios that sparked my imagination. Reflecting on my past experience volunteering at a wildlife rescue, I spent time raising four infant mice with closed eyes, utterly vulnerable and tiny. It became my mission to nurture these mice, so I went about learning all that I could about them. Throughout my journey, I uncovered a fascinating insight: before opening their eyes to the world, baby mice undergo a phase where they seemingly dream of the world before they see it, a phenomenon supported by scientific studies revealing brain activity mirroring that of dreaming sleeping mice.
I also researched the history of robins and how ingrained they are within English culture. In no other country do they behave the same as they do in the UK. They are bolder, more sociable and heavily populated than anywhere else. I discovered about the self sacrificing mother octopus, who self- destructs, dying of starvation to feed her babies. Octopus are so intelligent, each arm is an independent brain they must feel the world so strongly and yet they are restricted to a brief 1 year lifespan. I considered the wonder of the metamorphosis of butterflies and moths, and their mysterious and intriguing lives being so fleeting. Their irreplaceable value within the ecosystem, some only eating species specific grasses, their symbiotic relationships with ants and the tragic lives of silk moths. I then questioned what science looks like to others, perhaps even from a being so completely different from myself, something small and strange, a slug perhaps?
It is this last idea that became the fruition of my project. I keep a vegetable patch in the garden where I was frequently being met by sad looking cabbages, cauliflower and broccoli plants. No matter my attempts to raise delicious vegetables, someone else always got to them first. The culprit, Slugs! Big, black warty ones, rotund orange ones, great grey ones, all slimy and lying in wait until the night gloom to lurk out and fill their gluttony on my prized cabbages. This is how my garden nemesis became my inspiration.
I made some monoprints of various plants found in my garden:
Below are some paintings of plants and insects that inspired the project:
I was still unsure of my angle. I considered a slugs perspective, what would amaze a slug? Does it understand the laws of the universe, maybe it does better than you or i? What is a slug, does it feel its life has meaning? Perhaps an event, what would the asteroid collision with earth look like from the perspective of a slug? I digress.
Below are two sketchbooks in chronological order
I decided to go back to basics… Google… what is a slug?
"Slug, or land slug, is a common name for any apparently shell-less terrestrial gastropod mollusc."
Below is a selection of work made during workshops
I discovered that slug is a very broad term for a huge range of creatures. These ancient beings have undergone numerous evolutionary transitions from snails, shedding their shells and, in some instances, adopting a semi-slug form. Thriving in both terrestrial and aquatic environments, slugs exhibit intriguing mating rituals. As hermaphrodites, they engage in unique battles, each attempting to pierce the other with sharp calcareous darts carrying a hormone known as love darts. In this peculiar courtship, neither slug desires to assume the role of the female.
Their physiology presents an unusual composition; devoid of bones, the term 'Gastropod' literally translates to stomach foot. Slugs possess four tentacles, with two dedicated to sight and two to taste, a feature they can regenerate. Survival for them involves the production of mucus, which harbours anti-aging, antibacterial, and antimicrobial properties. This mucus, known as Mucin, not only exhibits potent healing capabilities and exceptional hydration, because of this it has been harnessed by the cosmetics industry and used in skin care products. Interestingly, slugs employ this mucus for more than just self-preservation; they utilise it to leave pheromone trails, enabling them to follow each other when they want to mate or to prey upon other slugs. It's noteworthy that all slugs are nocturnal creatures.
The blood of slugs contains haemocyanin proteins, which facilitate oxygen transport in the absence of haemoglobin. Haemocyanin contains two copper atoms, rendering mollusks highly sensitive to copper. An excess of copper inhibits oxygen circulation in their bodies. This is why copper is used to protect plants, although copper in garden centres is often alloy, it has to be a strong percentage of copper to work. A slug’s cells consist mainly of water confined within highly permeable membranes. Sprinkling salt on a slug results in the formation of a saltwater solution within its mucus, leading to internal dehydration.
So, a slug is quite a peculiar creature. I chose to centre my focus on garden slugs, inspired by the world outside. To narrate the story from a slug's viewpoint, I envisioned crafting tactile objects, each capturing an essence of sluggishness. I shaped six ceramic sculptures, intending to cast them into different materials. Glass was chosen to emulate the boneless quality, while sponge and spray would evoke the slimy texture. Copper, representing their blood, jelly for susceptibility to salt, and rubber or silicone for a bouncing quality, comprised my initial concepts.
Some process pictures of creating ceramic slugs:
Yet, the casting and sculpting process unfolded as significantly more challenging and time-consuming than I had anticipated.
Initially, I aimed to cast multiple slugs to represent various factors. Regrettably, silicone, a material I had hoped to use, proved to be prohibitively expensive. Consequently, I settled for casting only two slugs. The original sculptures were coated with silicone and left to dry.
The process of making silicone moulds:
Unfortunately, extracting one sculpture in one piece proved impossible, and the same difficulty persisted with subsequent casts. The second sculpture, however, turned out acceptable.
Subsequently, I learned that using a silicone mould for a glass cast was not feasible. Instead, an investment mould capable of withstanding the kiln was necessary. The process involved creating a wax cast from the silicone mould and then utilising that wax cast sacrificially in the investment mould.
The next step was to craft a wax cast. Unfortunately, the initial sculpture couldn't be retrieved intact, leaving me with only one sculpture to symbolise them all. I successfully produced two wax slugs, one intended for the glass investment mould and another for copper electroforming. During the wax sculpting phase, I realised there was an opportunity to represent the nocturnal trait by crafting an additional slug—a candle slug.
The process of making wax sculptures:
Following that, for the copper slug, I coated a wax slug with graphite paint and subjected it to the electroforming process, resulting in a copper-plated outcome.
Now, turning back to the glass slug, I took the second wax sculpture and applied a mixture of plaster, flint, and water to create the investment mould. After three rounds of applying the mixture and allowing it to dry, the wax model was steamed out. Next, the glass shards needed to be cleaned and rid of any grease before being stacked into the reservoir and placed in the kiln for three days. Once fired, the glass casting had to undergo the processes of divestment and polishing. Unfortunately, due to strikes, I couldn't proceed with the final steps. Although the glass is prepared for the kiln, it won't be fired and divested in time, resulting in its unfortunate absence.
Given the diverse properties of slug slime, I opted to create two sculptures. Utilising my silicone mould, I experimented with crafting a soap slug, and the result was partially successful. While the cast didn't achieve the smoothness I envisioned, it retained the clean, hydrating properties of slime that I aimed to showcase.
Recognizing that my moulds were not yielding the desired outcomes for a jelly slug, I pivoted to sculpting a salt cellar from air-dry clay, thereby completing the set. I abandoned the notion of a bouncy ball since, upon reflection, slugs aren't actually that bouncy.
Painting and varnishing the salt cellar slug:
Next, as I approached the presentation phase, I explored various ideas ranging from a museum display to creating a zine, a photo book, or a gift box. Taking inspiration from the cosmetics industry's fascination with slug slime, I opted for a luxurious skincare-style gift box. My research delved into brands such as Priddy Essentials, Neal's Yard, and The English Soap Company, drawing inspiration from their elegant packaging.
Below are some packaging I found inspiring and templates for my own packaging:
For the individual boxes, I chose a striking blue-black on white colour scheme, while the outer box featured the same blue-black tones on raw card, providing a cohesive and harmonious aesthetic. I used the monoprints that I had created earleir in the project to design the inner packaging. For the outer box I alternated two lino prints to create a tile effect. For luxury packaging, first impressions are key, and they always contain detailed notes outlining the contents and their properties. My gift box includes an introductory slip that, when pulled out, reveals six individual boxes, each suspended in its designated slot.
Inspired by the garden that sparked this project, I named each box after slugs found in the UK. Inside every box, a note provides information about the specific slug it represents, with a carefully nestled sculpture below, completing the immersive experience.
Designing packaging:
The final piece:
Evaluation
I began with the concept of capturing the world from the viewpoint of a slug, exploring the visual representation and employing various techniques to convey this unique perspective. Throughout the culmination of my work, I employed a diverse range of artistic processes, including printmaking, painting, ceramic sculpting, wax modelling, soap crafting, sponge manipulation, glasswork, mould creation, and copper electroforming, to bring my vision to fruition.
I find satisfaction in the overall outcome of my project, even though venturing into the realm of 3D art was a departure from my usual 2D focus. This experience challenged me to consider texture and the tactile nature of art, pushing me to explore various processes. Despite encountering numerous trials and errors, I believe my work maintains a cohesive quality, and I am content with the aesthetic achieved.
While I initially aimed to create a large ceramic sculpture, this endeavour did not come to fruition. Additionally, persistent issues with malfunctioning moulds resulted in the breakage of an original sculpture. Although setbacks were encountered, I managed to navigate through these challenges, with the exception of the glass slug, which remains incomplete due to unforeseen staff strikes.
Reflecting on this project, I recognize the importance of having a clearer vision for the finished piece earlier in the process. The setbacks caused by the strikes impacted the timeline of my project, leaving less time for the final packaging than I would have preferred.
Despite these challenges, I am pleased to have a finalised piece, even though it falls short of completion. Looking forward, I acknowledge the value of sticking to my strengths in 2D art, and I would approach future projects with a more defined concept from the outset.
In conclusion I brought together lots of different processes and I think they work harmoniously together as a set of sculptures. I think they are successful in portraying the narrative I desired and there is much I will take away from this project.
Thanks for reading! :)
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