Wednesday 26 March 2008

My research on 'the uncanny'

Recently the term 'uncanny' was used by someone to describe my sculptural work of faceless bodies, however, I had no knowledge on this concept. Having understood it as his direct response to my work, which is what I value, the subject of 'the uncanny' took my interest and I started by researching studies made on the subject, hoping to come up with some ideas of how my work relates to the experience of this complex, yet intense feeling. My work takes the form of the human body, usually either as a model or cast of my own body, and my experiences are the foundation of their existence. They are the results of my challenge to embody the sensations that I feel in response and relationship to the external world; my experience of 'being' in the world.

to view my work, visit my website...


As I tried to deal with the 'core' of experience, I needed to remove our physical traits.
The sensation that the 'core' of my existence was separate from, yet within, the physicality of my body has always been the starting point in my working processes.

To me the concept of 'body' is very important and personal, yet a complicated and tricky one to grasp. It is the most familiar form to our eyes and senses since this is the only form in which we physically exist. It is the form through which we perceive, experience and feel, however, there is a sense of separation which I experience between the physicality of my body and the inner space within the body; in other words, the external and internal self. This sense of separation can result in a disconnection where the body feels to be something foreign and alien. I feel that there might be a point in investigating this sense of unfamiliarity of one's own body in connection to the concept of 'uncanny'.

I am also exploring the effects of 'the uncanny' that I find in the work of the artist,
Belinde De Bruyckere, among other artists' work and films which I will list here and update as I come to meet more new material;
Visual artists:
Films:
' Even Dwarfs Started Small ' (1969) by Werner Herzog
' House of Usher ' (1960) by Roger Corman
Films and animations by Jan Svankmajer
' The Sixth Sense ' (1999) by Manoj Nelliyattu Shyamalan

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