The Light Cast by Veils of Venom includes a mobile installation with jellyfish made of textile, hanging from the ceiling. Transparent sculptures of jellyfish made of resin and glass wax are displayed below the mobile, on the floor. A large landscape oil painting is also exhibited a bit further away from the mobile.
The motif of jellyfish has been an obsession in my practice. Their vibrant colours and near abstract shape inspires me to restlessly create. I focus on these semi-abstract, transparent, and slimy creatures, whose bodies move gracefully in the water, defying the momentum. However, these bodies resemble deflated plastic bags once on the beach; it encapsulates a duality. While jellyfish are beneficial for the environment, they also evoke an insidious, toxic, and invisible threat.
The work explores the balance we must maintain in all things, questioning the notion of space both within the canvas and with our surroundings.
As the exhibition progresses, the fragile sculptures of dead jellyfish on the floor are inadvertently broken by a neglectful audience. This interaction underscores our relationship with the environment and the delicate equilibrium we must uphold.
Ruffling
Oil paint and pastel on canvas
1.05 x 1.50 m
Exhibited during the Central Saint Martins Degree Show in June 2024
🎀 Click here to learn about the making of this piece 🎀
Making of the cast: I made several jellyfish sculptures with clay. I made a plastic mould out of the shape of the sculpture (as seen on pic. n°2 above) then I experimented with jelly in order to reproduce the slimy texture of jellyfish but the result was unconvincing… Then, I placed my clay sculpture in a wooden structure in order to make a silicon mould.
Next, I made glass wax casts. It was a delicate, thorough process as this material is so fragile. I would occasionally use a fire gun to fix or melt some part of the cast. I loved the transparency of glass wax but since I wanted a more perennial cast to display during the exhibition, I created resin casts from the same mould.
Interlacing, embroiedery on cotton, 8 x 8 cm
Or check out my previous project: Variations on a neckline