Modele rhubarbe frangipane, 2018
photograph of a mixed media assemblage
I created this piece during a week-long summer course at an art and design School in Paris named Penninghen (ESAG). The focus of this “stage” was to expose us to the various steps of the creative process, and have us explore it ourselves.The project for the week was centered around a simple object which we were challenged to transpose into another context. Once our object chosen, we had to create a word map - or a lexical field - of all the words that came to mind when observing and examining the object. We had to jot anything relating to and reminiscent of it, whether it was in relation to its shape, color, and material, or its meaning, name, or symbolism. From there, we began to hone in on specific themes and ideas that would become the foundation of the artwork we would later bring to life.
Some students chose a pair of glasses, keys, a rubics cube; I chose a small rolling pin which I chose because of my fondness of all things small and my passion for baking. As I began to brainstorm ideas, I first ventured into the world of “patisserie”, with, in mind, to elaborate on the aspect of baking as a labor of love. Then, I thought of what the object represented : homemade, comfort, organic, simplicity. I even considered the idea of nature and imperfection - due to way the wood produced undulating lines along the grain. Finally, I decided to focus on the world of fashion, because the shape of the pin was reminiscent of mannequins used to display the clothes. There was also an intriguing contrast between the linearity of the rolling pin - that perhaps echoed the thinness typically associated to haute couture fashion models - and the curviness expected of a woman’s body.
I worked closely with one of the teachers, who helped me decide the way in which I was going to present the final creation. Inspired by fashion sketches and templates, we determined I would replicate that type of presentation using the rolling pin itself, and adding simple elements - like the piece of string with pins, the cutout of fabric, and the golden button - to indicate the details of the design. The reference to food transpires through the pink color palette, which is suggestive of certain pastries, like the rhubarb tart I selected. Rhubarb pink is also a color I naturally gravitate towards in my work. The resulting image is simple and clear, yet somewhat playful, thanks to the allusion to the desert in the title and the striking background of pink.
Below are process pictures.
