Reconstruction

Mutant, Chaz Howkins, 2015, reconstructed Barbie dolls

After playing around with deconstructing and reconstructing Barbies using photography, I decided to turn this idea into a 3D sculpture.  I used the limbs of four dolls to create a mutant Barbie creature, which I feel appears quite haunting as its arms are outstretched as if it is trying to beckon the viewer towards it, making the viewer feel somewhat uncomfortable.  The creature reminds me of something a demented child might make out of its toys by ripping their limbs off and melting them back together.  The limbs were joined together using a hot glue gun, but unfortunately the glue was not strong enough so the piece fell apart before I could photograph it properly.

Deconstruction

Reconstruction 1, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Reconstruction 2, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Bet Barbie Did Nazi That Coming, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Dickheads, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

After deconstructing a Barbie for my metal sculpture, I decided to explore the possibilities of deconstructed dolls.  I took the limbs of several dolls and reconstructed them into different shapes; firstly as mutant creatures, which I feel have quite a sinister look to them.  I then went on to corrupt the innocence of the dolls by turning them into images that a child may not or should not understand, such as swastikas and phallic imagery.

Metal Workshop

Impaled, Chaz Howkins, 2015, metal and Barbie parts

After learning how to weld, I decided to create a sculpture using Barbie parts and metal rods.  As I rarely work in 3D, I encountered a few problems whilst putting the piece together.  I didn't plan out its structure as throughly as I should have, meaning it didn't stand up how I imagined and I had to attach an extra rod between the base and the body of the doll.  Also the piece is quite back-heavy so appears to be close to falling over.  However, I feel I learned from these issues that I sometimes work needs to be planned out in more detail rather than being created spontaneously.  I think the resulting outcome is quite successful as the innocence of the doll is destroyed by its disassembly and the juxtaposition of the harsh metal.

Metal Workshop

Welding Experiment, Chaz Howkins, 2015, metal

After not being able to attend a metal workshop in semester 1 due to the tutor being ill, I caught up on the workshop at the start of semester 2.  The first task we were given was to weld two pieces of metal together.  I feel that welding is a useful skill and the colours produced on the metal made the outcome more visually interesting than expected.  

Unplanned Self Portrait Series

2 Many, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

'Quidditch Selfie' Apparently, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Okay, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Ooh Interesting, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Disjointed, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

Demonise, Chaz Howkins, 2015, pencil

On both Saturday and Sunday morning I woke up to find several self portraits in my sketchbook which I had very little memory of creating the nights before.  My usual style is fairly clean and precise, so I always find it interesting how free and careless my drawings are whilst under the influence (and how narcissistic my subject matter is).

Frog Island Photography

Chair, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Figure, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Dyeing Factory, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Admirer, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Bottles, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Keep Out, Chaz Howkins, 2015, photograph

Earlier this week I went to Leicester to explore the abandoned buildings of Frog Island, an industrial area in which the buildings have been subject to several fires and fell into disrepair.  Most of the buildings were either boarded up or fenced off, making them inaccessible.  However we easily gained access to one of the factories via an open back door.  I explored the building with my camera, capturing the textures of the crumbling structure and objects that I felt told a story of the building's past.  I included a distant figure in a few of the images to give them a greater sense of life, which I feel makes the images appear more haunting.

Print workshop

Zombie Barbie Etching, Chaz Howkins, 2014, etching

Red Zombie Barbie, Chaz Howkins, 2014, etching

Coloured Zombie Barbie, Chaz Howkins, 2014, etching, fine liner and watercolour

I think the gritty texture created by the etching really compliments the dark subject matter, making this medium very appropriate for my work.  I enjoyed this process and though it was quite time consuming, I think I will be using this process again as it creates very dramatic outcomes.

Print workshop

Plate after being drawn on

Plate after being submerged in acid

Finished plate after being inked

Plaster workshop

Wax Skellington, Chaz Howkins, 2015, wax

Our brief was to create a wax cast of a piece of fruit; I first considered casting various fruits such as bananas and a lemon to put together to create a figure or doll but thought this may be a little over ambitious.  Instead I carved a Jack Skellington face into an apple to make it appear like a smaller scale pumpkin carving and created a wax cast of it.  I feel the end result was quite successful as the texture of the wax makes the face seem aged and somewhat eerie.

Plaster workshop

Creating the clay walls 

Removing the apple from the plaster

The three parts of the plaster casing and removed apple

I found the process used in the plaster workshop quite interesting though felt it was rather long and tedious, while I am pleased with my outcome I feel I could create a similar piece using a simpler technique.

Painting workshop

Model, Chaz Howkins, 2015, acrylic & pencil on canvas

In an earlier photographic series, I captured my zombified Barbies against plain white backgrounds with bright lighting, to make them appear as if they were posing as models.  These images were quite striking as it made the dolls appear more human despite their blatant mutations.  I chose to base my painting off one of these images as I felt the strong composition would translate well into paint.  I feel the use of rich colours and violent brush strokes adds to the sense of grotesque while making the doll appear fairly lifelike.

Progression of Barbie painting

Pot throwing

Pot on throwing wheel

After the ceramics workshop, I had a go at pot throwing.  I found this process very frustrating as the pot's walls kept collapsing, so I soon gave up and never managed to get a pot off the wheel.

Fired clay pieces

Blind Self Portrait, Chaz Howkins, 2014, clay

Ceramic Zombie Doll Head, Chaz Howkins, 2014, clay

Ceramic zombie doll head

Before 'zombifiying'

After 'zombifying'

 I first created a doll's head out of clay and then mutilated it to make it appear zombie-like.  

Ceramics workshop

Blind Ceramic Self Portrait, Chaz Howkins, 2014, clay

Clay self portrait created relying purely on the sense of touch.

Wood workshop

The brief was to create a palette out of wood, which meant using the band saw, fret saw, drilling machine and electric sander, as well as handheld planes and sandpaper to smooth the edges.  I decided to make two small palettes instead of one larger one so that they comfortably fit the length of my forearm.  After creating the first palette (pictured on the left) I felt the shape was slightly uncomfortable, so for the second one, I inverted the groove on the right hand side so that it hugged the shape of my body.

Documenting my studio space

Photography workshop

Documenting my studio space

I hung a line of string above my studio space from which around 20 Barbie dolls hang by their necks (or feet, as some are decapitated).  I photographed them using a slow shutter speed to capture their movement and create a ghost-like effect.

Self Portrait - Docs

Self Portrait - Docs, Chaz Howkins, 2014, photograph