Important elements to me:
1. yellow color - color of the sun, spread throughout entire story, represents the intense heat
2. thick, bristle-y texture (straw-like)
3. clear, glass or ice-like texture
4. wide, horizontal line direction
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In my notes, I wrote down the feelings I felt after reading the story. I then Googled them:
"betrayal, scam, crafty, shifty, untrustworthy, uneasy..."
And came to this image of the Cheshire Cat smile:
I thought this would help display the amount of trickery the children represented. Robotic movements to please their parents but were transparent if ever confronted or their needs were taken away.
This transparency led me to think about objects shaped like these teeth hanging down from a horizontal zone, such as the nursery in the story. But clear, so one could see through to the dangers or other elements - just as the adults did.
I first started with white paper taped together. I then used bright yellow construction paper (just for a visual) and taped it to the back as a background. I then used clear packing tape; layered and taped to the ceiling of the structure to hang down - like teeth.
The objects inside will (hopefully) represent a brittle, straw-like texture. Maybe broom bristles?
In-progress photo:
My idea further stretched into something completely different. I decided to take an object of ultimate comfort - a pillow- and contrast it with something that symbolized danger, deception and death. The pillow represented the children in the nursery - sweet, innocent children that when unmasked, showed the betrayal and danger they really stood for. I started to hang a piece of wood with string to have it all hang. I made the pillow out of paper, masking tape and toilet paper just to get an idea. I wanted it to be fluffy and familiar. Then, I was going to shred it with stuffing coming out and nails and glass poking out with blood droplets. Ultimate deception just like the children were to their parents.
In progress photos:
Artist Statement:
Deception and danger were two major aspects I wanted to showcase through my suspended sculpture. By putting shards of glass, nails, and tears through a soft object I was able to symbolize the children's aggression seen in The Veldt. Representing the ultimate comfort -such as a pillow- in such a dangerous and decietful way was the only way I knew how to portray these feelings from the story itself. I wanted this piece to be eerie, uncomfortable and just "off." The audience should feel disturbed by a soft pillow just as the adults felt towards the terrifying children once they looked past the exterior. Pointy, paper cones hold the pillow up in a crooked manner to reiterate the sharpness.
