Writing down what you are setting out to do during the day is one way to get nearer to achieving it.My first task was to "unravel the stair metaphor" by writing in my notebook. I've done a lot of research on the internet, both pictorial and in terms of associations, superstitions, etc to do with stairs.
For instance, If you stumble down the stairs, it is unlucky, but if you stumble up the stairs, it is a sign of good fortune or a wedding. If two people cross on the stairs it is considered bad luck, if the two people cannot avoid meeting on the stairs, they should cross their fingers to avoid the bad luck.
Matthew had, in his sketchbook, what looked like toppled stairs - but was actually the Gaza wall when it was breached. This reminded me to think of a fence as an "in between" -- I'd been thinking of voids, but in-between things can be barriers too. In fact, sometimes a void is a barrier -- and sometimes a barrier is a tough, high, imposed kind of thing.
Other people brought other stair-like structures to my attention - these steel girders, looking like toppling nightmare stairs, by Richard Serra -
And this object made of glass by Robert Smithson (similar to his Mirror Stratum) -
Also, I went backwards through my recent sketchbooks to see what "spoke to me" -
Another item on my "list for today" was to make samples of stair treads, based on some shadowy images -
There wasn't time to dip them in the wax pot, so I did that part at home, with these results -
which looked like this with a light shining through -.jpg)
While playing around with the effects of the light, I found some bits of foamcore lying about, and also some bamboo slats liberated from a paper blind. Oh, the serendipity of having strange materials lying around! Within minutes, these rickety steps -- just like in my rickety-step dreams/nightmares -- appeared -
With a few adjustments, these could become my Final Major Project, set up in a way inspired by this Mayan pyramid -
There might even be a way to have one of the ceramic "buildings" in the display, without detracting from the sculptural steps ....No need to fiddle around with the first item on the list -- that fishing line was too curly anyway!
wonderful ricketty stairs - it's so interesting to see your ideas evolving like this. Maybe there's potenetial for shadow play too. There's also Sarah Sze's 'escape ladders' which aren't - I just 'discovered' her recently - she makes towering sculptures from minute everyday components - and often ladders - her graduation installation was tiny little vessels and 'things' made from toilet paper and saliva paper mache :)
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