Spiral of Violence

[Merlion]

I am pursuing the idea of showing a sculpture on 'spiral of violence'. This posting is to air my idea and to welcome any suggestions and other comments.

I first tested the idea of a 3D downward spiral but this doesn't look dramatic. So I next look around for a 2D votex spiral, and found a picture of our galaxy. Seems good.

http://www.sydneyobservatory.com.au/blog/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/milky-way-map_atlas-of-the-universe.jpg

This has to be big, say 6 x 6 ft, or 8 x 8 ft, if it is for an exhibition. In the meantime, I may just paint a small 2 x 2 ft maquette.

To add something to this concept, I may show a man, like this, wielding an axe to break this spiral. (Wishful thinking in reality. But artists can dream. :p)

http://www.fao.org/docrep/s5780e/s5780e0k.jpg

For now, I'm not sure how to show this man on top of my 2D votex spiral. It does not have to be life-size 3D figure. But how? 2D profile?

I'll come back soon to talk about how to depict the 'violence' aspect of this spiral.

As I said, suggestions and any comments are welcome. And thanks for listening.

[fritchie]

Merlion, I don't know where you got the image of "our galaxy", the Milky Way, but that's not generally how it's conceived by professional astronomers. Your image has way too many stars in its "arms". I haven't been able to find a good reconstruction of the actual Milky Way but this reference http://csep10.phys.utk.edu/astr162/lect/milkyway/milkyway.html
shows two others, M100 and M83, which are closer in actual appearance.

"M" is for Messier, the first astronomer to build an extensive catalog of galaxies. Astronomers today have a pretty detailed idea of what the Milky Way would look like if it could be seen from above, generated from actual surveys of stellar location, brightness, and distance.

Mainly, the MW is much thinner in star density and less bright than your image shows. Of course, you may be interested only in a general impression for this work.

[jOe~]

To add something to this concept, I may show a man, like this, wielding an axe to break this spiral. End violence with violence? Maybe an ax is the wrong tool or symbol? Maybe a spiral is too simplistic?

[Merlion]

Thanks Fritchie and Joe for your comments which I'll respond soon.

I am back to explain showing the 'violence' part of the spiral. The idea is still in my head of course. This may consist of both tumbling human figures being sucked into this vortex spiral, as well as labels with words connected with 'violence'.

The picture below shows the figures being sucked, in this case not along the spiral. For a small display, these figures are just paper or thin plastic cut-outs. For a proper big display, these figures could be small high-relief sculptures attached to the 2D spiral.

Examples of the current words related to violence are: terror, terrorist, evil, bombing, kill, suicide, martyr, carnage, massacre, genocide, arrogance, disrespect, insult, abuse, rape, affront, offence, blasphemous, humiliation, honor, hatred, rage, revenge, vengeance, etc, etc.

[Merlion]

Fritchie, I was really trying to show the shape of a suitable vortex spiral, and this galaxy picture serves my purpose. On what I intend to show, I find a single curved line spiral would not be so interesting.

Joe, Your suggestion is welcome. How best to depict the act of breaking a spiral of violence?

[fritchie]

I would expect you could find quite a few pictures of water spiraling down a drain in a bathtub or hand sink. TV shows in the US of many years standing, such as Mr. Wizard, did these things often. Or take your own pics. A light soap film might emphasize the flow.

[evaldart]

A "swirly" is a hair-style brought about by human cruelty; a malevolent baptism - a victim enduring the vilest of vortexes, proof that mankind is not redeemable.

[Merlion]

I google for 'swirly'. This is what I found.

The act of holding the victim upside down with his or her head in the toilet bowl, and flushing. Typically perpetrated by two or more older, larger individuals.Can result in injury and charges being filed. More commonly known as bogwashing in the U.K, or dunnyflushing in Australia.

[Will]

Merlion,

Try this: Uzumaki

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=uzumaki&btnG=Google+Search

Also:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uzumaki

Violent vortex'

Might be of someinterest.

W~

[Merlion]

Will, Thanks for this horror spiral concept.

In the meantime, I have made a conceptual model of my spiral of violence. It is based on a single line spiral of tumbling figures illustrated with labels. I may change it. Comments are welcome.

Edit: Sorry the words on the labels are not too clear.

[Merlion]

With a temporary maquette like this, I can modify it easily. I next try to see what a multi-line spiral looks like. This one below is a five-line spiral.

It does look more dramatic compared with a single-line spiral.

Now my next question to myself is whether to make a properly built sculpture, much larger size. I don't have an exhibition in the horizon, nor do I have a gallery. Thus I may offer to display it at the university library again. With all the words on display, it suits an academic environment.

I now have second thought about showing a man wielding an axe to break this violence spiral. Firstly it is just wishful thinking, that a dramatic act by a super being can break this violence spiral. Secondly, this adds an extra dimension to an already complex concept, and causes a major distraction.

Thanks for listening. Comments as usual are very welcome, positive or negative.

[evaldart]

Merlion, Do not forget the other implications of the spiral, less narrative/more optical, as a symbol of mesmerizing , hypnotism and confusion. These things might be predicators of mind control, which, as an invasion of sorts, might be a tool of aggression and even a method for the dismantling of an individual or group.

[jOe~]

For your show, have badges made of the final image. Pass them out or sell them for a token amount. Wear an appropriate costume. Get on the news. Send some to Myanmar and Pakistan. Become a public figure. Put your mouth where your art is.

PEACE, jOe~

[dilida]

It's the ever tightening, binding, trapping, sinking feeling of a spiral that involks fear, control, the feeling of not being able to escape that makes it so powerful isn't it? What if your figures and words are so entagled at the vortex it's just chaotic?

I understand your second thoughts about breaking the spiral of violence so far as this sculpture goes, it would complicate it. But... to me...love and all the good things associated with it, is what breaks violence. A calmness that stills the chaos.

Just having fun with your ideas, thanks for sharing
lisa

[StevenW]

Those pictures are too 2d to me, how about a Helix? Some elevation and depth seems called for.

3D, when 2D simply isn't good enough.

[Merlion]

It is 2D as this is only a maquette to try out and adjust my ideas.

I am now thinking of combining this with my earlier technique showing burning fire, see below.

[Merlion]

Gosh! New ideas keep coming up, and I have to cater for them, I mean to try the good ones out.

I was thinking of burning fire shown for a while at different spots on the spirals. One idea is to have separate areas of fire, switching them on one by one, perhaps electronically. Another idea is to do it mechanicanically. This is a small model of the latter, see below.

I have two spiral cut-outs in opposite directions, one placed on top of the other, and rotated relative to the other. As they have cut-outs spiral strips, windows can be seen through them. These windows move. I can't show a video, but perhaps you got the idea.

This means I can have my burning fire artwork underneath the whole spiral area. The fire will show through the windows only, more or less like the other picture below.

The tumbling human figures will be placed along the cut-outs of the top spiral. They would not have the black round spots as backgound.

Thanks for listening.

[Merlion]

I now have something to show, a number of human figures tumbling in burning fire. This idea is still being tested, and here I have not added any effect of the spirals.

Picking up an idea from Blake's Fragments, I intend to remove one or more legs from these figures, this being the most visible effects of violence.

[Merlion]

I can now show another picture of my work in progress. This is the spiral I've cut, 30 in. diam.

In the picture, I'm showing just one line of spiral with figures tumbling around. I've not yet cut off some of their legs. Also, at the red background, I've not yet put in the smoke and buring fire effect.

[Bill Harsey]

Merlion,
The man with the axe is just using a tool to make a resource useful to him.

Nature is pretty violent from our perspective, but nature doesn't really care.

I also think the universe doesn't really care what we do. I understand violence as being part of nature and personally think that no art work is ever going to change that.

[Merlion]

Bill, My concept of breaking these spiral of violence by an axe wielding man is to depict human efforts, not the force of nature. Anyway, I have now dropped this idea.

The spiral of violence I am trying to depict is about human violence. Earlier on I did mention things like war, killing, vengence, bombing, etc. Nature can be violent, like tsunamis, volcano eruptions. But over here I am not depicting these, as I have to keep to a specific focus.

Whether artwork is going to change these is a very different issue. As this is about how to depict a certain concept through art, I prefer not debating this issue in this thread.

[Merlion]

I have made two of these spirals and can put one on top of the other.

By itself, the pattern is interesting. It is more interesting when one is turned against the other. It is kinetic art. It is too bad I cannot show a video.

The size is, as mentioned 30" diam.

[Bill Harsey]

I have made two of these spirals and can put one on top of the other.

By itself, the pattern is interesting. It is more interesting when one is turned against the other. It is kinetic art. It is too bad I cannot show a video.

The size is, as mentioned 30" diam.



Merlion, Your correct, this is the wrong place for a debate.

Please do not drop the concept you show here, it is strong and works for what you describe.