Connor O’Brien
On The Other Hand
2014,
Bee’s wax and electronic tea lights,
dimensions variable.
Body language is said to make up the majority of communication. Within my work, verbal communication is replaced with visual communication. This work plays with themes of memory, preservation and identity. The clay molds that I made to create the wax casts are able to replicate a large quantity of detail, preserving not only the physical aspects of hands, but also the memory - like a 3D photograph.
Wax is used as a central material as it can reveal detail and tell a generous story on its own. For example, the accidental distortion in some of the molds is due to the delicate creation process, and the wax material reveals personal details right down to the finger print. The hands are capable of revealing both identity and narration. This work focusses on the subject of hands to amplify the uniqueness of an individual through direct attention to an unappreciated tool. Disfigurement is used within the objects to convey a sense of pop culture in terms of horror stories and myth. Through this concept, the work moves away from traditional sculptural elements.
The gallery space and the way the objects are installed within it, play a major role in the perception of the work. Displayed on their own, the objects take the form of traditional sculpture. However, my choice of installation takes away those traditional aesthetics, to re-contextualize the work into something more like pop culture.
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