Antemortem

Antemortem

This piece portrays the culmination of six months of research and development into the meaning of life, death and the influence of belief systems.

Inspired by the Destiny theme in the last module, I proposed a continued exploration of ascension and life after death.  This led me to investigate 14 religions, belief systems and mythologies, to research their commonalities such as death rituals, what ‘life after death’ means and the use of talisman or totems.

I reflected on my own upbringing, religion and life experiences and questioned, what does life after death mean to me, how do I explain or portray it and what is my totem?

I acknowledged how people used local materials and artistic styles to craft their deities and totems so I cast glass to encapsulate my interpretation of them. This inspired me to focus on modern day totems.

It was important to me that I capture a sense of the place and period in which I have grown and have carried influential shapes and materials into my final piece, hence the concrete base and high rise towers.

I focused my design development on ‘family’, working through the shape and configuration of a family group and considered how I could merge my research of totems and life after death.  I had the realisation; my family group totem would capture the ongoing life story of each member and its existence thereafter would present a mystery and mystique for others to contemplate.

Antemortem consists of an illuminated fused glass totem tower for each of my family group.  Each captures the key stages of life and the events and activities that we experience and that transcend life stages, all retaining their identity while influencing who we become.  All colours have association with those stages, events and activities.

I would like to thank everyone involved in this project for their support, encouragement and insight, without whom I wouldn't have achieved this outcome.

I hope you have enjoyed this project as much as I have.  Now to get more moisturiser on my poor wee hands...