Assignment: Animal Self-Portrait Project

Title: A Woman

Student Written Reflection (As Part of An ACE 7 Requirement):

“This sculpture was primarily coil-built, made from both extruded coils and
hand-rolled coils. The upper half of the sphinx’s body detached from the rest. I did this
so that the sculpture could be moved more easily. At first, I planned on sculpting the
sphinx entirely from clay, but after making my maquette, it became evident that I would
need to find a lightweight alternative for the wings. I think it could have been possible to
make them from clay, but they would not be structurally sound. There would have been
a high chance for cracking, and it would defeat the purpose of having the sculpture
made in two separate parts. That left me with two options: make the wings out of foam,
or make them out of paper. I opted to use paper since I have past experience with paper
mache. I made the base of the wings from thick metal wire, and added to it using
chicken wire, cross stitch stencils, and wooden dowels. During this process, I studied an
artist named Forest Rogers who is known for his feathered, feminine sculptures. In his
documentation, he mentions that he uses mulberry paper specifically to achieve a
feather-like texture. The paper has very thick fibers, so I quite enjoyed working with it.
Overall, I’m satisfied with the way that the wings turned out. But if I had more time, I
would have wanted them to be more detailed. Right now, they look to me as if they were
made with tissue paper, which is not what I was aiming for.
Depicted by this sculpture is a mythical creature known as a Sphinx. They are
known to have the head of a human(typically a woman), the body of a lion, and the
wings of an eagle. The sphinx is present within many cultures, but it is commonly
agreed that they are guardians; benevolent representations of strength and ferocity. In
the sculpture, the sphinx’s expression can be interpreted in many ways. She is
obviously upset, but what is she thinking? Is she distraught? Is she mourning? Is she
filled with rage? This is left for the viewer to decide. The sphinx opens her wings in an
attempt to flee, or perhaps to defend herself. But in doing so, she leaves herself
vulnerable. Even a beast as powerful as she cannot escape the wrath of men, nor the
way she is perceived by society. Sphinxes traditionally prompt humans to answer their
riddle before they will relinquish guardianship of whatever it may be that they are
guarding.”
Her riddle goes as follows:
“Pronounced inferior from flesh to bone, I bleed for a life that may take my own.
What am I?”

-Devon W.