A little bit of Plasma cutting

[chunkolini]

I have another exhibition on starting this week

I was shown the site and told I could put what I liked where I liked. Some frightfully posh gardens.

I have had an idea on the boilf ro some time now. I saw images of some Japanese screens from the Edos period, (1880's) using silhouettes of crows, dramatic stuff. I found them in a great book about humankind and crows 'In The Company of Crows and Ravens'.

But I felt it needed the right site, somewhere with the sky behind and maybe trees. So out comes the plasma cutter, a whole afternoon spent bent double breathing in lovely black dust. Made it last Monday, ammonium chloride on Tuesday, installed today.


Size? 2.5mx1.25m 1,3m from the floor.

I was tired and the light was rubbish, but with the right light I reckon it does the job. The original plan was to have the mansion in the middle of the pic being mobbed by crows, sadly the perspective did not work.

Chunko'.

 

[browner]

thats a nice bit of plasma cutting

 

[chunkolini]

Cheers Browner.

I was dreading losing my line and cutting out the reverse of the image I was after. The middle came out in one piece. Some idiot cut it up after getting snagged by it.

I admit to cheating a bit, I used an OHP to set up the bulk of the image and drew in a few crows at the corners.

Have a good look at the image.

What is going on? at first just birds, but is it a look at mass hysteria? crowd behaviour? the manic scene in the centre, the eggers on, then the ghoulish spectators, the hecklers, the the two old geezers at the bottom just minding their own business.

How many birds are there?

Chunko'.

 

[strube1369]

I think it's stunning! Inspiration for us rookies. Thanks

 

[mike os]

Very cool chunko

 

[rikrobson]

How many birds are there?

I counted 40

 

[pedrobedro]

That would be murder to cut out. (A murder of crows, see what I did there )

I thought " inspiration for us rookies " was good as well

 

[jugs]

That would be murder to cut out. (A murder of crows, see what I did there )

I thought " inspiration for us rookies " was good as well

Well done Chucko, It's something 'to crow over' ! I'll close the door on my way out .

 

[chunkolini]

I missed rookies, stupid me,
Pedro, I reckon that a 'Murder' of crows is the best collective noun ever.

Something to 'crow' over that gives me the bird.

41 or 42?

Chunko'.

 

[scarecrow]

I don't like crows

 

[chunkolini]

Stone the crows.

Ye gods.

Chunko'.

 

[Drains]

I've got one of those little rubber stamps covered in x's. I'm going to use that.
What's the prize again?

 

[mike os]

Our version of spot the ball, only we call it kick in.......

 

[Omniata]

42...


Great work Chunko

 

[Drains]

You should have got Mrs Ellotape to film you doing that plasma cutting Chunko.

Cor, video's great isn't it?

 

[Slim Shady]

Don't think I could that with my oxy acetylene cutting torch

 

[rhubarb7]

brilliant matey, hope they were impressed with it

 

[chunkolini]

Had a funny moment with this one yesterday.
I went to the opening evening of the exhibition, and got caught by the BBC and asked for a few words about the sculpture.

Flustered? me?
I started woffling about it's history in the Edo era in Japan and bulling about how it is a study of behaviour and hysteria in crowds, with a focus to the image then hangers on etc etc thinking help help get away with yer film camera.

I finished my short spiel.

Then a Brummy accent from the tripod lugger pipes up ' The Edo Shogunate would have loved that, spot on'. 'What?'
He studied the original for part of his degree in asiatic studies, each crow is a lampoon of a specific courtier, done anonymously, and it is a study of crowd behaviour.

Small world.

So far everybody has loved it, now will somebody please buy it.

Chunko'.

 

[GeorgeB]

That's an amazing piece of work, in terms of both the design and your ability to make it to such a high standard.

 

[Wozzaaah]

It wasn't completely wasted Si, I got it.

Chunko', if I'd done that I'd be raven on about it for ages.