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Molly Firth
From light to dark
The message behind ‘From light to dark’ was initially inspired by the Rotherham CSE scandal where hundreds of young girls were sexually exploited over many years. They were failed by the system and the system failed to help them even after multiple calls regarding their exploitation. Living in Rotherham myself, it hits close to home, knowing it happened all around me and how I could have potentially been their next victim. I wanted to create a piece showing the severity of the concept and do it justice by creating an eery atmosphere within the performance.
I chose to make a series of 5 A3 monochromatic lino prints intricate linework inspired mainly by Mark Rowden and Colin Moore. I chose to use lino to represent the brutality of sexual exploitation of young girls by using bold, illustrative lines to undoubtedly grab the viewers’ attention and make an impact upon the audience, almost raising awareness for those that are taken advantage of. By keeping the composition of my lino prints from waist up to shoulders up it lays a heavy emphasis on facial expressions that show vulnerability. With the addition of the subjects looking away from the viewer, it highlights the innocence, powerlessness, and frailness victims of sexual exploitation feel for many years post-assault. Furthermore, I chose to use the composition ‘fill the frame’ with the subject matter being the focus of the carvings and leaving the background blank which again leads the viewers' eyes to the bold, illustrative portraits.
The smooth surface of the lino prints used in the video juxtaposes the harsh message behind the performance creating an interesting visual. The reason I chose to use smooth paper to print onto, was to make the subject matter easily recognisable within the video. If explosion prints were used in the performance, from afar it would have been compositionally confusing and chaotic. I wanted the prints to be easily recognisable to the audience.
By keeping the colour palette limited to black, it again reduces the strain on the eye and further emphasises the subject matter of the prints. Using solely black and white resulted in dramatic, heavily contrasted prints which represent the vulnerability of the young girls is taken advantage of and how promptly their lives are changed forever. From light to dark, from an innocent young girl to the victim.
Throughout the project I have had many influences, such as Barbara Kruger whom I studied earlier on in my sketchbook, her work inspired the bold text displayed in the performance along with short, snappy phrases. The lino prints and use of linework are inspired by Lino artists Mark Rowden and previously explored Colin Moore who both use heavy lines and heavy contrast. In the performance, the video is completely silent until the end, where a glitch sound is used to end the video abruptly leaving the audience captivated by the eeriness of the silence. By leaving the video silent it urges the viewer to read the text displayed in the video and focus on the performance over the sound used.
In my previous outcome, ‘sold innocence’ I used the symbolism of red string and I used it again in this outcome to show that it can happen to anyone; linking each victim to the next with the red sting shows how they, for the rest of their lives feel defined by their experiences and defined by Child A, Child B… and the list goes on for all the brave victims that came forward with their story. I used a thick-weight rope as it could also be used to restrain the victims.
By filming my piece during the snowy weather, it emphasizes and highlights the cold actions of those who exploit young girls. How the snow lays symbolises how many of the cases were covered over and forgotten about.
I chose to make a series of 5 A3 monochromatic lino prints intricate linework inspired mainly by Mark Rowden and Colin Moore. I chose to use lino to represent the brutality of sexual exploitation of young girls by using bold, illustrative lines to undoubtedly grab the viewers’ attention and make an impact upon the audience, almost raising awareness for those that are taken advantage of. By keeping the composition of my lino prints from waist up to shoulders up it lays a heavy emphasis on facial expressions that show vulnerability. With the addition of the subjects looking away from the viewer, it highlights the innocence, powerlessness, and frailness victims of sexual exploitation feel for many years post-assault. Furthermore, I chose to use the composition ‘fill the frame’ with the subject matter being the focus of the carvings and leaving the background blank which again leads the viewers' eyes to the bold, illustrative portraits.
The smooth surface of the lino prints used in the video juxtaposes the harsh message behind the performance creating an interesting visual. The reason I chose to use smooth paper to print onto, was to make the subject matter easily recognisable within the video. If explosion prints were used in the performance, from afar it would have been compositionally confusing and chaotic. I wanted the prints to be easily recognisable to the audience.
By keeping the colour palette limited to black, it again reduces the strain on the eye and further emphasises the subject matter of the prints. Using solely black and white resulted in dramatic, heavily contrasted prints which represent the vulnerability of the young girls is taken advantage of and how promptly their lives are changed forever. From light to dark, from an innocent young girl to the victim.
Throughout the project I have had many influences, such as Barbara Kruger whom I studied earlier on in my sketchbook, her work inspired the bold text displayed in the performance along with short, snappy phrases. The lino prints and use of linework are inspired by Lino artists Mark Rowden and previously explored Colin Moore who both use heavy lines and heavy contrast. In the performance, the video is completely silent until the end, where a glitch sound is used to end the video abruptly leaving the audience captivated by the eeriness of the silence. By leaving the video silent it urges the viewer to read the text displayed in the video and focus on the performance over the sound used.
In my previous outcome, ‘sold innocence’ I used the symbolism of red string and I used it again in this outcome to show that it can happen to anyone; linking each victim to the next with the red sting shows how they, for the rest of their lives feel defined by their experiences and defined by Child A, Child B… and the list goes on for all the brave victims that came forward with their story. I used a thick-weight rope as it could also be used to restrain the victims.
By filming my piece during the snowy weather, it emphasizes and highlights the cold actions of those who exploit young girls. How the snow lays symbolises how many of the cases were covered over and forgotten about.
From light to dark
how i would set up my peice within a gallery space
Additional peice to 'from light to dark'
taking inspiration from the sacred japanese kintsugi technique, i created a plaster cast of my face, printed one of my previous lino blocks onto tissue paper and with pva glue transferred it onto the plaster face. Then, i used liquid gold to fill in the cracks and imperfections.
SOLD INNOCENCE
Sold innocence explores the harsh reality that many boys in the UK face, they are becoming one of the biggest targets for drug affiliated gangs. The installation consists of duo toned lino prints on shoe boxes
SOLD INNOCENCE
SOLD INNOCENCE
DISJOINTED SURROUNDINGS
Disjointed surroundings is a 1682mm x 297mm collage piece constucted of 6 hand manipulated photographs into one largescale panorama by cutting each image up into 3 x 3cm squares. The piece explores the loss of identity one can feel upon immigration and the effects of lack of certainty and stability on someone. A very personal piece inspired by David Hockney and Alia Syed
DISJOINTED SURROUNDINGS
THE VICIOUS CYCLE OF ADDICTION
Presented as a clockface, the clock goes around the nonstop cycle of a high. It starts with nausia and confusion, then the loss of self, the euphoric feeling and ultimately the comedown. To overcome the comedown the cycle repeats itself and as easy as that, the cycle gets out of hand. The piece was inspired by the popularisation of drugs within todays youth and their glamourised portrayal within songs and movies. My peice juxtaposes the glamourised side and shows the reality of usage.
GLAMOURISED DRUG CULTURE
Glamourized drug culture portrays the glamorization of drugs within todays youth. In the center of the peice someone is shown in black and white getting ready to go out. Then surrounding the subject are different drugs all connected to eachother with string. Presented on a plank of wood (1140mm x 297mm)
GLAMORISED DRUG CULTURE
GLAMORISED DRUG CULTURE
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