Dress Up Sculpture

This piece is meant to evoke the sense of strength that is derived from "dressing up". The idea of putting on a costume that affords you some sort of new power and or confidence. The idea that you can morph into a caricature of something you've tangential experienced. The experience or concept that is being projected can be completely unearned or taken out of context. This piece specifically addressing themes of masculinity that remain foreign to me. Cigarettes and the American West have been a constant representation of the rugged self-made American "man". Co-opting these values allows a person to inhabit an emotional experience that may be otherwise unachievable. Personally, I have always struggled with self-affirmation and anger. The style of the character is reflective of the Marlboro Man and Yosemite Sam. Larger than life figures that remain at the opposite ends of a archetypal spectrum. Marlboro Man being the embodiment of stoic masculinity and Yosemite as a trigger happy powder keg lacking any and all composure. The argument can be made that both of these characters are equally cartoonish. The Foam and Fabric allows me to approach this subject matter with a sense of levity and humor that may otherwise not be possible. The glass overlay is meant to mimic the animation styles of old, which would feature a acetate overlay to show the animated character over the background.