In this first challenge we were tasked with constructing an avatar using objects found around us. The brief was that both the avatar and the objects used to construct it must not be random; they must tell a story about me both in part and in the whole.
This was an enjoyable and interesting task for me as I made it while staying with my parents at our childhood home in Cornwall. For this reason, many of the objects follow a theme of family.
Aesthetically I hoped to express my personality (which I would describe as fun, organised chaos) and my sense of style; clashing colours and textures with clean bold shapes.
The shells are a mix of those beach-combed from local Cornish beaches and happy family holidays abroad. The dried roses are from my wedding, which we celebrated at home last year due to restrictions of the Coronavirus pandemic. The circular eyes are part of a child’s play set belonging to my young nephew, Alex.
I made the mouth from pieces of a simple cooperative card game that we often play called Bandido. Games where you act as a team to achieve a shared objective – across video, table top and sports – are my favourite. The Griffin earring is 3D printed. Griffin is my family name and also represents my first professional step into the technology industry in a position at MakerClub; an educational technology startup focussed on teaching practical technology skills through creative project work. CAD, 3D Printing, Programming and Robotics were key elements of our work.
The LEGO bricks are part of a set I played with as a child and have several personal connotations. Firstly, LEGO has had a big impact on me professionally. While developing my perspectives on teaching and learning at MakerClub, LEGO informed many of my core beliefs; in particular the value of play, project-based learning and design thinking. I intend to revisit and expand on this thinking as the course progresses over the next two years. LEGO also represents a career landmark for me. Two years ago I was very fortunate to visit their campus in Billund, Denmark as part of a work project. In addition to their approach to product development and education, I found I also aligned with LEGO’s business ethos. The fundamental commitment to quality, family and the environment really resonate with me. Although thirty years old, these bricks are now played with by Alex.
Figure 1: Picasso, Pablo, 1937, Weeping Woman. Tate [online]
Figure 2: Gaudí, Antoni, 1877, Casa Batlló. Barcelona Tourist Guide [online]
Figure 3: Haring, Keith, The Marriage of Heaven and Hell, 1984. Haring [online]
An interesting and unexpected outcome of this task was that afterwards I realised I was visually referencing one of my favourite artists, Pablo Picasso. I am a fan of bold, graphical art that maintains an organic feel; for instance, much of the work of artist Keith Haring or the architect Antoni Gaudi. The clash of geometric and organic, synthetic and natural is also represented by my object choices. It was surprising and fun to see this unintended expression of a facet of my personal taste come through so strongly in this task.
A classmate also made the following observation:
‘It’s particularly interesting how the natural yet complex fractal geometric shapes of the shells slowly morph into the regular geometric shapes of the lego pieces. It also echoes how plastic like lego and 3d printing is incredibly versatile as a creative building block, yet has a lasting environmental impact on the natural world’
I hadn’t even considered the juxtaposition between the natural and synthetic materials and the tension that creates in relation to progress and innovation versus environmental impact.
Another learning I gained from my peers was in my review of the work of others. I jumped straight into the task without much planning. On reviewing of the work of others, I found that I had not even considered the background of the avatar and what that might add to the story I was telling. Taking a beat to consider all of the parts of a task is a learning I will carry with me as I embark on other projects throughout the course.
Personally, I found this seemingly straightforward task to be both very fun and revealing. Presenting something creative and meaningful about myself to a group of strangers and then also telling them what I was trying to say about myself felt quite exposing. I was the first in the group to post and had to overcome some feelings of fear in order to do so. I did so after some encouragement from my family; a small example of their ongoing importance in shaping my thinking and relevance in my avatar.
Full list of figures
Figure 1: Morwenna GRIFFIN. 2021. My Avatar #1.
Figure 2: Morwenna GRIFFIN. 2021. My Avatar #2.
Figure 3: Morwenna GRIFFIN. 2021. My Avatar #3.
Figure 4: Morwenna GRIFFIN. 2021. My Avatar #4.
Figure 5: Lucas GUIDETTI PEREZ Martin NEDERGAARD ANDERSON ca 2016. Bandido. Helvetiq.
Figure 6: Morwenna GRIFFIN. 2021. My Avatar #5.
Figure 7: GRIFFIN, Morwenna. 2021. My Avatar #6.
Figure 8: Pablo PICASSO. 1937. Weeping Woman. Tate [online]. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/picasso-weeping-woman-t05010 [accessed 26/09/21].
Figure 9: Antoni GAUDI. 1877. Casa Batlló. Barcelona Tourist Guide [online]. Available at: https://www.barcelona-tourist-guide.com/en/tour/gaudi/gaudi-3-houses.html [accessed 26/09/21].
Figure 10: Keith HARING. 1984. The Marriage of Heaven and Hell. Haring [online] Available at: https://www.haring.com/!/art-work/80 [accessed 26/09/21].
morwennagriffin.com 