T5 WK 4 WORKS IN PROGRESS

Mar 6
3 min read

Close-up of a black-and-white self-portrait split into sections, layered alongside a box diagram with measurements. Text: Resin Layered Box.

At this stage, I started by breaking apart my self-portrait using the MegaPhoto app. The image is split into sections that don’t quite line up, so parts of my face repeat, shift, or feel out of place. You can still recognise it as me, but it doesn’t feel complete or stable. That idea became the starting point for the sculpture.

Black-and-white self-portrait collage with face divided into segments. Includes design schematic with text: "Resin Layered Box," "Handmade Concrete Blocks."

For the first design, I imagined a solid base made from stacked concrete blocks to represent my body. These blocks feel heavy and strong, like something fixed and grounded. On top of this, the resin box portrait sits. Reflecting on this first design, I realise the structure is becoming too literal. By clearly resembling a body, the idea feels over-explained rather than open to interpretation. It reads in a very direct way, which makes it feel predictable and somewhat cliché. Instead of suggesting the body, it is almost illustrating it, which reduces the tension and complexity I am trying to create.

It also unintentionally reminds me of the blocky, stacked figures seen in Minecraft, which shifts the work into a visual language that feels overly familiar and not aligned with the conceptual depth I want. The geometric stacking becomes too recognisable, and this takes away from the psychological aspect of fragmentation and instability.

Because of this, I think the design needs to move away from anything that too clearly resembles a human form. I want the reference to the body to feel implied rather than obvious, allowing viewers to sense it rather than immediately identify it. This will help the work feel less illustrative and more concept-driven, keeping the focus on the experience of being fragmented rather than representing it too literally.

Black and white collage of a woman's portrait, concrete block sketches, and text labels. Design notes include dimensions and materials.

In the second design, I started to shift the blocks, so they are not perfectly stacked. This makes the structure feel off balance, like it could tip or move. It introduces a sense of tension. The base is no longer fully stable, which connects more closely to the broken image inside the resin box.

What I am starting to understand is the relationship between control and things falling apart.

Right now, I am thinking about how far I can push that feeling of imbalance. The first design feels more safe and controlled, while the second feels more interesting because it introduces risk. Moving forward, I want the structure to reflect that feeling of not being fully held together.

Collage of a black-and-white self-portrait featuring a woman's face in segments. Overlay includes "Resin Layered Box" and "Handmade Concrete Blocks."

In the third design, the structure starts to open up more. The blocks are no longer tightly stacked but separated, with visible gaps between them. This creates a stronger sense of fragmentation or multiple layers. The introduction of space allows the structure to feel less solid and more disrupted. The gaps create instability visually, the vertical alignment still feels quite controlled.

There is also something interesting in the way the blocks appear almost suspended, as if they are held in place by something unseen. This starts to shift the idea away from a physical body and more towards a system or condition.

I think this design could be developed by pushing the imbalance further. Right now it sits between stability and instability.

Collage featuring a fragmented black-and-white portrait and geometric design with text: "Design 4," "Height - 162 cm," "Resin layered box," "Handmade concrete blocks." Mood: abstract.

The fourth design pushes the idea of compression and layering much further. The blocks feel more like slices or segments rather than solid units, which connects strongly to the idea of the image being broken into parts.

The slight shifts between each layer introduce a sense of pressure and movement, as if the structure is being pushed or pulled out of alignment. This creates a stronger visual tension than the previous designs. It feels less like something built and more like something under strain.

At the same time, the structure still holds together, which is important. It feels stable enough to function, but visually unsettled. This balance between control and instability is working well here.

The base feels more abstract and open to interpretation.