Sabrina Bilic - Old works

Gene the Artist, 2019.

This is a video is inspired by John Baldessari's "Teaching a plant the alphabet". The idea that we can allow nonresponsive creatures, plants, and objects to learn and have existential thoughts is odd and challenges what we know and how we think. This work is the first draft showcasing my crab, Gene as an artist and as someone who is able to conceptualize their work while questioning what we are even watching and the absurdity of thinking this crab is an actual artist. My thoughts on the idea that something like a crab could process the idea of creating a work of art simply makes me laugh. I think it's a very humorous idea to have a crab walk around drawing. Gene is doing a lot of work to pull his marker around so we should appreciate his craft.

Fe-male Sexualization, 2019.

The female body has been depicted in art and cinema for centuries, it holds meaning and is a representation for beauty, motherhood and is seen as a soft, delicate work of art. When a woman’s body is shown on screen the camera typically caresses her body working its way around the figure. The effect these shots give is typically voyeuristic and at times feels secretive as if the woman does not know she is being looked at. As the camera “seduces” the female the audience loses touch with the actual humanization of the female, even as a female viewer one can begin to experience the softness of her skin, the little peach fuzz on her body and the gentle dips of her curves. The experience becomes visceral, the camera allows us to interact almost physically with the body on screen. This work takes the conventions associated with filming the female body and appropriate these conventions onto the male figure. The audience is meant to linger between the confusion of the body's gender as well as question the stereotypes and how we as a society have been trained to watch and experience the male and female body differently.

S-Silhouette, 2019

This piece is based around the silhouette women thrived for in the Victorian era, the "S" figure or silhouette. This was made from a sewn pillow in the shape of an "S" that was restrained at the center mimicking the way women would corset themselves. My use of the concrete is to emulate the weight that women would put on themselves as well as the strain their bodies had to endure. The fabric elements showcase what corsets would be made out of, the pieces of fabric are very beautiful but are painful to the woman wearing them.

Forms from Reality and Imagination: Introduction, 2018.

The themes and ideas in my work “Forms from Reality and Imagination: Introduction” is the beginning of my reality and imagination meeting in the same work. In this work I used hard, white plaster pieces to represent reality and soft sewn works to represent the imagination. Through the exploration of the sewn creatures I was reverting back to a child-like state. In contrast, I realized when making my plaster and clay works they seemed to be harder work forcing me to relate to the world around me. My intent is not to force anyone to feel anything specific; we all have a different imagination and different interpretations of reality.

Figural Matter, 2018.

I started off with a rough wooden abstract armature. Through the process of the work I was able to bring out the materiality with each object, while embracing their rough textures and staying true to its naturally obscure form. I chose to leave a rough appearance so my processes could be seen when building my forms with clay I wanted them to fit together. The composition of the work allows the viewer to understand the movement and complexity of the forms and their own way. The overall form has symmetrical elements sticking to the idea that symmetry is conventionally attractive. Only one of the works is fully resolved, the other two are still in their transformation process from abstract to figural mater.

Daydream, 2017.

Daydream was a work created for class following the idea of what someone's personal day dreams contain. This work was a reflection of my self showing common locations I find myself falling into a daydream. I would note any time I noticed myself snapping out of daydreams throughout my days of class and I ended up with four common locations/moments; waking up in the morning, taking the bus to school, walking home and falling asleep.
The music is a reflection of the sometimes chaotic and random thought going on when in a day dream. The doodle animations float around the screen the same way I imagine line drawing of projects in my head.

Blind, Jeremy, 2017.

Concrete cast from a clay model, it was sculpted without looking at the sculpture itself but instead focusing on the subject. A take on the blind contour drawing but done sculpturally.

2 Tape 2 Spiral, 2017.

I created a form that I am extremely proud to call my “2 tape 2 spiral” tape sculpture. I started off with transforming my tape by rolling it sticky side out and wrapping it into a ball of “sticky yarn”. After totally transforming the initial material, I was able to work with it in a way that mimicked wire. After creating the initial tube, I experimented with placement. Through experimentation I took a liking to how the tube can crack when bent and the life-like movement it had when elevated or drooping in the centre. I figured if I had something thicker that could stick to the tube and give support and a contrasting element, then I would have a more versatile piece. I then layered the tape to make it five times as wide, then twisting it into more “sticky yarn” or now “sticky rope” I created a spiral. This spiral acted as a support to the shape allowing it to support itself and move in more interesting and visually engaging ways. I was able to keep it visually tactile while it being sturdy and still having an aesthetic appeal. Though the tape was a challenge it’s encouraging knowing I was able to overcome the medium and all the restrictions that came with it, while keeping true to my style and concept.