Mitchell, what, how, why

Mitchell What, How, Why; 50, 50, 50

Stripy

The object is about a meter squared and 2.5 inches deep. It is halved diagonally. The top left half is covered in a gray fabric, attached using staples that spell Henry down two sides. Along the central diagonal are 6 different colored stripes made of ribbon, attached on each end with brass thumbtacks. The bottom right half is left bare, with only the wooden frame showing.

I found a triangle frame made of wood. I first wrapped the frame with the gray fabric covering all sides of the frame. While stapling the fabric to the frame I discovered I could spell Henry down the sides using the staples, so I did. I did this down two sides of the triangle. I cut and stretched the ribbon securing it with the thumbtacks. I then cut two more pieces of wood to make the triangle a square.

The making of this object began as a way to initiate my studio by getting started on making something. There was no clear conceptual reason for this particular object to be made at the start. Henry is a word and thing I have been working with for a few years. This object has become a part of that work and can be seen as both Henry and possibly the merging of Henry and the world outside of Henry.

Legs

I made a pair of legs out of wood scraps. One leg is straight. The other is bent at 45 degrees. They are attached with another piece of wood in the place of a pelvis. They are human scale. They are wearing a pair of white tennis shoes and light beige chinos that are a few sizes too big.

I cut the pieces of wood to be about the scale of my own legs using rudimentary measuring techniques. I then attached the 2 pieces of the bent leg with staples and nails to form a knee. The legs were then attached to the pelvis with one long screw so I could pivot them. I then pulled the chinos onto them and propped them under a table.

I’ve never made a 3 dimensional full scale figure. I wanted to begin with making a version of what Henry might be in human for or possibly an observer of whatever Henry is. The legs are as far as I’ve gotten and I think I will stick with just the legs propped under the table.