Clara Projects that may or may not be made

EARTH ARMY

What? Photo series/ book of an imaginary "Earth Army". In which humans from various backgrounds in various constellations stand as protectors of the natural world wearing ceramic masks inspired by figures from fantasy novels, folklore and fairytales that serve as protectors of nature as well.

How? Potentially the bodies will otherwise be naked, adding a layer of vulnerability as well as a reminder of our animal self. I also wish to note how nudity is still a taboo (possibly become one more and more~) and that when taking away a face and potentially easier recognition that it can help foster a normalisation of the body uncovered by clothing, as that itself represents the destruction of nature to me due to fast fashion and general over consumption. It is unclear to me which feeling I want to emit. Do I show these earth warriors while protecting nature spaces or in front of destroyed spaces or will they attack those and that which harms nature? Are they foraging and giving back to the soil? Will there be movement and scenes of community such as circle folk dances and other ritualistic approaches as such?

Workflow / Timetable 1// research creatures and war masks (September) 2// make masks(October-December) 3// plan locations and the bodies represented (and in what constellations and movements) (October-December) 4// organise photo/ video shoots (January-April) 5// Experiment with ways of exhibiting and presenting the work to add as much educational value as possible (magazine with interviews of who I see as "earths army?) (April-July)

Relation to previous practice The initial idea to work with masks came from my work being very beauty/portrait oriented. When taking away the face and possible glorification of a specific human and it's beauty, I see more possibilities to go deeper and see the body as it is and focus on what it does and represents.

I have been working with ceramics for around 2 years now and in the last years started dipping my toes further into the world of costume design and fashion design.

Making an imaginary global community and visualising ways of coexisting might stem from my focus on alternative ways of coexisting within communities, after living in a community and creating a photo book on such in 2021.

Fantasy novels have been a place of escapism since my childhood and I strive to bring in further notions of such, also as I experience strong emotions when being confronted with the symbolisms of the creatures represented in renaissance art.

A more performative aspect that might come in if I would also use video as medium is coming from my background in contemporary dance.

Choices made (two sentences) One choice made is to create a work that I see having a stronger sense of urgency that my previous works, especially when it comes to living a more mindful live in intimate, symbiosis with nature and each other.

I also want to push my own boundaries in creating a sense of discomfort in the viewer, which I tend to avoid.

In the coming year I wish to combine my work with ceramics with my lens based work. As such the final result will be a body of lens based work (either film&photography or only photography) that is exhibited together with props created from clay.

(The next idea I will pitch will relate to this as well, but in making a marionette from clay that gives a voice to nature)