Preparing the Base and Addressing Circumstances

Preparing the Base and Addressing Circumstances

The two key components to begin my artwork was to obtain a wooden panel, and a selection of tiles. Originally, I needed three wooden panels and an assortment of tiles to complete the project, however due to current global circumstances, I cannot make my artwork interactive. I decided to instead resort to a larger wooden panel, and to focus on concisely conveying my themes with limited resources. This initial stage was difficult, however I managed to re-purpose a panel from a disused table. The tiles were donated from my peers, and the more recently claimed tiles are completely safe to use as they were disinfected.

Also I managed to obtain some mirrored tiles, which were not originally going to be used in the piece. This will reinforce to the audience that this artwork is conveying the notion of a dirty, heavily vandalised public bathroom, making them an extremely effective addition to the composition. 

I originally wanted to make the mirrored tile central to the piece, like what is depicted below in my initial plans. However, I feel as if two mirrored tiles on the top right of the artwork would be more effective, with the 'half' tiles being placed on the left. Placing the mirrored tiles in that location reminded me of a window as well as a mirror, which I think will broaden my horizons in concisely conveying my message to the audience.

I will use tile adhesive to attach the tile to the wooden panel, but first I had to layer the panel itself in several layers of white gesso. This is beginning to alter the wood's appearance and texture, making it appear as if it is drywall. Several layers need to be applied before I can continue, as the paint will also help the adhesive stick to both the panel and the tiles.

The gesso application process can be seen to the bottom right: