That which is between internal and external : a visual investigation

In my research I have focused on what it is that is between opposites. I have considered the edge of the human body (the skin) as that which is between the opposites of internal and external. The understanding of what is inside and what is outside our skin is considered by many to underlie our acknowledgment of all other opposites and definitions. As well as being interpreted as a site of separation the skin can be considered a site where inside and outside converge. Because of this duality, it is often referenced by artists who associate this aspect of the body's edge with a meeting place between internal and external including Eva Hesse, Anna Mendieta, Yayoi Kusama and Doris Salcedo, to whom I have given particular attention in the theoretical and practical aspects of my investigation. My studio research has aimed to explore the subtle, smooth, fragile visual transitions between suggested internal and external forces. In sculpture and installation works I have experimented with materials associated with skin, in particular those that come through the skin, such as salt and water. I have also considered the use of fabric in order to represent the transition between inside and outside. I have mixed edible flour with talcum powder to confuse the two realms of inside and outside. I have approached my research through process, allowing my intentions to have a connection with my processes of making; this often results in ephemeral works. These latter works have been documented during the research project. Several further ephemeral works will have been created for the examination submission and these reflect my investigations into this particular aspect of the sculptural process. The research project is a significant investigation of the potential of ephemeral sculpture to represent the transition between inside and outside.