The Uncanny is a Freudian term which describes an instance where something is simultaneously familiar and foreign, resulting in a feeling of discomfort. In the project ‘Strange and Familiar’, I’m exploring how a body of work can be aesthetically pleasing and beautiful, whilst still uncanny, leaving a sense of uneasiness. Inspired by Masahiro Mori’s ‘Uncanny Valley’, a theory on the uncanny in robotics/humanoids, I’ve used the human body as a source of inspiration, to create a sculpture far removed from the human body itself, but with reference to the organic, textured and limb-like features of the body. With attention to the material exploration of previously rough recycled bike tubes and tights, the sculpture invites the audience in to focus on the beauty of texture and material landscape.
