TV Dinners

Our final work, TV Dinners, mimics the scene of a traditional family dining room and functions as an exploration into the role of individualistic members within the nuclear family unit. As a media sculpture piece, the work is dimensional and interactive as audiences are invited to move around the space as though it is a home of their own.  Each of the subject matters of the piece (mother, father and daughter) tell a story of their own as the screens represent their inner monologue. Viewers are prompted to watch the television shows alternate and change and are encouraged to engage with the work by drawing conclusions surrounding the domestic roles of the mannequin figures that are informed by their own experiences within a family setting. 

 

The subtext of TV Dinners also explores the notion of the fragmentation of the family setting as a result of this media consumption. As the media element of the sculptural piece, mannequin heads are replaced by screens where the dismemberment of the body quite literally symbolises a disconnection from reality. This concept is supported by scholars such as Graeme Turner who have focused on the consumption of Australian media and how it reflects and constructs national identity. His work delves into the topical subject of how the rise of digital platforms has diversified media consumption, allowing for more personalised content choices but also fracturing family media experiences. 

 

TV Dinners successfully fits the criteria of the media sculpture model that we have discussed throughout the studio this semester. The work heavily draws upon our inspiration from Ian Strange, Nam June Paik and Chris Bell to create a final installation that explores their shared themes of urban spaces, identity and the concept of home. Nam June Paik’s manipulation of the TV and the sentiment that it is easily exploited and humanised is heavily echoed throughout our work as the monitor screens become one with the human form. Ian Strange’s themes of detachment between the individual and their environment is also something that we drew upon when creating the work. Here, the figures within TV Dinners force the viewers into this uncomfortable realisation where they must identify whether the family unit seems as though they really belong within the otherwise functional living room space.  

 

The studio exhibition came together very well and the space was easy to navigate and walk around. It was amazing to see everyone’s work come together and how diverse all the interpretations of the final project were. I considered whether the works that incorporated sound would overlap and clash given the small space, however they all worked very well, specifically the FIAT LUX work that made use of headphones for an all immersive experience. I additionally enjoyed the allocated time for the media screenings where I was able to just sit and take them all in. 

 

I found that when TV Dinners finally came together, the most successful aspect of it was its physical presence in the room and seeing all the elements come together to make one cohesive piece that very strongly communicated all of our themes. The most problematic aspect was the transportation of materials as such a large scale work with so many elements required a lot of time, effort and physical labour. The differing schedules of our group members and the accessibility of the campus by car made this job particularly difficult. 

If we were to continue working on TV Dinners, I would like to experiment more with how symbolism could play a bigger role in the piece. Such ideas include how specific colours would represent the themes of domesticity, the family and fragmentation. It was very exciting to see the work come together however, with limited time and resources the furniture and the materials that we used were not selected with strong intention but rather out of practicality. It would be interesting to explore how different elements would work within the space if we were to continue to develop it. Chris Bell’s compositions and his focus on form and the interplay between materials is something that heavily inspires me, and more attention to the overall aesthetics of the final work would also be something I would like to investigate further.   

 

One key takeaway from this experience would be the consideration of the installation process. In future endeavours I would definitely pay more attention to how long the installation takes as well as the ability to transport the needed materials to and from the exhibition space. It is something that our group struggled with and I think that was a result of us not having experienced this process before and not considering purely how much work is involved. Working collaboratively with Raia and Austin however was very successful, I found that we communicated very well and all were able to adopt important roles within the creative process. The only adversity I found that we faced when working as a group was the distance between us, where Raia and I were unable to commute to Austin and consequently, he took on the responsibility of creating the mannequin figures and sourcing the larger elements of the work. 

 

As a whole, my experience with the final project was very positive. It was one of the largest projects I have taken on and it encourages me to endeavour to create more.