BACK TO REALITY … & again, another QUESTION? … following the bobbin experience, I ask myself what is Anger - how does it start - what process is involved - why does it happen - when does it finish… & how can it be shown graphically? Using my experiences of (mild) anger in different situations (a recent one being the bobbin & another when I pricked my finger on white fabric!), the best place to start was there! QUESTION? ... what colours did I see?
Researching those emotions involved directly or indirectly with Anger (& with first-hand experiences of several people I’ve come across), an extensive variety of words & phrases were considered as being important or significant. They were written down & predominantly found to be “negative” - especially those ones considered as being “un-useful for situations or relationships” as it appeared these could easily spiral out of control. Finally, 9 emotive ones were selected as for the ‘cycle of anger’ to be displayed (ie. as it starts & ultimately ends):
ANGER - HATE - RAGE - DESTROY - HURT - PAIN - EMPTY - NUMB - CRY
Trying to envisage each of the above ‘emotive stages’ progressing, colour magazines were flicked through as the word was thought about. (Although I have often used other methods of recording ideas, this time I wanted “instant effects” quickly, so selected pieces of print depicting what I immediately visualised & matched to my anger.) If an image matched my feelings (with colour), it was torn out, the word written down & alongside, my immediate description of what I felt (see below):
Anger - suddenly explodes
Hate - is focused
Rage - spirals in any direction
Destroy - completes and is aimed or targeted
Hurt -
Pain - is sharp and pointed is like ice
Empty - a void
Numb - feels nothing
Cry - comes in waves
This magazine tearing exercise was easy to do so the “ripping out” (use of torn fabric maybe?) was repeated again - this time, the word was envisaged as having texture as a shape or form & this was noted too:
Anger - red - harsh
Hate - purple - swirl
Rage - deep purple, red black - solid
Destroy - black - void
Hurt - orange/blue - sharp
Pain - greying - muting
Numb - clear - disappear
Empty - greyed edges - outlines
Cry - blue - soft
After doing these, the ripped page segments were vertically stuck down on a sheet of paper (a downward spiral suggestion perhaps?) with wording scribbled alongside for those feelings of the colours & textures I’d visualised. A further ‘rough sketch’ (below) depicting the ‘shapes or form’ imagined, was quickly painted which I hoped to use later for possible fabric selection.
