Distortion and Scars

by Kim Jokinen

I’ve decided to share two things – the first is a collection of two blindfolded pencil drawings which I call Distortion.

Blindfolded drawings were something that was recommended to try out during the course, and while they don’t convey any form of pressure within themselves, I recall feeling a bit pressured when drawing them as I didn’t know what the end result would be like.

The first drawing was an attempt at a guitar, and the second one a simplified drum kit from the drummers perspective.

The second piece is what was build during the course workshop, or rather the end result of it. I built a machine that compresses thin metal rods lengthwise using air-pressured syringes, making them bend semi-randomly at certain points. I then added obstacles at some of the more common bending points to force the rods to bend in different ways.

All of the bent rods in the picture have been put through the exact same process, yet they all look very different. In a way, this can be seen as an analogy for many life situations – with different individuals reacting to the same stimuli in different ways, and leaving different marks on all of us. This is why I’ve decided to call it Scars.