monument proposal: The invention of sunscreen

mon·u·ment  (mny-mnt)

n.

1. A structure, such as a building or sculpture, erected as a memorial.

2. An inscribed marker placed at a grave; a tombstone.

3. Something venerated for its enduring historic significance or association with a notable past person or thing: the architectural monuments of ancient Rome; traditions that are monuments to an earlier era.

When I think of the word "monument" a certain stillness is brought to mind. Although monuments are usually put in place to commemorate an action, an idea, or an event, monuments carry with them a silence that seems to cut through the motions of everyday life. They remind us that, although we might get caught up with the day-to-day 9-to-5, these bronze sculptures, sky scrapers, or tombstones never forget as long as they are still standing. There is something poignant in the psychical manifestation of the act of forgetting. like tombstones, monuments signify death. However monuments are put in place to represent not only the death of a person, but the death of an idea or an even so that these memories can resonate long after they are printed in the history books and put away in the dusty shelves. In a way, monuments bring history into a public place almost as if it is warning us not to forget. Yet so often do we find ourselves so absorbed by our busy lives that we walk away from the boiling pot only to find, hours later, that the water is gone, the pot is ruined and the teabag sitting in the cup as a monument to how you will never have that tea. I am fascinated by they way humans are so easily distracted or even choose to ignore bigger encompassing problems until it is too late. Much of the time it seems as though a monument speaks volumes through a solid bronze mouth warning, ' its too late now, but you better not let this happen again.'

For my proposal, I would like to take a problem that the human race is currently facing and create a monument to it as if it had already happened. I think this will be much more affective because it will give us the opportunity to recognize the problem as it is happening so that we will never have to see this 'future monument' in years to come. I have playing around with many global issues to represent yet I am afraid that the bigger encompassing issues will loose all meaning because they have been thrown around so much that they loose emotional value. However in order to avoid this, I will make the idea vague so that the onlooker can create deductions. This is why I have chosen to take on the problem of the ozone layer in a monument to Sunscreen. Also I've been inspired by America's infatuation with bronze skin and the affects of continual sun exposure on the body in order to become attractive. These pictures have given me a lot to work with:

For my monument I would like to create a sculpture of a a melting sun bather with this resemblance. This sculpture would sit on a platform with a plaque that would give the directions on how to apply sunscreen. I would make the sculpture from paper mache and then cover it in latex paint to give it a fleshy quality. i would then cover her in bee's wax so that when set in the sun, it would give the appearance that she is melting. here are some preliminary sketches: