The Sense of Self

Full view of the sense of self installtion.

The lab desk where the soul was being examined.

Notes and various instruments were left out for the viewers to interact with.

Close up of the notes open on the desk.

A large needle containing an amber liquid was left out as if it had recently been used.

On a light table some transparencies and more notes were seemingly in use.

Two of the main soul jars. The suspensions were unique in each of the four main jars.

A soul jar reacting to the hidden N42 magnet on its display plynth.

The ferrofluid takes the shape of the magnetic field produced by the hidden magnet.

Another soul jar's suspension produced very different animate behavior.

A series of secondary jars containing 'soul fragments' was mounted above the main soul display plynth.

The smaller jars also containing ferrofluid reacted to the magnetic field in the plynth.

View of the wood burning on the display plynth.

Some notes seemingly destroyed on a burn tray located on the lab desk.

Notes and an illustration displayed on the wall above the desk.

Large illustrations were linked to smaller ones by pins and string creating a diagram of the process of soul extraction.

In the various drawers of the desk were more objects and notes to engage the viewer.

More notes and various supplies located in the drawers of the desk.

Over 200 seperate pages of my actual writing, illustrations and diagrams were created and stashed throughout the desk.

The glass lab equipment on the desk contained various scented liquids.

Extra lab equipment and glass was stored in the desk.

The main body of illustrations was pinned above the desk.

I researched symbols from alchemy and illustrations of anatomy before drawing and writing.

The illustrations were done with inks and pencil on stained and worn paper I cut.

Senior Thesis Work by James Minshall

This body of work explores the soul, imaging it through a narrative pseudo-reality. In this world the soul is extracted and examined. Its characteristics are described in a constructed scene.

I created this body of work to be an interactive experience for the viewer. The installation itself appealed to a number of senses designed to arouse curiosity in the viewers. Copious notes, illustrations and diagrams littered a seemingly recently vacated lab desk. The key piece in the installation were the soul jars which were a variety of suspensions containing ferrofluid that reacted to N42 rare earth neodymium magnets hidden withing their wooden resting plynth. The magnetic reaction with the ferrofluid produced an animate, life-like movement creating the illusion that these ‘extracted souls’ were still conscious.

To supplement the souls various lab equipment, liquid suspensions and other ingredients were used. The suspensions, powders and ingredients all had distinct scents creating an aroma around the lab desk further enhancing the viewer’s experience.

Finally, the viewers were invited to explore all the contents of the desk. The entire desk was filled with hundreds of pages of my own notes from throughout thesis research process as well as various files and lab supplies making it seem realistic.

Process

The process of creating this body of work was nearly a year of experimentation in materials, imagination, ideas and conceptualization. It evolved from something totally different, gradually taking shape as my extensive notes and thoughts took more concise and defined shapes.

I chose my subject: the human soul; that invaluable yet elusive sense we all possess and began to select my materials and refine my method of display.

How do I represent the soul? It is free will. Our very essence that dwells within our bodies. I imagined it as a fluid shape, able to transition and flow throughout the body. Finding a material which accurately captured this imagined form was the real challenge. I sumbled upon a liquid sculpture by Sachiko Kodama. The use of ferrofluid to form moving and changing shapes seemed perfect.

My next task was to figure out how to make the ferrofluid souls react. I put them in glass jars, suspended in varied fluids which enhanced their visual appeal and began my experimentation with magnets. I eventually found powerful magnets which were small enough to be concealed and created a plynth for the soul jars to be displayed on. I used a wood burner to engrave upon the wooden plynth I built and additionally constructed a secondary shelf for additional smaller soul jars which I labeled as soul fragments or incomplete souls.

 

Credits

This installation was on display at the Elon Art Department Senior Thesis Show: L’Omelette du Fromage from May 3rd to May 10th 2010.

A special thanks to my mentors: David Schaeffer, LM Wood, Michael Fels & Michael Sanford. Without your encouragement and support I’d never have made it through.

And thanks to my peers in the Senior Art class of 2010 for putting together one amazing exhibition.