Ideas for "Open Casket" - documenting the evolution - v01

 I thought it would be 'fun' to document how my ideas and thinking for "Open Casket" evolve over time. My premise is that some interesting insight might come out of externalising the process that is normally internal (I have made very tweaks to the ideas already in my head without writing them down - broadly my belief is that if I forget an idea, it can't have been very interesting in the first place - of course, testing this is impossible by definition!).

Broadly the idea is to show my 'body' together with some 'grave goods' - or props! Currently these props will be arrange 'on' the 'body' rather than beside it.

Practically, the work needs to be modular, and each module needs to be light-enough and robust-enough to be transported by train to CSM - this is a significant constraint, but I keep saying constraints are good for creativity so I'll keep telling myself that...

Broadly, the piece currently consists of a number of distinct types of element:

• Some form of 'base' that implies the over-all figure and locates the other elements in context
• Life-casts to show some 'important' body parts - probably face, hands, feet
• Fabric 'casts' (currently) of some areas to give a stronger sense of 3d to the figure without explicitly showing it all - they also stand for the 'empty' body, plus the fragmented body. The current plan is to lay fabric soaked in plaster over areas of my body. These might be 'swags' of fabric, or might be a more tailored shroud
• Grave goods to tell a broader story - currently an acorn in one hand, and a book of Time Management resting under the other. Potentially some sort of crown of flowers on the face

I'm not sure how I will document this, but the elements above are fairly stable and fairly loosely coupled (as we would say in software design) so I think I'll document evolving ideas for each in a table set of headings (Google Blogger doesn't allow tables!)

The over all idea is to create an impression of sadness, mixed with humour and tranquillity - people should feel at rest with the 'body' not disturbed

Base

• A box? Or flat?
• Shaped or rectangular?
• Solid or mesh?
• Covered in something in the shape of my body? Spines of some sort?
• Shallowly moulded to impression my body (somehow? Weight!)

Life Casts

• Face, hands, and feet
• Face deformed in some way? Skull? Partial? Too much!

Fabric Casts

• Swags over key areas (e.g. chest, thighs, ankles, neck etc) or more fitted 'garmets' like a shroud? 
• Definitely want to keep them white and unstitched (e.g. no actual clothes)

Grave Goods

• An acorn in one hand
• A book of Time Management under the other
• Flowers on head?