Physical Memory
Greyfriars Bobby’s shiny nose tells the story of countless tourists have rubbing his nose, re-enacting the fabled “Scottish” tradition. The way in which an inanimate object such as the statue of Greyfriars Bobby shows this, has inspired my theme for this project. Physical Memory, the way in which an inanimate object shows evidence of how it has been affected or how it has affected itself. Whether in the case of Greyfriar’s Bobby, being rubbed to attain good luck, or in my exploration of the concept, deforming under its own weight, a memory is captured.
Interested in weight and form, and how something can be worn away over time, I began to experiment with clay and how it can be affected by its own weight.
pierce off-center and spun so that it tears itself under the stress of its own weight. 
hung horizontally through the wire hoop and allowed to cut itself under its own weight 
hung vertically in the wire hoop and allowed to cut itself under it’s own weight 
allowing clay to form into it’s environment 
hung horizontally and allowed to cut itself under its own weight over a longer period of time, clay was left to dry before experiment.
As I continue to develop this concept, I would like to explore how to demonstrate how each of these experiments gives a new different form, possibly in a performance style. This way allowing the viewer to be present as the action unfolds but then also able to admire the final affect, and feel more connected to the piece. I feel this style of exhibiting would communicate the concept well.
Daniel Scotland CAP 