Shedding of skin

The "shedding of skin" is an important concept in my work. The character in my poem, attempts to "shed her skin", her old ways of life. A difficult life of addiction is hinted at with the line

"Does the gin still cling when you scratch your skin?"

This suggests again something struggling, underneath the surface.

I went shopping for furniture when I was still thinking of my installation as a scene I was creating, not unlike a set design. I ended up with a chair. I was drawn to this object due to its worn look, particularly the worn leather and saw it as fitting with the crib of thorns I had created. A chair for a mother, who has lost/cannot have a child, sitting empty.

I placed on it some old dancing shoes that had belonged to my grandma, that had, themselves began to shed their skin, due to time and the wear and tear of late night dancing.

After a tutorial, I began to see my installation, not as a scene, but as separate objects that could speak to each other, through their domesticity and hints of glamour/former life.

The following are some pictures I took while shopping for furniture and my chosen chair, and photographs taken when placed with my installation.

CHOSEN CHAIR

Chosen chair placed with crib of thorns

These are some of the initial ideas I had of things I could do with the chair, ways in which I could distress/ destroy it. 

These are the notes from my sketch book-

I want to make this chair look as if it's shedding skin. I think it would be better if it was shedding its own skin, rather than adding a substance to it...although I will also experiment with this. LATEX (feels a bit obvious, a bit sterotypical, BUT would create a strangeness, a tactile surface, potentially a sense of danger? The peeling of skin (latex) could appeal to the senses....Could show the sinister, ghostly tone of the poem.

I had various ideas on how to effectively demonstrate/ express destruction.

Ideas included-

Sanding down surfaces and chipping bits off (this might be a too subtle technique, or could be used alongside something else)

Carving, distressing the leather with scissors.

Burn it?

Throwing it down the stairs. (I imagine the protagonist in my poem as quite fiesty, she might have done something like this in "past life") FILM THIS

SOMEHOW making it bubble, like how paint stripper works on making layers of paint bubble. (If I added paint too it I would be adding layers of "skin" to it rather then shedding its skin. However has she done this.....added layer of skin to herself, to her life.....???) SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT

I have got a load of tools out of the garage and have decided to buy another chair and experiment "shedding" on this as I feel it is good to experiment on materials that are close to your concept. 

MORE TO COME