Burcu Buyukunal

Terrifying Beauty

Turkey, 2009

Head Piece

Materials:

Brass, Cubic Zirconia

Techniques:

Hand fabrication (shaping), Stone setting

Dimension in cm

15 x 16 x 2

Artist Statement:

My work is driven by conventions and

societal norms relating to the body

prevalent in history both past and present.

Plastic surgery, alternative medicine, and

ways of predicting the future are belief

systems whose underpinnings I am

uncertain of. I use my work to illustrate my

inability to reconcile the purposes, needs,

and motives of these systems and the people

who subscribe to them. As a fairly recent

development in mass culture, plastic

surgery is a system that suggests attaining

beauty popularized by the media. Terrifying

Beauty focuses on the trends of cosmetic

surgery, which oftentimes impose the

conception of Western Beauty, to question

conventions of beauty and challenge the

function of jewelry as adornment. I created

four pieces distorting the face in an unlikely

way, contrasting and contradicting the

purpose of traditional jewelry. I want my

work to surprise and challenge people to

inspire questioning. Suggesting something

extreme, unusual, and irrational is one

strategy to achieve this. I hope the viewer

will immediately ask if they would or would

not wear such pieces.

What was your starting point or your

inspiration for doing this project?

This is very hard to answer. There are a lot

of elements when I work on an idea. I never

remember how I started. What I know is

the idea comes when I force myself to sit in

my studio even if I don’t have anything to

do.

What were the main reasons for choosing

the materials, shapes or technique in your

work?

I wanted to use gold first but it was

expensive for me. So, I used brass that

looks like gold in the photos. Then I

noticed that material hierarchy was

another convention. Thus, using brass

supported my idea. My forms simply

followed the function of each piece.

What kind of feeling you wish the viewers

will get from your work?

I want my work to surprise and challenge

people to inspire questioning. Suggesting

something extreme, unusual, and irrational

is one strategy to achieve this. I hope the

viewer will immediately ask if they would or

would not wear such pieces.

Personal information:

personal website:

www.burcubuyukunal.com

Artist links:

http://crafthaus.ning.com/profile/

BurcuBuyukunal

Inspiring artists:

Ilhan Koman, Semiha Berksoy, Kim Buck,

Joseph Beuys

If I wasn’t an artist what profession would I

choose?

Dentist!

My dream is

To make living with my art.