misplace

The goal of this project is to harness the raw emotions of having lost something, or someone, and turn it into a surrealist 3D model. Dealing with a very strange form of grief has given Gulliver the opportunity to conceptualise and create an artwork that ultimately is remedial.

I decided to pursue a mushroom model, as I see that fungi represent the cyclical nature of birth, death, and decay. I decided to make it biopunk as I feel as though my thoughts into the future resonated with the notion of a dystopian futuristic artwork. I loved the elements of rust in the cyborg world, such as Howls Moving Castle, Chappie, or even General Grievous. Rust, bumps, and other texturally interesting deformities seem to be incredible storytellers. The marriage of the organic and the mechanical seems to linger in my artwork, and I keep managing to find reasons of resonation.

Throughout the creation of the final project, research served as a critical foundation in the design process. Access to a collection of Sean Tan’s work provided ongoing inspiration, informing the atmospheric depth of Misplace. While the vision for the piece remained clear, the design evolved fluidly, allowing the artist to channel emotions into a collage of layered elements in this digital artwork.

In refining the diorama, an intentional reduction of detail introduced negative space that encouraged interpretation and heightened the immersive quality of the scene. This approach fostered a liminal environment with a balance of emptiness and potential fullness—evoking nostalgia and introspection. The interplay of minimalism and focal elements, such as a floating slab of mycelium earth against a solid color background, gave the piece an open-ended aesthetic that invited personal connection.

The skeletal structures, originally conceived as an abandoned camp, evolved into abstract forms, with the metal prongs rising from the earth suggesting imagery like a claw reaching toward the fungal core or the ribcage of a biopunk entity. This interpretative shift added a sense of mystery and depth to the work, enhancing its universal appeal.

Through this project, the artist demonstrated adaptability and a commitment to learning, refining both technique and concept to achieve a cohesive final piece. The result stands as a compelling folio entry, embodying an artistic vision that continues to grow, with future iterations planned to further explore and expand upon the concept.