Artist Statement:

As social creatures we talk everyday, sometimes we are unable to clearly communicate leading to misunderstandings. The mouth for many is the base of communication. When thinking about times when you're unable to get your point across, it reminded me of how it feels like your mouth is working against you, taking on a form of its own.


Description:

The idea for this piece came from sketches and drawings I’ve done in the past of this kind of “monster” mouth. I chose a cross-complimentary color palette to emphasize and create separation between the different sections of the mouth. The process of building started with the lips, this is where I was able to get a good idea of the size I was going for, as the lips act as a border for the rest of the piece. After figuring out this size I sketched out the shape, cut it out, flipped the shape over and cut out a second one. From there I used a whipstitch to attach the two pieces, leaving an opening to then stuff the form. After completing the lips I realized that the whipstitch and I were going to become very well acquainted by the end of this, as I ended up using this same technique for the gums, teeth, back of the mouth, and tongue. Cotton filling was used in everything but the back of the mouth, for that I used a mixture of foam core and quilting fabric so it has a less plump appearance than the rest of the mouth.