Gregor's Room

 

Paper Sculpture

White copy paper and ink. No adhesives. 

In response to Franz Kafka's short story, The Metamorphosis.

Bed Dimensions: 7.5" x 3" x 5.5"

In Process Pictures

Artist Statement

    In this assignment we were tasked with creating "room" based on Franz Kafka's short story, The Metamorphosis. The story is not a happy one, and I knew from the beginning that I wanted my piece to reflect the darkness and sadness that I felt when I had finished reading. I experimented with multiple techniques for constructing objects using copy paper and water as an adhesive. The boxspring, dresser, and nightstand were constructed by building "boxes" out of the paper, cutting tabs in the panels, and using water to stick the tabs down. The mattress, pillow, bed frame, and mirror were constructed by wetting whole sheets of paper, squeezing the majority of the water out, and then molding the damp paper into the desired shapes. The color was done last with combination of blue and black ink to create a dismal effect. I chose to portray Gregor himself as both a bug and a reflection of a man in the mirror. This reflection where he is just a shadow holding a briefcase speaks to Gregor's feelings about his life when he was still human. Instead of a cockroach or a different bug, I chose to portray Gregor as a ladybug because ladybugs are typically better liked than cockroaches, so I felt it would create more sympathy from the viewer in regard to his metamorphosis.