Fluxus Box
Materials: Balsa wood, black thread, green, purple, brown, and black ink, Rives toned paper, wood glue, air dry clay, acrylic paint, soap, glass
Dimensions: 6'' x 5.25'' x 12''
Process photos for (top to bottom) soap-carved teeth, leaves, and glass shards.
Measurement sketches for Hiding Place.
http://pikony.com/media/335799715947685119/
Geoffrey Hendricks, Sky Box.
George Maciunas, Excreta.
The box is an incomplete triangular prism as it does not have a lid. This is to represent the vulnerability of some of the characters in the movie as they defy the war general of the base they live on. However, the box is deep and dark to still show how they had to hide.
The wood is sewn together since the process requires stabbing the wood multiple times, not too dissimilar to the torture methods the soldiers used on captured enemies. The wood is distressed, scratched, and stained, being representative of how war can affect a person; war can leave a person paranoid and scarred.
Looking at the rabbit's foot, a common symbol for good luck, there is blood from being cut off. The rabbit's foot is to show the harsh reality of "good". The war general and his mean are first portrayed as good. They are told that they will protect Ofelia and her mother; that these men are fighting for the good of the country. However, his true colors are shown and the opposing side is revealed as the ones who are fighting for good.
The red-stained glass was a result of some research of the film. Guillermo del Toro wanted Pan's Labyrinth to demonize the powerful men in wars. The infamous Pale Man in the movie was a symbol of white supremacy. The glass was showing how the transparency was affected by the red stains; the transparency of the leaders was covered by the blood of others.
Keys appeared in the film quite frequently for the purpose to help Ofelia. However, a broken key does not yield much purpose. Throughout Pan's Labyrinth, Ofelia experiences a series of closing doors, mainly between her mother and her father, the war general. She is given changes to open these doors by the mystical creatures around her, but her parents constantly discipline her for trying to follow through with these chances. They would break her hopes and dreams in order to make her complacent and dependent; they would metaphorically break her keys.
The teeth represent the common torture method of yanking teeth. The movie takes place in the middle of a war zone, so the soldiers capture multiple soldiers, and since they have a torture shed, it is assumed they have tortured many others that may not have been shown.
The pages represent the beginning, middle, and end of the movie. Death never leaves Ofelia's side. She is surrounded by the fact that death consumes all. The ink is running off the pages to show distress. The pages have torn edges to show destruction. The blood on the pages are once again solidify death in the girl's life, as well as paying homage to the future predicting book that Ofelia earns.
The leaves (sewn in with the box) are meant to slightly obstruct the vision of the viewer. The characters often hid belongings that would cause suspicion from the others with the provided environment. Hence, alongside the depth and darkness of the box, the leaves further hide the objects inside.
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