CAMILLA BELLORA GIOVANNI CICOGNA

During my IB course learnt to innovate beyond all horizons; by exploring and experimenting with materials and techniques, learned that without setting boundaries on our imaginations, even a small fragment can develop into an “opera d’arte.” My imagination is what pumps my artistic vein. Living in a country impregnated by art, my art classes taught that a solid, detailed plan is essential in the creation of a masterpiece. But to me, the final creations of Italian classical painters lack improvisation, whilst the speedy lines of their sketches show truer inspiration. Representing the full process, Michelangelo produced pages of changing thoughts for every figure that he later portrayed in the Sistine Chapel. My style, in contrast, is directed by the spur of the moment. flow with my feelings to maintain a high level of spontaneity. My artistic role models tend towards a foreign pathway, for example Andy Warhol’s pop art as opposed to Caravaggio’s baroque paintings. I am especially intrigued by how Roy Lichtenstein and Alighiero Boetti have combined vivid colours with geometric, in-your-face precision to represent emotion, tone and mood. My passion was led by their straightforward, transparent style in expressing their messages. In my current works explored the use of the line through figures and painting techniques, meaning that by using acrylic paint, which dries quickly, was able to add layers of quick straight brushstrokes that create shades without mixing colours. Ironically I am also drawn to the works of Basquiat, where interpretation is not immediately accessible and the viewer needs to “work more” to understand them. This planned chaos allows viewers to have fun by putting themselves in the artist’s shoes to imagine the context and purpose of his works. What attracts is often unconventional, “fuori dalle righe” (outside the lines). Having the freedom to express allows me to access yet unseen representations of my developing voice.

My love of architecture and desire to follow this as a career path led me to start the IB course looking at an array of artists and designers who explore structural qualities within their work. Early inspiration was sparked by the work of De Chirico; his geometric and architectural compositions initiated a journey into composing metaphysical landscapes. His paintings often used techniques of perspective and a dramatic light source. His strange and curious landscapes allowed me to construct a theatrical element and stage together the impossible. I liked the way he incorporated man and landscape together within his paintings, often by adding faceless mannequins to express how he wanted the viewer to interact with his work. Within my own work, I tried to create imaginative landscapes with human figures or the subtle traces of them that explored the idea that humans and nature are equivalent to each other; without each other they cannot exist. As the course developed, I explored the destruction of the landscape through media, pollution and war. Three different British artists: Samuel Palmer, Paul Nash and Graham Sutherland, inspired a series of imaginary landscapes. Influenced by these artists, I explored a more subtle approach than De Chirico towards the role of light in a painting. Light became an important tool to create depth and form within my work. Samuel Palmer inspired me to document landscapes at different times of the day and to study the variety of light omitted without sunlight present. These combinations of techniques resulted in transmitting feelings of loneliness and tragedy through each of my landscape paintings. Afterwards decided to move on from the destruction of war to the process of rebuilding after war. Looking at the artist Kurt Schwitters, I explored constructing artwork with the method of assemblage. I developed and experimented with composition to create a harmony using the rules of thirds to instil a sense of discipline, placement and structure.

Edoarda Dubini Maria Edm E Orombelli

I always loved art at Key Stage 3 but returning to art after not studying GCSE has been a real challenge and also an exciting experience! My confidence and creativity have been boosted, making me view and appreciate concepts from different angles. was particularly interested in how the human figure is represented. I focused on two artists belonging to my Italian culture, Michelangelo’s infamous ‘David’ and the figurative sculpture of Giacometti. The two sculptures began an interesting line of enquiry, one representing strength and beauty and the other a symbol of isolation and desolation so poignantly felt by those who suffered in the war. The two figurative sculptures hence convey two conflicting and contrasting notions that wanted to embed within my work. From these two artists, decided to create a body of work by focusing on the ‘self’ almost conflicted by these two issues. My first self-portrait focused on the stillness and purity of David’s stare ready to face his enemy, abstracted by aggressive geometric shapes interrupting the figure. The following piece “Shadows” was influenced by one of Giacometti’s quotations where he once said he was sculpting not the human figure but “the shadow that is cast.” I engaged with this idea and photographed my own shadow. The shadow then became a cast representation of myself. Antony Gormley became my next inspiration for the following work. I embraced a different issue regarding the self and how one interacts with the surroundings or how the surroundings interact with you. This led to a detailed enquiry in my sketchbook considering not only one’s interaction with nature but also one’s dealings with society. The work of Christo and Jean Claude inspired me greatly to produce my favourite pieces so far in the IB. The objects became an extension and representation of the self and the cloth a symbol of oppression from society.

Taking the IB art course over these past two years has helped me develop into a more open-minded individual by exploring different art-practices and artists from around the world. In response to their work, am now confident to engage with new and unusual methods. I have enjoyed experimenting with a range of media, using materials and processes such as embroidery, batik, ink and bleach. It has been exciting to combine the process of making and experimenting with more complex ideas. Mona Hatoum and Yayoi Kusama have provided a strong source of inspiration in my work. Each project is composed of multiple works, often in series, which show the development of ideas and allowed the transition between 2D and 3D designs that served as complements to each other. I’ve moved on from ‘imitating’ artist’s techniques to exploring the meaning and intention behind their work. This lead me to engage with the theme of voyeurism, and the idea of presenting two different views at the same time in order to create an unsettling sense of introspection. I have taken inspiration from artists such as Hopper, Dufy and Caulfield who have represented this concept in their artwork through the use of windows. Another concept I developed, is that of presenting two different realities simultaneously. Detailed painting allowed me to depict a photographic reality whereas sketches served to replicate the movement within a scene. These two realities co-exist and depend on each other in order to form an image in the viewer’s mind. Throughout the course, I have realised which aspects of my style and work I wanted to change. Initially, I tended to create pieces with vibrant colours and patterns, whereas towards the end have learned to use a more controlled colour palette. This has enabled me to create pieces that are more intense and mature, with greater impact on the viewer.

Adriana Magli Stella Pedersoli

Everyone experiences a certain moment of their life when they crave to fulfil their full potential and creative mind. Art, for me, is that constant in my life: something unremitting, which has helped me develop a sensibility towards new cultures and concepts. Studying Art at IB has prompted me to grow not only as an artist but also as an individual, helping me create a self- directed body of work which is meant to reflect my inner ideas and my personal view of modern society. This freedom to experiment is what has led me to focus on a concept of distorted society, established through a constant evaluation of personal experiences. During the course of the two years, I became completely inspired by my surroundings: from discussing ideas with my peers to critically self-assessing my own work. This aided me in the process of discovering my own artistic individuality and establishing the themes and controversies wanted to assess within my artwork. I particularly enjoyed using a range of media, from oil paint to black pens. The texture created through different layers of oil appeals to me, whilst I use pens for cross-hatching as an impactful and easy way to sketch whenever I am inspired by my surroundings. Through this, I was able to develop patience and determination when creating a new artwork. Overall, studying Art was certainly a fulfilling experience that stimulated me to become a more aware and creative individual. I have loved these past two years and I am excited to apply the transferrable skills I have learned when studying Art at a university level.

The Visual Arts course has been without a doubt, the most challenging yet rewarding experience I have undertaken in my life so far. What has been so fascinating is how have been able to express personal ideas and thoughts, which ultimately have stimulated my creativity. I now understand the sense of vision and the enormous psychological work needed in the completion and realisation of a project. What have learnt from the course is the great synergy needed between my personal, mental analysis and the process of turning it into a physical work of art. began the course with the notion of focusing and drawing inspiration from the Surrealist Art Movement and its major artists. Having said this, my main drive and inspiration during the course has come from the artist Yayoi Kusama, with much of her work consisting of the use of installations to create a feeling of illusion in its audience. My initial work includes a still life painting of objects, with a mixture of metallic and glass surfaces along with a first-hand observational drawing. To develop and incorporate an illusionary effect into my work, I attempted to portray my own understanding of these objects through the exchange of colours and rearrangement of the main focal points. The myriad forms of expression presented by the Surrealistic artists who I’ve been influenced by were overwhelming, yet they still carried a strong sense of harmony with an effective combination of colours and lighting techniques. Frustration and discouragement has been part of my journey, as on several occasions was unable to express and give the right purpose to my pieces. However, the beauty of art does not have barriers nor rules to your personal insights. Being part of such a course has been an amazing experience, where simultaneously I have acquired skills such as a development of my conceptual thinking and a sense of discipline.