IB Visual Arts 2010-2012
Davide Baldanzi Robin Bonar-Law Gabriel Carucci Gioia Emidi Paolo Ferrara Melina Gerdts Jonathan Moens Sophie Turnbull Leda Yang
Davide Baldanzi Over the past two years of IB art I have chosen to focus on the themes of “movement” and “appearance.” My other diploma subjects, particularly English and History, were extremely influential and presented alternative perspectives, particularly literature. The Dystopian novel “The Handmaid’s Tale” portrays women as oppressed beings and devoid of individuality, such oppression was symbolised through the women’s restrictive clothing. Consequently, this fed into my video project “Rhythm of a Summer’s Afternoon.” This new medium pushed me towards experiencing “movement” or its restriction in the context of the sexes, as I constructed, and performed in a Victorian-style garment which symbolised the archaic repression of women achieved through clothing. My artwork was initially figurative, 2-D based, featuring soft, flowing brushstrokes. As the course progressed my style evolved. I experimented with scale and volume of my artworks and my style progressively became bolder both in brushwork and colour-use. This was further aided by my increasing experimentation of different mediums like oil bars, seen in my life-drawing inspired project “When we are naked; we are civilians again”, this observational piece and the new medium enabled me to express the vitality of action and movement which can only be obtained by directly observing the human form. I also draw inspiration from regular exhibition visits, finding that by analysing and deconstructing artwork in person allows one to fully comprehend the artist’s use of concept, media and technique. I was inspired by both Bacon’s and Munch’s work at the MOMA in New York, as their depiction of ephemeral subjects in a state of transubstantiation made me reflect of humanity’s own transient condition. Influencing my own artwork “I’m a phoenix in the water”, where I experimented with mixed media in creating a layered and textured effect, in achieving the snapshot of the ever fleeting, intangible moment.
Robin Bonar-Law Art must astound and surprise both through technical virtuosity and the ideas that it transmits. IB Art Higher has provided me with the opportunity to flourish as an artist. Over the past two years I have unearthed my own personal artistic panache through experimented with new techniques and styles. A great number of my projects were based around the theme of “contrast”. I have focused predominantly on the leitmotif of aesthetic contrast (i.e. chiaroscuro or geometrical contrasts). In addition to this chief theme I often integrated secondary themes, such as, the 2011 riots across the UK, visits to Madrid and Paris or themes centred on artists like “WK interact”. Many of my stylistic influences as a painter span from the masterful work of Adolphe Valette and Mitch Griffiths. From these artists I gained a devout admiration for the use of chiaroscuro in portraiture; an element that, in my opinion, adds realistic depth, drama and a cinematic impact to my work. Nonetheless, much of my inspiration originates from the artists I have seen first-hand in galleries in Rome and on my trips abroad such as Velazquez, Caravaggio and Rembrandt. I am fascinated with printing techniques; this fascination led me to explore screen, wood-block, lino printing techniques. In much of my work there is an element of a layering of the old and new, this is linked to my personal transition from industrialised northern England to Rome. I have explored many types of media; however, one media I have become particularly adept in is stencilling an art form I researched for my extended essay. I admire street artists’ ability to maintain precision whilst under pressure. Remnants of a street art style flow throughout a lot of my projects, for example, the bold (almost block-like) shading and high contrast drawing style in projects such as ‘Untrust Us’ and ‘Afterglow’. Lots of my work is illustrative in style and is influenced by graphic design, this is perhaps due to my early admiration of propaganda posters and German early modernism.
Gabriel Carucci My development on the IB visual arts course has been consistently influenced by my early upbringing in Ethiopia and how these experiences have been combined and filtered with my more recent life in Rome. I have used projects such as "Tizita” to explore how the art of the Copt’s of Egypt, the art of the Nubians and Byzantine art have been assimilated within Ethiopian art up to the present day. My own studio projects tend to reflect diverse cultural influences. Whilst gallery visits in Rome, Madrid and Paris and further afield have allowed me to explore the work of a range of Western artists, Lulseged Retta, a prominent contemporary Ethiopian artist, has probably had the most significant influence upon my recent work. Degas’ portrayal of dancers became the main source of inspiration in the creation of a painting entitled “The Restrictions of Grace”. This particular project focused on the rules and restriction of movements that characterize ballet. On the other hand Chagall s’ style was used in the creation of figures which seem to float around the compositions, replicating the graceful movements of the dancers. As a result I constructed my own style which was able to merge my current experiences and influences of European artists and the Ethiopian elements that recur in my work. My studio projects have been built around a steady progression of themes including: the silencing of media, confinement, power as well as the present and the forgotten. The silencing of media in particular was a theme which tied my work to my life in contemporary Italy. Projects including ‘Telling the Truth Does Not Mean Defaming’ consider the control of media by the government as well as criminal organizations such as the Italian Camorra. Correspondingly investigating concepts of ‘confinement’ inspired projects involving photographic studies and canvas based paintings. Whilst visiting New York, I was inspired by the city’s immensity and its imposing buildings; suffocating and analogously portraying the inability to escape from this jungle of concrete. This resulted in the creation of “Concrete Jungle” formed using oil on canvas placing great emphasis on the city’s metro.
Gioia Emidi During my creative journey as an IB Visual Arts student, I have explored my Italian and Japanese origins, in terms of culture and art. My most complex and ambitious projects examine concepts of “rebirth”. This includes a set of photos entitled “The Cycle of Innocence” that then developed into several acrylic and oil-based paintings. During my studies I was keen to seek new ways to express my concepts and beliefs, particularly my interest with the human mind. I drew inspiration from literature, particularly Beckett’s “Waiting for Godot”. In mixed media projects such as “Pour a Little Life Inside that Jar”, I have sought to capture the human fascination with life, consciousness and existence present in Beckett’s work. Other artists that have contributed to my painting technique include Caravaggio, Rembrandt and Bacon. Their fascination with dramatic lighting and surface texture has helped to shape my own work as a painter and also as a photographer. “It Dwells Inside My Body Like An Uninvited Guest” and “Cooking With Massimo” are examples of my experimentations with use of colour and technique. Aspects of symbolism in paintings inspired me to incorporate coded elements in my photography and paintings. Visiting the Venice Biennale of 2011 nurtured my interest in contemporary art, examples include a wax sculpture by Urs Fischer which compelled me to use a wider range of media in my projects and a room installation by James Turrell reminding me of the importance of absorbing art through all our senses. Attending life drawing classes enabled me to gain confidence in my observational drawing skills. I have continuously striven to challenge myself as an artist. This extended specifically to my personal photographic endeavors outside of school, which is where inspiration for many of my projects comes from. I frequently apply myself both as the performer or subject in front of the lens, taking great care with the composition and lighting behind the viewfinder.
Paolo Ferrara To me, Art is not only a method of expression, but a way for people to create something that is meaningful to them. Expanding on this idea pushed me in wild and interesting directions. I focus on the details, and consider how they can be used in an artistic sense. For instance, I have observed and drawn various broken pots to then recreate them and piece them together in my “Compound” sculpture. The pots I created were based heavily on my original observations, absorbing details from my research which then fused with my own view. Then I expanded on the fact that they were broken, deciding to smash some during the construction of my sculpture to further emphasise their destroyed, yet connected, status. From my theme of tension, to my theme of space and dimensions, I had to expand my approach to art. This meant adopting new perspectives and tackling new problems as a result. As an example, whilst developing ideas for my theme of “tension”, I considered the microscopic and subatomic world for inspiration, which led me to develop my “explosion” painting by piecing together in Photoshop very small details of various objects. I can observe the world around me and coagulate what I see into concepts and ideas for my art. I have always had an interest in animation, and I have explored it in my studio work through my stopmotion skeleton animation project, providing myself with a detailed understanding of the motion of the human body. I observed Muybridge’s animations for the project, utilizing his movements as keyframes for my animation. However, the remaining frames were my own interpretation, causing the overall walk to be much more different from his own. This shows how my own vision can connect with that of other artists and take influence from them, yet retain an artistic style that is purely my own.
Melina Gerdts I used to be so bored when my parents dragged me into galleries and exhibitions. I didn’t understand painting and sculpture, it didn’t fascinate me, it confused me. When I started IB Art my main passion was photography. When I discovered that the programme in my new school expected me to explore a wide range of media I tried to hide in my comfort zone, using oil pastels and charcoal/chalk for my first studio projects, following the theme “Identity.” I am a nomad, as I have lived in 5 different countries so this project was very personal for me.
During our art trip to Paris last year, I had my epiphany: I was at last inspired by the work that I saw in museums. I was captivated by Picasso, Seurat and Monet because they painted ordinary objects in an extraordinary way. Back in Rome, I no longer merely dipped my toe into the risky waters of the IB program, I plunged right in! I tried out different combinations of media, including layering my photography with acrylic paint and oil bar, and making a statue with photographs collaged on its surface. I was especially inspired by Arnulf Rainer, who painted over his own photographs. In my major projects I tried to express my anger at the way society tries to contain and shape women into the “ideal,” And also tackled an important issue: Bulimia. These projects include “We don’t Eat” and “What do they want us to look like this week?” Taking part in life drawing sessions outside of school enriched my sketching techniques and also helped me understand human anatomic proportions. During a recent Madrid trip I experimented with long exposure night photography techniques: using a slow shutter speed and flash to capture the first moment, simultaneously zooming in or out. With this effect I captured the energy and vitality of the city and its people. At the end of these two years I am now a confident painter and an even more experimental and imaginative photographer. I not only enjoy visiting galleries and exhibitions with my parents now, I seek them out on my own initiative, greedy for more inspiration.
Jonathan Moens As an artist, reality is my guide but never the absolute reality I seek to depict. Whether it is exaggerations or distortions, I have built an inherent appreciation of modeling and manipulation to reveal forms, which ultimately, don’t exist as tangible visual entities, but that I bring to life. As such, my theme ‘Hidden forms’ attempts to illuminate and discover unexpected shapes. In projects such as ‘Sank Beneath Your Wisdom Like a Stone’ I extend and layer imagery so as to express the reality veiled within. Entering the IB Art course has stoked my perception of art, teaching me that art retains the power to project ideas, concepts and even movements that are beyond other disciplines. Captivated by the heterogeneity of human flourishing, I use my work as a device to further explore the evolution of societies and the human condition. I make a several references to Literature, particularly, dystopian novels such as ‘Brave new world’ and ‘1984’ which I use as a device to comment upon the social degradation of our contemporary societies. The conceptual depth of my work, first ignited by Bruce Nauman, showed me how symbolism can give even the most ordinary objects an artistic value. My sculptural work often shows rhythmical, fast flowing and exaggerated marks, which are partly as a result of my personal instinctive creative process, but also a direct influence of Francis Bacon’s ghostly, yet vibrant figures. Bacon’s attempts to distort images ‘back to reality’ have influenced my own layering and extending of forms within projects such as ‘ A dissection of Silvio’. Exploring and combining different techniques including ceramics, paint on canvas, monoprinting and oil bars I have been able to borrow motifs created from one medium to then transmit them onto another. For example a lot of my 3dimensional works are evident repercussions of my rapid life drawings from the human form. My objective in art is not to convey beauty; it is to project my ideas and concepts in their purity and rawness. I seek to challenge and intrigue the viewer, and allowing them to respond as though it were an imaginary debate.
Sophie Turnbull IB art has led me to focus upon creative and conceptual processes within my own work and the work of other artists I have investigated. The scope of what I consider to be 'art' has expanded after trips to contemporary exhibitions at the Pompidou, the Reina Sofia in Madrid and Bodyworks in Rome. My replications of Oliver Herring’s unconventional artistic experiments led to my most conceptually challenging and unusual piece, “The Fountain,” combining elements of performance, photography and autobiography. In “Quinceanera,” I tried to blend anthropology and art, tackling the theme of globalization with the influence of Martin Wilner’s style. I developed this idea after researching the Chapman Brothers’ ‘Chapman Family Collection,’ inspiring me to combine two former projects in order to draw a comparison between the cultures of France and Zanzibar in “Palaces.” As a “third-culture-kid,” having lived and travelled in East Africa and Italy, I often find myself comparing European culture with that I have experienced in Ethiopia. After attending life-drawing classes outside of school, the human figure has become prominent in my studio work. Similarly, through the exploration of networks, I became enthralled with the depiction of skulls, as they illustrate the extremes of the human condition - life and death. Additionally to developing my grasp of unconventional art, I feel I have simultaneously honed my abilities in traditional skills of painting and sculpture, especially in recent projects concerning the theme of purity. At the start of the course, I didn’t feel particularly confident depicting realism with paint, having struggled with my canvas self-portrait, “Long Tall Sally.” I found I preferred a more abstract style, as in “The Rhythm of the Heat,” and used pointillist techniques in “Behind the Scenes.” However, I have progressed to more detail in my recent paintings “So She Spat” and “The Blues.”
Leda Yang
I have always made art, in school and at home. The IB course has enabled me to focus my ideas through choosing central themes, particularly Forms in Nature. I tend to constantly generate ideas for projects in media ranging from glazed ceramics to living plants. Not all of these experimental projects have been shown in my final exhibition, but they have all influenced the final works that are present. My practical laboratory work in HL Biology has left me fascinated by natural, organic forms. As a consequence I explored extreme macro photography of preserved specimens. These images have influenced my 3D projects such as “Spines Nerves and Roadkill”. My 2D work also explores growth, fragility and decay, but sometimes adds layers that reflect my interest in human psychology and literature. Kafka’s Metamorphosis has been a particular influence on projects such as “Claws”. There were artists who accompanied me throughout my transitions such as Zhuang Bao Lin and Marina Abramovic, keeping me linked to traditional media and at the same time leading me through contemporary experimental ideas. Also artists like Anish Kapoor, have initiated interests in the nature of materials and media, the textures and the way they behave and especially what pigment and materials are able to do, their unpredictability and the complex/varied simplicity in their character. Attending life drawing classes outside of school has had a massive impact upon my work and confidence in projects such as “Ladies”. I refined my interpretation of forms and shapes of the human body and patterns in nature.