This screen is composed of two of my visual studies on headgear. The left juxtaposes attire worn to war in the Ancient Roman Empire and WW1, showing how throughout time the importance of beauty and wealth in headgear was replaced by simplicity and practicality. The study on the right is a copy of one of Frida Kahlo’s self portraits I Sketched at an exhibition in Rome. These subsequently inspired my subsequent larger portrait work in which I considered how art could either reveal or conceal ones true identity.
Research into headgear for portrait canv
This screen was further research into headdresses of diverse cultures; here I explored their technical and historical aspect, as seen by the various components of a traditional Native Indian headdress. I was also interested by the greater meaning behind their beauty – for example the symbolism of morality and justice represented in Egyptian crowns.
Headgear from diverse cultures; traditional wearable art.
I made the prints on the right through carving out various layers on a piece of lino. I printed using a darker colour for each successive layer to ensure all layers would remain visible.
Experimentation of portraiture in particular the use of light and shape on a larger scale.
The chalk and charcoal drawing (original size 59.4cm x 84.1cm) is composed of various photographs of my face. Drawing in monochrome meant giving great attention to dramatic lighting and theatrical tension presented in the photographs.
This painting is of a fisheye photograph. The focus of this painting, unlike the previous one, was colour. I chose to paint in shades of purple to keep the comical pose lively. The challenge of this painting was drawing it as the perfective of the photograph was distorted.
Research into the evolution of architecture through cultural influence.
These sketches I have drawn link in to my research about cultural convergence in various countries. The top two drawings are a contrast of old and new architecture in Seville, the bottom left is of a square in Maastricht, and the bottom right is a sketch from a photo I took of people in Rome on New Year’s Eve.
Process and development of textural project entitled; Caught in a whirlpool, struck by ligh
The multiple materials I used in order to complete this project were: paint, tissue paper, clay, Indian ink, and text. The text that I chose to stencil onto my painted reflected the feeling that the project evoked in me: “We're caught up in a whirlpool, pulled beyond time. Somewhere, we were struck by lightning. But not the kind of lightning you can see or hear.” – Murakami
This screen shows the various stages within my Time, Texture, Pattern project. The painted structures in the background of this screen were originally part of an experimentation page. I later on incorporated the design into my painting with ink. The contrast between the sharp structures and the blurred yellow shape leads the viewer to the center of the painting.
This screen is composed of 8 A3 pages. All of these are artist research pages that helped inspire compositions and techniques used in my projects. Some artists, such as Picasso and Fedro helped me explore an alternative style, while other artists such as Degas inspired the conceptual idea for my ballerina project. Other pages, such as the one on the Lament of Icarus, helped develop my my ability to pick apart different elements of an artwork analytically.
Dark colours of death fill the painting – as if everything has been burnt with his death. This can also be seen through nature as the only plant shown at the bottom is brown and dead.
Male body is used to project subjective emotions – the physical and classical beauty of the human figure is central in the painting
The most obvious contrast in this painting are the three pale nymphs that emerge fro the water – they are the only sign of light in the painting. Their naked and pale bodies allow them to possess an angel-like quality. The body of Icarus on the other hand has been painted dark – as if the sun has tanned him. This presents the contrast between death and eternal life. Unlike the tragic story, the painting transmits sensuality through the elegant and romantic façade of Icarus lying on his wings as if there were a soft bed. Furthermore, the nymphs are also romantically embracing him.
This painting by Draper shows the moment in which Icarus, son of Daedalus, dares to fly too near to the sun with wings made of feathers and wax. In the myth his wings fall off and he plunges to his death in the sea (however in the painting they are merely blackened at the ends.
The left side of this screen shows various thumbnail sketches I made after visiting Paris on an art trip. This visual brainstorm for my next project allowed me to evaluate which components would work well together and which story they would convey. From this I concluded that one of my favorite visual elements was Degas’ ballerinas.
This page shows the development of my final painting on portraiture. I created the composition on Photoshop, combining various structural photographs with portraiture. My previous experimentation of facial expressions and colour helped me achieve a dramatic effect in the painting.
My interest in Degas’ sculpture of ‘Little Dancer of 14 years’ – not only its visual aspect but the story of vulnerability and rape behind it, led me to produce the final design for one of my projects (as shown bellow in the three panels). My idea was to make a dressing screen and paint three figures from behind. The first screen shows a ballerina in a perfect pose. In the successive screens the girls clothes fall off, showing the truth behind her life in the Paris Opera. The colours compliment the dark tone of the screens and become darker and more dramatic as the truth is revealed.
Design ideas and development of Degas inspired project you were less deceived
This sketch on the left is a project design based on my theme of nostalgia and inspired by the artist Jacek Yerka.
This screen shows my research into the works of two modern artists who explore the theme of nostalgia. Giuseppe Ciraci does so by using his talent in both painting and drawing to express deep emotions within the expressions of his subjects. Michal Trpak on the other hand takes a far more scientific approach through his anatomical sculptures.
This screen is composed of various observational drawings I made in Paris and Madrid. My further research into these paintings – especially on the one by Christian Schad, inspired the conceptual idea of the artist’s self-reflection in my sculptural project (as explained on the next screen).
After having sketched the horse on the right from Rubens’ painting, I decided draw and observational sketch of two horses I saw in a park to show how artists often exagerate the musclular anatomy of an animal in order to obtain a theatrical effect in the painting
This screen shows artist research that inspired the design of my sculptural project. Rather than sticking to ordinary facial sculptures, Matthew Barney creates double-sides heads to create a powerful impact on the viewer. The concept behind this project comes from the idea that in each artwork, there is some attribute of the painter that is reflected within it. Rather than representing this explicitly, I have done it implicitly through the use of clay casts of my face to show the significance of the artist within the artwork.
The reason I researched these two artists – both extremely different in style, media and objective, is for the originality and power of their work. Jacek Yerka paints imaginary figures, yet his ability to paint in the style of many 15th Century Flemish painters allows him to create paintings that look remarkably realistic. Steve McCurry, a photographer, has the ability to capture a moment in time just like he manages to capture the viewer by transporting them into his world through his lens.
Project development: This screen shows the development of my project based on my brother, with a focus on the tattoo designs I used (which acted as a representation of fading memories over time within my project). I first sculpted three faces, then painted a modified biomechanical tattoo design I found, simplifying it on each face the show the fading of memories. In order for my project to fit better with my other projects, I made a last minute decision to paint all three faces with colours that reflected the mood of the painting (like with my ballerina project. (Ranging from light- happiness, to dark-sadness and nostalgia
Project development: this screen is composed of photographs I took and designs I made relating to two of my projects – both inspired by the theme of nostalgia. With one project I focused on lightness and darkness, and in the other I used slightly more colour while still focusing on lightness and darkness to convey a melancholy atmosphere.
Project development: this screen shows the development process of my project ‘Submissive Detachment’. While the photos on the left enabled me to evaluate the main issues of the painting, the initial painting on the right helped me in deciding which style to paint in. I decided to paint in softer and smoother brush strokes, rather than thick short brush strokes inspired by artists like Van Gogh
This screen is composed of research on artists’ work I saw in Galleries in Madrid. Coincidentally, a range of observational drawings I made during my trip were of older men. Since my ongoing theme is nostalgia, I found that portraits of older characters had more weight and depth to them. This subsequently influenced my post Madrid project as I decided to paint my Grandfather from a recent photograph and one when he was twenty – showing how the depth of expressions changes over time.
Preparing for my portrait canvas; looking at ways in which to explore other artist’s use of colour and style in order to portray complex emotions through distorted facial features.
This screen is composed of various sketches done in art galleries in Madrid and Paris. The woman’s face is a painting by Dali of his sister, the two portraits on the right are by Anne-Louis Girdet and Jacob Gerritszoon, the full body figure Alfred Coultres’ modern representation of Saint Sebastien, and the drawing on the left is one of multiple sketches I did of The Raft of the Medusa by Gericault. I chose to put these studies together as the different styles and time periods are connected (in most cases) by the theme of sailing and exploration. Furthermore, the Raft of the Medusa, like the painting of Saint Sebatien, are both controversial in representing figures and events of the past.