Confirmatory Stage Final Project Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
DIPLOMA IN FOUNDATION STUDIES (ART AND DESIGN) STATEMENT OF INTENT 1. NAME: Jessica Wilkinson 2. CANDIDATE NUMBER: 3. WORKING PROJECT TITLE: “Epiphany” 4. PROJECT AREA: Mixed Media Section 1 PROGRESS AND ACHIEVEMENT THROUGH UNITS 1-7 The exploratory term has been a wonderful opportunity to discover new elements of art and different Medias, I am surprised by what I have found myself enjoying in the past few months and excited to explore them further in the coming term. In the next term I will choose Fine Art to follow as painting is the media I enjoy most, although after my brief encounter with Mixed Media, I hope to research ideas that collaborate my love of painting with altering imagery. Individually each segment has its positives and negatives. Photography, at the beginning of the course, fuelled my imagination for later in my work. I was able to research and photograph ideas that I was interested in, but I felt like this work had no real conceptual meaning for me until I reached the painting segment and was able to look back on my work, as there were lots of ideas to be balanced. Frankly, I found the technical side of photography (understanding editing etc.) to be really dull. Nevertheless, I was really proud of my final photos and they bettered my following work. In drawing I loved capturing the finer details in my sketches, however because of the nature of the work I spent less time on researching and I feel I could have benefitted from looking outside the box as I did later in my sketchbook. The large self-portrait study in biro is still my favourite page in the sketchbook! Painting is by far the segment I felt most passionate about. Through this study, I found that I have a particular liking for impressionist paintings and also, painting at a larger size. I am sure this will be a large factor of my future workings. The component of print that I was most fond of was the research and concept rather than the making of the prints. Perhaps because I didn’t like the block printing means of creating lino print or I didn’t enjoy the process itself, but I hope I don’t have to do this again… 3
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
The work I completed in mixed media took me by surprise. At first, I think I completed the work a bit reluctantly and even half-hearted. However, after feedback from my tutors I felt the need to look over the work I had completed to see where I could improve. As I developed my ideas in this segment and looked at several artists I found that there were techniques that I enjoyed and would like to pursue again. The experience also taught me to try and not be so isolated with my work as I deeply benefitted from the comments made by others. After mixed media, I decided to spend more time developing textiles and found the result to make such a difference. By the time I came to creating my final piece I had a lot of different techniques under my belt to try out that I enjoyed, especially the batik. The only negative is I would have liked to recreate the dress again so I could alter all the frustrating moments that occurred while making it, so I would have the most vibrant result possible. Finally, sculpture – another media I really loved working on, especially my research into Despiau, an artist I feel will deeply influence my work in the months to come. Unfortunately, I didn’t give myself enough time to go above and beyond where I finished although I am certain I will have a chance to work with sculpture in the near future. Overall, I am thrilled with the progress I have made with my art. I have come to understand that impressionism and realism are really important to me in my work, and that I value technique over concept. In addition, I now realise the message I want to deliver in each sketchbook page and that my roots are firmly in fine art. I hope to continue developing and improving as i felt I have done over the next term. Section 2 PATHWAY CHOICES ‘Voyeurism’ has certainly been a challenging topic, it was important for me to remove the connotations of the definition and focus on voyeurism from an artist’s perspective. My direction was captured perfectly in a passage found in American Journal of Psychotherapy, 51:174- 184, 1997. It “theorized that stalking, or obsessional following, is a pathology of attachment in which rejection by an object stimulates humiliation and shame, which are quickly defended against with rage. The abandonment rage fuels the subject's pursuit, with an intent to devalue the object in real life, paradoxically restoring the subject's narcissistic linking fantasy to the idealized object (Meloy, 1996).” This illustrates the link between voyeurism and fascination or neuroticism rather than sexual obsession. Meloy calls these ‘dramatic moments’, but by the end of my project I feel like I successfully challenged his opinion by producing a work that demonstrates the slow build of distanced events in the story of the voyeur. Hopefully, since it is from the voyeurs perspective, it shall make the viewer feel uncomfortable and perhaps voyeuristic themselves by looking at the images. 4
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
My final piece, and the pieces leading up to that point, achieved the dark and sinister atmosphere for which I was aiming. The work was bigger in size than the previous strips (80cmx30cm) which allowed more space to build on the layers. In this process, I also pre-made textures by painting oil on magazine cuttings and allowing it to dry before working. My ability to layer and appreciate the contrasts in tone have improved during this work. For myself, the best element in the work is the obsessional repetitiveness as I feel it really captures the attachment to the voyeur’s surroundings. If I could develop the work further I would consider adding a three dimensional factor to the work, such as building branches on the work with foil, as I tested previously. Overall, ‘Voyeurism’ has been a riveting topic which I thoroughly enjoyed. I look forward to taking these skills into my final project and allowing the lessons from this subject to influence my work in the future. Section 3 FINAL MAJOR PROJECT AIMS AND REALISATION My interest in Epiphanies and ‘Aha!’ moments sparked when reading a book by Elise Ballard last summer. Ballard documented a series of interviews with influential people from all over the globe about events that changed their lives. I asked myself “what creates an epiphany?” and “how does it make people change?” Epiphanies are also known as ‘eureka moments’ or discoveries that are related to life experience, maths, science, art, religion and philosophy. After deciding that this would be my topic for my Final Major Project. My research split into three defining categories: the time before the epiphany occurs, when information culminates in the person’s subconscious mind ready to fall into place. The moment of epiphany, when (according to scientific studies) the visual mind has a moment of blankness as the epiphany strikes and the effects the epiphany has on a person’s life. To express profound thoughts, time and extreme change in a person’s life is a difficult task but I believe it can be achieved through colour and light. I will explore capturing this moment by building media and using strong contrast in my work. Greg Dunn, a doctor in neuroscience and an artist who creates images of the brain, has inspired me to look at the patterns of cells and other artists that use neurology as a starting point in different medias are an interest to me. I like the idea of using sculptural elements in my mixed media work to make the work come to life, if I have the time to develop my work that far.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Section 4 EVALUATION I shall evaluate the techniques used and my thoughts on the project as I develop, analysing each stage and evaluating my findings by writing in my sketch book and I will react to these findings by changing my work accordingly .I shall also explore the work of other relevant artists who describe ideas associated with Epiphany to inspire my own work. I shall enjoy using the skills I have learnt in my previous units to achieve the highest quality in my pieces.
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Final Project
Term 3
Epiphany
Week Numbe r
Jessica Wilkinson
Stage 3
Assessment Information
20th April 1 (Mon)
Research
Reading/ Finding Resources & Artists
27th April 2
Research
Reading/ Finding Resources & Artists
4th May
3
Research
Subtopics
11th May
4
Ideas Generation
Visualising
18th May
5
Ideas Generation/ Development
Technical/ Idea Development
1st June
6
Ideas Technical/ Idea Generation/Development Development
8th June
7
Final Outcome
Technical/ Idea Development
15th June
8
Final Outcome
Final Piece
22nd June
9
Evaluations
Writing up all notes & evaluating
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Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Epiphany Research: The word Epiphany is likened to words phrases used in science, religion and art, as an Eureka moment or a discovery. Last summer I read a collection of interviews from influential people around the globe in a book by Elise Ballard. A few of the definitions include “a realisation; an opening; a moment of descending light and open knowledge” and my favourite “a moment that changes the lens through which we you view your life.” In my research towards this project I shall look at how epiphanies have been viewed in history. Often they have been connected to religion or even the supernatural – and more recently to neuroscience and psycho analysis. Epiphanies can also be defined in their 3 stages; before, after and during. I really enjoyed creating this page in my sketchbook and found a few techniques and textures that really appealed to me. For example, the foil and the textiles on the ground of the page produce interesting contrast on the page. Also, I trialled a myriad of mark making techniques. In one instance, I used a bud of fabric to daub in one area to make it darker, in another I made multidirectional marks or a spiralling effects that allow more light on some parts of the page and an opaqueness in others. Finally, I marked sections of the page and foil with gesso to bring lighter tones to the surface. [ref: page 1]
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Research: Psychology For many years’ scientists and psychologists have tried to understand how the brain works and why we have epiphanies. In psychology, people are interested in what are considered to be the life altering moments and the study of the mental processes. I am interested in how to portray cognitive psychology in imagery. Main references are to the brain collecting information, on a topic and an epiphany occurs when the brain is triggered by a fresh stimulus which then transfers this culmination of ideas from the subconscious to the conscious mind creating the effect of a sudden realisation. Your subconscious mind is also the place where your beliefs and memories are stored. I believe that the use of transfer could be of good practice as a process in my art work when portraying this relay of information. I read about a study where scientists John Kounious and Mark Beeman did a study of these eureka moments on a test group. Participants were presented with three words (e.g., crab, pine, sauce), and were instructed to think of a single word that forms a familiar two-word phrase with all three (e.g., apple can join with crab, pine and sauce to form pineapple, crab-apple and applesauce). As soon as participants thought of a solution word, they pressed a button to indicate whether the answer had come to them suddenly (through insight), or if they used a methodical hypothesis testing approach—in other words, a trial-and-error approach. Their brain waves were then monitored whilst they solved the problem, in some cases it came to them suddenly, as a Eureka moment would. The experiment showed that high frequency gamma occurs in the brain at this moment. (This links to neuroscience and imagery. - www.brainworldmagazine.com/the-aha-moment) A study was made by Jaoa Correia at Maastricht University in the Netherlands showing that the mind is unique to a person, having similar functions but details that are as different as the face. *which could be interesting to perceive in colour and perspective in a collection of works. My sketchbook for this term is a work in itself, allowing me more time and space to work on techniques as I develop my research and each pages. I am keen on finding thick textures on the ground of the page and have therefore been using textiles, wallpaper and gesso to build on the surface. Then I used a combination of acrylic and ink to produce transfers or patterns on the page. The interesting result of this technique was that, like the mind, the words became part of the background rather than the foreground and in some instances are almost illegible. I could use this technique in the future to illustrate the information stored in our brain that is not at the forefront of our consciousness. [ref: page 3]
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Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Research: Religion Epiphany was an ancient Christian feast day, and I use the Greek Orthodox celebration as an example in my research as I feel the Greek Orthodox idea of an Epiphany fits closest to my beliefs of what man and religion should represent; the revelation of God to mankind. For me, this further acknowledges man’s ability to give themselves a rebirth, as it has been acknowledged have for centuries. Epiphany, a combined Greek word which is derived from epi: to and phainein: to show, to show forth, to shine upon; the noun is epiphaneia, meaning appearance, manifestation “January the 6th is recorded in the annals of the Christian Church as an ancient celebration of an event in the life of Jesus Christ which is considered as the beginning of His official dedication to His Divine Mission.”. The feast of Epiphany celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ, His Baptism and the appearance of the Father and the Holy Spirit-the first and only united appearance of the true Christian God. The epiphany also celebrates the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist.. The word Epiphany was born in its religious roots with the definition, ‘to show, make known or reveal’. During my research into religion, art and epiphanies I viewed podcasts such as Jerimiah Dickeys Ted Talk, where he spoke of art from the past not being able to be put into context by the modern day viewer. For example the original painting of The Baptism of Christ by Matteo di Giovanni in the mid-1400s that is held in the national gallery. Can a modern day viewer really understand and appreciate this piece of art with all the present influences. After all, in the current day, we live a different lifestyle and people celebrate religion and art in a divergent mind-set. Additionally, this panel was the central section of a polytych, and is now displayed without its other pieces. Can an older piece of art, which is not surrounded by illustrations that hold the same message or come from different time periods truly represent its intentions? The National Gallery also holds a catalogue of Art publications on a religious theme. As I produced this page, I felt like I was communicating the research I was conducting. Firstly, as the positioning of the title on the blue background made it appear as if hovering in the sky, majestic and godly. This is emphasised by the text, where I used gesso to highlight and charcoal to produce shadows. The standard verse structure of the text looks biblical as a Psalm would.
[Ref: page 5]
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Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Research: Neuroscience Neuroscience is the study of the brain, and is in the opinion of many, man’s greatest understanding – to understand the mechanics of one’s self. There are four lobes of the cerebral hemisphere; the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, occipital lobe and the temporal lobe. The frontal lobe is associated with executive functions and motor performance (reasoning, planning, parts of speech, movement, emotions, and problem solving). The temporal lobe is associated with the retention of short and long term memories. It processes sensory input including auditory information, language comprehension and naming. The occipital lobe is the visual processing centre of the brain. The parietal lobe is associated with sensory skills. As we have realised from Psychology of the epiphanies, an epiphany is a direct result of the problem solving sector of the brain so our focus will be on the frontal lobe. In other words, the brain solves problems by using electrochemical signals. “The signals form within neurons, pass along the branch-like axons and - by the release neurotransmitter chemicals - they jump from one neuron to the next across gaps called synapses.” Scientists are still studying how the brain can consciously or subconsciously perform functions and create thoughts. “Solving problems can happen in two ways. It can be a type of thought or calculation - pulling information from memory, filtering new information, combining it all and weighing up alternatives. Or it can be a gut instinct - a decision made by the more primitive emotional part of our brain, like the mental equivalent of a reflex.” If we think about a subject often enough, we can collect enough information in our unconscious mind for the answer to sometimes come to us, but it is the calculations of the brain that allow us to add 2 + 2 together. My own interest in neuroscience on the topic of epiphany was discovered when looking for artists that combined a love for science with art, I stumbled across http://www.sfn.org/ and www.beautifulbrain.com/. Both websites share images of the inner workings of the brain are truly breath-taking. The ground of the page had a great deal more gesso appointed to it to allow for enough contrast for the black marker pen I used to create the pattern of the neurons. The neuron was not as realistic as it should have been, in fact I have found a precise illustration of the interconnecting cells in the brain describing the relationship between the cell body and the dendrites [pg. 36, Brain Story, Susan Greenfield] that I would refer to next time for greater accuracy. [Ref: page 7]
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Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Research: Supernatural Evidence of the para normal is slim pickings, the knowledge of supernatural activity is labelled as unexplained phenomena. “Approaching the paranormal from a research perspective is often difficult because of the lack of acceptable physical evidence from most of the purported phenomena. By definition, the paranormal does not conform to conventional expectations of nature. Therefore, a phenomenon cannot be confirmed as paranormal using the scientific method because, if it could be, it would no longer fit the definition.” Belief of the supernatural grew exponentially in the 19th century. The 1800s spawned countless tales of ghosts and spirits and spooky events. Some of them, like legends of silent ghost trains gliding past startled witnesses on dark nights, were so common that it's impossible to pinpoint where or when the stories began. Around this time, parlour games such as the Ouija board became popular as entertainment. It gave rise to the belief of outer sources being able to communicate with mortal beings. Let’s focus on what causes an epiphany; when a culmination of information collects in our minds there may be a sudden aha moment (epiphany) from a trigger. In the last century, science has come a long way, but before such occurrences were explained through religion or the paranormal. Professor William Miller did a survey considering Epiphanies. As they often come to people during the most mundane of activities, many of his subjects reported that it seemed more like a message from an outside source. That encounters with such ‘aha’ moments felt ‘mystical’, which explains why historical accounts were thought to be communications from the divine. Today, scientists do not consider this to be a plausible explanation, of course. [Ref: page 9]
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Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
The epiphany of Maya Angelou; My favourite story Elise Ballard’s Epiphany: DR MAYA ANGELOU IS A CELEBRATED AFICAN AMERICAN POET, NOVELIST, EDUCATOR, ACTRESS, PRODUCER, HISTORIAN & CIVIL RIGHTS ACTIVIST The truth is everybody has probably 250 epiphanies. The way you’re changed at 10 prepares you to be changed at 15, but you could not have been changed at 15 if you had not been changed at 10. You see what I mean? Epiphany builds upon Epiphany. When my son was born I was 17, and I came home from hospital my mother put hm in bed with me. I was so afraid I would roll over. But she told me I’d be alright. I thought I might smother him or something. Sometime in the night she awakened me and said “don’t move, just look”. I had put my arm up and the blanket over so my baby was lying in a tent. Then my mother said to me “you see baby, when you mean right, you do right.” A few years later, when I was maybe 22 or so, I was studying voice and the voice teacher live in my house and rented from me. Once a month he’d ask his students to come together and read from a book called “Lessons on Truth”. At one point I was reading and read the line “god loves me”. The teacher stopped me and said ‘read it again’... so I read it again “god loves me”. He said “again”. Suddenly, I felt embarrassed, I was young and black and all else were white and accomplished. So I read it with ferocity “GOD LOVES ME”. And at that moment, I knew it, I thought: “God? That which made bees and mountains and water? That? Loves me? Maya Angelou? Well then, there’s nothing I can’t do. I can do anything good. “Even now as I’m telling you this some fifty years later it still brings Goosebumps to me. I could weep with the knowledge that I am loved by love itself. Touched by An Angel We, unaccustomed to courage; exiles from delight live coiled in shells of loneliness; until love leaves its high holy temple and comes into our sight; to liberate us into life. Love arrives; and in its train come ecstasies; old memories of pleasure ancient histories of pain. Yet if we are bold, love strikes away the chains of fear from our souls. We are weaned from our timidity; In the flush of love's light; we dare be brave; And suddenly we see that love costs all we are; and will ever be. Yet it is only love; which sets us free. Maya Angelou 18
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Idea #1: Religion The Christian holiday of epiphany is about rebirth, and in all the accounts I’ve read involving faith the subject describes extreme clarity. Psalms 119:18 reads ‘Open my eyes, that I may behold Wonderful things from Your law.’ and captures the message of my idea – that religion brings hope and light to people’s lives which will be reflected in the colour and texture of the paint. On the left I have taken a section of Rauschenberg’s “Charlene, 1953-4” (4 panels, multiple materials, 7'5 x 9'4), increasing the temperature to 11200K and adapting the colour to Gold, Accent Colour 4. This is the version of his work would be the aim for my idea. In my sketchbook I have started to consider the idea by creating texture on the page using white gesso. I realise to create this piece would be a lengthy process as I’d intend on building upon the surface and using an impasto technique to achieve an abstract style I desire, although I’d keep the size modest to create the greatest amount of impact in the space. This is important to me as the immensity of a religious epiphany does not mirror our day-to-day reality, so the work has to show the contrast. To generate a varied texture, I also added textiles and paper of differing density and quality. When the first layer of gesso had dried, I applied it again using multidirectional marks to create energy but this made the gesso dry with a distracted atmosphere. If I took this idea further I’d create marks with my pallet knives like a helix forming a tighter spiral towards the centre of the piece to create focus; imitating the idea of clarity. This would create a textured surface in the background of the image before I begin applying the paint. Once I had achieved the correct consistency of the surface, I’d use warm colours with metallic elements as the gold accents the majestic quality associated with clarity and higher power. I’d also intend to use highlights in the centre to create a focal point at the centre of the helix and wear down the paint with sandpaper. The reason I’d keep the foreground distressed is to suggest that the feeling epiphany is long-established, and derived from the Old Testament, which effects the mood of the idea.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Idea #2 & #3: Supernatural When paranormal activity is spoken of it’s usually associated with what is left behind by the supernatural. My stimulus my paranormal ideas is an article on ‘paranormalhaze.com’ that showed pictures of mysterious ghosts sightings and the phenomenon that is spirits staying on this planet with unfinished business – perhaps such as giving epiphanies? The photo [to the right] positioned in the article is a famous picture taken in 1936 of the ghost of Raynham hall. My first idea was that an image of a person could be transferred over another photo, information marking across them to represent the imprint of a presence. On the other hand, I thought perhaps handprints could be a significant indication as not only does it indicate presence but also it is as if the complexity of the handprint has been imprinted on you by the paranormal. In my sketchbook, I began to reflect on the idea by printing handshapes in a ghostly echo by using PVA and then creating a shadow using charcoal to show the contrast. Although I wasn’t pleased with the initial result, it made me contemplate there being two layers, for example having an intricate pattern on a handprint that had an over lay of glass with a white hand print to symbolise two different elements coming together. What would deter me from using an idea based on the supernatural is that the basis of the theory that the supernatural motivate the minds of the mortal is outdated and fanciful. Also, the research that I found behind these ideas were weak, any hints of realism would be based on suggestion in contrast to the work
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Idea #4: Neuroscience/ Psychology The focus of my fifth idea is again, “what happens in the brain during an epiphany?”. Using secondary brain scans I would copy to create an abstract painting capturing the ‘aha’ moment, I have been scouring the internet for collections of CAT scans as a basis for my imagery. The inspiration of this idea is the colour that an epiphany can bring into your life. By taking the images and modifying it I can relate the human experience to their biology. In the book ‘brain story’ by Susan Greenfield, she has an illustration of a computer coloured section through the head showing the brain and eyes. In this image you are also able to see the optic nerves that lead from the eyes and converge with the brain. Before in my first term, I had a brief dalliance with the idea of thermos imaging and how much it tells you about the human experience through activity. [chapter 4] Two artists I have identified with in this idea are Elizabeth Jameson and Bradley Theodore, who both have an interest in the anatomy and bright colour. Artist, Elizabeth Jameson tackles the brain using secondary sources such as her own MRI Scans as a multiple sclerosis patient and adapting these using multimedia techniques. A quote that she uses that I resonate with links to an etching of hers where she says “Emerging shows both the interior and the exterior of the brain. The bright white line of the skull in between acts as the divide between mankind and the universe beyond.” On a different spectrum, Bradley Theodore is a street artist that recreates famous images and fashion campaigns with bold colours, stripping the faces and bodies to skeletons. I admire the viciousness and brashness of his work which has a large following on social media. To fully capture the magnitude of the mind, I would produce more than one image, perhaps a triptych to ensure a balance. As there are very specific details to the structure of the brain there is no room for spontaneity or experiment. Therefore, the piece would have to remain sharp in colour and composition. Possible I’d create a really focused perspective by concentrating on certain parts of the brain, for example the left anterior temporal cortex which has been identified to solve problems. I have seen a lot of evidence in my research suggesting that epiphanies are simply sudden solutions In my sketchbook I have been very concise with the shapes of the brain to keep the image as realistic as possible. Also, as the colour is associated with thermal imagery it is important to keep the warm colours where there is heat and activity in the brain. To make this easier, I would first draw the brain and then paint within the lines, to ensure separation. This enforces the idea that each part of the brain has its own part to play in the bigger picture, which in turn would make the mood of the image clinical.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Idea #4: Neuroscience/ Psychology A scientific approach to this idea means that in the present moment and makes me ask the question “What happens in the brain during epiphany?” and “how does the brain communicate these life altering moments?”. curiosity took my interest to a molecular where I found artist and neuroscientist, who combines his love of Asian art and neuroscience, to create fascinating micro etchings displaying transmissions in the brain.
it is an My level
I’d also take inspiration from Megan McGlynn who uses sculpture to represent the cells in the brain. For example, I’d like to have a flat board on which I’d create a mixed media representation of the epiphany moment and then, mould wires to protrude from the board like a static energy, reflecting the structure of the cell. In my sketchbook I have tackled the elements of this design. Primarily, the focal point being scientific, I would have to certify that the imagery was realistic as possible. My resources for this idea would be images from scientific studies such as the one above. [showing a gap junction in pyramidal cells. A gap junction is the fusion of two neurons forming a lowresistance contact that does not therefore require synaptic transmitters. The current merely flows from one cell to the other. The direct nature of a gap junction can be appreciated when one cell, as here, is injected with a fluorescent dye that then flows into the adjacent cell – a phenomenon known as ‘dye coupling’] This image, allows me to take a closer look at the neurons in the brain, which transmits information. I would like the surface of the piece to have a variety of textures, especially in spaces where it is just the background, as I want the viewer to feel consumed by the image. The beauty of molecular neuroscience images is that many of them look as if someone has taken a picture of the universe, which is ironic as it is actually the an image of something so small it cannot be seen by the human eye. To create an assortment of textures, I will trial different techniques that I first attempted in my first term, such as using bleach and sandpaper.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
The erratic and splayed colour of the fluorescent dyed cells prompts energetic painting and I think my mark making would be a combination of spontaneous, multidirectional strokes in the mid ground (having lines that twist and converge in vibrant colour0 in contrast to the precise rise and fall of the cells in the foreground. For ultimate impact, the point of collision between the cells will have strong contrast to the rest of the image. The will balance the image and will put the subject into perspective for the viewer. I want there to be a vast amount of energy to represent the speed of an epiphany and how it strikes a person, almost like a lightning bolt. As mentioned previously, I am excited to bring a structural element to this idea by creating a wire sculpture in reflection to what is on the surface. I would use light wire so the work could be more animated and convoluted as I feel this captures the fast movement of energy better. I am aware that this idea has more weight behind it because there is a lot of research and strong imagery behind it to support the topic. For this reason, I have decided to follow this line of interest. Additionally, I am fascinated by the combination of art and science and look forward to doing more research into other artists that fuse these two worlds of discovery, what better way is there to explore the title of Epiphany?
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Further Research into Neuroscience: The best text I have found on explaining neurological findings in lay mens terms is ‘Brain Story’ by Susan Greenfield which has made a large appearance in my research. As scientists are constantly exploring ways to see the workings of the brain, there have been various methods to create images. The first I have found is known as the Gogli-Cox method, Golgi's method is a silver staining technique discovered by Italian physician and scientist Camillo Golgi (1843 1926) in 1873 that is used to visualise nervous tissue under light microscopy.
Whereas, a scanning electron microscope (SEM) is a type of electron microscope that produces images of a sample by scanning it with a focused beam of electrons. The image processed is a much more accurate representation of the brain. My favourite image shown is an image of the astrocytes. Astrocytes are a star-shaped glial cell of the central nervous system and secrete/ absorb neural transmitters. A chemical substance that is produced and secreted by a neuron and then diffuses across a synapse to cause excitation or inhibition of another neuron.
1) The Gogli-Cox staining method. A light micrograph showing neurons in the cortex 2) brain cells as seen in a scanning micrograph 3)the star shaped astrocytes which supply nerve cells with nutrients 4) synaptic junctions
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Elizabeth Jameson
INTERVIEW – ‘www.beautifulbrain.com/category/gallery’ How did you arrive at your present moment as an artist who is deeply engaged with her own brain and the brains of others?
Art of Neuroscience Society for Neuroscience Exhibition Washington DC, Nov 17-19 This annual exhibition shows artists that create neurological inspired pieces. Many of these artists are neuroscientists, have partnered with a neuroscientist for accuracy or have had understanding of neuroscience through personal experience. The showcase presented artists unknown to me, that used a variety of different techniques to produce realistic and fascinating images of the brain. http://www.sfn.org/annual-meeting/neuroscience-2014/atthe-meeting/art-of-neuroscience
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
I became fascinated by the brain when I suddenly lost my ability to talk. It happened when I was playing with my children at a local park. I had no pain but, with absolutely no warning, I found I could not speak. The next week, surgeons removed a part of my brain in order to determine the origin of my aphasia. I was subsequently diagnosed with multiple sclerosis. Since then, in order to monitor the progression of the disease, I have spent many hours in the darkness of the scanning machine, during innumerable MRIs (brain scans). My diagnosis and treatment gave rise to a keen interest in medical technology and inspired me to create images that interpret the medical images in a new light. For the anxious patient, the MRI images can appear ugly and frightening—a bunch of black and grey pixels spelling out their fate. I felt a strong urge to reinterpret these images—to use them to explore the wonder and beauty of all brains including those with a disease. My images create an artist’s view of imaging technology–one that is both accessible to those who view these revealing pictures as either subject or doctor and also one that, I hope, captures some of the feeling and emotions evoked by these kinds of medical images. I discovered art after my diagnosis. Prior to this time, I was a civil rights lawyer. Describe one or two of the works we see in the online gallery. Where is it derived from and what led you to select this particular imagery? How does the image of the brain– first seen through medical imagery– change once you start working with it? My artwork derives largely from my own MRI or brain scans. My two favourite etchings, Valentine and Emerging, deal with the exquisite nature of the structures of the brain. Emerging is a cropped image of my frontal lobe and inter-hemispheric fissure. In this image, my brain and the skull are emerging from the quiet of my interior self and entering into the world outside. This image captures the mystery and magic of the brain and asks us to meditate on where the brain is going on its journey. Valentine I is another cropped image – this time of my brain stem, cerebellum and corpus callosum. I chose this portion of the brain because of its shape– the structure that echoes that of the human heart. I use warm and cool colours in my work to evoke the emotions that I feel when I immerse myself in the interior of the brain, and to express my happiness in discovering the image of the heart within the interiors of my brain. What do you find beautiful about the brain? I continually find myself humbled and awed by the layer upon layers of mysterious and imponderable structures that comprise the brain. I find beauty in its mystery. Do you think the brain will ever understand itself, or is this organ too vastly complex to grasp its own workings? I am comforted by the fact that I believe my brain knows exactly what it is doing. I have never felt that I needed to fight my disease or the repercussions of having an imperfect brain. Instead, I use my art to celebrate the brain. Without multiple sclerosis, I would never have thought so deeply about this incredibly vital organ. In fact, without MS I would never have discovered my passion for art. 26
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You write that your MS inspires you to create images that provide new insights into the brain. What are the nature of these new insights? Are they insights that can only be achieved through art? MRIs produce images of a brain that are naked and without emotional context, without passion or sadness, without all the frailties, humour, and idiosyncrasies that make us who we are. I feel I am enormously lucky that my art allows me to spend my time hunting for images where I can find beauty and sensuousness, as well as perplexing complexity. More generally, do you see an ultimate division between the ambitions of science and of art, or do you feel they are exploring the same issues at their cores? I really don’t know. I imagine scientists are trying to discover the mysteries of the brain, while I am trying to present and interpret the beauty in that mystery. I like to think that we are all approaching the study of the brain with the same degree of humility and awe.
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Lia Cook – www.liacook.com “Using self-portraiture as a visual base, Lia Cook’s current practice incorporates concepts of cloth, touch, and memory. With her use of a digital jacquard loom, pixels become thread as she weaves images and creates large works that blur distinctions between computer technology, weaving, painting. In her recent work, she explores the nature of the emotional response to woven faces in collaboration with neuroscientists and uses the laboratory experience both with process and tools to stimulate new work inspired by these investigations.” ARTISTS STATEMENT – “http://www.liacook.com/statement/” I work in a variety of media combining weaving with painting, photography, video and digital technology. My current practice explores the sensuality of the woven image and the emotional connections to memories of touch and cloth. Working in collaboration with neuroscientists, I am investigating the nature of the emotional response to woven faces by mapping in the brain these responses and using the laboratory experience both with process and tools to stimulate new work in reaction to these investigations. I am interested in both the scientific study as well as my artistic response to these unexpected sources, exploring the territory between scientific investigation and artistic interpretation. Recently I began using DSI Diffusion Spectrum Imaging of the brain and TrackVis software from Harvard to look at the fibre connections of communication between parts of the brain and to integrate these fibre tracks with the actual fibre connections that make up the woven translation of an image. In one case, I have included in an exhibition a participatory behavioural study (voluntary). I will be collecting data for scientific analysis at the same time as my audience is engaging directly with the work.
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Audrius Plioplys – www.plioplys.com “For 35 years, Audrius Plioplys has been both a professional artist and a neurologistneuroscientist. His work is neo-conceptual: a metaphorical investigation of thinking and consciousness. With 35 individual exhibits and 89 group shows, his works are displayed in museums, universities and major art collections internationally. Plioplys has transformed the artist’s studio into a neurobiology research laboratory, merging neuroscience with art.” ARTISTS STATEMENT – “http://www.plioplys.com/memory.php” The six pieces in the Memory series have emerged from previous ones in the Emergence series. These pieces have significant changes in their coloration, intensity, and lustre. These modifications correspond to changes in our own memories as we recall them. Whenever we remember past events, current events modify them, such that subsequently we recollect them differently. Our memories continuously change as they are remembered. A similar process has taken place in the Memory series. In these pieces my own MRI brain scan images and electroencephalogram (EEG, brain wave) tracings are incorporated. The scans and tracings appear in multiple locations in each art work—very subtly present and difficult to find, but discoverable. These art works have emerged from my own brain’s structural organization, from my own brain’s electrical activity. The Memory series was printed using pigmented inks on canvas and is of museum quality. The state of the art, EFI VUTEk GS3200 super-wide, high definition printer was used for these pieces. This series was created and printed in 2011. Each of the six pieces is 5 feet x 12 feet in size. A notable effect is the visible 3-dimensional canvas surface. When looking at the art works at a sharp angle, the neuronal profiles protrude outwardly. The appearance is similar to that of veins on your hand. This 3-dimensional surface gives the art pieces a palpable, living, neurologic quality. Photographs of this effect are in the composite image.
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Megan McGlynn – http://www.meganmcglynn.com “Focused on anatomy and concepts of neuroscience, Megan McGlynn’s artwork utilizes raw materials and traditional fabrication techniques to form parallels between manmade and biological structures. Inside the intricate worlds of her sculpture, there are hints at the complexity, functionality, and organizational principles of minds; these are the thematic reservoirs for the artist’s architectural explorations.” INTERVIEW – ‘www.beautifulbrain.com/category/gallery’ You write in your artist’s statement that you are interested in the “architecture of human perception.” Looking at your wood sculptures, which have titles like “Mirror Neurons” and “Neural Network 005,” I’m struck by how architectural they are, how you’ve created microcosmic worlds within these structures. Do you think about the brain in a very architectural way? What’s your conceptual process of translating findings on mirror neurons, for example, to a built structure? I think architecture is a powerful way to visualize neuroscience concepts because it’s one of the most ancient of ways that humans organized themselves and their thoughts. In that way it helps illustrate our evolution, but also consistent patterns in our thinking. It’s difficult for me to look at a built structure without having a visceral response, there’s so much information to take in about the people involved with it, their skills, their access to materials, their needs and aspirations. Also, as a visual thinker and craftsperson, I tend to think about most aspects of life through building processes – I always have to think about what materials, tools, steps you would need to create a certain structure or effect. In that same vein I end up visualizing the brain and the things it creates – personalities, memories, emotions – as emergent structures made from anatomical “building blocks.” For your example, several studies show that mirror neurons may be what allows humans and animals to transfer knowledge through imitation. This could be a major reason for how organisms make connections and can organize themselves, and even a foundation for the beginnings of culture. In my work, I take these kinds of concepts, experiment with materials, and try to create my own simplified architectural language to express them. The structures in Mirror Neurons are less about anatomy and more representative of what they enable – the acquisition of knowledge (the stacking of pieces upward), the alteration of that knowledge as it’s passed from one individual to another (the differences between each structure), and their lasting connection (their facing toward one another). How did you originally become interested in neuroscience? What was it that hooked you, and what continues to be at the core of your interest in this area? I began training in drawing and colour theory at a young age in a strict atelier program, and learned that there was a unique way of perceiving and portraying the visual world on a 2D surface. I learned to flatten objects into simple geometries and strategically pick out and replicate masses of ever-changing colour. It wasn’t intuitive 30
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but has become a kind of second vision that I can turn on and off, like being fluent in a second language. This never occurred to me as interesting until I read The Man Who Mistook His Wife For A Hat, by Oliver Sacks, as a young teenager. I realized how amazing vision is – and then how amazing every sensation is, and that there is some quantitative mechanism underneath it all. I am still fascinated by vision, but my work now deals mainly with how images are altered by memory. Neuroscience is such a vast and unknown world, I feel genuinely lucky to observe its rapid growth and add my own little comments through artwork. Looking back at the work you’ve made to date, how do you feel your conceptions of neural architecture have evolved since you first started making work? Do you feel the work has noticeably co-evolved as your own understanding of the neuroscience has developed? My earlier work was mainly copies of CAT scans or illustrations of the limbic system interspersed with classically rendered still-life paintings of oranges. In other words, I copied things I saw. Slowly I became less interested in making a clear image and decided to use concepts I understood from studying neuropsychology: the mind will make sense of what it sees due to its own experiences. My philosophy now is that strange or unclear artwork is much more interesting to create and to view. It forces people to either reject it or figure it out. The allusions to architecture have become much greater since I’ve begun literally constructing sculptures. The building process can become all-encompassing and make me start to see everything in a mechanically replicable way, even the protean nature of thought. What do you hope to communicate to the casual viewer of your work, someone who doesn’t know much about science? With little formal education in the sciences, I often feel as though I don’t know much about science… but I am a self-taught enthusiast and endlessly fascinated. I think my artwork is equally a reassurance to myself as it is a statement to others that expertise is not required to be curious, learn and talk about these things. Curiosity and exploration are so deeply human, and modern science is so incredible, I want everyone to find an exciting gateway into learning about the world around and within them. If a piece excites someone to look up the title and find out for themselves what mirror neurons or synapses are, that is wonderful. While I do make my work with some concrete ideas based on research, the rest is rather intuitive and responsive to materials. It leaves a lot for the viewer to pull apart, so I don’t expect people to understand what they are about. Without looking at the title, people with any level of scientific background may see something with no connection to neuroscience or see something much more complex than I currently understand. It may be why I am an artist and not a scientist – there are no wrong answers in art.
Do you believe art that deals with the brain can reveal or communicate anything about the brain that science alone cannot? 31
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This is a very tough question. I think it boils down to how you define art… which is also a never-ending question. I have a hard time finding the boundary between art and science, but I do believe there are a lot of things images can communicate that words cannot and visa versa – of course, science creates a lot of images, so this is not really a reflection on the powers of science versus art. These fields are very closely tied – psychologists use art to help explore mental health, and I already mentioned the ability of architecture to reveal a lot about thinking and needs. Are these more artistic approaches “better” at telling us about the brain than “science”? I don’t know, it depends on what kinds of answers you’re looking for. That said, contemporary art is also far from being just paintings and sculptures. As technology evolves with exponential speed and accessibility, it wouldn’t surprise me to see artists push further into more traditionally scientific realms with revolutionary ideas. In terms of this question and my own work, I am experimenting with qualia, which may always remain an unknown and is the spirituality of science: the fact that the universe exists and we can experience, observe and reflect upon it.
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To begin the development process, I used google search engine to look for the image terms ‘neuron’ or ‘firing synapse’ and found some interesting interpretations taken from scientists and artists. The particular styles I chose because I realised that they were the most effective on the page and could be used on a larger scale. Using biro, I created a series of sketches on the page using my findings. Biro works well when producing line drawings as the pressure of the pen is unvaried and produces a consistent line. By doing this, and leaving the sketches as a monochrome work, there is a scientific atmosphere associated with the factual nature of the subject. The two sketches in the centre of the page were the most appealing aesthetically, and I will continue to develop this imagery.
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The first continued sketch was a larger version of the right sketch on the previous page. Unfortunately, the drawing did not work as well on a bigger scale, lacking the complexity of the cell in illustration. This was emphasised by the lack of embellishment or texture in the background, making the foreground seem bland. The second sketch was successful. It was the biggest sketch on the first page. The 3d element meant it has a balance between simplicity and complexity. I think the was largely 34 because of the shading of the cell. As I was using biro I used techniques such as hatching to emphasis the nucleus of the cell and the edges of the cell to make it stand out from the page. The previous drawing was not as correct as this illustration.
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The black and white of the previous image was effective, but working on a plain background was not showing the depths of what a mind can be. These images need to be so much more than the foreground, it is important that the background of a piece shows the link between the conscious and the subconscious. For this I started small with a singular layer. Producing a watercolour of a 3d cell, I used a watered down blue and daubed a lot of liquid on the page. Every so often, I’d tip the book so the paint would run down the page creating streaks. It was a good practise of different techniques you can master using the watercolour paints, but not intended for representing the subconscious. In the foreground of this image, I painted the cell I using hatching methods, as I did with the biro. Although, the colour is a vibrant blue, like my idea of an epiphany, the imagery is not connected enough to the idea of the brain processing information as it is just a cell. In my next piece I want to concentrate on a method of spontaneous mark making, to leave the impression of electricity. The idea behind this is that the synapses of the brain fire electrical signals during our thought processes.
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Using watercolour, I once again practised my daubing and dripping technique which is a good way to paint a page without painting in strokes. To produce an effect that looks like spontaneous static energy, I used the end of the paintbrush which gave me less control over the movement of the line. The contrast in colour fits the mood of an ‘epiphany’, as the neon quality is rather startling. I hope to practise this on the ground of future images, it reminds me of the network of veins in the brain. In the next piece I will combine the imagery from the previous piece with these new techniques.
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I have experimented in two ways here. The first was to make the image of the neurons and then daub the watercolour over the top, as I have been doing with backgrounds. I thought that if I made a repeated pattern and did this it would create an interesting middle ground to paint onto. However, I disliked this immediately as it felt as if there were two layers of cells rather than a complex web. The lines of static energy that I had experimented with previously, came out really strong so I shall continue this mark making. The colour of this portrait looks monotonous rather than the vibrant mood for which I am striving.
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In contrast to the previous image, I focused alone on the electrical movement by daubing lines of yellow and then improvising with the end of the paint brush directly on these lines. This holds a striking effect which I plans to follow. There is more freedom in this image, and I feel more responsive to it as a viewer as there feels like a lack of control, and it feels more associated with thought patterns that the previous image. Showing only a line of electricity I experimented with different colours of poster paint. The background lets light through in some places and is darker in others, which is negative because the variation makes the surface seem flat rather than deep. Perhaps it was because I used downwards strokes only to paint the background. This piece is also less expressive than the previous piece, which38I liked so much because of the freedom of the line. I chose to do one line as if it was one communicative chord of thought, but I think this may take away from the image something that was there before.
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At the same time I completed the previous piece, I painted this one. The imagry has an Asian mood to it, this has also been demonstrated in Greg Dunns work. (who I shall explore more further on). Using a combination of water colour and poster paint, both the surface and the foreground are very bright and the chords of static that I tried to create along the [stems] symbolised a communication. The problem with the images I am creating currently is there is very little in the composition.
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[Thursday 4th June] To regroup I created a mind map, which makes it easier to make decisions regarding my ideas. In this, I make a note about distancing myself from the Asian atmosphere, although Greg Dunn an artist I have been studying, followed a similar route with his screen prints. I also noted that my work isn’t representing the complexity of the brain and the subject matter should be smaller. The network should be prominent.
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Greg Dunn – www.gregadunn.com
Greg Dunn was the first of the neuroscience artists I discovered, his mesmerising micro etchings look closer to a study of the universe than cells of the brain and I was fascinated by the intricate designs that allow a peek into our mind. Aesthetically his work seems to try and make sense of all our inner thoughts and feelings on a very realistic, figurative level. It is as if he is trying to imagine the image of a thought which I think is extremely powerful. In reference to my subject, I believe epiphany to be the most extreme version of a thought, and therefore id want my work to be the most extreme version of a micro etching.
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“Cortical Circuitboard features a stylized array of cortical neurons that are arranged into the layered structure of the cerebral cortex. We incorporated aesthetic motifs drawn from circuitboard design into the neural landscape to draw parallels between the chaos of a biological brain and the order of an electronic one. This piece features the first example of Dr. Edwards’ animation algorithm. Using visual information built into the design, Dr. Edwards wrote a program that calculates the precise angle necessary at any coordinate on the microetching to reflect light to the viewer standing at a given position. This allows light to reflect off of the surface in specific ways, giving us the ability to depict animations within each neuron. As the viewer walks past the microetching the neurons fire action potentials, creating a finished piece whose circuit dynamics represent the actual firing patterns found within the cerebral cortex.” “Greg Dunn received his doctorate in neuroscience in 2011, and has since devoted his career to exploring the intersection of art and neuroscience. Inspired by the microscopic vistas of the nervous system, Greg paints neuroscience themes in the style of Asian art while simultaneously exploring new artistic techniques borrowed from the laboratory. His exhibit will feature original paintings and print reproductions for viewing and sale.” – SFN ARTISTS STATEMENT I enjoy Asian art. I particularly love minimalist scroll and screen painting from the Edo period in Japan. I am also a fan of neuroscience. Therefore, it was a fine day when two of my passions came together upon the realization that the elegant forms of neurons (the cells that comprise your brain) can be painted expressively in the Asian sumi-e style. Neurons may be tiny in scale, but they posess the same beauty seen in traditional forms of the medium (trees, flowers, and animals). I admire the Japanese, Chinese, and Korean masters because of their confidence in simplicity. I try to emulate this idea. In October 2011 I finished my doctorate in Neuroscience at University of Pennsylvania. Since then I have been devoting my time to painting. When I’m not doing this I’m enjoying reading scientific papers, playing music and watching “How Its Made”.
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INTERVIEW – ‘www.beautifulbrain.com/category/gallery’ Where do you interests in the brain and in panAsian art originate? I’ve always been interested in psychology and philosophy, and I suppose that was where my early interests lay. I’ve always been a pretty introverted person, so I spend a lot of time in my thoughts. Suffice to say, I am often puzzled by whats going on in there! As my scientific interests developed, I realized that really any biological system can be fascinating. However, what sets the brain apart is that it is the apparatus through which we experience the world. Every single human activity has a neurological story to it. If you’re a scientist because you want to understand yourself, as I am, then it doesn’t make sense to look any place else. I honestly don’t remember when my interest in Asian art began, but I suspect that it may have been in reaction to overexposure to Rennaissance art on one Europen trip or another I took with my family as a kid. In contrast to a lot of the art produced in Europe, Asian art was so simple, emotional, and direct. There was breathing room on the canvas, and the techniques were so raw and bold. It is the kind of art that just punches you in the gut with its immediate, visceral impact. How did your tastes for pan-Asian art and your interest in the brain merge? What is it about these techniques and aesthetics– particularly in Japanese scroll and screen painting– that fit your aesthetic interpretation of the brain? Neural forms and Asian painting styles collide in a completely natural way, and I am so fortunate that I found this out for myself because it has led to a very satisfying career as an artist/scientist. Neural forms are naturally elegant and spontaneous, characteristics that also describe the more traditional forms of Asian sumi-e painting- branches, grasses, etc. All that is required to connect the dots is the realization that you need to crank down your awareness to the micron scale to see that nature has very similar forms across different scales of magnitude. The branching form of a dendrite is nearly identical to the form of a branching tree, a series of cracks in the pavement, the movement of rivers and streams as viewed from space, or a lightning bolt. I wouldn’t be surprised if the form were represented on a cosmic level as well. It is a fractal solution to the Universe. First seen in slides and in medical imagery, do the images of neurons and glia in the brain change at all in your mind once you start working with their forms in an artistic setting? Do you have any examples of such a change? My perception of the brain regions and the cells within them are always changing as I paint. This is because I’m always trying to walk a line between photorealism and interpretation. Using photomicrographs as a hard reference can be useful because it helps to hammer down the anatomy correctly, but it can rob the painting of sponteneity. It also robs the painter of the almost meditative discipline of learning how to emulate the random movements and branching of neurons, a deceptively difficult skill. The brain is always wanting to generate or pick out patterns in things, and it is a real challenge to try to avoid that tendency.
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What has this artistic interpretation of brain structures done to your conception of the brain and its small units of processing? How has this artistic practice influenced your academic life, if at all? It has really given me an appreciation for how utterly chaotic the microstructure of the brain is. For clarity’s sake, I usually paint only a few neurons on a canvas to emphasize their form without obscuring it with too many lines, but the brain doesn’t look like that at all. There’s a cliché in neuroanatomy about how each brain region claims only so much “real estate,” and that all of the processing units must be crammed into a very small space. Put together 100 billion neurons, each making up to thousands of synapses with one another, and the evolutionary limit on head size and you’ve got one densely packed little organ indeed. It is an unfathomable mess on the one hand, and exquisitely ordered on another. If these realizations have affected my academic life at all, it is in what a difficult organ it is to study! So heterogenous and complicated, it is a mighty challenge to understand the workings of just one neuron, let alone a whole brain full of them. Do you believe the brain will ever understand itself, or is it vastly too complex to ever fully comprehend its own function, even through all the tools of modern science? I had this conversation when I was just starting grad school with a friend of mine who recently finished his PhD, and it really stuck with me. There are some astounding geniuses out there that are making huge progress for us all. But one day, when imaging technology, data acquisition, supercomputing, etc reach the point when some of the really deep questions can be answered, I’m not sure how a human being can really grasp the avalanche of data. Even if a brain could fully understand itself, it seems impossible to me that it would be through the mediums of graphs, tables, connectivity diagrams, and all of that that would be the inevitable output. I’m personally not interested in that these days anyway. For me, it seems that a more relevant and rewarding approach of self discovery lies in personally developing an intuitive approach to understanding the brain. To understand my own brain I seriously practice meditation, the science of observing the mind. That is where I will be spending my future years of scientific inquiry, and hopefully I’ll understanding something or other by the end of it all. Beneath all, what do you find beautiful about the brain? It is literally the most complicated object in the known Universe! The tremendous knot of cells when connected in a certain way gives rise to a strange sense of “I” that is able to ponder and learn things about its environment. It is an utter miracle, and is at the root of why we are conscious beings able to appreciate this world and all of its beauty. How can you not love it?!
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I discovered a technique inspired by the work of Greg Dunn, for this I used the aluminium foil with gesso as a primer. Then, using blue ink I worked up close, focusing on the patterns made by the crinkles of the foil. It took a long time as I had to use a small paintbrush to capture the intricacy.
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Unlike the previous image, I wanted to cover more of the surface. For this I practised daubing with ink and acrylic paint. The curving shape is similar to one that was depicted by Greg Dunn. The ink in the foreground made the natural lines of the wrinkled tin more prominent. The light in the centre of the curve created a 3d effect and I also used the method of the end of the paintbrush for a different effect. The mark making of the previous image was more effective. 47
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On the tin foil and gesso combination, I daubed ink across the first few inches of the page. A second coat of black ink meant there is a lighter stretch of ink which convey the different layers of the brain. Over the black ink, I drew silver patterns in the foreground. I feel like the contrast between the black patterns and the silver patterns may show regular thoughts versus epiphanies. The crackling in the darkness was too much in contrast to the foil as the light rebounds. The best part of this piece was the daubed ribbon of blue ink, that remind me of a flow of thought or consciousness. This is marred by the lack of atmosphere in the image, I’m not sure why this is, but I shall find out with more experimentation. 48
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This page shows my research into the Gold Leaf technique. Gold Leaf has been used for 2000 years and has appeared in Early Christian and Japanese art, as well as more contemporary pieces such as ‘The Kiss’ by Gustav Klimt or a few Rembrandt pieces. I also found a website that detailed using Gold Leaf and had some practise. It’s trickier to use then I thought, as it sticks to everything and easily comes apart. 49
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Michael Porter
Michael Porter deals exclusively with nature in an abstract manner For this reason, he is an ideal artists to regard for my work. The resources for his work originate besides paths and walks. Some of his techniques include making parts of the paintings on plastic, then removing these to make into a bigger work. The technique he has developed to refine the qualities of his landscape are enthralling. As can be seen in the image below, Porter also uses a gold leaf substance to emphasise the beauty and stress the layered textures.
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Over the inked foil I added the patterns in silver, the most interesting axon patterns are those that are at the side of the page. The edge of the foil produces this effect. I managed to dry gold leaf in the corner, my first attempts at using Gold Leaf were not that successful. 51
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The monochrome colour of the surface, placates the ground and makes the imagery look shallow. Looking for depth I experimented with colour on the ground. The acrylic sits in the crevices of the tin foil, and I used the black ink to emphasise some of the foil patterns that look like axon shapes. I tried placing gold leaf at the ends of the axons as if they were producing electric charge.
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This has been my favourite piece so far, the blue background makes the gold leaf really stand out. The gold leaf was difficult to ink on top of, so the main portion of the pattern that surrounded the gold leaf had to be really delicate and I feel I achieved this well. I feel like I should experiment with more colouring and perhaps overlaying as well. 53
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I designed 3 ideas for what I hope to achieve by the end of this project. The idea of using black ink or black acrylic to emphasise the silver. I also practised some printing of the ink with foil, dragging it down the page, but that seemed ineffective. After looking at Greg Dunns etching work, I thought perhaps I could print in the foreground. I have added gold leaf in the corner but I feel this layout would need some playing around.
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I had done dry point etching before but found an article online for beginners to remind myself. The method involves scratching an image into Perspex (or glass) using a sharp instrument and then rubbing Intaglio printing ink into the plate. Using a rag or a shred of newspaper, you rub the excess ink off the plate so the only ink left is that in the scratches. To print, you dip a heavy piece of paper into water and whilst damp, lay the plate over applying a lot of pressure. After doing this a couple of minutes, the plate is removed to reveal the print. 56
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Based on the sketches of page 31, I scratched the images into Perspex. Even though the sketch was really detailed, I think I must have purchased the wrong ink as you can see the shading but not the specific scratches. Shortly after beginning this process, I realised it would be difficult to print an etching on the ground I was preparing for my pieces, as I would not want to get the page damp. Even so, the etching process appeals to me and in the future, after this project, I think I shall pursue etching. As far as this project is concerned, the print was not sharp enough to be incorporated anyhow.
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Rauschenberg’s combines in the 1950s included no traditional materials and therefore inspired my work. The 20cmx20cm piece I created above is a homage to his white paintings, in tradition with his work, I used nontraditional materials such as textiles and found scraps that could be used for the surface. It was then coated with a thick layer of Gesso. Rauschenberg’s layering techniques provide a depth in the ground that I could not create with paint alone. His arrangements in the Combines, particularly bed of 1955 illustrate the most important aspects of art, emphasising shapes, colour, texture and composition. These are most important when illustrating the mind as the they represent the minds [please continue next page 58
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Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Abilities and the components of thought. In the above image, I incorporated some methods I had used in previous development, by using a needle to pucker the material in a certain direction, producing the firing synapse I have achieved so far. Before, I had used these rags to remove excess ink from the etching plates and as a result, the ink had drained through in certain places, leaving a faded tint to the surface. Stimulated by the Red Combines of the early 1960s, I also used card to drag paint lightly across the foreground, accentuating textures from beneath. 59
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Merging my former ideas with that of Rauschenberg’s, I advanced my own work by applying these new techniques. Layering the background profusely with found objects and then scraping primary or monochrome colours in parts of the foreground, like Rauschenberg’s later combines. I dislike the segregation of colour in these images and found it does not emphasise the texture below, distracting the viewer with the colour and the placement. Creating a hierarchy of colour, I would place the dark colours near the bottom of the page and brighter colours at the top of the page, as if an epiphany was rising to the surface. Although I made a second attempt at this and liked the premise, the layout on the page distracts by the ideas and the crucial patterns hiding beneath the colour. 60
Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Anselm Kiefer is an artist known for his contextually burdened work that use non-traditional materials (lead, broken glass, and dried flowers) to produce impasto grounds. My favourite series of his is ‘The Morgenthau Plan’ as he creates flowers and nature from a negative political idea. The inspiration I take from his work is, not only the way he uses texture and paint to create power, but also how he uses simple ideas as a framework for larger philosophies.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
The rough marks of Kiefers lines fall in a singular direction leaving the impression of strong forces. Everything about his paintings feel heavy, even down to the natural tones that fall about the canvas in clumps.
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Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
After examining the work of Anselm Kiefer, I tried reproducing neurons in a similar style of mark making. Practising these abstract paint skills allowed me perspective into the progress of my work. I would be interested in adding these 3D, impasto mark making skills in my development. Which may be included on the surface of my canvas, rather than in painting of neurons themselves, as this appears to be confused and untidy. 64
Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Until now, my focus has been on light surfaces, however in these pieces I am beginning to use strong contrasts, so the brightness of colour is on the concentrated parts of the image. I am currently debating light background, dark pattern, vs, dark background and light pattern. Forthcoming, I should use more light and less red as it currently creating an angry atmosphere. The textiles underneath the foil meant there are darkness in some places and not others. Anselm Kiefers encouragement can be seen in some of the thicker ochre marks made.
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Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
The gold leaf supports my idea of an epiphany coming to life. With the use of gold leaf and ochre acrylic, I caught the rippled effect of the non-traditional materials. The sample provided insight to working with the gold leaf on rougher textures, which is informative for later trials. This will link to my later developments.
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Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
These illustration were completed as design ideas for a final piece. I used different colours to project moods and reflections. A combination of gesso, acrylic and ink was painted, drawn, daubed and run to create various effects that I shall repeat and perfect.. This exercise helped me to visualise my intentions. In these images I linked my favoured components of previous compositions. 70
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
I produced these pieces to rehearse painting the larger neurons in detail and above the textured background. Gradually in this process, I am learning from my mistakes and successes. I used the drawing on page 37 as a resource to paint.
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Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
My work demonstrates the gradual shading of colour, which resulted in appearing like the eye or a tornado. As well as this, I tested using ink over acrylic at the contrasting focal point. This aided me to realise which colours are most effective and what methods work best in final stages.
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Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
Mainly during this project, I had painted in primary colours or black and white. For clarification, I created a velvet purple, but on reflection note that this experiment was inessential. On the other hand, I am comfortable with the composition choices, as I feel there is a strong focal point. Every time I trial these small adjustments, I make progress with my strengths. 75
Final Project
Epiphany
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Jessica Wilkinson
Final Project
Epiphany
Jessica Wilkinson
After examining two final conclusions, I was undecided on whether to paint larger neurons in the foreground or whether a simpler composition would be more effective. Furthermore, beforehand, I had painted the entire surface in a deeper colour and have doubts about leaving the peripheries as white. Final Piece, Evaluation Biography Producing these pages helped create a visual & decision. on the next document 77