KATHRYN HOBBS CONFIRMATORY STAGE – FINE ART FINAL OUTCOMES INSIDE OUTSIDE
Inside Outside Final Outcomes Laid out on a flat surface
Stood up right to represent a mirror
Closer view to show 3D effect
Evaluation
I began my project by creating a mind map of ideas using ‘Inside Outside, to inspire me. I chose this subject as I thought it gave a lot of scope to create interesting art. The beginning of my project I focused on the physical inside outside such as; fruit, fish, eggs and humans, but after researching different artists like Manny Robertson I went more with what is inside someone mentally and emotionally. I think that my two pictures symbolizing being caged – the bird cage and crow and the man behind bars - were successful in portraying the inside outside. I especially loved the outcome of the man behind bars as even though it was a quick sketch, I think came out very effectively. I saw this project as an opportunity to experiment with different mediums I would not else use such as; wax crayons in a glue gun which I felt I had a little control but gave good texture and colour to the tree and roots. Using bleach to transfer an image onto fabric, I feel it gave interesting results, it reminded me of when I used to do tie-dying. I experimented with body paint and created the look of ribs on the inside of the body. The crayons were easy to use and applied smoothly onto the skin. I researched masks from different cultures and the way they use them to portray a different identity on the outside. I took some photographs of myself wearing a masks with different emotions attached to the outside, which led me to use the mask in my final piece. I looked into the work of Francis Bacon and was inspired by his distorted paintings. I wanted to re-create a distorted image so I used a shattered mirror to distort my daughters face. Then used ink to paint the image. I liked the outcome, and to me the distorted reflection symbolizes a distorted mind. After researching Manny Robertson and Leonora Cosba, who use emotions to produce their art work. I decided to base my final piece on the emotions and feelings inside a person rather than something you can see physically. My idea was to make three panels to represent the mirrors on a dressing table. I came up with this idea from my pathway stage when I photographed my daughter reflected in a mirror and developed it into an oil painting. I made these up from cut up wood and hinged them together. Initially I wanted the main image to be that of someone with evil inside, and the two panels either side to represent what the world sees and the innocence of a child before evil sets in. I wasn’t at all happy with how the painting was progressing, it looked like a ‘Hammer Horror’! It wasn’t the idea I had in my head. I decided to scrub it all off and start again. (see image below)
Instead, I used the idea of abuse. I found an old black and white photograph of me as a child, printed it off and stuck it to the right panel of my picture. I coloured it to give it a vintage look and added daisies to symbolize innocence. The doll represents childhood play and fun; I think this panel reflects a true image of innocence inside. I painted the background bright as I wanted the impression of a sunny and idyllic childhood. The panel on the left reflects how the subject wants to be portrayed on the outside. The blindfold that I made from organza fabric, is there to show that she has self-loathing side and doesn’t want to see her true reflection. The sleeping tablets are to numb the pain inside. I again, painted the background bright in the same way as panel one, the idea being she’s trying to portray a normal façade. The main panel shows the true reflection of how she really feels inside. I painted her eyes to look teary and bloodshot to really emphasize the pain she has inside. I painted a happy mask and glued it onto the back of her head, to symbolize a face she portrays to the world. I wanted the background to be dark, therefore I used black paint and alcohol spray to achieve a crackly look and stop it from being a solid black colour. I merged the black ink onto the two side panels to suggest that the past has been tainted by her dark thoughts and memories inside. I added newspaper clippings of emotive words to intensify the feeling of despair. Her mouth is shut with a finger to symbolize the threat of telling. I made a mould out of clay and used my husband’s index finger to impress into it. I then poured in melted wax to make the 3D finger and painted it to make it look realistic. I wanted to include the doll from the first panel but make it look sinister and broken to symbolize the change from past to present. The only thing I would consider changing on my final piece, would be creating the look of a shattered mirror, as I think would help portray a shattered soul within. Overall, looking back on the project, I think I have learnt a lot with my experimentation which I have carried forward into my final piece. I found the research difficult at times due to not finding enough information on the artists I was interested in, so a lot of the images I have were taken by myself, which had its positives as I was in complete control and could take photographs exactly how I wanted. Completing this project has given me more confidence to try out new mediums which I can use in future work as well as feeling accomplished. I’ve learnt how to manage my time successfully which has helped me meet deadlines. Looking at my statement of intent, I have implemented some of the experiments I had set out to do like, photography, printing and painting. However, not all of them were needed such as mud and resin. I feel like I have successfully met my subject – ‘inside outside’ by thinking outside the box at times and being diverse with my use of mediums and images.