How have the illustrators explored the theme of identity within their narrative images /artwork?

Rosie Scott

How have the illustrators explored the theme of identity within their narrative images /artwork?

In this essay I will be focusing on how my chosen artists have portrayed the theme of "Identity" in their artwork. The ways in which artists have portrayed ideas about identity has changed and developed over time. This is partly due to the introduction of technology and computer programmes like Photoshop, which has completely altered artist’s methods of photo-manipulation. An important question to ask in this is whether or not the use of computer design advances the ways we can portray identity or if it is just another method of expression. The definition of identity is "the fact of being who or what a person or thing is". This not only includes aspects of their outwards appearance such as age, gender, and ethnicity but also their individual traits. This includes their culture, experiences, their mentality and their emotions. The purpose of showing identity in artwork is to give the viewer a wider Idea of an image, exposing the emotions and breaking down boundaries. My artists Alexandra Bellissimo, Laurent Segretier, Jesús Devia, and (Pablo) Picasso all represent identity in very different ways. The use of narrative varies depending on the media it is used in. In graphics it is used to embed and communicate a story into a piece of artwork. Each of my artists use the mono-scenic narrative. This is when the artist uses a single scene with no repeated characters. The use of a mono-scenic narrative suggests a crucial moment captured in time. This single scene is used to portray the entire narrative and evoke emotions from the audience. Identity does not have to focus however on the experiences of an individual, it can also be representing the "different identities that we embody - political, religious, linguistic, national, local, and social" (6). Peoples identities change, either through how they see themselves or through others perception of them and this is conveyed through each artist’s work.

My first artist is Jesús Devia, who was born in San Cristóbal, Venezuela, in 1993. The process of Devia's work involves both traditional and non-traditional methods. He uses watercolour paint to make some of the pieces and digital methods for others.

An important aspect of Jesús Devia's artwork is that he claims the portraits are meant to "show a specific moment of the face but rather shall evoke a mood" (1) in the viewer.

However, he believes that the interpretations of his work should be up to the viewers.

This is significant as it allows the audience to have a chance to explore their perception on types of identity.

The most obvious link to identity in the artwork is the focus on the individuals faces.

This is a significant aspect to show some form of mystery or personal, (often hidden) emotions. The focus of the work is nearly always the individuals face. Jesús Devia has said that he purposefully draws these individuals so that they’re never staring straight ahead or directly at the audience. He doesn’t use portraits to show a particular feature but to evoke emotion in the viewer. This removes the intimacy of the piece and creates ambiguity.

The artist’s work has many similarities, one of these is the colour scheme. Jesús Devia frequently uses muted and natural tones which helps to bring the focus towards the individuals face and not overwhelm the viewer with different aspects of the image. In addition to this there is an interesting use of texture to create a washed out and faded effect on the artwork.

This works effectively with the composition to ensure that the individual is the focus of the work. Despite the simple style, Devia is able to create feelings of empathy in the viewer and interest towards the ambiguous figure.

The emotion in the pieces are ambiguous and up to the viewer’s interpretation. Sections of the people’s faces are often cut out, scribbled on, facing away from the viewer, or distorted in some other form. This creates varying moods and confusion for the viewer. It also raises ideas about identity as part of the person is literally missing from their bodies.

Importantly, Devia often shows the missing sections to be forming in the person’s head, which can be interpreted as a subtle portrayal of mental illness, that will affect the person’s judgement and identity. This links to his portrayal of the subjects being damaged people.

Rosie Scott

A significant aspect of the artwork is the fact that the damage to the individuals and their identities appears to be self-inflicted. The individuals are often seen peeling parts of themselves away. This could be used to show a sense of erasing themselves and a discomfort with expressing their identities. However, an alternative interpretation is the people are taking initiative to change themselves. This is a different idea in the art that there is a form of metamorphosis rather than a destruction. This shows identity as something that is always changing.

The use of the balloon is very interesting but ambiguous to the viewers. In one image it is tied to a gun which immediately provokes dark thoughts of suicide. This tied with the anguished expression on the individuals face and dark colour scheme creates a morbid atmosphere. In addition, the person’s body appears lifeless which shows the individual as a passive figure which is a contrasting view to what is portrayed in the peeling images.

The second artist I have chosen to study is Alexandra Bellissimo was born and raised in Los Angeles. Bellissimo claims that her work revolves around the theory of “making” pictures instead of “taking” pictures (2). This artist differs to Devia as she uses mainly photography.

Nature inspires her because "it is a living organism that can take on many appearances" (8).

She was fascinated by photography at the age of 17, and the ways in which people are able to create art from it by capturing what they see in front of them. She wanted her work to be unique from other photographers and so began experimenting with collage.

The process of Alexandra Bellissimo's work involves her taking photographs of people (both male and female) and various parts of nature, for example branches and flowers. Following this she often meticulously cuts out these images of nature and collages them with the images of people.

Bellissimo uses methods away from the computer which has an extremely realistic and detailed appearance. This man-made method is a contrast to the natural themes of the work. The use of layering in her physical collages would be effective in creating realistic textures while also showing a physical metamorphosis. She believes that there is a unique quality in the craftsmanship of collages that "cannot be replicated digitally" (8).

The simple and precise collage works effectively to create unique work in which the human body merges with nature. This brings forward ideas of harmony with the natural world and humans coexisting. Alexandra Bellissimo’s work is inspired by the "social, gender and psychological " (2) she has encountered in our culture.

The theme of harmony is portrayed through the use of collage. The use of merging two separate images seamlessly is significant. Bellissimo's work appears to free the individuals compared to Devia and Segretier which feels stifling and rough. Furthermore, both Devia and Segretier's work seems more about personal identity and isolation whereas Bellissimo's work seems to show nature and humans as one, this sense of belonging is important in identity.

A similarity to Jesús Devia's work is how both artists manipulated people’s bodies to distort their identity. However, a difference is that Bellissimo has a far more positive atmosphere to her work. This is shown especially in her bright colourful work rather than the black and white photography which appears much more sombre. Neither however have the same negative atmosphere compared to the other artists.

Rosie Scott

The use of nature is interesting as it is used in addition to the individuals face and therefore appears more as a form of expression than a negative or a lost part of them. This links to the theme of identity in the way of expressing what is inside a person, rather than just their appearance. Similarly, to the other artists, Bellissimo does alter or hide the face. This creates ambiguity to their true identity. However, the use of nude models suggests an openness and vulnerability while also showing a closeness to nature.

Laurent Segretier was born in 1978. He is a French photographer based in Hong Kong. He was influenced by his life in Paris and in Hong Kong. Laurent Segretier would describe his own work as “destructive beauty, hope, rebirth”. This artist takes advantage of the modern advancements in technology as he creates his artwork by using his own or found photos and then editing them using computer programmes such as Photoshop.

Segretier claims that his work was influenced by his life in Paris and Hong Kong as he experienced a mixture of European and Asian culture (4). He describes himself as being part of the ‘new media generation'. Additionally, he claims it is based around the themes of "rebirth, identity, sex, and religion" (3). The theme of identity is clear throughout his work along with rebirth, in the form of creating a new identity visually.

I chose to focus on Laurent Segretier because he has a particularly unique and modern take on the theme of identity compared to my other artists. This shows how the change in technology may have an effect on the ways in which artists are able to portray their feelings towards this topic. Furthermore, it shows his upbringing, which was during the introduction of new types technology, to have influenced his art. This was different to generations before him as he experienced life “largely in front of television screens and computers”. This is significant as it explores his identity with his generations through the experiences in childhood.

In addition, Laurent Segretier's approach to identity is far darker and more sinister compared to my other artists. The use of the glitch effect in the artwork is very significant. In technology the definition of a glitch is “a sudden, usually temporary malfunction or fault”. This suggests that Segretier is trying to portray a sense of conflict within the individual. This is emphasised through the bold use of contrasting colours and striking lines through the faces.

The use of composition is also important. Often the individuals body or face fills the entire frame. This is effective to portray feelings of loneliness and being overwhelmed. This links with the use of the pixelated effect. This composition is a similarity to my other artist’s pieces of work. The use of filling the frame suggests discomfort and confinement. The use of technology suggests that the confines in Segretier's work are artificial and self-imposed ones. However, these barriers could also be used to protect vulnerable individual’s identities.

An additional contrast between Segretier's work compared to Devia's is that Devia creates a quiet, subtle atmosphere of misery whereas Segretier's harsher effects show real pain in the expressions. Furthermore, Devia's work portrays fairly passive figures in the art which gives the impression of resignation. In the majority of the artwork the people are stationary and downcast. However, Segretier's use of the glitch effect creates kinetic energy as though they are acting on pain, however it being a still image creates tension and ideas of someone trying to break free of boundaries. Bellissimo is also different in this form as she shows how people are capable of adapting and changing their identities, through the use of merging nature to humans.

The pixelated effect creates warped faces that are often unrecognisable to the viewer because they have been so severely distorted. It adds a surreal aspect to the work and shows a strange new virtual reality world to the viewer. The use of the pixelated effect works to camouflage the people’s identities. It also brings forward ideas of instability and strong emotions.

The artist creates juxtaposition though their use of colours is aesthetically pleasing, the work is also somewhat disturbing to the viewer.

Rosie Scott

This image is part of Segretier's "Shift" series. This was made for World Refugee Day. In this he has focused on protecting their identity in this work. His style of art has focused on their fragmented lives. He chose to use the colours of superheroes to highlight their bravery, this however is contrasted with the glitch effect which shows their vulnerability (9). Through this project, Segretier has been able to portray the identities of those who are underrepresented and overlooked in society. The composition of the artwork being filling the frame completely shows confinement. In the case of this piece it could show the lack of opportunities for people in these situations and their vulnerability.

Segretier's work was also influenced by Francis Bacon's art. Bacon's work was focused on the "despair of the modern man — death, existential nausea, loneliness"(5). This idea of the broken personality is explored by both artists. Bacon creates paintings which are a contrast to Segretier's focus on technology. Nevertheless, this shows that artwork focused on themes of identity are achieved effectively away from the computer.

I wanted to contrast the artists explored so far through studying the work of Pablo Picasso as he did not use technology to create his artwork. He was born in Málaga, Spain, in 1881 and died in 1973. He was a painter, sculptor, print-maker, ceramicist, stage designer, poet and playwright.

Picasso is also considered to be one of the greatest artists of the 20th century, and is known for co-founding the Cubist movement.

The style of Picasso's work is extremely different to my other artists.

The other artists use digital manipulation and computer programmes. Picasso however used more traditional materials, such as oil paint, chalk and charcoal. His style varied often and later during the cubist movement it was more crude and childlike compared to his earlier pieces, and often made using pencil and crayon. The 3D effect in his work adds a lifelike effect to his abstract and unrealistic artwork. This gives the work depth and the idea of there being layers of different identities.

I chose to analyse this artist because the age in which he created art is completely different to my other artists. He created th st work in the 20 century whilst the others work in the 21 century. This is an important distinction to make as it allows me to explore the ways in which time has affected the portrayal of identity in our artwork. As stated before, one way this occurs is the method and media used in the work itself.

During the cubist movement, Picasso made art in which the individuals faces are twisted and contorted in unusual ways, often making the face unrecognisable. This effect is almost alienating to the viewer as it is something they cannot relate to easily. This is interesting as it is actually him showing each angle and view point of the person or object in one image.

This is trying to portray a three-dimensional person or object in a two-dimensional image. Nonetheless the eyes were the focus of the work, which allows the viewers to make sense of the emotional atmosphere of the piece. This is also helped by the line structure and bold contrasting colours used in the artwork. This creates an overwhelming feeling and confusion for the audience.

The piece shown here entitled "The Girl in The Mirror", by Picasso is an example of the sense of dysphoria created through this style of work. The use of the contrasting colours and mirroring shows a discomfort and an uncertainty about one’s own identity. The sue of the mirror could also be symbolic for self-reflection on one’s own identity or alternatively the different ways other people perceive the subject in the art.

This is very similar to the work of Laurent Segretier, through the atmospheres the artists are able to capture in their artwork, despite the very different techniques used to achieve this.

Both artists are able to distort the face beyond recognition to make surreal pieces of work that evoke feelings of discomfort in the viewers. However, they also appear as very personal and emotional pieces of work that are able to convey ideas of self-perception. Some may argue that Picasso is able to work ahead of his time to be able to portray identity in a way that is still being shown today but without the technology other artists have available.

Rosie Scott

In conclusion I have found through my research, that themes of identity are not portrayed any better by modern artists than by older ones. Identity is a theme that has been expressed for centuries through art and will continue to be one that is explored in new ways in the future. The development of different technology has only expanded the ways in which artists are able to express their ideas on identity or their perception of their own. The introduction of Photoshop 27 years ago has helped artists develop their portrayal of narrative as well as their ideas and the ways in which they are able to tell stories. An example of this is Segretier and Bacon both portray similar ideas through different media, however no one is better than the other. "Artists have been making portraits of people from the first time they discovered that they could use burnt twigs to draw with." (7). A famous portrait artist from the 1700's is Sir Joshua Reynolds. The portraits can portray individual’s wealth, intellect and status, which is all part of someone's identity, shown in a more literal way than the other chosen artists. This artist shows how artists methods on how to portray identity and perceptions of it have transformed over the years, so may lead us to question if Photoshop is necessary in a narrative to portray identity. Today artists make much more abstract pieces to convey these messages. The theme of identity can be very personal therefore it cannot be evaluated into terms of whose is 'better' because it is down to perception. The effect of these themes of identity vary on the audience, evoking both positive and self-assuring emotions along with negative and despairing ones. This study on narrative has helped me consider my own portrayal of identity in my own work. It has enabled me to explore the different ways artists portray identity, such as through self-perception or others perception of them. In my own work I have tried to explore changing identities through some kind of self-growth. I wanted to explore a more positive representation of identity rather than the vulnerability shown in Devia and Segretier's work.

In my own work I reflected the theme of narrative and showed inspiration from my artists through my photography. It was important that I used photographs of people, specifically their faces to show the physical display of identity. However, it was also important that I explored the ways in which identity is hidden to make the viewers feel discomfort or sympathy. This is most commonly explored through hiding the eyes or distorting the face. throughout my project I have explored the different narratives that can be told through my edits, such as the glitch effect which alienates the viewers while creating ideas of someone losing themselves. In my final piece I was inspired most by Alexandra Bellissimo and her use of nature.

I further used the idea of someone's face being hidden from the viewer which is alienating in a different way to Laurent Segretier's. By hiding the individuals face in this way it feels as though there is something separating the viewer from the subject, which creates mystery and intrigue. I wanted to use the nature, specifically the crystals as these are often recognised as peaceful. The growing effect from these was meant to show a form of self-expression that portrays someone's identity, in a way that would be hidden in reality. My investigations into how narrative can be used to show identity helped me to consider the types of colours and photographs that would help me to develop my ideas on how I show different identities and the ways that others are able to perceive them.

Bibliography:

(1) https://www.ignant.com/2013/12/18/contrasted-portraits-by-jesus-devia/ (2) http://beautifuldecay.com/2011/10/20/alexandra-bellissimo/ (3)http://www.dazeddigital.com/artsandculture/article/14891/1/laurent-segretier-memento (4) https://ocula.com/artists/laurent-segretier/ (5) https://cameronafzal.wordpress.com/2013/03/29/francis-bacon-the-visual-existentialist/

Rosie Scott

(6) https://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/07%20Identity%20FINAL.pdf (7) http://www.npg.org.uk/assets/files/pdf/teachers-notes/NPG_IMAGEIDENTITY_2013.pdf (8) https://issuu.com/the22magazine/docs/vol4finalweb_647bfd0aaaa2d8 (9) http://www.wanderlister.com/post/26006035727/laurent-segretiers-digitally-manipulated