:An Exploration of Visual Ideas
Having tiny details such as wrinkles, folds, viens further implies movement, a such details become more visible when someone moves
On the sketch to the left motion is implied through the action taking place (Sewing)
NESTER FORMENTERA Nester Formentera is a Filipino artist based in Dublin. He is primarily known for his distinctive “line artwork” technique. He identifies himself as being mostly a realism artist, his work is often created in BIC pens, Color pens and pencils.
Developing of Graphite Drawing My photo
Here I explored the ways motion could be conveyed through a still medium, sketching ways movement could be implied through body positions, details, lines and developing a graphite drawing to explore how Creating a “blurred” effect Could communicate motion
THe photograph I took was inspired by Eadweard Muybridge’s Animal Locomotion, which captured birds midst movements
No Sleep by Nester Formentera
My sketches here are like screenshots from a video, the pictures are still however they seem to be paused at a moment where movement is taking place
Eadweard Muybridge,Animal Locomotion, 18 Photography
Here motion is implied through the position of the foot for example Presence of veins on hand makes the movement taking place clearer as veins typically appear when the fingers move slightly backwards
His work is mostly inspired by naked sculptures and is based on his emotions. He currently experimenting with minimalism, working exclusively in black and white and simple lines
Motion blur occurs when there is a clear streaking of a moving object in a photograph, happening when an object or a person changes (usually because of rapid movement) in a single exposure (most often in a longer exposure time, which I achieved by slowing my shutter speed) . This causes the image to look either “blurred” or smeared. This effect captures an instantaneous moment in time conveying a sense of speed and activity through a still medium
Sketch below inspired by the work of Nester Formentera, lines on the hand are used to further convey movement
The drawing mainly focused on recreation the motion blur in the bird this was done by alternating between light and dark tones and smudging the graphite out with tissue towards the ends of the wings
In my experimentation of visual ways in which motion could be conveyed, I decided to investigate the effect of motion blur through a graphite drawing based on the photograph I took.
Working in a Reductive Technique:
Unknown Title, drawing by Nester Formentera
In the above line drawings by Formentera a sense of movement is created through alternating line, for example in “no sleep” the effect of the face moving is emphasized by the lines which seem to be pulling it upwards. On the other drawing the bent lines in the sheet in contrast with the straight lines in the background make it seem as if the woman’s towel is twirling in the wind. The curve of the lines around her waist and the darker color makes it seem as is slightly arching her back as her thigh is moving upwards causing the towel to move.
The drawing was made using a reductive technique, contrary to a traditional drawing technique I started with a dark base (done by smoothing graphite powder all over the page). I then started with erasure to create the base shapes. Starting with a dark base facilitates the manipulation of dark tones and highlights, which is essential to the communication of movement as having the correct placement of tone enables the object look “alive” rather than flat and static ERASURE SOURCES: https://nesterformentera.com/pages/about-me https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/645703665309737238/ https://www.pinterest.com/pin/351773420879288155/ https://nitramcharcoal.com/reductive-drawing-erasure-medium/
Dark base
Working in graphite not only allowed me to focus on tone, but it also is easily blendable Allowing to smudge the ends of the wings creating the blurry effect that comes with fast motion MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE
DEVELOPING IDEAS FOR MOTION SCULPTURE
This ballerina is shown midst movement, in order to maintain the delicate look showcased here I could use wire (and paint it)
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However, it would be quite difficult to make the ballerina sculpture stand, perhaps it could be attached to a podium at the base, even then it might weigh too much to be able to stand
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To the left motion is represented through words, a mouth is moving mouthing the word “loser” The drawing below uses motion to Where each movement depict emotions, representing an represents a letter inner battle between one’s self (with the exception of and their vices in a visual manner, the “O” that is a long the man here is beating up his old syllable in it) as it’s said self and struggling to emerge “l00wser” so hence the from the shadows of his “0” is seen twice degeneracy
The sketch to the left represents a woman taking off her shirt “frozen in motion”, the piece could be done in either clay or wire, it could be done with black and colored wired and just like the sketch seem sort of transparent, light grey wire could be used to sketch in details. It could also be produced Frozen motion once in clay, however it would lose its “minimalist” again, like a effect screenshot from a photograph
Sketch below represents a ballerina dancing with a ribbon, showing the consecutive movements she makes from start to end Like stills from a video
Idea inspired by Katie Grinnan’s “Mirage which depicts her doing multiple Yoga poses
Katie Grinnan, Mirage, 2011, Clay
Hand seems like it's shaking the blood way in panicked agony Sculpture depicting a The effect of red bleeding hand, blood dripping could could made with be produced with clay, carving out red melted candle details of the wax that would dry hand etc... into “blood drops”
In this page I explored different ideas for the sculpture I want to create in order to represent motion through lay or Wire and considering mixing mediums by adding wax or Fabric to either medium. Note: All sketches in this page are mine, sketched either by pencil or with an ipad using adobe draw. The images which inspired the drawings or I’ve recreated are linked in my sources Sources: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/665969863635070037/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/613967361685546661/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/665969863634986093/ https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/37365871880778740/ http://www.rudykehkla.com/rudykehkla/photolist.aspx
I could perhaps use wire painted in shades of gray and black and then Ruby Kehla. Ballerina, Wire intertwine the pieces together to represent the different phases of the “battle”
The skirt being lifted up could be made from transparent cloth that is fixated onto the wire sculpture, the sculpture could wear actual transparent tights fitted into the wire
I could perhaps use wire painted in shades of gray and black and then intertwine the pieces together to represent the “battle” Could have a similar minimalist look Ruby Kehla’s “Ballerina” with the skirt flying from the wind, but it would have a quite different aesthetic due to the usage of colored wire and the implementation of
FINAL IDEA DEVELOPMENT FOR SCULPTURE SHOWCASING MOVEMENT Color Fuschia Composition Dusty Rose 3Each Figures: The tuto will be configuring of a Magenta
different movement
Soft Pink
Final Idea Combines all three figured together I plan on depicting the relationship between my figure and its immediate environment By showcasing the wind blowing on it’s tutu
Gino Severini, The Dancer. Oil on Canvas, 1915 https://www.flickr.com/photos/32357038@N08/553 0855634
composed from the four shades of pink listed to the left, and the base will be white These colors are chosen are traditionally “feminine”, helping the sculpture exude a graceful and delicate allure
Creating limbs that will be attached to the base figure Showcased on the left
Base figure in clay
Base Figure That I will start with
Futurists were fascinated with motion, often depicting cars and machines mid movement Severina Gino on the other hand often had figures as his main source of motion. Here a sense of movement is created through the usage of geometric shapes and bright colors
Abstract
Piece that showcases multiple movements simultaneously
The Movements
That are merged into one figure
The photograph to the left is an experiment I did to get an idea of What my sculpture might look like. I took a series of photos in different ballerina poses of A student and then juxtaposed theme one over the other with photoshop and made them translucent giving the effect of motion
Material Significance: I decided to make my sculpture in clay as it's malleability makes it easy to shape and carve details into, allowing me to carve out the ballerina and attach all the limbs to it, hence facilitating the communication of my intention (movement)
INTRODUCTION
ARTIST RESEARCH: UMBERTO BOCCIONI & EDGAR DEGAS
Upon commencing the “Small Worlds” project I was captivated by the idea of capturing and conveying motion through a still medium. Whilst brainstorming ideas for a sculpture I was inspired by both artists and their different approaches to depicting motion, I therefore decided to make a ballerina figure just like Degas, but I chose to convey motion in a more explicit and abstract manner like Boccioni.
FORMAL QUALITIES Ironically, this futurist sculpture reminds me of a hellenistic piece, “Winged Victory of Samothrace” as both figures are interacting with their environments, the soft dress on the ancient sculpture seems to be pushed back by a strong gust of wind. The remembered inspiration behind this piece is said to be the sight of a football player running through the field as he makes a successful pass. Alike a significant amount of his work, this piece is infused with energetic, strong motion, symbolizing the perpetual march of time.
The Winged Victory of Samothrace
MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE
Umberto Boccioni, Self Portrait, Oil on Canvas, 19o5
CONTEXT
The sculpture was originally made in plaster and was later cast in bronze. Plaster is a favorite amongst many artist as it is easy to mold, and one could add to the basic shape even after the plaster has dried. On the other hand bronze is a material that has been considered to be prestigious for centuries, it can be worked into very precise detail as seen on this sculpture.
Umberto Boccioni, Riot in the Gallery, Oil on Canvas, 1910
Umberto Boccioni (1882-1916) was an Italian painter, writer and sculptor. Initially, he was a Neo-Impressionist, mainly painting landscapes and portrait subjects, this style could be seen in the self portrait that he painted in 1905. A few years later he met writer and poet Filippo Marinetti. Boccioni was fascinated by Marinetti's work that glorified the dynamism of modern technology and turned his written work into art. He was also inspired by the writings of Henri Bergson and Symbolist painters, this encouraged him to give his art symbolic meaning whilst simultaneously evoking the objective reality of modern life and the complexity of his emotions. In 1910 he and other artists put together “Manifesto of the Futurist Painters”, where they promoted their representation of what they believed to be symbols of modern technology: speed, power and violence. This manifesto was heavily influenced by historical and socio-cultural influences of the time, where the Industrial Revolution gave birth to great technological and scientific developments and the world was moving towards modernity. After being introduced to cubism his work developed two concepts that lay at the heart of futurism: dynamism and societal upheaval. Being one of the most prominent futurist artist, if not the most prominent his work introduced visual innovations. He believed that the with modernity, scientific and technical advancements, art should also change its traditions of depicting static legible objects. His first major Futurist painting was “Riot in the Gallery”. It was close to pointillism, however showed the following futuristic characteristics: dynamic composition and violent subject matter. He later on became interested in sculpture, advocating for the usage of non traditional materials including glass, wood, cement, cloth, electric lights, as well as a combination of materials in one piece of sculpture.
Umberto Boccioni, Unique Forms of continuity in space, Bronze, 1913 (Cast 1950)
FUNCTION AND PURPOSE The figure is interacting with its immediate environment, clear evidence of this is could be seen in the contours of the figure that have a flame-like shape, where a strong force of wind seems to be hitting it as it strides with resistance. The figure is meant to be viewed from multiple angles as it changes from each angle from which one observes it, making the piece quite versatile and adding a sense of ambiguity and fluidity to it.
The gold colored figure is mainly composed of geometric shapes, however what is truy striking about it is that those geometric shapes fade into fluidity just like waves, as they give a sense of movement. A balance between the heavy bronze casting and the malleability of the wave-like forms create an interesting juxtaposition between strength and lightness. The geometrical aspect and the placement of lines (like the line on the back) make the figure appear to be muscular. The colour scheme is very simple with only one golden-bronze color, this makes the viewer focus on the shape of the figure, as adding an extensive colour scheme might distract from the shapes. Aforementioned, the superhuman figure is meant to be looked from multiple angles and looks different from each one, however it is most commonly represented from a profile/side view. SOURCES: https://www.britannica.com/biography/Umberto-Bo ccioni https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Umberto_Boccioni https://www.metmuseum.org/en/art/collection/sea rch/485540 https://www.moma.org/collection/works/81179 https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-101 0/cubism-early-abstraction/art-great-war/a/umbert o-boccioni-unique-forms-of-continuity-in-space https://www.christies.com/features/Umberto-Bocci oni-Unique-Forms-of-Continuity-in-Space-10140-3. aspx https://www.widewalls.ch/unique-forms-of-continui ty-in-space/
CONTEXT: Edgar Degas (1834-1917) was a French painter, photographer and sculptor. He is widely regarded as one of the founding fathers of Impressionism although he repeatedly rejected the label, opting to describe himself as a “realist” or an “independant”. Impressionism is a movement partly inspired by realism that surfaced between the 1860’s and 1870’s, impressionists primarily focused on painting the reality of the surroundings, giving special attention to the effects of light in hopes of capturing immediacy with bright colors. Degas shared many of their techniques, he was attracted to leisure and was intrigued by capturing the effects of light. During his military years in the 1870’s the artist started losing his vision, he blamed this on excessive sun exposure, he therefore started painting exclusively indoors. In 1868 he painted his friend Desire Dihau, who was a bassoonist in the orchestra of the opera from the point of view of a member of the audience. Charles Stuckey, an Art historian pointed out the following; "it is Degas' fascination with the depiction of movement, including the movement of a spectator's eyes as during a random glance, that is properly speaking 'Impressionist'”.
EDGAR DEGAS Little Dancer, Aged 14 ANALYSIS FUNCTION AND PURPOSE:
Edgar Degas. Little Dancer Aged 14, 1881, Bronze, Silk, Wax, Muslin, 98 x 34 x 35 cm
MATERIAL SIGNIFICANCE
Edgar Degas, Place de la Concorde, 1875, Oil on Canvas, 78 x 118 cm Edgar Degas, L’orchestre de l’Opera, 180. 56 x 46 cm
Place de la Concorde is a painting that depicts his interest in motion, it had quick snapping shots of moments frozen in time, conveying a sense of movement. His fascination with portraiture, made him interested in all the aspects that made up the people whom he was portraying. He developed a keen interesting in analyzing how a one’s social status or job may reveal itself through the way they dress, their posture and physiognomy. His “oeuvres de la maturite” consisted of him mainly painting maids, dancers, ballerinas, nude women as well as many other women, emphasizing on them being professionals whom are doing their jobs. For example he paints dancers and maids very differently, he illustrates their field of employment not only in their dress code or the activities they perform but also the very shapes of their bodies. His ballerinas possess an athletic, lean and muscular physique while the maids are heavier and less shapely.
The figure was modeled in wax, an unusual medium, but later on it was cast in bronze to assure its longevity. The ballerina is wearing a real tutu, however her bodice, ballet slippers (which are also real) are covered in wax. Multiple materials were used in the creation of this piece including silk, wax, bronze and muslin. Creating a harmonious contrast between the hard roughness of the bronze and the fragile “doux” materials.
The sculpture depicts a ballerina posing with her legs slightly bent one foot in front of the other, her hands behind her and her chin is high up. She is wearing typical ballet attire which include; a corset type top, ballet flats, a tutu and a hair ribbon. To this day, “Little Dancer Aged 14” is possibly Degas’ most controversial art piece. The ballerina sculpture was subject to scandal as many critics described it as being “appalling” and “monkey like” while others said it was “blossoming”. The subject of the sculpture was directly observed, it was modeled after Marie Van Goethem a 14 year old ballet student of the Paris Opera Ballet. Degas broke away from the stereotypical angelic poses that were associated with ballerinas, and asked Mademoiselle Goethem to stand in rather difficult and unnatural position. One of the critics Paul Mantz, said the following; “ flower of precocious depravity‘, with a face ‘marked by the hateful promise of every vice‘ and ‘bearing the signs of a profoundly heinous character.” Degas was accused of purposely representing the ballerina in a bestial manner, to further the dehumanization of the subject, the audience referred to the sculpture exhibited in a glass piece as a “medical specimen.” Degas’ strikingly realist representation of Marie did not meet the standards of the time of a voluptuous and beautiful woman, it was believed that an “ugly” and thin rat d’Opera had no place in an art museum.
FORMAL QUALITIES The movement in this piece is a suggested and poised type of movement. There is a juxtaposition between the rough, frail yet muscular and angled body of the figure and the delicacy of the ethereal beauty of her attire. This contrast is both subtle and evident simultaneously. Somehow her atypical beauty (which critics refer to as “ugly”) blends in effortlessly with her classical ruffled tutu and her exquisite corset, as she looks up to the ceiling with an air of contempt pride.Overall the figure looks dainty and delicate due to its The handling of the surface is different throughout the piece, the ballerina’s thighs show signs of heavy tooling that become lighter as you move to the calves with finely carved wrinkled lines around the knees. The arms are thin and the hands are carved precisely, the level of detail on this piece is incredible. All features on her head including her ears are lightly tooled and worked with a heated spatula, giving a textured surface and rendering the facial features almost translucent just like real skin.
SOURCES: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgar_Dega s https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=e n&sl=fr&u=http://www.impressionniste.net /degas.htm&prev=search https://www.rivagedeboheme.fr/pages/art s/peinture-19e-siecle/edgar-degas.html https://www.britannica.com/biography/Ed gar-Degas https://www.nga.gov/collection/highlights /degas-little-dancer-aged-fourteen.html https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/deg as-little-dancer-aged-fourteen-n06076 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Little_Dance r_of_Fourteen_Years https://www.edgar-degas.net/place-de-laconcorde.jsp
CONSIDERING COMPOSITION:
This podium would elevate the sculpture, however it's design does not fit the minimalist aesthetic I am Aiming for
Design to the left makes it seem as if the oscar is trapped. Which could communicate my intention effectively as the unfortunate are trapped by an unjust system and generational poverty
This bears too much resemblance to a normal oscar, and I would like the “Peasant’s Oscar” (title of piece) to have more significance than normal oscar as it celebrates real hardships
INFLUENCE OF BOCCIONI ON MY PIECE: My piece depicts motion in an abstract manner, the details on the side of my sculpture’s piece make it seem like it's moving just like Boccioni’s sculpture
INFLUENCE OF DEGAS ON MY PIECE: Dress design to the left would not aid me in communicating my intention, it looks too structured and lavish
I decided to go with the design on the right as it's simple and leaves most of the sculpture “exposed” just like how the lower class are vulnerable and exposed to most of society's troubles
DRESS DESIGN
Investigating Materials The material to the left looks rustic however the color is to bright
I think I will settle on this design, as it resembles an award, but is more elevated than a typical Oscar, aiding me in communicating my intention: we should celebrate the struggles that the unfortunate have overcome rather than celebrate the success of the priviliged
Experiment ing with possible I decided to put an designs oxide on my sculpture to make it a grey color with olive undertones and settled for a simple white semi transparent tunic, this makes the sculpture look more “rustic” and worn out placing emphasis on the Fatigued state of those who are forgotten
The cape in this design makes the piece seem more heroic, however I would like the piece to look more Minimalist and “humble” Degas’ piece influenced a change in stylistic direction to use different materials within a piece, hence I’ve decided to incorporate fabric. I have also decided to depict motion in a more “implied” manner just like degas, abandoning the idea of attaching limbs to the piece (explicit motion)
The color on the fabric to the left is too bright and would distract from the purpose of the piece The fabric to the right was cut in order to look like fading rose petals, this could work well with the intended meaning (dying flower as symbol for their pain)
Degas’ work in general influenced a change in conceptual direction, my aim now is not to only to depict motion through a still medium. His “oeuvres de maturite” painted women such as maids who often were very rarely represented in “high society”. I therefore made this piece look like an Oscar, “Peasant’s Oscar” aims to celebrate the struggles the poor and forgotten as opposed to real Oscar\s who most often only celebrate the achievements of the wealthy and successful
For my shock of reality project I have decided to work with the theme of “Identity”. This slide displays a brainstorm of my initial ideas. I thought about what identity means and just how wide of a concept it truly is. I thought about conveying identity with handprints, expressing uniqueness despite mudanity. I also explored the fluidity of identity how it could change overtime and with age (hands at different stages of life), as well as the progression of emotional identity (resentment turning into anger for example). I also experimented with collaging photos in order to convey this notion. SOURCES: Dolce & Gabbana Summer 2015 collection magazine and Vogue fall 2018 magazine (hard copies, cut out for collage) https://www.pinterest.fr/pin/ 322781498284631446/
MERGING MERGING IDENTITIES IDENTITIES
Photograph I took of a sculpture hand pulling on a human eye
Here I decided to further explore collage as a means to convey a notion of identity. I decided to merge photographs I took with photographs of sculptures, completely changing what both the initial photograph and sculpture looked like in a way this is a metaphor for the uidity of identity and how just changing even one part or one aspect of a person (emotionally or life event) could completely alter and transform their entire being to the point where the become unrecognizable
The photo above Is the one that was merged with the two sculptures, it was processed through adobe photoshop, making the hair blend in with the dark background, and a grainy effect in order to make the photo sharper SOURCES: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/665969863625491117/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/665969863625491159/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/665969863625491194/
PHOTO PROCESSING:
Tool in blue on each image is what is being used at a given screenshot
Esther Griffith, Fast Forward, Oil on Canvas, 76 x 82 cm
I was inspired to try out this style of painting after coming across this painting by Esther Griffith who “juxtaposes hyperrealism against the abstract”. I was particularly drawn to her vibrant color palette which merges cool and warm tones as well as the “patchy” style of her brushwork, only slightly blending tones and hence experimented with her style Please note that all images with a purple dot on them are not mine, the rest are my paintings . Reference pictures and the images with a purple dot are linked in my sources
SOURCES:
https://www.esthergriffith.com/about.html https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/66596986362920 7681/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/34860682740627 8910/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/76976376129615 3354/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/20315463317750 4787/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/66596986362847 6075/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/47850752916144 3678/
Trying out some of the compositional arrangements
Using fragmented pieces of a canvas as opposed to a whole piece allows me to communicate my intention more effectively, highlighting that it's the small details in the face that come together in order to convey emotions Source: http://davidhockney.online.f r/abiggergrand.htm
The Making Of a Portrait: RANCOEUR Here you can see me hesitating
between a blue and green background as the blue adds more emotional depth while the green brings out the colors in the face, I decided to choose the green one as I wanted the colors in the face to seem vibrant when juxtaposing with the background, highlighting the emotions on the face. The intention of this painting is to convey a feeling of resentment, behind the story of a woman who had her youth
Henri Matisse. Portrait de Andre Derrien, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 29 x 39 cm
Overall this painting style where I intentionally use blocks of very roughly blended colors reminds me of Henri Matisse's style Especially in relations to the usage of color
Started of with a dark base and a few lines to guide me
Breakdown of my Sketch: Usage of pink/red tones makes the face Unblended bold highlights and shadows
T-shirt color blends in with the colors of the face
I then started to add color to the dark surface, slowly building up the tone with blocks of color
STYLISTIC INFLUENCE:
The usage of tone and colors particularly around the eyes reminds me of a portrait of Henri Matisse by Andre Derain, warm colors are laid out underneath the eyes to evoke emotion, in my painting the burgundy/mauve shade was used to place emphasis on the agony and resentment, it also looks like a scar, the scar of opression.
Andre Derain, Portrait de Matisse,1905, Oil on Canvas, 46 x 34 cm
Starting of with a dark base and working the tones into it helped me in creating a face that has depth as opposed to being flat pushing me to truly pay attention to shadows and highlights
Like it's bleeding from anger, flushed from pain
I decided to paint a portrait that depicts anger mixed with sorrow “resentment”. This could be seen in the sketch above that I made before beginning the actual painting on a canvas
CONCEPTUAL INSPIRATION In terms of content, this portrait is influenced by the work of Shirin Neshat, an Iranian artist whose work mainly explores the themes of: oppression, misogyny and tyranny. Working with the same subject matter, I created this painting representing an angry woman full of animosity as she had her youth and aspirations stolen from her. It is also partially inspired by a relative who had to sacrifice her identity in order to conform to the norms of sexist culture. SOURCES: http://www.henri-matisse.net/paintings/as.html https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/derain-he nri-matisse-t00165 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shirin_Neshat
Developing a Portrait: Manilla Below is a sketch I made before starting my painting
CoNSIDERING COMPOSITION A “Classic” canvas shape such as the one below would allow the main focus to be on the painting
Henri Matisse, Blue Nude, 1907, Oil on canvas
Bold brushstrokes and patches of colors inspired by Henri Matisse’s “BLUE NUDE”, color palette used on the body (as seen to the left) is also inspired by this painting, giving it a melcholinic touch, as one moves up the body the colors get brighter symbolizing an emergence from grief An Oval shaped canvas although aesthetically pleasing could distract from the actual painting
Thewood woodbackground background The fitsbest bestasasititisismore more fits “neutral” which places “neutral” which places emphasisononthe thefigure figure emphasis ratherthan thanitsits rather background,making making background, thecolors colorsappear appeartotobebe the evensharper sharper even
This trial helped me realize the importance of gradual and careful placement of color and tone
Here I placed the colors quite quickly to test if the very gradual build up of color and layers one on top of the other were absolutely necessary to achieve the desired effect
A green background would distract from the colors already present within the figure, the pistachio shade would give the painting an overly joyful feel, which is not the intention here, the intention is to convey a sentiment of relief which emerges from sadness
A wide canvas makes it seem as if the painting was submerged into space
The dark navy background conveys sorrow (not the intention) and it does not contrast with the colors, almost blending in with it, giving the impression that the figure is fading into oblivion
REFINING IDEAS AND CHANGE IN COMPOSITION
I decided to cut out the painting from the wood background, as I found that the rest of the body distracted from the face. Cutting it out makes it seem like the hair is truly being swept by the wind and allows the facial expression of “relief” to be seen better, this portrait depicts a woman enjoying her new found freedom. Nonetheless, even though the painting is cut, the concept of the colors getting gradually lighter as we move up the body has not been abandoned hence the effect of a emergence from misery is maintained Furthermore I decided to mount the cut out painting on to a pole, as if it was standing with the wind blowing in its face
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue _Nude_(Souvenir_de_Biskra)
Context: Brief Overview of Matisse Henri Matisse (1869 - 1954) was mainly known as a painter, in fact he is often considered by many as the most important French painter of the 20th century. However he was also a printmaker, sculptor and draughtsman. Originally a law student, he had a change of heart and slowly submerged himself into the Parisian artristic scene. He didn’t infiltrate the Parisian avant garde right away,, his earliest canvases were painted in the 17th century dutch style favored by french realists in the 1850s when enrolled in Academie Julian led by the strict William Bouguereau . In 1896 he exhibited four paintings at Salon de La Société Nationale and was elected an associate member of the Salon, his Woman Reading (1894) was purchased by the government. This was an important turning point which led him to become more daring and confident both as an artist and a man.
Exploration of the Usage of Color in Henri Matisse’s Work
Henri Matisse, Parrot Tulips, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 46 x 55 cm Henri Matisse, View of Collioure, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 59 x 73 cm
Henri Matisse, Green Stripe, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 40 x 32 cm Henri Matisse, Luxe Calme et Volupte, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 98 x 118 cm
After discovering a series of impressionists Masterpieces in the Gustave Cabiellote collection, his colors became lighter and simultaneously more intense in hue. After reading Paul Signac’s manifesto La Revue Blanche: “D'Eugène Delacroix au Néo-Impressionnisme” he developed an interest in the pointillism. He researched these techniques by buying paintings from Vincent Van Gogh, Cezanne and Gauguin. Henri Matisse, The Dinner Table, 1897, Oil on Canvas, 100 x 131 cm
Andre Derain, Port De Pêche de Collioure, 1905, oil on canvas, 81 x 100 cm
Leader of Fauvisme
In 1905 under the potency of the Mediterranean sun, Matisse freed himself of what he described as the tyranny of pointillism. The calculated little “points” turned into swirls of spontaneous brush work with a palette erupting to an emotional exhibition of vivid complementary color, an example of this would be “The Open Window”. When exhibiting in Salon d’Automne he was acknowledged as the leader of a group of artists that played with the violence of color, the group was dubbed “Les Fauves”. Fauvists (meaning the wild beasts in french) convey emotion through savage discordant color, in negligence of their subjects true colors. The distinctive style is often recognized by heavily outlined forms, calculated patches of color, rules of perspective and foreshortening are ignored, shadows are practically abolished however light is emphasized upon.
Content
Exploration of the Usage of Color in Henri Matisse’s Work
The main and only subject of this painting is a woman in elegant attire wearing a dress and holding a fan, it is a portrait of Matisse’s wife. Femme au Chapeau caused a scandal when presented to the salon in 1905, it’s a portrait of his wife, her upper body is viewed from side profile, face titled ¾, arm on the edge of the chair. She seems to look at the viewer with a calm and poised demeanor.Here Matisse does Usage of bright colors show where not want to describe his wife but rather light is hitting the face, for communicate to the audience the way he example the yellow was used viewed her, the radiance he saw in her. around the high points of the face
where the light naturally hits. Pastel/light colors give the effect of less direct light hitting the face, this is circled in blue. Smaller brushes strokes that are circled in blue on the painting are used for details, however even these details are imprecise yet placed with care splotches of color
The colors are typically fauvist, bright, rich, bold , vivid and surrealist. Pistachio green, ruby red, cotton candy pink, cobalt blue, purple, dashes of yellow. They translate the emotions of the artist, they are in unblended violent patches
SOURCES https://blogs.univ-tlse2.fr/dam-histoire -art/2018/01/04/fauvisme-henri-matiss e/
Tell tale characteristics of the French bourgeoisie depicted, gloves, a fan, extravagant hat, convey a warmly luxurious The feel contours are defined, heavy and
unblended, giving an imprecise and chaotic effect. The focus here, and with fauvisme in general is not to be loyal to reality, but rather to showcase the artist’s view of reality.
Henri Matisse, Femme au Chapeau, 1905, Oil on Canvas, 81 x 60 cm
large spontaneous brushstrokes, carefully place the blocks of color in Juxtaposing directions, the usage of yellow and white and the direction of the strokes give us the impression that the light is hitting right behind her ear, coming from the right, emphasized by the usage of colors such as yellow and white
Connections to my own work
The image on the right is from a trial sketch in my notebook inspired by fauvism and of course Matisse’s work. Usage of heavy brushstrokes in a bold color, and working in unblended patches of colors also ressemble Matisse’s work
It’s similar to matisse’s work in the usage of bright staggering color that is not loyal to reality
https://www.kazoart.com/blog/5-chose s-a-savoir-sur-le-fauvisme/ https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fauvisme http://www.galeriedesmodernes.art/fr/a rtists/henri-matisse-fauvisme-470 https://www.aparences.net/periodes/art -moderne/fauvisme/ https://www.britannica.com/biography/ Henri-Matisse https://www.henrimatisse.org https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henri_M atisse https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woman_ with_a_Hat http://www.3e-art.fr/2014/04/la-femm e-au-chapeau-de-henri-matisse.html https://histoiredelart201516.wordpress. com/2015/11/08/analyse-plastique-la-f emme-au-chapeau-henri-matisse-2/
My work
LANDSCAPE ON A FACE: DEVELOPING AN IDEA FOR A PAINTING Title of painting not found
Sources: https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/ 665969863634984017/ https://www.pinterest.fr/jonopal ski/gene-brown-paintings/ https://www.pinterest.co.uk/pin/ 550846598155851079/
The sketch above is based on the Sahara Desert
Working in Patches of color is similar to the view of landscapes from a plane
I decided to paint a landscape (sahara Desert) into a Face as seen to the left
I first started putting in the tones in rather natural colors in a blended manner
Above is my reference for the portrait, a photo of a libyan woman that I took
After having worked out the base and plotted the shadows and lights, I started filling them in with patches of abstract color
In the Sketch to the right, I considered having a bandage wrapped around the woman’s head and mouth with blood on the white bandage as an allusion to the frequent kidnappings happening in libya, inspired by Christian BOltanski’s “L’homme qui tousse” which depicts a man who seems to be a prisoner coughing up blood violently in a dark room.
This piece conceptually is inspired by Helen Zughaib, who’s work mostly discusses Middle Eastern issues paying particular attention to the Arab Spring. Focusing on the same issues, I decided to denounce what’s happening in Libya through a portrait. The face of the portrait is made to look like the landscape of the Libyan Sahara desert, a sentiment of anger and anguish is conveyed from the eyes of a libyan woman who realizes that 40 years of dictatorship were not followed by social reform, but a decade of misery and chaos in a country ruled by militias.
Inspired by Gene Brown’s painting on the right I decided to make the two landscape sketches on the right with savage bold colors and minimal blending, working in a manner that was typical for fauvists
I decided to incorporate a fabric headpiece that is traditionally worn in the libyan desert, emphasizing on the concept of representing a landscape within a face
Placing the traditional libyan head piece on to the sculpture