Alysia Schuetzle Art & Design

Contextual Studies: Assessment task three

2011-04-01T02:24:00.000-07:00

Cultural, social and personal identity are all themes explored widely by many artists. Identity is our own comprehension of who we are, and is integral to the way we view others, the way we are viewed and the way we dress, speak and function. An individual’s struggle to establish, discover or to come to terms with their identity can be captivatingly emotional from both a viewer’s and from their own point of view. The portrayal of multiple identities can also be similarly compelling. The essay has been written to explore the way that Kalliope Amorphous and Alison Brady depict identity in social, cultural and personal context, and how their ideas are expressed through their work. Despite that the majority of her body of her work consists of self- portraiture and photography, Kalliope Amorphous states that she is “not a photographer or a narcissist.”[1] Instead her work confronts arguably more important and substantial themes than vanity- death, morbidity, the struggle of women and the way that society views us in relation to who we are. Much of Amorphous’ work reflects on the portrayal of stereotypes through costume and drama. “Surfacing” is part of Amorphous’ “Resurrecting Ophelia” series, completed in 2010. It is a subtle piece; the limited colour palette and light create an eerie and morbid atmosphere for the viewer. The overwhelming theme that this piece communicates to the viewer is one of death and mortality. By using her own body as a prop in the photograph, Amorphous is reminding the audience of their own mortality. The pallid greys of the photograph, a result of the graduating light, reminisce of old age and death; grey is a colour generally associated with the elderly, depression and negativity and thus with our own mortality. The blackest point of the photograph is indicative of death as the unknown, as are the weeds reaching up to grasp the subject’s feet, which inspire panic and fear in the viewer. Amorphous wants the viewer to feel this fear and to be aware of their own mortality as well as her own. “Surfacing” is a poignant reminder of the value of life and the ability or opportunity to express personal identity. Amorphous’ ‘Ophelia’ in the piece appears suspended; not quite sunken, not quite fully revealed, but in the process of ‘surfacing’, as the title suggests. This could be indicative of the artist’s personal struggle to find and articulate her identity- feeling as if she has almost achieved this but not quite. By using herself as the subject of the photograph, though under the guise of ‘Ophelia’, she is revealing this vulnerability to the viewer. ‘Ophelia’ acts as Amorphous’ costume or mask; a comment on the ironic necessity of using a character to communicate struggles with personal identity. “Untitled” by Alison Brady, is a disturbing piece. Brady largely deals with female identity and societal struggle in her work, commenting on domesticity and the media’s portrayal of women. The photograph first appears almost whimsical- the combination of soft blues and pinks that are the dress of the subject, coupled with her tumbling golden curls and apron create an atmosphere of innocence and domestic femininity. Brady uses this to lure us into a false sense of security; when the piece is viewed more closely, the themes change to those of a disturbed loss of identity and violation. The dress of the subject, though chastely buttoned to her throat, is sheer and the exposure of her breasts is somewhat pornographic. Brady uses this to comment on the way women are viewed in society and what the ‘ideal’ woman is perceived to be- domesticated, beautiful and obedient. The way the subject holds herself, rigid and straight, yet with her head encased in a suitcase, suggests the struggle of women to match up to what society believes they should be. The suitcase in particular is poignant, as Brady suggests in a rather disturbing way that the minds of women are trapped and wandering; almost disconnected from their bodies, as implied by the suitcase’s travel connotations. That the subject’s face is hidden from view suggests her loss of identity, and the exposure of her breasts references the anonymous nature of pornographic magazines and the way women are portrayed through this and other media. The setting of the piece is equally disturbing. That the subject is laying on the muddy ground with her pristine white apron on indicates Brady’s suggestion that women should break from societal expectations and reclaim their individual identities. More darkly however, the bare patches of ground suggest that another person and a struggle have been present, creating an atmosphere of foreboding and leaving the viewer feeling violated. The way that Brady has presented the subject to the viewer- her breasts in the immediate middle of the photograph, and her head hidden from view, is uncomfortable to look at. Furthermore, the viewer is forced to look down at the subject as if standing above her, giving a sense of authority and power and compelling them to question the identity of the woman in the photograph, and equally, the struggle between individual female identities, and the perceived desirable collective identity of women in society. Conclusively, using photography as a realistic and accessible media for the viewer, both Amorphous and Brady have communicated ideas about the role of women in society, personal identity and a poignant look at the confusion and distress that loss or lack of discovery of one’s identity can cause. Both artists question the identity of women, and how we view our own identity in relation to those other than ourselves. Word count: 929 Tutor: Malcolm Moseley Bibliography [1] Kalliope Amorphous- Artist’s Statement- http://www.kalliopeamorphous.com/about Kalliope Amorphous- 'Surfacing': http://www.kalliopeamorphous.com/album/resurrecting_ophelia?p=1&s=UA-10258672-3#1 Interview with Alison Brady- written by anon, at Nymphoto http://nymphoto.blogspot.com/2009/01/conversation-with-alison-brady.html Alison Brady-"Untitled" http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LNwVDiKTH0g/SUL8VlZw8eI/AAAAAAAACK0/JaKiKmS3u0A/s1600-h/copyrightAlisonBrady07.jpg

Assessment task two: Conceptualising your own work

2011-03-31T16:57:00.000-07:00

An artist that has influenced my work, particularly that using ink and felt pen is Kristina Rowell. Rowell mainly works on illustrations using ink, fibre-tip pen and water. She captures the essence of her subjects- often people and animals, through delicate shading and carefully structured tone. I love the unapologetic way Rowell manipulates her chosen medium of ink- the deliberate placing of the bold splodges recurrent in her portraits and studies give them depth and spontaneity.

My favourite piece of hers is ‘Grove’- a study of a woman wearing a bandanna and carrying a woven basket tucked under her arm. I particularly love the delicacy of the wicker basket and headscarf which Rowell has sketched in pencil. This offers a beautiful contrast to the deeply coloured ink and is something I would love to develop more strongly in my work. Rowell’s observation of her subjects in terms of tone and light is perhaps what I find most inspiring and influential about her work. Though I have tried to express light and shadow through the different tonal colour in my piece of work, I feel I could further develop this, particularly around the eyes of the subjects.

Rowell beautifully portrays expression in her work. In ‘Grove’, the woman’s face; screwed up and squinting against the sun, is joyful, yet contemplative. It is the delicacy of the inky greys that Rowell has used, and her fluid brush strokes that capture the woman’s brief, fleeting expression with both accuracy and charm. Possibly what I admire most about ‘Grove’ is that the piece presents itself to the viewer as both a sketch and a finished piece of work. While the pencil marks communicate speed and a drawing still in the preliminary stages, the bold ink and definite brush strokes make the piece seem complete. This gives Rowell’s work a beautiful complexity. ‘Grove’ makes an impact on the viewer visually. Part of the reason for this is the boldness of the ink- pen is not an expected medium for fine art, and so this instantly draws the viewer in as Rowell is unapologetic with her use of this everyday item in her art.

The simplicity of her chosen mediums mirror the underlying themes of the piece- the subject matter is essentially a simple portrait, but the layers of pencil and ink are built up to create complexity through graduation of tone and shadow, much like the complexity of the person portrayed. ‘Grove’ is a dimensional artwork, like the woman Rowell is depicting through the piece. Her interesting and inspiring use of texture and the layering of pale films of ink that she has built up to create shadow and depth; particularly in the fine lines and shadows of the subject’s face, mean that ‘Grove’ is a truly engaging piece to view.

"Grove"- Kristina Rowell My work

2010-12-04T03:00:00.000-08:00

I signed up for Digital Art and Design as a spur-of-the-moment-I'll-see-what-it's-like-and-hope-I'm-not-too-bad-at-it impulse. Turns out, it's awesome. Seriously awesome. And Corel Painter Painter 2? That's awesome as well.

I still haven't quite figured out how to use photoshop; but here is the first thing I have worked on as part of a series of fashion illustrations in Corel Painter Essentials 2 (this is just practice, so try not to laugh).

I scanned in a quick sketch I did for Fashion Illustration and scanned it in, then painted and edited it using the pencil, digital watercolour, oil paint and palette knife tools. I really enjoyed myself and will definitely be working like this much more often as I'd love to get better at it! (:

2010-11-17T14:53:00.000-08:00

Amsterdam was amazing, a really beautiful city. I loved just sitting in the cute little cafes with Kai and sketching people as they walked past. It was absolutely freezing and we got a little lost once or twice thanks to my awful navigation skills, but I'd love to go back. There was so much to see and do and I actually quite miss it.
Photos and more sketches to follow.

2010-11-17T14:49:00.001-08:00

Task #98: Draw your teeth holding a pen between your teeth.

I got a bit over confident and tried to do my lips...

2010-11-17T09:49:00.001-08:00

We were recently set a brilliant list of 100 tasks to have completed five weeks from now. There are some completely mad ideas on there...but they all promise to be really fun and some may turn into ideas for our final major projects! (:

Here is my first task completed (though if I have time I may edit it further):
Task #59: Rearrange a plate of peas several times.

I had lots of fun with this, may try stop motion again in the future- it would be interesting to apply this to fashion illustration.

2010-11-13T03:16:00.001-08:00

I've decided I like the inky way of working, and that I want to make more of these, so have started an A4 sketchbook. This is going to require a lot of fibre tip pens...

So, I've begun with sketching two of my boyfriend's dogs- Joey (an adorable rottweiler/ german shephard cross) and Sam (a lovely german shephard). I've fully inked Joey, and am really pleased with the way he has turned out, considering it was quite a speedy sketch. He's a little too dark around the eyes, and I managed to make his left eye a little lazy and half closed because I applied too much water and the ink ran, but overall I'm quite happy. On this drawing I've also used a white pencil around his muzzle and nose to highlight certain areas, and I really like this effect- will definitely be using it again!

Unfortunately I had to go to work (with inky paws), so poor Sam will have to wait until later to get his fur...

2010-11-06T04:08:00.000-07:00

After a Friday drawing session where we experimented with tone, I went home and looked up an artist that does the same: Luc Tuymans. He works mainly in oils, and creates spectral, haunting images of half remembered dreams and near forgotten old memories. I love his style, in particular the muted grey, blue and flesh colour palette he uses.

This is my watercolour copy of one of his pieces, 'Der Diagnostische Blick IV'. The face is far too large, and the nose too narrow. I'm pleased with the eyes though, and the colour of the lips. I might try this again in acrylics- which I really don't enjoy working in but would like to get better at.

2010-11-05T02:01:00.000-07:00

Yesterday in fashion design we were given a brief to create a story- "Fashion is selling a story, a lifestyle"- for a dog of our choice, and a five piece collection for their owner. I chose a husky, and I'm quite pleased with how his initial portrait turned out: More on the owner later.

2010-11-03T00:47:00.000-07:00

Assessment task: Visual Analysis

Comparing: 'Self- Portrait' by Francis Bacon with a still from 'Battleship Potemkin' by Eisenstein

The first thing that strikes the viewer about both Bacon and Eisenstein’s work is the boldness of each image; this is largely created through the individual artist’s use of chiaroscuro in each piece. In the still from Eisenstein’s “Battleship Potemkin”, the subject has been cleverly lit to create a atmosphere of foreboding, dread and shock. The near black background of the image is in contrast to the brighter left side and this makes the still seem almost horrific; the contemporary viewer would see this along with the black and white format and be reminded of such films as “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”.

Bacon’s “Self- Portrait” is similarly cinematically horrific. The black background which the central figure is on could be seen by the viewer as a shroud or ‘peephole’ which the distorted face is peering through. I feel that the solid blackness is something the figure seems to hide behind, to look through; this leads to the impression that there is a hidden area of the painting, concealed from the viewer that adds to the mysterious and slightly confusing sensation experienced when viewing “Self- portrait.” I feel that this confusion is mainly due to the viewer questioning what the painting is representative of- we know that it is Bacon’s self- portrait, but the distorted element could point to Bacon’s state of mind, his scrutiny of himself as a person or as an artist, or the way he feels he appears to the outside world in terms of his ideas and art.

“Self- Portrait’s” arguably most distinctive feature is the warped way in which Bacon has painted himself. While this makes the viewer feel uncomfortable, the painting is still recognisable as a human figure, though distorted, due to the fleshy skin tones that Bacon has used. By using such ‘human’, warm colours contrasting with cooler blue and grey hues depicting the face’s shadows, Bacon encourages the viewer to look closer, and to not overlook his painting despite their initial revulsion or confusion at first glance- he encourages them to believe that the face is human and worth a closer look. I feel that perhaps Bacon is communicating through his self portrait his hopes that people will take a second, closer look at him and his work and see that there is deeper meaning. The figure in Bacon’s “Self- Portrait” gives the sense of quiet self reflection, of deep sadness through his averted gaze and broken face.

While there is something grotesque about Bacon’s painting, there is also something beautifully human in the way that it communicates emotion to the viewer. Similarly, the still from “Battleship Potemkin” communicates silent panic, terror and a strong sense of foreboding through one frozen moment. The gaping darkness of the figure’s open mouth, and her wide eyes are crucial to making the viewer feel equally as panicked and shocked. In addition, that the camera is zoomed so closely to the character’s face, cropping out anything irrelevant, further makes the viewer experience her claustrophobic situation as it makes them feel equally terrified and fills them with dread of what she is witnessing.

Tutor: Malcolm Moseley
Word Count: 521

2010-10-21T02:44:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday we all started our new set of workshops; mine are Fashion and Fashion Illustration for the next few weeks, and I am so excited. Turns out that with Fashion, I had good reason to be! It was so much fun- first we were told to make some sketches at Ipswich Museum, and mine sort of ended up following along the theme of birds, including wings, feathers and a sulpher crested cockatoo, with a military uniform and a circus clown chucked in.
When we got back to the work shop there was a mad rush for the photocopier as we were told to flick through any fashion magazines we could find in the room and record anything that caught our eye. I got a bit too absorbed in actually reading a few Lula magazines rather than flicking through, but still ended up with some lovely images, mostly involving glamourous, black and white vintage photography and circusy splendour reflected in some completely mad but brilliant outfits.

Next, it was collage time. I love collage, if not everything that I produce from it. We were asked for ten very rough, quick ideas and then another thirty for homework as next lesson we'll be making a paper pattern for a developed one of these. (Eek!) Most of mine ended up a weird hybrid of circus, fowl and forties glamour, but I did like some of them- and these four are my favourite.

These aren't supposed to be fully fledged designs yet, so they are supposed to be messy and a bit crap. I actually loved this way of working, after being convinced- for about five minutes- that I would hate it. This is what is great about the course- so long as you are open to new ideas they will teach you an often better, more interesting way of working. I will definitely work this way again.

...and yes, that is hair.

Next; fashion illustration, paper patterns, real fabric and finding out what on earth the sublime is (?!).

2010-10-20T11:54:00.000-07:00

In drawing a few weeks ago we started to focus on negative space. What began as confusing turned out to be a really different way of defining an item, or collection of items- it's interesting to see how drawing the space around something slowly reveals the object. Most of mine look pretty abstract but I actually prefer it that way. Our homework was to develop this idea, along with the idea of tone, so I began by sketching some other collections of items in this way. My favourite, and the one I think came out the best was this sketch of the negative space between a bunch of carnations in a vase...

It looks very sketchy and rough, but I quite like this about it...however I may experiment later and try and edit it to make the background more solid and see how this looks. Experimenting with different colours might be interesting too...

Anyway, so I thought this might look good in textiles soooo I went round the negative space on a piece of cotton using a free embroidery machine (I love these so so so much, someone buy me one please?!) and this was the result:

Again, messy but I kind of like it...

After this I fancied some drawing again so photocopied my original drawing in a few different sizes and created some fashion illustrations of possible clothes using these. They are coloured using Tria markers and outlined with black fineliner pen. I'm happier with the model sat down because I think the standing one looks a little awkward and wobbly, but I need lots of practise to get better. So, here is some of my practise!

2010-10-20T11:41:00.000-07:00

So...first blog post. How exciting! This is going to be a place for generally everything arty that I think of during the day; be it college related, or just things that interest me to do with design. College started quite a few weeks ago, so be prepared for loads of posts of previous work that will annoy you by clogging up your e-mails. Enjoy!