Thesis for Folio Two

I went into this project trying to continue with my first folio work. I was interested in masks and masking the body in different ways. I was also interested in merging animal and human elements together. I decided to try something different and use myself as the model. Using myself as the model gives a new perspective on the work. It enable me to express both the physical attributes from the outside and the internal emotions I have. I created my own headpiece and modeled it. I tried to draw from the reference photographs, but I do no believe the outcome was that successful. It didn't quite convey what I wanted to achieve. 

I then went in a slightly different direction. I started looking at Frida Kahlo and her self portraits. I was interested in how she expressed her discomfort and pain. I wanted to somehow depict my own illnesses, and the fatigue and pain that surrounds it. I tried to use my self portraits to create a mask-like depiction. This mask is something I use on a daily basis. It's difficult to constantly draw healthy bodies in class, when your own body isn't like that. We talked a lot in class about how our own bodies are reflected in the work we create. This idea is what I kept in mind when drawing my work.

This second piece came out a little too traditional. I stuck to conventional portraiture rules. I tried to explore the use of the material a little more here. I attempted to move away from my normal method of using line to create the image. Instead I tried to build it up with charcoal and conte.

The third piece turned out quite mask-like and slightly ethereal. I quite liked the finished product of this piece. It was similar to what I had hoped to achieve. I think I was able to convey some suffering and depict some of the cloudy feeling that I have. 

Overall I think the work is incomplete. I feel that the issues I was exploring have not yet been resolved. I hope to continue to investigate using myself as the model in the future. 

Response to Petherbridge

'Performativity and Traces of Action'

Deanna Petherbridge

In this reading, Petherbridge discusses the use of line in drawings. She goes with the argument that the quality of the line directly reflects the quality of the artist's response. Gestural mark-making is a trace of an action, an action that could be deliberate or accidental. The intensity of the graphic mark is based on the concentration of movement from the mark-maker. These marks can set the mood for the work and draw the viewer's eye to certain parts of the piece. 

Petherbridge goes on to analyse works by Goya. He is an artist that uses line very dominantly in his work. Goya uses contrasting lines to create certain effects. Through his process he has responded to accidental marks that were created. I think this is an important point. You can go into a drawing with a plan, but sometimes the work has a different idea of the outcome. It can be beneficial to incorporate these accidental marks into the work. These marks can represent the movement of the artist, a literal trace of the artist's actions. 

Petherbridge also discusses the incorporation of the body into the work. She discusses Yves Klein, who I reference in another blog post, and his anthropometries. I don't really connect with direct body prints in art. I prefer to see the marks made by the artist as he creates, the incidental marks that come with the performance of drawing. Not the direct print. 

Drawing is a record of the movement of the artist. Each mark is a trace of the action that created it. Different materials and different touches can add different effects to the work. 

Response to Rosand

'The Phenomenology Of Drawing'

David Rosand

In this chapter Rosand discusses the relationships between the model, the artist and the viewer. The involvement of the audience is a very important part of art. Personally, I create art to be seen by others. I don't draw with the intention of hiding my works away.

Rosand discusses how we, as draftsman, can each create something different from the same subject. We all view the world in a different way and that is reflected in our work. The body of the draftsman also becomes an integral part of the work. The movement of the body is recorded by each marks that is created on the page. Through these movements we begin to understand the draftsman.

'...the draftsman himself knows the world only by drawing it; the artist 'sees' with hands as well as eyes....'

He goes on to say that drawings that are done quickly and left unfinished are then completed by the imagination of the viewer. I think this is a very interesting point and it is something that I believe we, as a viewer, do. Sometimes leaving something unfinished can achieve more than if it was completed by the artist. It allows the viewer to interact on a personal level with the drawing and implicates them into the creation of the work.

Within this reading, Rosand discusses some very interesting thoughts on the relationships in art. When I am drawing I don't always think about those relationships and who will be viewing the work I create. It is something to keep in mind when I am creating something.

Response to Hollander

'Subject Matter: Models for Different Media'

Elizabeth Hollander

In this reading Hollander discusses the relationship between the artist and the model, and the impact this has on the work that is created. She discusses the model's perspective on making pictures. It's a very interesting reading. It gives insight into what the model thinks of their job. Modelling for drawers, painters, sculptors and photographers all brings different challenges. 

From a drawing perspective, we try to capture the model's gesture and movement. Generally we work faster than painters or sculptors and try to reflect some movement and personality into the work. Hollander almost echoes these same thoughts. She agrees that she can see more of herself in the drawings. As she looked around the class, she could remember the poses she took and saw the learning that went into each drawing. The distribution of weight, the lighting, the proportion. By studying a live model, students are more able to convey what they see in the moment. When models work for painters, the work becomes less about the model and more about the artist's vision. 

Hollander also raises the issue of collaboration. Model and artist work together to create the final product. But the model's name is never on the finished product. They are normally seen as an object within the piece. In drawing the model generally has a repertoire of poses they cycle through and the artist draws their poses. In other art mediums, the model usually portrays a certain vision that the artist has. Personally, I like drawing the poses the model chooses. The poses come somewhat naturally to them and I am able to express some of their personality through the pose. 

'When classroom exercises call for certain kinds of pose, the model is clearly a responsible collaborator in the process of instruction. But a clever model will always pay attention to what issues or problems concern the draftsman most, and adjust her poses accordingly to lead the way.'

This reading brings up a lot of interesting questions. The relationship between the artist and the model and their collaboration in the process of creating art is very interesting. It's not something I had thought about before doing life drawing and this drawing course. I don't have the answers to the questions of collaboration. But these questions are now in my mind as I go forward and create more works. 

Yves Klein

Yves Klein was a pioneer in performance art. He used naked women as human paintbrushes to create body prints, while he dressed in a suit and conducted the performance. Musicians played his composition, a single note for twenty minutes, and the paint he used was the colour that he created. This work was all about his creations, Klein was in charge and made all the decisions. His work questions the role of the model in the artwork. 

Frida Kahlo

I was interested in exploring a more personal approach to my art. I have not used myself as the model before so I looked at artist's that explored self portraiture. In particular, self portraiture about physical limitations or illnesses. 

Frida Kahlo is one artist that I quite like and got inspiration from. I admire how she worked through her pain and portrayed herself in her paintings. Her work is quite literal. You can physically see what's wrong with her. Whereas my pain can not be seen. It's all internal. So I tried to portray my illness in a different way, 

Class #10

This week was all about collaboration. I worked with a fellow class mate to create some drawings. We used different ways to draw each piece. In the first one we tied our hands together and used the same material to draw. We took turns leading for different poses.

In the second one we drew on each end of the paper (small receipt roll paper this time) and then brought them together in collage form.

 In the last one we went back to our first method. We tied our hands together once more and drew together again.

It was a very interesting class. I hadn't collaborated with anyone like this before. It's tough to relinquish all control to the other artist.