Folio One

Here's the final work I submitted today. I am quite happy with the outcome. I want to continue doing larger works and continue experimenting.

Masks

Just thought I would show the masks I used in my experiments. The first one I handmade. The second one is store bought. 

Estelle Hanania

Estelle Hanania is a very interesting contemporary artist. She works with folk art, costumes and masking to "create alternate realities. I work almost like a reortage photographer to five the feeling of realism in my images, so it emphasizes the contrast with the almost fantastic subjects I choose. I want to viewer to wonder what he is looking at: Is it real? Is it staged?" 

I really like how her work incorporates the masks and costumes with her own body. She has a very unique style and blends together collage, costuming, performance and photography. I like the theatricality of her work and how she uses the nude. 

Tracey Emin

Tracey Emin creates very interesting drawings. I like the simplicity of the drawings and the scale that she uses. In the beginning Emin struggled with drawing the figure exactly how she saw it. her work became much more successful when she let the drawings speak for themselves. This is something I have struggled with throughout this first folio project, I can really relate to Emin's work in this way.

Thesis for Folio One

In the beginning I began by exploring the repetition in drawing. I was interested in the process of creating the drawing, as well as the poses and models that are used. I realized I was getting caught drawing academically - drawing the literal body, and fitting the whole figure onto the page. At first, I tried to break out of this by introducing collage into the work. It didn't quite work out, it didn't introduce anything new to my drawing. Then I tried to collage the model first and draw the digital image. This also failed.....

After these attempts, we began doing some interesting readings and discussing the setting in which we draw. Why we use models and their role in our work. I liked the idea of masking the model in an attempt to discuss the loss of identity and the anonymity of the model. Once the drawing session is over, the model can not control the outcome of the work - or who views it. The masking of the figure is in an attempt to protect their identity and to amplify the anonymity of the subject. It also creates a sense of surrealism, when someone puts on a mask it brings some theatricality into the poses and the work that is produced. Doing life drawing in a classroom setting is a surreal and theatrical experience, and I think this is amplified by the use of the mask. 

I realised that I was setting up all my work in the same way, fitting the entire figure on the page. In an attempt to break out from staging my work this way, I experimented with omitting parts of the body and cropping the figure. I also started looking into autonomous drawing machines to try and relinquish some control. I began by drawing the organic form first and then used wind up toys over the top. I also used larger sizes of paper to get out of the standard A1 size we use in academic drawing. The use of the wind up toys was a very repetitive process.


By exploring all of this I have come to the conclusion that life drawing and using a posing model is an important aspect in learning how to draw, but not in the traditional sense. It is a unique environment to draw in and it presents opportunities to investigate new drawing techniques and unique gestures.There is theatricality and performance aspects in life drawing classes and they come through in the gesture and attitude of the work. I believe that in contemporary art practice, academic drawing standards should not be a tool for assessing how successful a drawing is.


I believe that my work has benefited from the combination of experimental techniques and drawing from the model. I have come to the conclusion that it is okay for the drawing to be itself, it does not have to look exactly like the referent. 

Folio Project Process #5

This is the final work for my folio one project. I tried to make each drawing different and experimented with different drawing toys and materials.

Cai Guo-Qiang

I am really intrigued by Cai Guo-Qiang's work and I was lucky enough to see his exhibit when it was at GOMA. His drawings are particularly interesting because of the materials he uses. Cai is known for large-scale installations and in these works he explores the properties of gunpowder and experiments with explosives. He comments on contemporary social issues and aims to create a dialogue between the viewer and the world around them. The work is created from the destruction of the explosions, but then recreates them into something new and almost eerie and other worldly. 

Folio Project Process #4

Here are some process videos of the wind up toys I used within my first folio project.

 

Folio Project Process #3

Still working on my folio one pieces. Personally, I prefer working on the unprimed paper and covering it in water. I experimented with some different wind up toys this time. 

Folio Project Process #2

Continuing on with my folio project. I used wind up toys after I created the initial form. I attached feathers and cotton buds attached to the toys and dipped them in ink. I also experimented with putting water and ink drops onto the paper first, then letting the toy travel over it.

Folio Project #1 progress

This is some progress on my major project. This is the first step, the organic marks created while viewing the model (the model here is my fiancé wearing a mask).

Class #6

This is my work from this week. I played around with ink and charcoal and omitting certain parts of the body. I feel that I really respond well to the costuming aspect of the model.

Class #5

In class this week I used wind up toys to create my drawings. I feel these drawings were semi-successful. The process is quite interesting.

More Major Project Work

Working on a second drawing too. Ink and charcoal again. New wind up toys were introduced into its creation. This is a work in progress as well. 

Major Project Work

I have been working on my major project. I had a friend model for me in a mask. This is a work in progress. Not yet finished. Ink and charcoal.

Wind up toy experiments #1

In researching autonomous drawings, I came across the idea of using wind up toys (from other artists). This is some of my experiments I tried at home before class in Week 5.

Class #4

This week was all bout experimental materials. I brought in a tea towel, bark and thick masking tape, along with my normal materials. It was an interesting class. 

In this drawing I used a tea towel, placed masking tape over the main figure and ised ink to create the image.

In this drawing I placed down strips of masking tape and drew over the topin charcoal. 

In this drawing I used bark as the base and as the drawing instrument, dipped in ink.

 

This last drawing was done in my sketch pad with a piece of bark dipped in ink.