Assignment 2

Kehinde Wiley is one of the recommended artist that, by far, most resembles my work in terms of image, process and concept. His main subject matter deals with people that exist in his surroundings and in his experiences throughout his life. In my project, I am exclusively dealing with imagery that deals with my life experiences and the faces that I connect with from my surroundings. Kehinde's process is to capture this imagery and juxtapose it against pattern design reminiscent of classical portraiture. The overall concept is to put the people in Kehinde Wiley's life up on that pedestal that classical renaissance portraiture is generally considered to reside. This is the entire point that I am trying to make with my work. My goal is to put the people in my life that have made me who I am seem larger than life thorugh color and composition. Two things that Kehinde Wiley does in his work that I would like to improve on in my work is the realistic style of the human form and the harmonious collaboration of abstract design with the paintings main subject matter.


John Currin is one of the two artists that have been recommended for me that I feel most resembles my current work, as well as, my overall goal for this semester's project. His technique, process and overall concept all coincide with harmoniously merging different distinct styles together. I also identify with his usage of the female form and satirical subject matter. Throughout his composition in "Heartless", there are sections with rough brush strokes that materialize into the female's dress. In the same painting, he makes the smoothest of brush strokes to bring out the smoothness of the females face and hair. This difference in brush strokes and painting styles throughout the composition is exactly the process I use to bring out the imagery in my work.


Andrew Wyeth is a realist painter who's work has been criticized to verge more on illustration and to focus overwhelmingly on sentimental subject matter. Illustration is in my background, as an artist, and almost all of my subject matter is sentimental. It is because of this that I am able to relate to Andrew Wyeth's work. His technique and/or process enables him to make a realistic portrayal of a female in "Braids" (1979) and be able to make that image jump off the canvas without exaggerating any aspect of the composition. This is a valuable skill to have and one that I am exploring my semester's project.


Lucian Freud "paints people...not because of what they are like, not exactly in spite of what they are like, but how they happen to be." In his "Interior at Paddington" painting (1951), Lucian blurs the line between realism and expressionism. His process, technique and overall concept all consist of making this combining of different styles compliment each other and seem naturally intertwined. This merging of these two distinct styles is similar to what I am exploring in my work. In my project, I am combining realism with graffiti imagery. I study Lucian Freud's work to see how different styles can compliment, rather than take away from each other.

Midterm Reflections

WORK HABITS

As the semester went along, I found that the work schedule I was keeping was not sufficient enough to keep up with my work load. As the due date for our critique neared, I started coming into the studio more frequently. Even though I had to increase my time commitment, I felt that I was going to be able to have the painting finished on time. I brought my project home for the weekend before the critique but was unable to work on it. The bulk of my project was complete but because of that weekend I couldn't put the finishing touches on it.

After the experience of my first project I will increase my time commitment to my other projects from the beginning and not a week or so into it.


PROJECT

Since the 30 studies, I have gradually increased my time commitment to my project. I feel that I have maintained my focus to be in sync with what I expressed in my statement of intent. The project has shifted in a positive way. Instead of having every aspect of my painting planned out before, I allowed myself to explore possibilities on the canvas. This, however, took a little bit more time and caused me not finish my project on time. My main challenge in this project was how to make the face of the female more dramatic yet smooth. I consider this project a success because I learned techniques of how to push the imagery to be more dramatic without taking away from the over all composition.

4 influential contemporary artists

Henry Lewis is a contemporary artist that uses shadows and lights to make his compositions have a more dramatic effect. This is a highly instrumental aspect of my work. I want to challenge myself in pushing this dramatic effect of chiaroscuro. I believe that if I can create depth in the lightest and darkest areas of my paintings, then I can successfully make a more inviting composition to entice the viewer.

This piece was a collaborative effort done by artists Marquis "Retna" Lewis and "El Mac". These two graffiti artist combine graffiti imagery with stylized portraiture painting. The depth and smoothness of the female features put up against the crisp shapes of graffiti is what I am exploring in my project.

Sylvia Ji is a contemporary artist that uses the female form as the main focus in her work. My semester's project deals with the female form as well. I admire her work because of her combination of realism and stylized painting. Her work is also very reminiscent of art nouveau. It is because she uses the female image as her main focus and uses a style similar to art nouveau, which one of my favorite genres, that makes her an influential artist for me and my work.

Belinda Eaton is another contemporary artist that works with the human figure and juxtaposes it with pattern designs. For my project, I am using graffiti imagery with the human figure, so artists like Belinda who use imagery outside of my general interest is very useful. It is very important to explore all different kinds of subject matter. Looking at different styles widens my perspective and helps me elevate my skill level.

30 Studies

After I finished my statement of what I wanted t accomplish this semester, I began the next assignment of completing 30 quick studies of my ideas. At first, the assignment was easy because I started out with a clear concrete ideas of what some of my subject matter was going to be. However, when I moved on to coming up with ways of challenging my skill level and exploring possibilities outside of the scope of my general interests, the assignment proved to be difficult. I started to realize that there were a million ways in which I could challenge myself and a million different subjects there outside of my range of interests. Surprisingly, my breakthrough came out of this low point in my 30 studies assignment. When I couldn't decipher on where I wanted to or needed to challenge myself and discover new subject matter, I forced myself to look deeper into the ideas and visions I already had. I was able to truly explore what it was I wanted to convey in my paintings and where I needed to push, in order, to get to that place I felt I needed to be as a painter. Once I arrived at this high point of the assignment, I was able to choose subject matter outside of my general interests. I learned more about what I am looking for and how to look for that in other genres outside of my own.

A question has arisen from my 30 studies assignment. I know what I am looking for and what I am trying to express through my paintings. However, my question is how can I make the viewer understand what it is I am trying to say. How do I create my composition in a way that is inviting to the viewer. A painting that can make the viewer feel invited into what I am exploring and even, allow that viewer to evoke their own emotions and apply that to my painting.