art blog year 2

Friday, 27 January 2017

anatomy and technology

going off on more of a tangent within my theme I have created a portrait of a lion with wires

pultruding from where the mane should be, this in most parts is a reflection of the art of Mads Petersen in the broadest of sense and represents how technology replaces to the suffering of wildlife and also how humans themselves sacrifice human nature to technology choosing that over socialising in extreme cases for long periods of time. I intend to use watercolours to paint this lion perhaps including the colour green as that is the colour of the circuit boards in which wires can be soldered onto. overall I am happy with how this image is coming along. however a different angle could have been used to give the lion a more realistic and 3D appearance.

This focuses primarily on the unity of technology and nature through the use of prosthetics to replace natural parts lost such as limbs, however technology has not advanced enough to provide replacement limbs that even meet the complexity of the limbs animals were born with and as a result of that I had to create a sci-fi like image to show the point I was trying to convey. The image shows a shepherd like dog with mechanical prosthetics on its left side coloured using bright shades and metallic silvers white the dog is coloured in monotone black and white to keep the attention on the false limbs. In the future I most likely use aspects of this but in different mediums, such as stylised mechanics.

More of a whimsical drawing in my typical style using aspects of different creatures (namely canids and birds) to create a single entity and the use of technological aspects to link both of my themes together. the mediums used for this image was black and green pen, black to outline the skeleton and mechanical part and green to show the external outline of the creature. representing bot unity and conflict with the use of a mixture of natural elements and technology that affects it down to its very bones. this style focuses the most on what is portrayed typically by Mads Petersen by using what is inside as a greater focus point rather than what is on the outside.

Using the prompt of prosthetics I have illustrated a cat with metal prosthetics making up fall of its face and it's hind legs. The mediums used for this are pen, watercolours and metallic paint. This Is to create a literal representation of how technology can mimic the functions nature through the use of prosthetic limbs. Compared to some other pieces of the same nature this piece has turned out better with the use of the metallic silvers giving no contest to the greens and oranges.

observational and natural study

as birds and canids are becoming a larger part of my work I decided to expand upon this by creating a two-page study, one of crows and the other of foxes, unlike the previous sketches this one only focuses on the external features, with the crow focuses on the head, wings and talons and the fox on the jaws, paws and face. to ensure that the image can show a good level of detail and allow the image to stand out I have used black pen, this medium of which is my personal favourite to use because of the properties stated before. this piece can also be used as a reference point for future works that may be of different medium or dimension.

depicting the skeleton of a common crow with the skeletal-muscular system of an arctic fox this anatomical drawing is composed to appear like a study of anatomy using dark brown pen with tea to give an aged appearance to this page, this uses a closer style to Pollyanna Pickering but also takes some inspiration from artists such as Leonardo da Vinci. This has or never was intended to be used as inspiration for a final but does allow for quick references to be made and as development toward the natural side of my art.

to expand on the anatomy of birds I had created a sketch of the skeletal structure drawn onto slides of paper in which are attached using thread, this allows the wings to move following the natural structure. this is most likely one of my personal favourites as this art is interactive and can be moved and posed, the main issue however would most likely be the fragility of the image as it is rather fragile being made out of paper, it can be bent or torn, in addition to this some of the thread is also visible which is definitely not preferable.

A simple rough sketch of a bear sat on its haunches drawn using black pen to draw loose lines to give a shaggy impression to the bear’s fur, the primary purpose of this composition was to use a different drawing technique that is far more sketchy as opposed to the typically more controlled means of drawing. Despite being a useful learning experience I do not intent to use this technique for future projects. this would be the closest to the art of Pollyanna Pickering however very loosely due to the nature of the image

over the summer I decided to do some mixed observational and freehand drawing in which this time a cat was the main subject, the reference used for this was sourced from the internet and appropriate changes were made to make the feline look more simplistic and aesthetic, these freehand elements include the addition of the ribbons and bell, simplifying some of the fur detail so it looks softer and moving the tail into an s shaped upright pose as well as position the head so that it was looking directly at the viewer instead of off to the side. I am pleased with the results of this piece however I am still unsure as to weather or not I should colour it and with what medium.

hands can often be a tricky subject in art causing many issues for many a student and artist, the first hand is an observational drawing of my own hand facing away from me while the second is a freehand drawing displaying the technique which I use to draw hands without the use of references. This display the construction techniques I use within my art and a display of observational drawing rather than a development toward my final piece.

using Andy Goldsworthy as inspiration I have created a gradient from brown to yellow using the vivid autumn leaves spread across a white background to enable them to stand out. With nature as a theme within my art it would be incomprehensible to go without using at least something natural within my work as an experimental piece. On its own this piece has not chance of being considered as a final as it is essentially a pile of organised leaves, however I do intent to incorporate this natural rescores into a final to bring out both sides of my theme.

this sculpture is about 40cm in length and is inbuilt with a motor that allows the jaw to open and close. modelled as a tyrannosaurs rex I had used wire mesh to form the centre in which as covered in paper mache and then mod rock to make painting it significantly easier.

not long ago I made a birdhouse with my mother for the garden, not long after it had been built blue tits had nested in it and for the time after small chirps could be heard when close to it. this is one of me personal favourite photographs as it is personal to me and represents the theme of nature.

sometimes when out walking the dogs I will bring my camera as more often than not there will be images of wildlife. this photo in particular shows an unfortunate insect caught in a spiders web

Mads Petersen style art

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The second of these is a depiction of a PlayStation 3 controller but with the inclusion of organs, bones and other innards replacing the right side. With ribs and lungs on the lower half and muscles at the top I used specific parts to fit the shape of the controller to make it appear that this is a view of the inside that would have been held in with the plastic shell as Petersen would. The medium that was used for these was solely watercoolers as they take less time to dry and are easier to handle than acrylics. I am highly considering using a piece like this for my final as it shows of bright colours and direct opposition with union.

–The third in the series created in the style of Mads Petersen this is where I began to branch off from just recreating this style of art instead I began adding different features. This time a smiling visage of a mouth was included in the large upper section of the controller, this was added to add a greater sense of emotion branching off to human nature and how we enjoy being immersed within a video game, also in the lower right the typical style of Petersen’s art has been included with the use of organs. The colours used were also a deviation from the original with the use of pencil and watercolour pencil to use the bright colours to bring out the monotone shades, and to great effect, this piece is among one of my favourites created this far as it combines juxtaposing features with both strong and muted shades and colours showing great variety united, and potentially worth considering as an idea for a final piece.

–Taking another step away from person’s style of art using a seemingly mid-decomposition bird encircling a photo of an old, disused clock face. The bird has most of its muscles and hide exposed with all that is intact being the wings that are white with red tips, while the clock has yellowed with age and lost its hands so can no longer perform its function. Like the game cube controller water colour pencils were used, with the exception of that they were used to make the entirety of the bird. For the muscles, reds and blues were used while the hide consisted of creams and, browns and reds with the wings using a similar colour scheme. With the use of the clock and dead bird the representations within this composition are rather morbid, with death being the predominant, however technology and nature do both fit into this with the use of a creature with the clock. My personal favourite of the series created in the Mads Petersen style as it is a far more striking piece showing an actual organism rather than just a random assortment of organs. However the main issue is that the clock is a cut-out and the bird is a complex shape meaning that it is far harder to cut the image to fit to the drawing.

–A piece similar to the bird within a clock this instead is a larger composition that occupies the entirety of the page, the main focus of which being toward the top of the page depicting a fox atop a clock, with leaves and cogs cascading and connecting toward the bottom of the page. The Fox is draped over the timepiece with skeletal face and paws that lead to muscle, ligaments and then fur. Also like the bird this image was coloured using water colour pencils and watercolours to give it striking colours of bright yellows, oranges and reds, as well as deep shadows. The clock on the other hand has a more pastel palette with yellows and browns and hands encrusted with red gems. Having stronger representations to death rather than technology and nature, however it does still fit within the theme with the use of autumn connotations as well as clocks being considered a marvel of old technology.

going back in to the more technology side of this theme I decided to use a photograph of an old camera and to create a piece in the style of the studied artist. this uses a camera and several eyes to emphasise on the visual based nature of this technology. using a different medium to draw the wires and eyes I decided to use pen as this is a bright medium that will hopefully give a bold visual to this composition. after completion the image does have the desired bold effect however a greater range of colours is most likely required to achieve a better piece.

wire and continuous line

using the style of Christopher Gasparian I have used pen to give an appearance of overlapping wire

forming into two human figures within the drawn wire. using positive and negative space I have separated the figures in positive space to show forced separation ad being torn apart, perhaps from a loved one or oneself. I do not intend to add any colour to this piece as this will cancel the use of positive space, however I could include more pen to sharpen the gradient. also I would like to a some point in the future perhaps recreate this in wire as a small, three dimensional wire sculpture. this piece is based in the expressionism genre as it represents an emotion more than a physical being.

Most certainly not the most successful pieces drawn using the same principles for the drawn wire figures at the front of the sketchbook as this features a fox and a crow intertwined into a continual line drawing with the fox at the base of the tree and the crow atop a branch. Like the other wire mimic this one uses pen as a medium as it contrasts against the white paper and is draws a sharp line. Not the best pen was used in this composition and as a result I believe that dampened its quality thus bringing its quality down.

After experimenting with several different mediums I decided it would be best to create a sculpture using wire like the art of Christopher Gasparian. For this a human figure was used as this is what the artist focus on in his art. The sculpture has been made to ensure that the limbs can be moved by reducing the density of the wire around those areas such as the elbows and knees, in addition to this the figure has a scarf and a pair of gloves made of a teacake wrapper since I beloved it would add a little more personality to the sculpture and allow it to fit in with a leafy backdrop. Only taking two hours this does have potential to be a final outcome idea.

After creating a few other pieces using wire I decided that it may be best to use wire in two dimensions rather than three to construct two foxes and a crow in addition to a larger wolf. this series of animal figures were made by intertwining wire with all of them with the exception of the large wolf in my folder made using a single strand of wire. after constructing the smaller animals, it became apparent that they would not show well on white paper and as a result they were placed on black paper instead. it was very enjoyable making these however it may take a second glance to realise what some of them are meant to be but overall I am pleased with these as they show both sides of my theme in a way that is presentable in a book in the style of Christopher Gasparian.

following the creation of two dimension wire sculptures I decided to create more using the same technique used to create the first wire figure. these also are sculpted to appear like a bird and a fox.

the bird is a smaller sculpture that can grasp using the less dense wire talons. personally I do prefer this over the fox as is has fewer issues in regards to its appearance, in addition to this it can also be posed with greater ease.

the fox did not turn out as well as the bird with many of its feature too greatly out of proportion and also looks more feline than canine in addition to being unable to be posed in any other way.

genre study

Genre study

veins run like traces on a circuit board, and electricity flows like blood. This is the focus of how technology mimics nature but also how different they are being the product of extensive trials and branching into the technology and nature that makes up such a large part of all of our lives. By using specific genres, my aim is to base my art within the expressionism genre so that an emotion can be connoted to each piece or an underlying connotation can be identified from them. Despite aiming for the primary genre of expressionism my art may also for somewhat into realism as a result of may pieces being manipulated from observational drawing during the research phase of my year. Another genre that may be present would be abstract during most of the experiment phases using colour and elements of sculpture to evaluate the effectiveness of particular materials, colours and textures.

Expressionism does not represent how the world is but how it is viewed by an individual, using any mediums to distort reality to the mind’s eye showing others a glimmer of another person’s world and ideas, this the reason I have chosen expressionism as my genre as I will be displaying how I view technology and nature as a single entity and as different as night and day. Traced back to the late 19^th and early 20^th century expressionism is still considered a modernist movement as it places within the time of many other art movements such as cubism, by having such a rich and long lived history expressionism seems an appropriate chose of genre for joining two subjects that otherwise would have little association with each other.

The artists that I have chosen have been the result of personal investigations and outward suggestions as each represent completely different things but all can be connected to the physical and physiological link to the theme of technology and nature within the genre of expressionism. mads Petersen represents both technology in a very literal union showing various organs functioning within a technological shell to represent both the similarities and differences within a single piece. Andy Goldsworthy uses abstract natural sculpture to create emotive visuals many of these pieces taking great patience and delicacy as many of the materials used are very delicate. Christopher Gasparian is the final artist and the one suggested by a teacher, this artist uses wire to from busts and full bodies of people, focusing on the more emotional side of my theme and genre using the wire creatively to create connotations as emotions that question the equilibrium of various norms. Personally my favourite is Mads because his art style is the closest to my own using digital mediums such as Photoshop to create fusions of completely different subjects to create a final piece, my interests within art are similar in such as I do enjoy drawing and painting wildlife but with an unnatural or cybernetic twist.

I was inspired to use this theme and genre as few people seem to focus on the similarities of technology and nature and how despite being different in many ways they are also incredibly similar when taking a biological perspective, such as the DNA within the cell’s nucleus codes functions within the body while programs contain code that acts in a sense, a similar way. Other inspiration came from various museums such as the natural history museum in London and the Birmingham NEC science fair which shown pioneers and historians that make and document the history and future, both as fascinating as each other as fossils seem like outdated models and old products seem like fossils, while revolutionary technology excites like the discovery of a new species. To aid in my research I have also taken biology and IT to give me a deeper understanding of each aspect of my theme. Artists that have provided additional inspiration toward the natural theme are Pollyanna Pickering and Paul Dyson which I met during an art festival and had the chance to talk to about their art. Both of these artists painted animals in a photorealistic genre with many of the subjects being of photos they had taken themselves, these artists had also made considerable amounts of money for charity from their art which is an honourable cause and source of inspiration which I discussed with them.

The purpose of my theme is to challenge the way technology and nature are representing by focusing how the differences can be combined and juxtaposed, and also how they are also harmonious, as typically within modern art they are shown as challengers to each other, often showing the destruction of either side. People also view technology and nature as completely separate themes therefore I intend to use my theme to change this perspective into a more corresponding one. in short the study of technology and nature.

Wednesday, 14 December 2016

sculpture and photography

sometimes when out walking the dogs I will bring my camera as more often than not there will be images of wildlife. this photo in particular shows an unfortunate insect caught in a spiders web.

Final peice mock

Final outcome

As the autumn leaves turn vivid shades of orange as well as earthy shades of brown I decided to take advantage of this and use these natural products as a frame for my outcome, to encircle and reflect the old technology it will become part of. the technology in question would be the use of clocks as this technology is some of the oldest around despite advancing greatly clocks in many cases still rely on a series of cogs and other unseen parts to keep them running.

Representation

Each of the mechanical and natural components has an animal that is incorporated into the piece in which as presented and created so that they are relevant to each aspect within the final. A bird, light and free, leaving the tree it has known for so long spending the remainder of its life to drift and soar on the wind until it must eventually come to rest at the base of tree from it was born, made of the dull leaves that become more vivid toward the tips of its wings and tail, in all shades and hues of red. The fox, cunning and precise, like clockwork, copper fur and silver jaws that sway all but time itself as it slinks through the autumn of its life, into winter, drawn in watercolour pencils to exhibit its brilliant hues of orange and yellowing bones. together these juxtapose to create my theme of technology and nature while taking advantage of the season of autumn.

Materials

This piece uses a somewhat wide range of materials as of which will be listed below.

parts necessary to make a functioning clock that is the centrepiece of this work, including the hands, face and battery pack. the face of the clock is an antique which is coloured with age, in addition to this another clock face is used to add draw more attention to the central piece.
wire allow the leaves to be suspended and shaped around the clock to frame the image, in addition to this wire was used to make the base for the bird as wire is light, flexible and sturdy. to connect the wire to the clock I punctured holes through the paper in which the clocks are mounted, specifically where holes are in the clock face.
leaves are one of the other major components of this piece as it adds juxtaposition to the image between technology and nature, the leaves were used to cover the bird with yellow for the beak, brown for the body and brown-orange for the wings.
all of this was mounted on a thick paper background in which the fox was drawn using water colour crayons.

Development

During the process of creation, the final result does not mirror the initial vision as for example I did initially intend to use drawn cogs and after they had been completed I was unsure whether or not they aid or hinder the final image, as for one they took some of the attention from the fox, therefore after some thought I decided to cover them with leaves and the smaller clock face, this change overall did greatly improve the piece. Another change was that in fact the old clock was used covers the clock face that had been painted, the reason for this change is similar to the cogs that the original was far too bright and took attention away from the fox, and as a result had to be changed.

Summary

overall I am pleased with how the end product looks, however there are some aspects that do not meet my ideal, the main issue is where the antique clock face covers the initial painting as it still draws some attention away from the fox, in addition to this it can be questioned whether or not the use of drawings make the final better or worse, as the bird essentially is the star of the show getting the most attention from peers and tutors, which begs the question, whether I should have simply used my time to have made two sculptures rather than a sculpture and a painting? Despite this however the final result does surpass my initial ideal through the use of additional materials and constant improvements.