Category: VISUALISE [2D Creative Practices]

Visualise [2D Creative Practices] Contextual Research

Fig. 1. Tony Oursler, ‘Oxt Variations’, 2012.

Tony Oursler’s work interests me because it is unlike anything I have seen before. In my opinion, his use of a combination of sculpture and projection is unique, and reflects well the impact that mass media has on our society. Oursler’s installation ‘Oxt Variations’ (Fig. 1.) was shown in South Korea and consists of a series of ‘living sculptures’ that are created using found objects, blown glass, metal, and cast resin pieces. The videos projected onto these sculptures display talking heads, who perform actions such as spinning, hammering, and signalling as they speak, and invite the viewer to come closer in order to understand what the figures are saying. I really like the way that Oursler invites the viewers of his work to explore the spaces he creates, as it makes for an immersive experience, and heightens the theme of mass communication that is found in a lot of his work.

 

Fig. 2. Dora Maar, ‘The Years I Lie In Wait For You’, 1935.

‘The Years I Lie In Wait For You’ (Fig. 2.) is one of my favourite photographs by Dora Maar, as it is an early example of photographic experimentation, and just an interesting image as a whole. The image was constructed using two photo negatives, a spiders’ web, and an portrait that was likely for a beauty ad, as Maar worked as a professional photographer in fashion and advertising whilst she wasn’t creating her own artworks. She was one of the few photographers within the Surrealists’ inner circle during the 1930s, and her photos reflect well the theme of eliminating the boundaries between man and nature that was commonly fond in surrealist works. In my opinion, the composition of the image makes it almost hypnotising as the structure of the web pulls you in to look at the hazy expression of the model behind, producing a magical photo.

 

Fig. 3. Mavis Thomson, ‘Wimbledon Bird Train (Centre Court 100), 2022.

Mavis Thomson makes sculptural constructions and assemblages using driftwood from the sea, along with discarded timber elements and found objects – inspired by the ‘Objet Trouve’ movement that first because popular during the First World War. I saw this piece (Fig. 3.)  in the current Royal Ulster Academy exhibition, and it reminded me of some of Pablo Picasso’s assemblage pieces that we were shown during our assemblage workshop. I enjoy her use of bright colours against the natural textures of the wood that it is painted on, because it creates a good contrast between the natural elements of the assemblage, and the man-made.

 

Fig. 4. Tracey Emin, ‘My Beautiful Legs’, 1995.

Since 1983, monoprints have made up a large part of Tracey Emin’s work catalogue, and some of my favourite works by her, including ‘My Beautiful Legs’ (Fig. 4.), were created using this technique. To Emin, any mistakes or smudges that are made in the printing process add to the effect of the image, and I like how the rawness of monoprinting reflects the overwhelming topics and powerful emotions that she explores in the majority of her work. A lot of the time, her prints incorporate both drawings and text, and it acts as an unplanned expression and appears like it is Emin speaking directly to the viewer as they look at it. What I like most about this print in particular is that it is an illustration which seems to exist within a void, and produces a delicate image that matches this presentation of a simple life experience.

 

Fig. 5. Eileen Agar, ‘Dance Of Peace’, 1945.

‘Dance Of Peace’ (Fig. 5.) by Eileen Agar embodies perfectly the ‘Post-war Prosperity’ that existed at the time that this painting was created. To me, the piece seems vaguely like a recreation of ‘La Danse’ (1910) by Henri Matisse, as like in Matisse’s work, the figures are joined together in unity, and I think it reflects well the longing for unity and openness during the time period. Agar used a combination of gouache and collage to make this piece, and I really like the natural/free-form shapes that she has used to construct the figures, as well as the bright colours that the gouache paint has provided because it fills me with a sense of optimism, and was the first thing to catch my eye when I saw this piece for the first time.

References:

Texts:

Brown, Neal. Tracey Emin (Modern Artists Series). Tate Publishing, 2006.

Web Sources:

https://tonyoursler.com/oxt-variations-south-korea#:~:text=Oursler’s%20first%20solo%20exhibition%20at,of%20paintings%20with%20moving%20images.

https://www.anothermag.com/art-photography/12093/surrealist-artist-dora-maar-was-more-than-just-pablo-picasso-muse-tate-modern

dora maar/man ray – the years lie in wait for you (1936)

https://www.ruaarchive.org/mavis-thomson-srua/

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/a/assemblage

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/emin-fuck-you-eddy-p11569

A Surreal Summer of Art & Ideas III

https://www.culturewhisper.com/r/visual_arts/eileen_agar_angel_of_anarchy_whitechapel_gallery/16046

Fine Art: Transformation 2-Day Project [Day 2]

01/11/22

DAY 2

On the second day, I continued with my plan of making a 3D sculpture and began to think of ways that I could make my panels using the prints that I had made the day before. I came to the conclusion that I wanted to keep using newsprint paper to make my prints as I got the best line quality using that and so started to use those prints and wrap them around a square of thicker paper I had cut to size:

A mock up of a panel

Soon after this however, I was introduced to a printmaking technique called chine-collé – a technique that allows you to add blocks of colour to your print without using another plate of ink. After some research I chose to alter my original idea to something more simple, but I think would be more effective and present better.

I started to experiment with using chine-collé by gluing pieces of tissue paper onto my sheets of newsprint paper and printing the drawings of myself on them:

Starting to plan/create my final piece:

Final prints and presentation:

Fine Art: Transformation 2-Day Project [Day 1]

31/10/22

DAY 1

After being presented with the brief and brainstorming, my initial idea was to create a 3D sculpture piece, in which I had 3 monoprints (Each one depicting me at different times in my life) join together to create a flat top pyramid shape that I could hang from the ceiling. I was thinking that I could show how I had ‘transformed’ i.e. grown up in life so far, and also transform the way in which the viewer would look at my work – by presenting it in a moving sculpture.

This was a mock up that I created using masking tape and paper to get an idea of what my final piece could look like (video shows all sides):

FullSizeRender

 

After this, I began to work on my prints, and drew up three sketches of the image that I wanted to create, using a photo of me taken as a child, as a teenager, and me now as my references:

Using the knowledge and skills I had gained from the printing workshop that I did last week, I made some monoprints of my own by tracing my sketches onto the back of newsprint paper which was laid on top of a thin layer of blue printing ink:

My final prints from that day:

Photography [Day 2]

27/10/22

Making our own photo-books using photos we had taken over the last week and archival materials to tell a story of the everyday.

‘This Is My First Try’

 

My intention with my photo-book was to tell the story of how I usually come home from University and work on some of my own art, in this case, a patchwork denim bag I was making. I included photos of my view from the bus and my walk back to my house, to give an insight into my journey home where my story properly begins. The rest of my photos are mainly of the process of making my sewing project, and close-up images of the tools I use such as pins, thread, and my sewing machine. The archival material that I chose to include consists of 3 photos of me when I was younger sitting about my house, doing art, and dressing up, just to show how not much has changed from my childhood, and that art and expression has always been something important to me. As well as these photos, I added some pages from fashion magazines and books that I thought went along with the themes of my photos, and images of some of my favourite artist’s work (Celia Birtwell, Tracey Emin, and Pauline Boty) to show the people I am influenced most by in my work. My photo-book starts and ends with an image of the exterior of my house -one in the day and one at night- to emphasise the point that this is a full day in my life.

Painting/Print: Printmaking [Day 2]

25/10/22

Mono-printing onto newsprint paper with blue ink:


To create these pieces, I inked up a section of the desk I was working at and placed a sheet of paper on top of it. After making a ‘proof’ print, I was able to begin drawing images onto the back of the sheet of my next print, and so after a test print, I drew some of the objects from our assemblage that we created the day before for my next few pieces.

Using two colours (Yellow and blue):

Painting with ink onto the plate and using the printing press:

Painting/Print: Assemblage [Day 1]

24/10/22

Making observational drawings:

A3 drawing in charcoal whilst walking clockwise around the assemblage:

3 five minute drawings layered on top of eachother, charcoal and soft pastel on A3 paper:

10 minute study:

10 minute study, reducing shapes down to their simplest form:

30 minute study, trying to add tone:

Collages created based off of our assemblage piece:

A4 collages using coloured paper, magazine cutouts, pen, charcoal, and coloured pencils: