UAL Foundation Diploma in Art & Design 2015/16
Final Major Project: Personal Evaluation
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1. VISUAL RESEARCH For my visual research i used research from many different sources including poetry (The Stolen Child by Yeats and The Lady Of Shallot by Tennyson) and other contextual research. This influence gave me inspiration to take images of a female figure dressed in white with glitter on her face to create a mystical like creature (fairy). I then placed the subject within nature/surrounded by plants, trees and water. The quality of the images were very good as i chose to use a tripod and the timer on the camera so i could place it somewhere with the right lighting etc. I managed to get tonnes of good images to work from as well as a video i was able to use. I then chose about five images i particularly liked mainly because the contrast between light and dark and the composition worked well, From these chosen images i did two very detailed drawings using a 4B pencil, i am very confident when it comes to detailed drawing and so i felt very at ease doing these. I also decided to do these drawings on tracing paper as i felt if gave them a softer feel. I then when out and took some close up images of plants (snow drops) and drew from them, also on tracing paper. As past of my development i chose to do a small oil painting on an A2 board. I first did a quick sketch of the image using pen and water and then from there i did the painting. My intention was to create a realistic painting linking to Pre Raphaelite art and also allowing me to practice creating skin tones for my final piece. I was very pleased with out it turned out, i feel that i managed to get the skin tone spot on which i happy about as i find getting a realistic skin tone correct very difficult. I wanted to painting to be in the style of Victorian art and portray a sense of nostalgia and expression. |
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2. CONTEXTUAL RESEARCH Artists, designers work and ideas. I started off by researching ‘The Stolen Child’ by Yeats which was my main inspiration for my project as i was particularly interested in the narrative verses and pastoral imagery portrayed in the poem. I then chose to look at ‘The Lady of Shallot’ by Tennyson and the paining by ‘Waterhouse’. Similar to Yeats’ poem i was interested in the pastoral imagery as well at the underlying symbolic meaning. Very much so the idea of nature being both beautiful yet sinister and deadly. I also chose to look the Millias’ painting of ‘Ophelia’ which is very similar to ‘Lady of Shallot’ in terms of its underlying meaning with nature. I then chose to look at other Artists which included David Gerhartz and Howard David Johnson, who’s oil paintings are greatly inspired by 19th Century art and Pre Raphaelite art. I then thought about wanting to do some more sculptural work using wire to create some sort of fairy like creature. I chose to look at Robin Wight who makes large scale fairy sculptures for his clients back gardens which create a fantasy feel. The next artists i looked at was Amy Friend who brought old images back to life by creating small holes in the images which i light then shon trough and created mystical images bring the subjects in the images back to life. I then decided to watch The Wicker man as i was interested in how pagan mythology also linked to Irish and Celtic mythology, I was mainly interested in how nature symbolises liberty and the freedom of sex before marriage and how it contrasts with other religions such as Christianity, I was also interested in the rituals and visual imagery in the film. I was also interested in putting different materials on my painting such as moss, twigs, bark and pressed flowers. I chose to look at Anselm Kiefer who created large scale painting using different materials such as wire and glass. His work is very dominating because of their size, however they’re also very fragile as they need to be handled with care. His inspiration came from his own German history, taking more inspiration from the Holocaust. The last artist i chose to look at was Ignacio Canales Aracil , a Spanish sculpture who creates big plant pot moulds which she then presses flowers into and left for 2 months. Once done the preserved flower sculptures would then stand on their own, however the delicacy of them meant that with the slightest touch the pieces of work could easily collapse. |
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3. EXPERIMENTATION I took inspiration from Robbin Wight’s larger wire sculptures as i was particularly interested in looking at different ways of working for my particular theme. Using basic wire strips i started off by making a simple structure which i then built up by |
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wrapping the wire around it. This allowed me to create a different thickness so that i could make a basic human-like form. I then bent more pieces of wire to create the wings. If i have enough time i hope to make more and hopefully try to make them better, however i am really pleased with the way it turned out, especially for a first try. Once the fairy was complete i decided to place it within a natural setting to create a narrative, is this her home? I took inspiration from Amy Friend’s ‘Dare alla luce’ series as i was interested in using my own photography and re creating something with simple techniques rather than digital means. I chose to use images which i had recently taken as i was planning on using them in my final piece. I started off by using a needle and making small holes around the subject matter within the images, once i had done this i help up each image to an artificial light. As this was just a first try i wasn’t expecting the images to look perfect, however i was really please with the sepia effect the light created on the images. This made the image look old and tired creating a contrast between the dark images and the light shining behind. My favourite test shoot image was the close up i had taken, this was because the effect created a supernatural and mystical sense as well as combining the style of the PreRaphaelite art. I chose to do this again the image i thought worked best. I printed it off A1 size and then using a a needle, made small holes on and around the subjects face. I then made a wooden frame for this which i then stapled the image too, Once this was done i drilled a hole into the top of it which the wire and bulb when into and hung behind the image. The light then shone through the holes in the image and created a mystical image. As past of my development i chose to do a small oil painting on an A2 board. I first did a quick sketch of the image using pen and water and then from there i did the painting. My intention was to create a realistic painting linking to Pre Raphaelite art and also allowing me to practice creating skin tones for my final piece. I wanted the painting to be in the style of Victorian art and portray a sense of nostalgia and expression. I then decided to experiment with flower pressing. I pressed the flower heads in a large book for two days, after these two days i went to check on them. Unfortunately because the flowers have a lot of petals they just fell apart when i picked them up. Therefore i have had to rethink my plan and so I’ve decided to use the remaining flowers and all the petals to create flower like heads which i will then stick on my final piece. I also chose to experiment creating a video of a female figure skipping into the woods holding flowers which was influence by the ‘The Stolen Child’. This was something thought would go well with my final piece. |
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4. IDEA DEVELOPMENT Although i experimented with creating a small wire fairy sculpture, i chose not to develop this even further as it wasnt something i felt would connect with my project as much as a painting or a installation. I identified and developed the images i experimented with which were influence my Amy Friends ‘Dare alla luce’ series. My favourite test shoot image was the close up i had taken, this was because the effect created a supernatural and mystical sense as well as combining the style of the PreRaphaelite art. I chose to do this again the image i thought worked best. I printed it off A1 size and then using a a needle, made small holes on and around the subjects face. I then made a wooden frame for this which i then stapled the image too, Once this was done i drilled a hole into the top of it which the wire and bulb when into and hung behind the image. The light then shone through the holes in the image and created a mystical image. For my video installation i choose to develop this idea by editing it. I decided to slow the video down so that it was longer and so you were able to see the majestic movements of the figure as well as making it more enchanting for the viewer. I then added the Waterboys cover of Yeats poem ‘The stolen Child’ as i wanted the video to link to the verses of the poem. I am hoping for this and my photography installation to link to my final piece. I then decided to experiment with flower pressing. I pressed the flower heads in a large book for two days, after these two days i went to check on them. Unfortunately because the flowers have a lot of petals they just fell apart when i picked them up. Therefore i have had to rethink my plan and so I’ve decided to use the remaining flowers and all the petals to create flower like heads which i will then stick on my final piece. Because the flower pressing didn’t work i chose to did the remaining flowers in wax, they didn’t work that well so i have chosen to completely dismiss the idea of using flowers on my canvas all together as well as using bark and moss on my canvas.Instead i chose just to paint the flowers on. |
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5. FINAL PIECES I have chosen to paint one of my images from my first shoot in the woods as i was particularly interested in the contrast between the background and the female figure. I feel that this image portrayed exactly what i was hoping to portray which was seduction and enchantment. I have chosen to do the painting life size as i think that it will have more of an impact if its its on a large scale. The colours im using are inspired by 19th century art and Pre Raphaelite art. I’m using a lot of greens, browns and reds for the pastoral scenery and then pinks and blues for the skin. I want the image to look very realistic. I am currently happy with the painting however i hadn’t realised how long it would take, especially the figure. I have found painting the face very difficult as the angle of the face meant it was hard to get the light and dark tones correct. However i am currently rectifying this, overall i am incredibly happy with it, i have never done a painting this large before i feel i have tackled it well. I feel that i have developed this piece thoroughly as i did original sketched of the image and then experimented with it using different mediums, such as using inspiration from Amy Friends work. I also practised creating realistic skin tones on a smaller scale and using similar colours to what i would in my final piece. The image i chose to use for my photo installation with the light shinning behind it was the same image i decided to draw in detail and paint on a smaller scale on A2 board. I liked this image because i felt it expressed the female figure being with nature and also portrayed thought and expression, It also reminded me of a old traditional Victorian painting. I feel that the quality of this image was very good as it was taken on a good camera with a tripod. For the video, i feel that it creates a sense of allurement and seduction as well as escaping from society. All three of my pieces work well together as they portray the same thing through the use of different mediums. Overall i am very happy with the amount of work i have achieved in this time and feel i have used my time management well, I feel that my finished project outlines my statement of intent well, i think i managed to achieve more work that i had previously thought. |
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6. PRESENTATION I have chosen to present my research work in my sketch book and blog and my finished work in my studio space and the dark room. I plan to have my canvas on my main wall in my studio space by itself as i think that this will create more of an impact due to its large size and dramatic appeal. I then plan to have my video and photography installation in the dark room as i feel that they will work well together. Also i need the dark room for my photography installation to work. To set my work up i am going to need a lot of materials. For my canvas i will need to put it on the wall and so i will need to use mirror plates to keep it up. For my video i will need a dark room, a memory stick, laptop and a projector so that i can have it larger on the wall. I am planning on having the video on a loop, it is currently two minutes long however i may cut it to one minute and then have it on repeat throughout the show. For my photography piece i will need to prop it up so that its way from the wall. Therefore i will need to use metal poles and wire to hang it. I will then have the bulb and wire hanging behind it so i will also need a plug and extension cable for it to work properly. The bulb i am currently using for my photography installation seems to get hot very quickly, therefore for health and safety reasons i will have to use a lower voltage bulb which i shall change while setting up for the exhibition. Before the show i will paint my studio space white and clear it all out so that the canvas will stand on its own with no distractions surrounding it. |
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7. FINAL REFLECTION Overall i think my Final Major Project has been very successful. I managed to use my time well and i set out to do all the things i intended to and even more. I developed my ideas well and in terms this allowed me to develop my own learning and be more confident when i came to using different materials and mediums. I have learnt how to back my ideas and work up with contextual/artist research as well as refer back to them while developing/solving my ideas. Also i feel that my artistic skills have improved in terms of using oil paints and being more bold when it comes to painting on a large scale is it was a challenge which i was unsure on at the beginning of the project as i am used to drawing/painting on small scales and in more detail. Also it allowed me to not think about it being too realistic as this would be impossible to do because of the amount of time we had and so it would take too long. I have also learnt that not everything goes to plan and that sometimes ideas change and don’t always work out. Such as changing my idea of putting texture on to my canvas. Therefore i have learnt how to deal with a problem and have been able to solve it without changing my whole idea. As well as asking for constructive criticism from my peers and tutors about what i should do next. For example they told me that by putting texture/pressing flowers on to my canvas would draw your attention away from the quality of the painting which in the end i agreed with. I have also learnt to ignore self criticism as sometimes this would get in the way and i would feel that my painting wasn’t going to plan as i had hoped it would however i have been able to embrace what I’m doing and go with it rather than against it. Overall i feel that this whole project has been a great success, i have been able to keep within my comfort zone by doing details drawings/paintings as well as going out my comfort zone by creating something different to what I’m used to. However i feel like the project has allowed me to see what I’m good at and what i enjoy as well as finding my own style. |
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