Artist Research

 As the module is taking progress, I decided to delve into some artist research to seek influence. After researching a good handful of artists for past modules, it's still very important to carry on looking to attain a hybrid mindset.

Here are three artists which work similarly to my own practice:

Brad Holland

 The first artist, Brad Holland, chooses to work using oil pastel. The image depicted presents a figure's face in sadness. What draws me to this image is that it's for starters figurative, and secondly because it has been drawn in such an expressionist manner. The outline of the profile is simple yet continuous, clearly representing an extremely rounded face. The line even flows into the mouth shape and displays squared-off teeth. The mouth depicts the grief and is followed by the closed eyelids. The eyelids acquire a subtle transparency which, if you look closer, the eye balls are visible. This engages another emotion that the face is expressing a maddening cry perhaps.

 The colour and texture within the image is vital in expressing the saddened face. The face appears rough textured due to the pastels and most of it acquires an ill complexion. The main focus of colour centres around the eyes and nose. Through the action of crying comes the sore redness from the tears and mucus. The texture is successful mostly around these areas because of the way they fade out and become speckled. The background colour emits the mood too due to its dark tone.

Mark Manders

 The second artist, Mark Manders, acquires the simple use of pencil line in this image. The image portrayed is of a figure dancing in the style of ballet perhaps. The shape is very abstract but the line is clear in allowing the viewer to understand what the figure is doing. The largest part of the shape appears almost like contracting biceps. The arch of the figure's back encourages this perspective. The shape underneath depicts the other leg in an ongoing motion of allegiance with the first leg. Without one, the actions would appear unclear.

 What makes the figure most figurative is the gormless expression being pulled in the area where the face would be. It is positioned on its side in an almost curious glance at the viewer. The hair just next to the face appears just as angular as the rest of the body. It runs parallel with the shape below it and makes a turn into the direction of what appears to be a perspective point. It is successful also in presenting that the figure is dancing in such an excitable manner.

 The perspective point helps the shape fold in onto itself and allows the viewer to understand how the figure's shape came about. The uplifted leg and the sweeping hair demonstrate the action being undertaken by the figure.

Kim Hiorthøy

 The final artist, Kim Hiorthøy, also attains the mood from this image by using simple media. The figure is clear and also satirical in that it's portraying a mock version of Batman. The frumpy caped crusader is drawn using pencil and it is applied in both the lines and the shading. The figure is deliberately drawn clumsily to illustrate that this is not Batman, but some slightly overweight and potentially drunk Halloween party-goer. The same style of line is used throughout the whole figure; changing in thickness every so often to emphasise certain areas, for example, the 'moobs' being thick.

 The figure's mask and cape are darkened out the most with the use of shading because obviously they need to be black to attain the Batman image. The figure's body and undergarments are the same colour as the paper used and are left out from shading. However a hand holding a cigarette creeps from underneath the cape and is shaded slightly to represent that it was perhaps previously hidden. The hand-written type at the top 'we must hide' implies this idea of secrecy.

 The composition of the type above the figure plays with the idea that negative space is just as important as the space applied.

The Outsider's First Stages of Development

 I have gotten myself well under way with this module and can again congratulate myself for filling in another sketchbook. As I said in the previous post, I collected a range of imagery to fuel my development in which to respond from. My initial approach is to just play around in my sketchbook and begin to see things that I like and think are necessary for further development.

Here are a few images taken from my book:

 I have managed to attain an interesting and complimentary range of media within these images. My combination of scratchy line and, either subtle or bold colours, undertakes an unsettled presentation. I have played with various types of media including: pencil, pencil crayons, nib and ink, oil pastels, graphite and marker pen to express a hybrid approach.
 Each image attains a cartoon-like quality which is always very present in my work. The work is also figurative in that it centres around an almost-human-like quality. The figures as I said appear to be exaggerated in appearance, but they clearly express a human-likeness. I work in this way because I feel I can summon clearer expression in the figure's face.
 The images appear abstract which is something fairly new to my way of working. They all seem to evoke a mood of isolation or an emotional weight of judgement from others. Some depict a search for identity and some even touch upon the belief in god. Mainly, they all possess questions to life and why we're here. This relates to what I intend to write about in my dissertation: post-modernism and the human condition.

Bigger, Badder and Back-er

I'm back at uni!

 Well... have been back.... for just over a month. I seem to have lost all momentum with this blog posting business. The summer holidays have perhaps numbed the mind somewhat, and now I intend to make my strongest ever effort!

 Over the summer, we were given the task to visually respond to one of four books. I chose the novel 'The Outsider' by Albert Camus. The story focuses on a man who is amoral and emotionally detached; thus considered an outcast from society. He doesn't cry at his mother's funeral, he doesn't believe in god and kills a man with no remorse. Camus discusses the theme of absurdity which deals with humanity's never-ending search for rationality in the universe. The protagonist, Meursault, expresses no reasons for his actions, so does not possess what is considered rational.
 I felt a natural attachment to this because I too experience similar feelings of misinterpretation when encountering others. My style of work expresses this attitude of non-conforming with its raw edge and disregard for aesthetic clarity.
 I read it over the summer and found it a fascinating read. Viewing it in depth encouraged me to begin interpreting it into one of my sketchbooks. I decided to first collect some original imagery to aid the response process. I used the same development technique last year with 'The Big Sleep' module.

 I'll show my development in the next post.