Mixed Media |
Exhibition Text |
Title: Summer Mask
Size: 9 1/2in x 6 1/2in Medium: Mixed Media Date: 06/18/19 |
Summer Mask is based on my inspirations "Self Portrait as a soldier," by Kirchner, "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" by Kirchner and "Self Portrait," by Gustavo Ortiz. My Piece is inspired by shape and color which all three inspiration compose of. Pattern is also influenced within my piece which "Self Portrait," by Gustavo Ortiz is strongly influenced by. My piece is a collaboration of the my things that I collected over the summer of 2019. Each object on the mask represents an event of experience I went through for that summertime either meaning something big of small.
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Inspiration
Self portrait as a soldier by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
“Expressionist Art.” Kirchner_SelfPortrait, www2.oberlin.edu/amam/Kirchner_SelfPortrait.htm. Fränzi in Front of Carved Chair by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner
Kirchner, and Ernst Ludwig. “Fränzi in Front of Carved Chair.” Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, 1 Jan. 1970, www.museothyssen.org/en/collection/artists/kirchner-ernst-ludwig/franzi-front-carved-chair. Self Portrait by Gustavo Ortiz
Ortiz, Gustavo. “Gustavo Ortiz.” Gustavo Ortiz | Statement, gustavoortiz.com/?page_id=11. |
There are three inspirations that influenced the creation of my piece, all of them are paint on a canvas. Two of them are from the German expressionism artist Ernst Ludwing Kirchner, "Self Portrait as a soldier," and "Franzi in front of Carved Chair." The third inspiration is from a modern artist named Gustavo Ortiz with his self portrait. What really made me choose these inspirations were the color, shape and variety within each artwork. "Self Portrait as a soldier," by Kirchner was the first inspiration that influenced my work. "Self Portrait as a soldier," composes of a self portrait of him, in which he is dress as a solider. He uses many colors to depict himself , such as a variety of blues, tans, reds and etc. The main formal elements that I took from the inspiration and composed it to my piece was shape and variety in color. This piece accumulate odd shape especially in the in the figures, with cool and dark colors. "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" by Kirchner is the second inspiration that influenced my piece. In "Franzi in front of Carved Chair," what I looked for was yes shape and color but also pattern. The odd shapes and color in this piece, mainly in the head influenced my work. In which it helped me get the idea of a odd shape for my piece. Over all shape had the biggest influence like in my first inspiration. Lastly my final inspiration, "Self portrait," by Gustavo Ortiz influenced my work in shape and pattern. Pattern in this work is mostly random but repetitive in color and shape. This mainly inspired my piece. Within in my piece is holds these similar components. My piece holds odd shape and random but repetitive shape and color in the objects. |
Planning/Experimentation
In my experiments throughout creating my piece, I experimented with different type of texture, to see what would best work with the glow I used to attach each piece. I first had the idea of adding a aluminum texture, but ended up changing that due to the fact that the glue and pieces kept sliding off. I used a aluminum tape. At the end I ended up using the original texture of foam.
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For planning I simply just planned out the size I would like my piece to be and how the shape of it would also look. Here is the piece of foam i used to plan out the size of my piece. I used marker were I free handed it, to match the organic figures like in my inspirations.
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Process
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The very first step to crating my piece was to find the material in which I would be using to create my mask out of. I ended up using a foam material/texture, to create the base of my mask. After finding the foam material I had to cut it to a reasonable size since the foam came in about a 8ft by 4ft rectangle. I cut a smaller piece of about 3ft by 1,5ft rectangle. to cut the foam I used a regular work knife. Next was to carve out the shape of the mask, before I could do that I first used a marker as a guide to make the cut as smooth as possible. The shape of the mask was inspired by my inspirations. Next was to cut out the shape that I marked with the marker. I started from the top and went clockwise. The foam was a bit thick so after cutting it with the work knife I used a drywall knife with razer edges to cut out the rest of the shape. After cutting the shape out, the edges were not smooth and excises remains were there. Also works and unwanted color were still of the cut out shape. In order to smooth out the edges I had to smooth out everything. I used a sanding machine for this. I added a sanding cart and started to sand away. I started from one side and slowly worked from one way to another. I sanded away until everything was smooth and no lettering was there. After sanding the base of the mask I then had to make three holes, two eyes and a mouth. For this I used a drill and a screw that is meant to drill holes. I first drilled in the eyes and then the mouth. I then smoothed them out from the inside a s much as I could. Turning over the mask to the back side I tried to make it as realistic as a mask so I deepened the center of the back side of the mask with the drill and sander. Then was to add the pieces on to the base of the mask. I used super glue to attach each piece. I had a lot of objects that I collected over the summer that meant something and that was what I used to create my mask. I started with putting objects from the center to the edge and slowly I created my piece. The final step was to carve out a card bored back base for the back of the mask to give it more support. For this process I first had to cut out a piece of card bored I find laying around. The first step was to trace the out line of the mask to get the correct measurement. After this was to cut out the traced image with a knife so I did. Then with the use of hot glue from the got glue gun I glued the edges of the cut out card bored the I added it to the back side of the mask. That was the final step all that was left was to clean up. |
Critique
There are many similarities and differences between my work and Self portrait as a soldier by Kirchner. A similarity would be the shape, both artworks have odd shape between them making them organic shapes. Another similarity between both works would be that both posses variety in color. A difference between the works would be their concepts or meanings, Self portrait as a soldier is a painting of kirchner dressed as a soldier.
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There were also similarities and differences between these two works, "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" by Kirchner and my piece. A similarity between both works would be the odd shape and variety in color. The odd shape from "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" by Kirchner inspired my work to have odd shape in the mask. A difference between the works would be once again the concept of the works. Mine represents experience and kirchners is a portrait.
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There were similarities and differences between "Self portrait," by Gustavo Ortiz and my piece. A similarity would be the pattern in both works, Ortiz’s work has a random pattern but with a repetition in the same colors, like mines which has a repetition in the same objects put in random places. A difference between my work and Ortiz’s would be the color as in Ortiz’s work he have bright and warm colors. My piece has color but more cools of color.
Reflection
When creating this piece there was many challenges and struggles but I pushed through them to create Summer Mask. Through the process of creating my piece I learned new things through struggles and experiments. Firstly I learned that sanding is a long process in which you have to be patient. Sanding with a sanding machine was a new experience for me and learned that when using it always keep it moving as you will get the best results. I also learned that when creating a piece were you have to add objects to, always start from the center to the outside. Overall when creating my piece it was a fun and I learned many new things and experiences.
Act Questions
1)Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
I was inspired by two different artist and three artworks one artist having two. The first inspiration, "Self Portrait as a soldier," by Kirchner, then "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" also by kirchner, and lastly a Self Portrait by Gustavo Ortiz. What I took from these inspirations were formal elements of shape, color, pattern and variety in which I incorporated in my piece.
2)What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach the author has regarding my inspiration would be to express experience through the formal elements of color, pattern, and shape.
3)What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A generalization that I've discovered while researching my inspirations would be that both artist like to use a variety of color to their works as the formal element of shape.
4)What was the central idea or theme around your inspiration research?
A central idea or theme around my inspiration research was the sense of expressionism and experience through the use of variety of color, shape and pattern.
5)What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
An inference that I made while reading my research was that all of my inspirations strongly use variety of color and shape to express something.
I was inspired by two different artist and three artworks one artist having two. The first inspiration, "Self Portrait as a soldier," by Kirchner, then "Franzi in front of Carved Chair" also by kirchner, and lastly a Self Portrait by Gustavo Ortiz. What I took from these inspirations were formal elements of shape, color, pattern and variety in which I incorporated in my piece.
2)What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach the author has regarding my inspiration would be to express experience through the formal elements of color, pattern, and shape.
3)What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A generalization that I've discovered while researching my inspirations would be that both artist like to use a variety of color to their works as the formal element of shape.
4)What was the central idea or theme around your inspiration research?
A central idea or theme around my inspiration research was the sense of expressionism and experience through the use of variety of color, shape and pattern.
5)What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
An inference that I made while reading my research was that all of my inspirations strongly use variety of color and shape to express something.