Self-Portrait |
Leo in Milwaukee121.92 cm x 121.92 cm
Acrylic on Canvas February-March 2020 Inspired by the works of Eduardo Paolozzi as well as the architecture of milwaukee Leo in milwaukee serves as a reflection on how through experience with our surrounding we can understand ourselves better as individuals. |
Planning
The first Artist inspiration was a scottish sculptor Eduardo paolozzi and his screen prints. The main Inspiration for the composition of this piece was Eduardo Paolozzi's 1964 Wittgenstein in New York and 1972's Man holds the key which utlises abstractions of the human form turning it into a somewhat machanical machine. Another aspect of His pieces that I notice was his use of text to give context or insight to the accompaning image. With Wittgenstein in New York Paolozzi focuses on two subjects and one being the Phisosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein who focused on language and our use of it to effectively communicate with others. With these points I wanted to combine the Visual aspects of Eduardo's work (i.e mechanical components, composition, coloration) and to portray the subject as reflective of himself through the exploration of his surroundings. Another component that I needed to translate in this piece was the city of Milwaukee itself since that is where I am from. I chose some Iconic buildings I was familiar with such as the Hoan bridge, U.S Bank building, and North Point lighthouse.
Planning Sketches
Experimentation
Experimentation in this piece came in the form of using the Pure Gold paint that I used Folk Art Metallic 660E Pure gold paint. By mixing this paint with others it created a very shiny and metallic color. I took Advantage of greatly to really bring out a shine in the paint which can be seen in the Hoan bridge, Necklace, as well as the lettering to the side. Speaking of the lettering that was another thing I experimented with. I Traced Typed up what I wanted to say and tried my best to copy it onto the green side of the canvas with a pencil after which i mixed white and pure gold to copy the lettering. This proved to be very difficult.( The rest of this experience is documented in the reflection).
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Process
Similar to My tryptic I began by connecting four 4ft frames together which were stapled together because of their tendency to warp which I had observe happen to other artists. After this I cut out the canvas stretched it across the frame stapling it to assure it was just lose enough as to not tighten to tight after the application of gesso. Also I cut off any lose canvas to assure the back was clean and professional looking. After which I pored a hefty amount of gesso over the canvas and painted it all over the canvas and covered the edges and the back where the canvas ends. After waiting a day for the gesso to dry I started began My brainstorming process by analysing artists that I was familiar with and looking through their works and the themes, function, and purpose of their art. After doing so I drew up My planing sketches and decided what format I wanted to use for the painting. For the first time I began with a starting layer of orange and then blue acrylics for layering. After which I used masking tape to make out the generic shape of the buildings and the format of the painting after wards I used this same technique to create the windows in the piece. To create My face I used a Projector to transfer the shape of my head and the face which I traced out and filled with white paint. While the canvas was drying I went and mixed the colors i needed making a very red palette with a heavy emphasis on making different gradients since this would be my skin tone. After letting the paint dry I went back to the projector method and added more detail to the silhouette with a graphite pencil. After that I began Painting myself in the piece taking great advantage of a reference photo and marks i made during the time i spent drawing my face on the canvas that indicated changes in gradient and color. After finishing myself in this piece I moved on to the Hoan bride and Light house which had he relyy on the masking tape to create a general shape to paint in which to paint which I would correct if needed because at times the paint would leak out of the bottom of the tape. After doing so I began the process of painting the text (see Experimentation). Moving to the brain I took a lot of consideration in what to use and how to use it as far as color went. Brush wise I used my smaller and the finer point for the smaller forms that showed up in the head. After this I touched up aspects if the painting trying to make the painting cleaner overall. (note: after all this quarantine stuff I plan on putting a varnish finish on it.)
Reflection
With this piece I felt more comfortable with the medium using acrylics. Overall although I am not happy with all aspect of the piece My skill is still developing and I am more comfortable with graphite on paper in all honesty but I don't regret this artistic experince. I believe I translated Eduardo's visuals well and represented the architecture of milwaukee well enough. My intentions with the meaning behind the piece are a bit muddled and I believ there are somethings I could have done better in regards to symbolism and expression of the subject. The process was very eye opening when it came to the thuroughness of layering and application of techniques such as layering and the use of tape to help define some of the structures in the piece. The coloration of my piece was similar to Paolozzi's and that pleased me since his use of color is part of his abstractions of the human form and help the subjects pop off the canvas in regards to movement.
Compare and contrast
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Comparisons:
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ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
The Inspiration which was eduardo palozzi was the composition and coloration of his works that I used in my piece. The architecture in my piece was also directly inspired by milwaukee landmarks.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The sites I used for the most part just showed the artwork and the information regarding dimensions but those that talked about the art and the artists talked about eduardo's foundness for Ludwig Wittgenstein and Wittgensteins work.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I drew the conclusion that Eduardo used his mechanical imagery and art as a way to reflect on ourselves and experiences we or others have.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is around my research was that art should be a reflection on aspects of our lives.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can conclude from my research that art should be a way to express our interpretations of things.
The Inspiration which was eduardo palozzi was the composition and coloration of his works that I used in my piece. The architecture in my piece was also directly inspired by milwaukee landmarks.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The sites I used for the most part just showed the artwork and the information regarding dimensions but those that talked about the art and the artists talked about eduardo's foundness for Ludwig Wittgenstein and Wittgensteins work.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I drew the conclusion that Eduardo used his mechanical imagery and art as a way to reflect on ourselves and experiences we or others have.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea is around my research was that art should be a reflection on aspects of our lives.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I can conclude from my research that art should be a way to express our interpretations of things.
Bibliography
Tate. “'28. Man Holds the Key', Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, 1972.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1972, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/paolozzi-28-man-holds-the-key-p02048.
Tate. “'As Is When', Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, 1964–5.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/paolozzi-as-is-when-65450/13.
Tate. “'Wittgenstein in New York', Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, 1964.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1964, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/paolozzi-wittgenstein-in-new-york-p04767.
WhiteChapel Gallery. Introducing: Eduardo Paolozzi. 23 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n53KkgH7h4k&ab_channel=WhitechapelGallery.
Nationalgalleries, director. Introducing Art & Artists | Eduardo Paolozzi. 14 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0Dn7BaLcI&ab_channel=nationalgalleries.
Tate. “'As Is When', Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, 1964–5.” Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/paolozzi-as-is-when-65450/13.
Tate. “'Wittgenstein in New York', Sir Eduardo Paolozzi, 1964.” Tate, 1 Jan. 1964, www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/paolozzi-wittgenstein-in-new-york-p04767.
WhiteChapel Gallery. Introducing: Eduardo Paolozzi. 23 Mar. 2017, www.youtube.com/watch?v=n53KkgH7h4k&ab_channel=WhitechapelGallery.
Nationalgalleries, director. Introducing Art & Artists | Eduardo Paolozzi. 14 Nov. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_0Dn7BaLcI&ab_channel=nationalgalleries.