Title: Self-Portrait
Size: 20.32cm X 27.94cm Data: October, 2016. Medium: Block Print. Exhibition Text. The title of this piece is "Self -Portrait" because I wanted to express the theme of and isolation. I decided to do an old lonely tree under the light of a crescent moon which demonstrates the feeling of isolation and fear of being alone. |
Process Photos. |
Process |
Research & Inspiration.
German Expressionism is an artistic genre that originated in Europe in the 1920s, and is defined as the rejection of Western art, and the depiction of reality that is widely distorted for reaction. The movement correlated the relationship between art and society, and a broad range of fields, including architecture, painting, and film. My biggest inspiration was Käthe Kollwitz who also is a German Expressionist. Her work has a great sense of style which I wanted to reflect upon my work.
Käthe has inspired me to create work based off a dark time in my life. I had experienced a couple family deaths within a close time period and it sent my life into a spiral. With the loss of my beloved family members I felt I have been left alone and abandoned because I had lost the people that I have spent so much time with and I had deeply cared for them. With them being gone, I had isolated myself from everyone and grieved the way I knew how too. I keep this hidden from people because I don't want to be singled out. Citation
|
The process to creating a block print was easy in my opinion. I already had some background with ink printing from my internship at the Milwaukee Art Museum. I used German Expressionism movement and the artist Käthe Kollwitz while also using some of the films created during this period. Craving the block with this design was difficult because the tools I used had an wider lines when curving and I was looking for more thinner lines for the grass and branches. Since I had worked with this medium before I had an understanding of how each tool worked and I was able to manipulate the tools to create the thickness and texture the tool left behind.
I wanted to work with the German Expressionism movement because I have a great understanding of what made that movement so important and I try to incorporate those factors. I sketched out a quick design on the block itself so I could measure out the way the tree was going to stand. When craving the tree branches I used a thicker outline and then took a skinner tool and went over the thicker lines to make it look like the branches are growing out of the thicker branch. Some observations I encountered would have to be how the ink shows up when you use to much or to little. Another example would be the amount of pressure you should apply when transferring the image onto a clean piece of paper. Something I wish I would have looked more into would be how to incorporate more texture like crosshatching into the tree trunk instead of just using thick and thin lines. Some of the challenges I endured was my lines for my tree branches becoming off or not following through properly which left little imperfections when I printed the image as well as centering the image on the clean printing sheet so when I upload the photo I wouldn't have to manipulate it so much. Reflection.
Overall I enjoyed doing this piece because I was able to work with my a different kind of medium and it was also interesting to do something that is not worked with in school. One thing I would do different next time would be the choice of technique used to print the image because after looking at it I can see some spots that needed more ink and pressure put on it. I would also use different designs to show the meaning and message behind my piece while also catching the viewers attention. In general this piece was very successful, it is one of my favorite pieces and I'm happy with the way it turned it.
|
ACT Questions Responses.
1.The relationship between my own inspiration and the effect upon my art work has a very strong visual impact on the viewer because my piece was reflected upon the German Expressionism.
2. The overall approach the author has on the topic of my inspiration is based upon the importance of German Expressionism and how it provides deep and dark characteristics that affect the sense of understanding.
3. Some generalizations and conclusions I have made over the creation of this piece would be that German Expressionism had a big impact on the theater and production world.
4. The theme around my research would be German art and how it had impacted all types of art movements that I was introduced to from other art movements.
5. Some inferences that I read during the research would be that imagery are keys to having the message of your piece come across strong enough that the viewer will understand what is being conveyed and also the connection between different types of art including theater.
2. The overall approach the author has on the topic of my inspiration is based upon the importance of German Expressionism and how it provides deep and dark characteristics that affect the sense of understanding.
3. Some generalizations and conclusions I have made over the creation of this piece would be that German Expressionism had a big impact on the theater and production world.
4. The theme around my research would be German art and how it had impacted all types of art movements that I was introduced to from other art movements.
5. Some inferences that I read during the research would be that imagery are keys to having the message of your piece come across strong enough that the viewer will understand what is being conveyed and also the connection between different types of art including theater.