Title: Reflection
Size: 34 cm x 51 cm
Medium: Mixed Media
Date: November 2019
Exhibition Text
"Reflection" is a piece inspired by "The Bust Of Vincent Coster" by Hendrick de Keyser and the theme of good against evil. I have focused on this theme throughout most of my artworks because it can go in so many different directions. This piece focuses on the self evaluation of good and bad and represents these two entities if you will, fighting within ourselves.
"Bust of Vincent Coster" (1608) by Hendrick de Keyser retrieved by https://www.wga.hu/html_m/k/keyser/hendrick/coster.html.
|
Inspiration Hendrick de Keyser is a Dutch sculptor and architect who prominently created works during the Dutch Golden Age and Neoclassicism eras. This sculpture "Bust of Vincent Coster" is made of marble and focuses on creating a realistic image that will last a very long time. This painting focuses also on the torso to head on Vincent Coster and I took a similar approach. I focused mainly on the shoulders to the head because of the time I had and materials. One thing that apposes this piece though is the idea of realism. My piece is very suggestive in the elements, being that it is very vague and could mean many things to many people. "Bust of Vincent Coster" is very realistic and is tailored to Vincent Coster not a single thing else. There doesn't seem to be much of a message with this piece probably due to it being created in 1608 where realism was very popular.
The idea of good against evil has always been prominent in time regardless of what you believe in. Good against evil also has many different sub-categories like light against dark, or the hero against the villain, or right and wrong. WWI, WWII, The Civil Rights Movement, Cold War, even the War on Terrorism are all connected with this idea. Similarly, many... MANY movies follow this same idea of good against evil. I used this in my artwork in the splitting of the shirt. I wanted to portray the good and bad in a human like figure which gives the idea of self-reflection and understanding and loving yourself. I also lightly tangled with the idea of what a mannequin is and what it does. A mannequin's purpose is mostly to show clothing, and show how it fits. It gives the person looking at it an idea of how it would look on themselves which is the same idea that this piece follows. The clothing half tattered and half nice represents the good and evil we have to face in ourselves and in our lives. |
Technique The techniques I used to create this required a lot of improvising. I couldn't afford the half sized mannequin so I improvised with bubble wrap and cardboard. After this I needed a nice way to paint over it so I paper mached over the cardboard. I then was able to apply an even coat of skin tone over the paper mache. The last part was the burning of the hoodie which I found in my little brothers old clothing. I put tape down the middle of the hoodie and used a knife, and a lighter to ruin the
|
Experimentation This whole artwork was an experiment. Throughout the process of this artwork I was working with material and ideas that I haven't worked with. I have worked with paint and cardboard in the past, however I haven't ever worked with paper mache and clothing. I had no idea what the process was going to hold. When putting on the shirt I worried that the neck of the paper mache person would break which would've ruined the whole piece.
|
Planning
The idea of "Reflection" is to show the idea of good against bad on the inside of a person. The idea behind this piece is that we might see a person one way and think of them a certain way, but it is never known what things this person is going through. Take that concept and apply it to yourself. Looking at yourself and analyzing your own health is important in living a happy life. You can be surrounded by people who love you, and people who want to talk with you, and support you, but none of that matters when you don't have the support of yourself. I connected this piece back to myself by using a skin tone somewhat similar to my own, and by using clothing that I would wear now. (Though it is small I would definitely see myself wearing a hoodie at least somewhat similar to that.) I also wanted to be very cost efficient so everything I used was somewhere in my house. I spent nothing but time creating this piece... A LOT OF TIME!
Process
The first process of creating this piece required some type of bubble wrap, a cardboard box, and a lot of tape. First I taped the larger bubble wrap to the cardboard box to create shoulders and I then used a retractable razor blade to make the shoulders corners smooth so they won't show up when the clothing is out on. I used scissors also because I found the razor was a slower process.
|
Next was creating a paper mache mold around the cardboard and bubble wrap so I was able to paint over it. First I took the newspapers and magazines we saved and I cut it into strips. I then needed to create a adhesive which I did by creating a mixture of around 1.5 cups flour and 1 cup water.
After mixing I took each newspaper strip and dipped both sides of it into the adhesive and used by hand to remove the excess. I then placed the strip across the head of the model. I continued this until the whole model was covered and then I put a little more on the shoulders and neck. The longest part of this process was drying, which took around one to two days to completely dry. |
After a few days I decided to put tape down on the parts of the head that weren't even and paper mache again. I folded pieces of tape and stuck them to the head. Then I did the paper mache process again over the tape which gave the structure of the head more realism. (It was more rounded).
|
The last few steps were fairly simple. First I created a skin tone paint which was a mixture of red, yellow, brown, and white. I wanted to apply a skin tone so that when the clothes were on, it looked similar to a person. The last step was to take a hoodie and burn half of it. The process was very self explanatory; I used lighter fluid on half of the hoodie and set it on fire. I then poured water on it so I wouldn't set the neighborhood on fire and let it dry over a few days. I then put rocks in a small box and put a cardboard tube through the box. After this I taped it down and then used fabric glue to glue the mannequin to the stand.
|
Reflection...ironic
I am really proud of the final result of this piece because of all the work I put into it. This piece took around an entire week to create primarily because of the paper mache process which took around one entire day to dry completely. The painting process, the burning, and the drying of the shirt took all around 3 days to do. The entire process was very innovative because of how many different materials I had to work with, and how man different ideas that I had. Everything in the entire project was completely made by hand from an item in my home. I do also believe that "Reflection" portrays my idea of self-evaluation very well. Many of my pieces suffer from a lack of materials and there are some points in this artwork where I feel something is lacking. For example in the head, it isn't completely round, and if it wasn't for the hood, this would be fairly visible.
ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
Looking at Hendrick de Keyser's work on "Bust of Vincent Coster" inspired me to do my own sculpture of a person however also gave me the idea of creating a suggestive piece. Taking away the detailed elements of Keyser's piece like the face and detail and adding a single piece of clothing to the person I created. The idea of good and bad resulted in the hoodie being one half torn and burnt and the other half clean.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Hendrick de Keyser approached his work with very realistic intentions. It is clear that he wanted to create a realistic sculpture of Vincent Coster. He doesn't focus on self-reflection because of his purpose and the time he creating this work in. As for good against evil, that is my theme but my focus is more on the self-reflection of the good and bad things.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
In the past realism was a large focus in artwork because of the lack of technology at the time. Being able to have a picture of yourself or a family member was much more difficult then than it is now. It present time people enjoy art that they have to think about and contemplate the meaning. Something vague and mysterious is welcomed in today's society.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
Self-reflection and how to show it is the theme of the inspiration I used to create my piece. Having the ability to look at yourself and the things you are doing right and wrong and correct them. To look at yourself and be able to smile and tell yourself that you understand.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
One very large inference I made was in the idea of a mannequin and what purpose they serve. Mannequin's contently have clothing on them and this is their main purpose. It would make sense that the purpose behind this is to see yourself in the clothing to see how it would fit and how it looks on a person.
Looking at Hendrick de Keyser's work on "Bust of Vincent Coster" inspired me to do my own sculpture of a person however also gave me the idea of creating a suggestive piece. Taking away the detailed elements of Keyser's piece like the face and detail and adding a single piece of clothing to the person I created. The idea of good and bad resulted in the hoodie being one half torn and burnt and the other half clean.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Hendrick de Keyser approached his work with very realistic intentions. It is clear that he wanted to create a realistic sculpture of Vincent Coster. He doesn't focus on self-reflection because of his purpose and the time he creating this work in. As for good against evil, that is my theme but my focus is more on the self-reflection of the good and bad things.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
In the past realism was a large focus in artwork because of the lack of technology at the time. Being able to have a picture of yourself or a family member was much more difficult then than it is now. It present time people enjoy art that they have to think about and contemplate the meaning. Something vague and mysterious is welcomed in today's society.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?.
Self-reflection and how to show it is the theme of the inspiration I used to create my piece. Having the ability to look at yourself and the things you are doing right and wrong and correct them. To look at yourself and be able to smile and tell yourself that you understand.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
One very large inference I made was in the idea of a mannequin and what purpose they serve. Mannequin's contently have clothing on them and this is their main purpose. It would make sense that the purpose behind this is to see yourself in the clothing to see how it would fit and how it looks on a person.
Reference Page
Dec. “Best Good vs. Evil Battles.” Mandatory, 21 Feb. 2013, https://www.mandatory.com/fun/141534-best-good-vs-evil-battles.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hendrick De Keyser.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 May 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hendrick-de-Keyser.
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. “Hendrick De Keyser.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 11 May 2019, https://www.britannica.com/biography/Hendrick-de-Keyser.