At the beginning of this course we were instructed to choose one object upon which all of our works would focus. I selected a bandage. Bandages are a physical object, but often provoke childhood connotations. However, they can also be symbolic of emotional and mental wounds, which I further discovered when creating a list of analogies and metaphors. The symbolism of bandages was captivating, as they can resemble a grim situation, but also healing and kindness. In the end, most of my pieces became more focused upon childhood and the nostalgia of bandages.
|
Typology |
Accordion BookHand written in my accordion book is a poem I composed, about a mother and her child. The poem is written from the perspective of the reader being the child. You and your mother are inside your home during a storm, which Greek gods and goddesses have plagued upon you. The writing is an entanglement of family, imagination, mythology, and naturalistic elements. You fall and hit your head. Your mother bandages your wound and the storm resides. The poem is entitled "Soteria's Realm" because the mother represents Soteria, the goddess of safety and salvation. Each page is washed in acrylics. The colors of the paint resemble the progression of a storm. The cross hatched details are sketched in ink.
|
Social Issue PosterThis poster is a contemporary statement, but purposefully copies elements from vintage circus advertisements. The focal point is a wounded elephant and is symbolic of the abuse that was, and still is, occurring in various circus companies. The color palette chosen in my design was common for old circus posters. During this process, it was difficult to make the poster flashy, but not so gaudy that the design elements would be lost. The edging of the image bears a resemblance of a stage curtain and the opaque crossing center lines are representative of spotlights.
|
FinalMy final piece is a Photoshop collage of a childhood image, digital drawing, and photograph. In the work, five children are standing in a wooded clearing with their hands placed on a mythical creature; a cockatrice. A cockatrice is a reptilian bird mentioned in various stories, including the Bible. Similar to Medusa, its glance can turn one to stone. The children in the image have placed bandages over the eyes of the cockatrice, to avoid its gaze. This piece ties in to the theme of imagination and the mythical gods and goddesses mentioned in my accordion book. I wanted a sense of playful fantasy to carry in all of my work throughout the duration of this course.
|