A jar of ink

After an in depth discussion of the reference artists, i took to understanding that emotions are mainly the vessels at which artists sought out in art, such as Jackson Pollock who painted his feelings directly from his mind (through his kinetic motions) into drips of paint.

Artists also used spontaneity to create a dynamic composition, like how Cai Guo Qiang does, crafting works that are almost impossible to recreate due to the unlikely probability of repeated action.

There are also artists who weigh the balance between emotions and spirituality, such as Hilma Klint, who expressed her worship while paralleling to her own emotions in her work.

With reference to these artists, of course with a pinch of salt, i embarked on a journey of exploration with ink. In my perspective, humanity’s spirituality or mysticism from early ages have always been greatly linked to the emotions of a deitified being (God from whichever religion). For example, a forest fire or lightning storm has always been associated with anger while a river of clear water or light gale by the sea has been an insignia of peace and tranquility. I would want to use this mystic school of thought to experiment with the lines, since the primordial aspect of collecting naturally textured items and spontaneity of paint splatters brings art back to its raw form- i would want to associate my 6 emotions with 6 different elements of mysticism elements.

Ice/Sadness

In this task of investigating Sadness, i am trying to convey the idea of withdrawn isolation as a literal and poetic cold shoulder, forming the artwork’s characteristics as traits i see in Ice. I am trying to portray the sharpness of ice, as well as the glacier’s infinite facades that are very diamond-esque. The first photograph shows a spontaneous attempt using a 30 cm ruler to mark out strong sharp lines congregating in the centre, like a  snowflake. The 2nd photograph is slight more controlled, with a smaller number of long lines flaked with smaller cuts around.  In both attempts, the paper is folded prior to create a background of receding lines. I would also experiment with more paper quality to bring out the sharpness, e.g. sandpaper.

Fire/Fear

In the task of investigating Fear, I wanted to explore the idea of fearing the unknown, thus i drew inspiration from the idea of smoke created by fire- elements greatly inspired by Cai Guo Qiang. I layered patches of ink made by fluffs of tissue, attempting to layer it into a cloud of smoke, concentrating in the middle. However due to time limitations, i was not able to bring out the depth of the smoke.

Electricity/Love

The last of this post, i am trying to convey the idea of Love. In my understanding, it would be intense and paralyzing, supposedly electrifying- as literal as it sounds. I took a wire brush and dipped it in paint, attempting to create a few spirals of magnetic waves undulating around the corners, forming a  dynamic composition of short lines travelling together. The top photograph was an attempt for stronger and heavier strokes, while the bottom photograph was tasked to be more clean cut and curvier.

A blue foam

 This is a 2d sketch of some of our ideas.

it takes a lot to tell a story with three boxes, and everyone took their turns to tell theirs using their own composition- mine was the rules of third.

Using the guidelines provided by Cheryl, along with show-and-tell by my peers, i went to the cutting board again for another attempt on the theme of “Rules of Third”. I create the two sketches as shown, each highlighted by colored annotations. The difference between the current experimentation from the previous one is the added usage of blocks that were contrasting in size, so as to highlight the dynamic composition, with the L being really huge

compared to the S. I attempted to use blocks at varying volumes, with the L three times of the M, and the M three times of the S. An interesting composition i found was the usage of the S block paralleling to the L block shown above, creating an implied negative space along the M, providing a strong 3D effect even on a  photograph.

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This is the next attempt, whereby i played on an overlapping rules of third as highlighted by the annotations below. The blocks are placed at a certain direction and angle, staggering the rules of third axis over the other, creating the grids at a diagonal direction show below. In this sketch, i used a more contrasting set of blocks, with a XL, S, and XS sized blue foam to create the 2nd set.

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A yellow day- Exercise 1: Scale & Framing

A yellow day

This is Dion- she is soul (so) funky. In the wide spectrum of colour theory, yellow speaks to her personality the most as she is an energetic and positive person. I chose to highlight this sunny side of her with this photograph, shot from the low angle that captured her quirky facial expression. The usage of beanbag in the foreground was intended to act as a barrier, seemingly intruding into her private moment of acting goofy.

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Dion takes life at her own pace- she is a cool person. This photograph was shot from a wide angle, capturing a still of her sitting on a beanbag in the middle of the lobby, undeterred by the looks of the public. The direct camera gaze in the middle of a wide shot enhances the sense of “chill”.

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Dion is also a mysterious person because I have only known her for 2 weeks, there is more to learn about her as a person. In this wide angle shot, i tweaked the focus to strip away the details of the background, then further deprived the resolution by lowering the light sensitivity- creating a depth of mystery.

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An opened box

Pandora’s box research

Attempt 1.

Front View

Side View

Back View

Top View

This is my first attempt at creating my sculpture based on the theme of “Rules of 3rd”. It is a L sized box used as the main body, with a M sized box used as a base and a S sized box angled at the side of the L sized Box. In the spirit of rules of third, each box is placed at the 1/3 or 2/3 mark of the other box it is in contact with, as highlighted by the masking tape. In further attempt of showcasing the theme, i used the inherent design of the boxes, which are the circular design present on the box, leading the eye to divide the sculpture naturally into three parts.

Attempt 2.

Front View

Side View

Side View

Back View

This is another attempt at recreating the theme of “Rules of 3rd”. This sculpture uses a M sized box as a base and supports 2 S sized box on top, at X and Y directions. The range at which i placed the 2 smaller box was purposefully angled at the 1/3 and 2/3 mark on the M sized box to highlight the theme mentioned. The width at which the smaller boxes touches the base are also at the 1/3 and 2/3 unit, indicated by the placement of the masking tape.

An interesting object

The tripod

This is a $30 configurable tripod. This is 3-dimensionally interesting to me. It is extendable and changes in size accordingly. I like how the matt black contrasts to the metallic silver, highlighted by tints of blue. It is symmetrical on both sides with exception of the hinge on the top. There is also a negative space of a conical within the tripod’s standee. This is a tripod.

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Findings after 3D class showcase

After showcase, i realized the extent to which how different design concepts affect the product design of this tripod.       Colour concept. The interest i found in the idea of matt black versus metallic silver descends into the triptyke of dominant, subdominant and subordinate identities- with matt black being dominant, silver being subdominant, and blue being subordinate, each playing an irreplaceable role. For example, the absence of blue tint on the tripod head denounces the color harmony of the tripod.      The play of volume is also important. It is where the audience are visually made to separate parts into different sizing or volume, such as the tripod head being a S size contrasting to the L size of the tripod legs. This gives the object a visually dynamic presence, having a  heavier base and thinner head.

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A research: abstract andy

abstract artists often draw inspiration from the spontaneity of movement, inking emotions directly from their brain to the canvas.

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Abstract Andy.

Shadows 1978.  Andy Warhol

102 panels of silkscreen production, lined edge by edge to form a monumental installation series.

< A series of positive and negative imprints, alternating in colors lined together creates a strong sense of multiplicity, a common theme in Warhol’s works. However, the multiplicity in old works like “Campbell Soup Cans” conveyed the omnipresence of consumerism, while “Shadows” presented a menacing force with its repetition in one direction.>

<The subject matter is amorphous as there are no distinct features unlike Warhol’s old works, where he was particularly communicative regarding the subject matters, taking on Pop icons for controversial discussions.>
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Rorschach 1984. Any Warhol

<In exploring emotive lines, Rorschach’s ink blobs are the first of its kind, starting from 1921 by Hermann Rorschach. Its a visual test of paralleling perspective and emotions. It is a direct reference to the project brief of communicating emotions with ink, since the objective of the Rorschach is to identify emotions through the aesthetics. Warhol’s work, in irony, has never been officially confirmed to serve such a purpose. Warhol took on a psychologically charged subject, which is reminiscent of his earlier work’s like the Monroe series, where he strips off the individual intentions of an object. In Marilyn Monroe- a human being turned lifeless sex symbol; compared to Rorschach- a psychology test turned into a meaningless painting.>

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Oxidation/ Piss Painting 1978. Andy Warhol

A series of painting created through the oxidation of copper paint and uric acid.

<This work is reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism painters like Jackson Pollock, using the spontaneous motion of the human body as a medium to create expressive works.Warhol uses the similarity to ridicule this high art expressionism by using human waste and sex organs, demeaning the hoity-toity reputation Abstract Art had built up over the decade.>

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