Homework #12

After watching the Secret of Drawing 3, a few things struck me. Firstly, I really enjoyed the discussion and discourse around the professor and artist Sarah Simblet. I found her approach to art and teaching as more of an automatic and instinctual exercise rather than a strictly academic or technical exercise very fascinating and in a way, appealing. More often than not, I prefer very structural and technical exercises and assignments over free-flowing ones, but the idea of just being free in terms of the marks you make on paper helped me think about drawing in a new and unique way. Pablo Picasso’s place in art history was another portion of the video that intrigued me. I find his transition from more technical/draftsman type of works to more free and ‘automatic’ works of art very interesting. His spot in history as a transition between the more automatic type of art we see more modern artists use in comparison to an obsession over accurately depicting life certainly contributed and helped inspire his art and mindset towards drawing and art overall. Finally, avid Shrigley was an artist that I found very fun. His art has a very weird yet fun and almost childish atmosphere to it. The confidence with which he makes marks on the page has a somewhat freeing feel to it. His art certainly mirrors his shared belief with old surrealist artists about how drawing connects our subconscious to our hand to the page and the work that we as humans create. Overall, all three artists exhibit a desire to draw freely and as a way of exploring our subconscious mind and self.

Homework #11

I think my work in Modules 4 and 5 does fulfill the criteria for the modules. With module 4, the project probably could’ve used a bit more creativity and saturation. The work for the project though works well with a desaturated more non-futuristic dystopian vibe. Moreover, the project makes good use of perspective from the previous modules to showcase point of view as well as depth. In general, I struggled more with coming up with and executing creative ideas, so perhaps I could’ve made more of an effort to step outside my comfort zone. Regarding module 5, I think my use of color for symbolism and to decide where the viewer’s eyes should land is present and intentional. I think one thing I could’ve improved on more is the integration of hand-drawn with pictorial elements and making the piece less minimalistic. Granted, I prefer making more minimalistic works, as seen by my work in modules 4 and 5. Though perhaps increasing the visual intensity of my works may increase audience interest as well.

Project #8

Project #8: Collage of Key Memories

WIP:

Final:

 

Chosen Memory: The airplane trip from the time I came to America from India

Words: Excitement, focus (destination and origin), ocean, speed, wonder, curiosity

Translation from memories to themes: I wanted to capture both my excitement of going to a new place (demonstrated by a bright yellow plane) and especially how I had tunnel-vision. I remember only being focused on where I was leaving from and where I was going through (demonstrated by the exaggerated sizes of India and America along with the horizontal black lines that cover everything that isn’t between those two countries). I knew that we were flying over Europe, but at the time it was only in the back of my head (demonstrated by Europe being present but being much smaller and not standing out very much). The other thing I remember doing a lot was looking outside the airplane windows to see the ocean down below, and appreciating how fast we were moving and how every second brought us closer to getting out of the plane. Finally, I wanted to point out the locations I stayed in before finally settling in Ohio (demonstrated by the white states, which contrasts the dark color of the rest of the United States), and how I felt a clear distinction and divide between my old and new life (demonstrated by the intersecting horizontal lines).

Exercise #6

Exercise #6 – Gesture Drawing

Group 1 – Quick Drawings

 

 

Group 2 – More time-consuming drawings