I’m still not satisfied with this design. Nevertheless, I need to start somewhere and time is a luxury. Besides, it is much better than my very first one, when the research was still rudimentary.
Some sketches of my study
Falling posture study
Floating Island Study
“Inspiration is for amateurs” is a saying that I have come across many times. It is also a motto that I hold dear in my heart.
Right now, my surface project is still dull and uninspiring because I have not found any good ideas to incorporate “figure ground reversal” into my work.
However, I try to push myself just to turn up, and do the necessary sketches and research. Or else, the important work will never get done.
We tell stories of events to allude to the unspeakable…
– Kara Walker
Yes, the story I am telling is the one that I still feel shameful about.
After making 5 drafts of the cut out, I know that the more I experiment, the better the draft becomes.
So far, every AFO project is something new to me. Thus, in order to fully understand a prompt, its requirement and to create a decent work, I always do my research.
For this project, I have delved into some books about famous artists like Aubrey Beardsley, Kara Walker, Flannery O’Connor, David Small and some others for more knowledge and inspiration.
There are some invaluable things I have learnt from my preliminary research, which have impacted my art-making decisions greatly.
Aubrey Beardsley was greatly influenced by the “bold graphic stylization and abstraction of form practiced by the Japanese artists of the late 18th century and early 19th century.” This provides me with another source of reference and inspiration.
I also learn much more about Kara Walker’s practice and why she does the things she does. She admits that her stories sometimes start from truth but often wander off. She also systematically write and collect stories, which in turn become her source of inspiration.
Most interesting, her choice of cut out paper is highly intentional, not just because it is structural and physical but also because it is historically linked to “second class art-making.”
On the first day of 2015 Spring Semester of Art Foundation, I was welcomed by Charlotte V Rodenberg, my Surface instructor. She did not hesitate to assign us our very first project: To create a Cut Paper Narrative.
I have heard of cut paper art, but making a narrative is something new. To be specific, the requirements of the assignment is:
Using the following materials, create a narrative composition. The narrative should engage the viewer. The narrative can reference mythology, literature, song verses, rhymes, poetry or can be autobiographical. It can reference current political events or historical events. It should be something you personally are interested in, inspired by or emotional about etc. The composition should incorporate good use of observational drawing, contour lines, negative space vs. positive space figure ground reversal. An ideal narrative should have at least three nouns and actions to connect the persons, places or things.
Now, we all have two weeks to complete this project, which is reasonably tight. I am grateful that Charlotte allows us much freedom to gear the work towards our intended major. For me, it is Kinetic Imaging (just a fancy name for Animation).
Currently, I am still doing intensive research on some artists, figure round reversal, and most importantly, brainstorming on the narrative I want to tell.
Grape Le 