Final Project

Reflection Paper

Michelle Lee

Painting ARTS 320 001

Spring 2011

Reflection

            My goal for the beginning of the semester was to experiment with new materials, concepts, and approaches through paint. My thirty studies assignment was my first attempt at my goal and because I had so many opportunities to create works, I became less attached to each piece I was making and felt liberated to make mistakes or works I didn’t particularly like. For the second assignment, I continued to work small and make multiple paintings that concentrated on using hair as a medium. Although I enjoyed creating many different kinds of pieces, I realized that I wanted to invest more of my time and efforts into fewer and more detailed projects.

            I remember wanting to go back to making figurative paintings after the first critique. I felt unfamiliar with the works I was presenting and wanted to create pieces that people were able to visibly recognize and respond to. I was used to talking about whether or not the subject matter of my painting was anatomically or proportionally correct; or whether or not the environment I was painting was interesting and successfully receded back into space. I planned on moving towards a subject matter and style of painting I was more familiar with for my third assignment.

            Although I had my canvas and materials ready for the next class, I was not prepared to paint a particular object or subject matter. I began the class by mixing colors using the new mediums we received in the beginning of class. I began to paint improvisationally, using a palette knife with no particular agenda in mind. I created different textures and experimented with different marks and color combinations. I bought a second canvas in the same square shape and painted the same red ground to create a similar undertone. I worked on this painting at home while I worked on my second piece at school. I noticed that the painting I did at home used more earth tone and flesh like colors compared to the painting I did at school, which had more contrast and was more repetitive with the marks that were created.

            For my final project, I knew I wanted to really push myself to experiment and approach painting in a completely different way that I had never thought about before. I was originally going to buy a rectangular canvas then sew and attach different fabrics or other materials to the canvas, but at the last minute I changed my mind and got the idea to hem wire to the edges on the canvas to form my own structure to paint on top of. I had gotten this idea from a paper sculpture I was making in another class, and thought that canvas would react beautifully to the way I was manipulating the paper through this method. After hemming the wire to the edge of my canvas I was certain that the piece was going to be displayed on the ground, but after experimenting with the different forms, I decided it was suppose to be presented on the wall. Beginning to actually paint the object I had created was the most difficult part of this process. I was so satisfied with the form I had made that I didn’t want to create unnecessary characteristics in the piece that would oppose other aspects of the piece I was satisfied with. I began painting by creating the red ground surface I am used to beginning with. I eventually loosened up and started to create a more calm textured painting compared to the two square paintings I had done previously. I Enjoyed making sparse marks throughout the piece and following the folds and emphasizing the depth of each fold using color to accentuate the three dimensional characteristics of the canvas.

            I am genuinely satisfied with what I learned from this painting class. I created paintings using techniques and ideas I had never used in the past. Reflecting back into the semester, I believe I had gradually achieved my goal and learned a lot during the process. The unconventional objective for each student to explore individual ideas and goals really allowed me to focus on the aspects of painting I was particularly struggling with. Although it was difficult at times, I really enjoyed this class along with the assignments that each student developed for himself or herself.

Marina Abramovic!

Although I had heard of Marina Abramovic's work prior to her talk at American University, there were many things she showed us and discussed during her visit that I was both surprised and humbled by. 
The most striking piece that became ingrained in my mind was  a performance she did many years ago, where she sat and continuously ate three onions in front of a camera with bright red lips and nails. She gagged and cried as she forcibly took large bites out of the onion, while a voice over played in the background about how she was tired of the routines and obligations she chose to attend to in her life. The experience of watching her perform was unsettling and devistating.

As I watched her other performances, I began to explore questions about how much power physical pain really has over me and whether or not it should be that way. I thought about the notion of public nudity and public humiliation as I watched some of her videos. One of her performances consisted of Marina and her male partner standing in the middle of a garage in the nude as they continuously slammed their bodies onto podiums in front of a large crowd. I remember hearing one girl laughing in the background, and thought about the kinds of characteristics a strong person would have to have in order to stand confidently in front of another person who has opposing opinions. Watching her perform made me want to become a braver person.

Other ideas of how much we depend on other people or need other people in certain aspects of our lives arrose. In her performance Breathing in/Breathing out, her and her male partner inhaled the oxygen the other person exhaled for the duration of 17 minutes.
During her discussion Marina talked about the act of being completely present during a performance and experiencing every moment with complete consciousness.
I really enjoyed hearing her visit to AU! She has a very calm and confident presence that I found to be slightly intimidating. Overall I learned alot and found the experience of watching her talk and perform to be worthwhile.

half way crit

I originally planned on presenting the canvas on the ground but after experimenting with the nature of the object I was manipulating, I decided to hang the piece on the wall. During the critique I got positive feedback with this decision. Questions about how I was going to paint the canvas were asked. Ideas of whether or not I would continue to work using thick paint, or if I was going to leave some parts of the canvas blank were asked throughout the ctritique. Although I am unsure of the different decisions I will make throughout this process, the half way critique allowed me to explore some questions I will be facing in the future. I found the critique to be extremely helpful and it also allowed be to have a better understanding of the work process of classmates.

Response to Critique 2

I found the new written form of critique to be was extremely insightful. I was able to take my time and read through each and every comment at my own pace and really take away from my classmate's opinions. I received several comments encouraging the kinds of textures and mark making techniques I was exploring. For my next project, I plan to continue exploring new and interesting mark marking abilities as well as the different textures I can develop through various painting mediums. Many people also commented on how compared to my first series of paintings, these new paintings are less grotesque and more aesthetically pleasing. In this new project, I hope to achieve an element of both qualities. I also received another comment to enlarge the scale compared to the sizes I was previously working in; I plan to do this as well so I can focus on one particular piece for an extended period of time.
For my next project, I decided to move away from the conventional presentation of a canvas. Using an elongated piece of canvas, I hemmed wire into the seams. The wire in the canvas allowed me to form a new surface to paint on. Although I am unsure of how I will approach the project from here on, I am excited for the different possibilities and plan to continue with different forms of experimentation.

2nd painting

stage 3

stage 2

stage 1

Critique Summary

I found the critique to be extremely successful, I got a lot of comments that were both expected and surprising. Many of my classmates said that my series had a grotesque quality to them. This was a response that I had expected, given that my medium is hair. Another observation brought to my attention was how integrated the hair was as a painting material. One person stated that there was a decorative element to many of my pieces. This is a characteristic I was not aware of, but was glad to realize.
For my next project, I will be aware of design and decorative elements that may influence this next piece. I will continue to experiment with paint in new and interesting ways that I have never dealt with in the past. I want to work on a bigger canvas so that I have the opportunity to think more collectively with fewer paintings to be concerned with, as oppose to thinking sparsely as I work on many different projects at once. There is one particular painting that I have chosen to work on throughout the whole semester. I am interested to see how it will progress as I explore new painting techniques.
I am excited for this new project!

3 Artists

The three artists I chose to focus on for this project all used paint or their mediums of choice in an unusual and beautiful way. Although each artist generally stayed true to the traditional square or rectangular shaped limitations of their canvases, the nature in which they applied paint or their mediums of choice explored different methods and encouraged me to play with form and lines in ways I normally would not.

I enjoy Jim Lee’s work because he takes a subtle approach to painting. Initially when I begin brainstorming for new projects, I feel the need to use every part of the canvas or space, sometimes unnecessarily and recklessly. His limited color palette and selected use of space allowed me to have a better understanding of how form and color can become more significant through our decisions to present them under certain conditions. I decided to limit my use of colors for the pieces I am currently working on because I want to emphasize the significance of one color against another. Although the black hair I use is thin and straggly, the crisp white atmosphere in the background gives strength to the black lines. Lee’s pieces have given me a better understanding of the importance of simplicity and how color limitation can emphasize two opposing colors and form.

I found Pia Fries’ work to be beautiful! She has a sculptural component to her paintings that make her interesting. Fries’ work encouraged me to incorporate different mediums other than the traditional paints into my pieces. I experimented with both real and fake hair along with exploring different textures I was able to create through oil paints. Using only a pallet knife, I painted the sky on eight tiny canvases. Just like Fries, I thickly and applied paint on the surface of my canvases.

Gertrud Goldschmidth, also known as Grego is another artist whose work I was attracted to. Grego repetitively uses simple lines to create beautiful gestures and scenes in his two pieces Reticularea, 1973 and Untitled, 1966. Like Grego, I wanted to use black lines to create moments of intensity as well as moments of delicate fluidity. Using black hair, to create such moments I took into consideration Grego’s use of geometric forms created by various black lines. Unlike Grego, my work will have sculptural characteristics where, the black lines physically come off the canvas. Like Grego, I will use these lines to create a diverse range of light and dark. I will also present the lines as a whole instead of identifying each line as a single unit, just as Grego does in his pieces.

All three artists were helpful in their own way. Through each artist’s technique and style, I have gained a better understanding of different approaches I can take to painting.

3 Artist

Pia Fries
BEROTEL Y5, 2008
oil, inkjet print, and paper on wood
9 1/2 X 6 3/4 inches

Pia Fries
UPNEY, 2008
oil and silkscreen on wood
30 3/8 X 41 3/8 inches

Pia Fries
BEROTEL Y6, 2008
oil, inkjet print, and paper on wood
9 1/2 X 6 3/4 inches

3 Artist

Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt)

Untitled, 1966

Gego (Gertrud Goldschmidt)

Reticulárea
1973, printed 1988

Jim Lee

Untitled (In Your Grave), 2010

Enamel on wood panel with canvas and MDF

33 x 22 x 3 inches

painting goal

One of my goals for my paintings this semester is to find ways to apply paint that are different and unique. I want to use colors in ways that I would not normally use it, using tools I would not normally use. In the beginning of the semester I would like to start out small, but as the semester progresses and I build my confidence I would like to use bigger canvases. Whatever the subject of my painting is, I want it to explore organic forms. I do not want to paint structured objects. 

30 studies conclusion

The successful moments of my studies were the times when spontaneous pieces developed. my most experimental studies came from the series of collages I built which resulted from frustration. At one point i attached a dry piece of a tangerine skin to one of my collages. In these moments, I found success in pieces I thought were going to me a complete disaster when I initially began to work.
I'm not sure if there were any particular themes or conceptual ideas i gravitated towards during the building of these studies. I noticed that by work progressively became "looser." In the beginning of theses studies, I was very meticulous, making detailed portraits of people and a sketch of straight lines. Towards the end of my studies i was ripping up magazines and paper from around the house to create weird collages of things lying around my house. I made pieces that reminded me of home and my friends, which was the subject of many of the things i wrote in the list in the beginning of the class. 
Although this assignment was hard to get through especially towards the end, I learned a lot about doing work at a steady pace and what kinds of ideas and creative thinking can come about from frustration and spontaneous moments. It was a good experience.

1,2,3 of 30

These are the first 3 pieces for the 30 ideas homework assignment. By experimenting with the different uses of lines, space & shadows I am beginning to understand the possible methods i can use for my larger piece in painting class. Using a taping technique to draw straight rigid lines, i randomly created  direction through repetition in my first piece above. In my second drawing, I avoided the idea of a single line and used shadows + gradation to represent what I saw. In the third piece I used both lines and shadows to draw a portrait in my sketchbook. So far, none of these methods or ideas are something I plan on expanding upon for my larger project.