Reflection of Summer Work - Feedback

To begin the new term, we got into groups and discussed how we thought the summer project went for us and showed the rest of the group some of our work - the good, the bad and the downright ugly. 

These were the favourite pieces from the discussions due to their diverse nature - figurative and abstract.

My peers liked the abstract, textural drawings and the colour combinations which I used throughout my drawings the most. They also agreed that my underpinning concept was strong which helped me to develop my artwork further through the summer. They gave me some further ideas however, such as layering texture over my own images to create abstract drawings which depict the idea of disguise and cover-up through other means. This could be done using tracing paper or printing onto acetate, for example. 

Some of the artists that were suggested to me to look at were; Maurizio Anzeri (above) who uses the human face and geometric shapes to create abstract qualities and Lucien Day and Angie Lewin who both use simple prints with linear features within their work.

The group all said that my drawings could be used effectively through embroidery as some were graphic rather than abstract, which could be mixed to create some interesting forms including backgrounds and foregrounds.It was also suggested I consider working in 2D and 3D methods to vary my outcomes.

Influences and Inspirations (2)

After researching images relating to disguise on Pinterest, I found that the ones that inspired me the most were the three in my previous post.

I went on to create collages of faces (as seen in my previous post - Waldemar Strempler) by cutting up the facial features of the people in magazines and rearranging them appropriately to create a new face - a 'disguise'. Some of the people look abstract, whereas others quite suit their new features. 

I mixed the idea of disguise with peacock feathers again to create more drawings - using the shapes of the peacock pattern to cover the eyes of someone, for example. I also used similar spherical shapes to create a collage covering the eyes of someone (above top right) - similar to Anton Bundenko.



Looking back at the work of Januz Miralles again, which I found earlier, I have distorted my own collages and found photographs of the human face (in the style of Waldemar Strempler) in order to create some more drawings. Adding different media such as acrylic paints and ink to the distorted images makes them more abstract and like a 'disguise' or a 'cover-up' and relates to the work of Miralles, also. 

I wanted to investigate the idea of disguising the face using other methods, such as covering up aspects of it with an object, or replacing features all together with something totally different - see my Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com/rmlhaigh/disguise/) for other inspirations from artists such as Amy Judd, who uses animal features to cover the human face. Below, I used the ideas behind her work, teamed with the concept of an image of Twiggy that I discovered on Pinterest, to create my own piece.

I would say my work could be tailored towards the costume industry as I enjoy working with unusual concepts, in a three-dimensional manner. I like working in an abstract way as Miralles and Strempler do, though I am also inspired by unusual and shocking images like Amy Judd and Anton Bundenko create.

Luly Yang is a designer based in Seattle, USA, who predominantly creates gowns and bridal dresses, however, she also is involved in making Haute Couture fashion pieces such as 'The Monarch'.

 It is a custom silk taffeta butterfly print skirt and corset bodice, embellished with hand placed Swarovski crystals and black ostrich feathers.