P H A S E 1
Objective:
For the first project of Integrative Seminar 1, we had to research about Mandalas and then create two of our own. One depicting our “real self” and the other depicting our “fake self.” In addition, we had to make one that was digital and one that was handmade or analog.
Brainstorm:
We began our project by the creation of our “seed syllable” (an image or symbol that reflects our identity). This was done in three stages. The first being that we had to write our name in an artistic way. Then we had to analyze how our name sounds and how we could manipulate the letters to fit those sounds. For example, my name begins with an “I” so I pinched and pulled the “I” down so that resembled the sound you make when u say that part of my name. Lastly, we had to create an abstract depiction of our name, one that can convey how we can interpret the sounds our names have.
Second Sketch
Final Sketch
Like many foreign words that become adopted into English, my name posed an issue for many in the class to pronounce correctly. Therefore, in the last iteration, I tried to represent the “ع” or A of mine name through little squiggly lines (referencing rumbles as the letter “ع” resembles such a sound).
Trip to Rubin Museum:
We completed research at the Rubin Museum by looking at traditionally constructed mandalas from Nepal and Tibet. From the vivid colors to the wild subjects, the artists of these works really delved into their creative and imaginative selves in order to convey their spirituality.
Here are some examples…
My favorite one from the museum has to be the second mandala as it depicts the cycle of life. Showing how those who work hard to achieve enlightenment are able to move onto better reincarnations and eventual liberation as opposed to those who do not and live in depravity. Using the contrasting colors of white (purity, upward movement, positivity) and black (depravity, downward movement, negativity), the artist is able to convey one of the most important tenants of their religion.
Myers Briggs Personality Test:
We had to take the Myer’s Briggs Personality Test. I have taken it before as my family is a big believer in its personality types. However, I would like to mention that many people do not realize that your answer can change depending on your age, your emotions, and a specific time period.
In my case, I have consistently been ENTP (extroverted, intuitive, thinking, perceiving). However, the most recent test I completed stated that I was INTJ (introverted, intuitive, thinking, judging). I believe this may be due to the fact that I moved to NYC quite recently, resulting in a temporary change. I will not know until a bit later. For now, I will stick to ENTP.
P H A S E 2
Process:
All of the information that we learned has reached the climax were in we begin to create our own mandalas that represent one “real” self and one “fake” self. Furthermore, one mandala has to be digital while the other has to be handmade. Below you are able to see the various drafts that I have created.
Initial rough sketch in order to visualize the required compositional elements (4 memories, MB personality results, circle, square)
“Real” Handmade Mandala “Fake” Digital Mandala
Originally, the “fake” mandala was originally supposed to be my real mandala. This can be seen by the representation of my Myers Brigg’s personality test as I used the original score I had rather than the one I got recently. I only realized that it was not the “real” mandala until I started drawing the second mandala. The reason for this is because I felt that the drawing was more representative of my personality.
P H A S E 3
Final Pieces:
Final Real Mandala Final Fake Mandala
Reflection:
In terms of the work itself, I found that it was quite challenging to create the Fake Mandala as I used a combination of Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. My skills with Illustrator are minimal, which resulted in the piece not turning out exactly as I wanted it to. If I were to change one thing about the artwork, it would be altering the colors of each window along the top and bottom to fit the overall piece better. Nonetheless, it was a learning experience that I’m sure will help me in the future.
Furthermore, the analog drawing I did for the Real Mandala piece surprised me. I want to mention that I have had little experiences with inking and the overall look I achieved was quite good as I was able to capture the texture and direction of the water and coral. This, in tandem with the other illustrations, created a cohesive composition that focuses on the central figure.
Overall, I found this experience to be very fulfilling as I was able to not only play with two of my favorite medium, but I got to learn more about myself in the process.
As of February 19th, I have updated the Final Real Mandala. You can see the update below:
