I feel as though my creative practice this semester has been heavily focused around introspection and my own personal experiences and thoughts. This has manifested in different visual forms, while still having commonalities within each piece. My work in this class has been primarily painting-based and large-scale on stretched and unstretched canvas. I feel as though I have taken risks with my work and taken it in different directions than I am accustomed to, whether successful or unsuccessful I learned from every assignment.
In terms of the final project specifically, I continued my exploration of my inner psyche, as well as formal explorations brought on by previous projects. My initial intentions for this piece was to create a painting inspired by the forms and techniques used in my photo essay. This project began as more of an exploration of formal qualities rather than an introspective and emotion-based work. I began with this intention because of the heaviness of some of my other pieces, not only in this class but in other classes as well, and therefore I wanted to try something that wouldn’t be as emotionally taxing for me to create. However, through the actualization of this piece I believe that I was depicting my headspace more clearly than I had intended, or even noticed. I would say that the most difficult part of this process was deciphering my subconscious decisions. I think that my subconscious plays an active role in my artistic practice, and that was made evident through this final project, as well as my past projects in this class as well.
This final work was made with oil paint on 30in x 40in stretched canvas. While my photo essay was in black and white, I decided to paint this work instead in bright colors. At first, I wasn’t sure what this meant to me, but upon further consideration I believe I have discovered the meaning that each color choice holds. I think that this painting and the color choices within it bring forth representations of different versions of myself, and how my emotional state can altar not only the way I perceive the world, but also how I perceive myself. I began exploring this idea in the beginning of the semester with the sketchbook project as well which I find interesting to reflect on. The composition of this piece is collaged with different portraits of myself, some manipulated, none realistic. The painting itself is relatively flat, with little to no illusory depth.
I found this process of moving between mediums of digital photography, to analog photographic manipulation, to digital presentation, and then to painting to be very interesting and it is something that I definitely want to explore again in the future. I wanted to push myself to use different painting techniques in this work which I think was challenging in process, but in reflection was overall successful.
This class was very helpful in the investigation into my personal means of art making. It is interesting looking back to see how the themes I explored in my work in this class are related to the work I made in other classes as well, which happened completely unintentionally but makes sense. I definitely think I am still in the exploratory and beginning phases of my creative practice and I look forward to the next semester to seeing what else I push myself to do, and hopefully I push myself much more!
