Exhibition Text: “The meaning behind “In Celebration Of Freedom” is that it’s a reflection on life and how I’m grateful to be free in life, that I do not live in a communist country or that I am not forced to live a certain way. It is an open landscape because it represents the clean and peaceful freedom that we have.”
Planning: The initial idea that I had was to make a large scale painting that was loosely based on impressionism to show through colors the true feeling and emotions of freedom. As color is one major gateway to conveying a mood and tone that is clearly visible and understandable to the viewer. I decided that I would rather do a highly detailed drawing/sketch of the landscape. The idea came from the recent events in my life that would change it as I progress though it. Many things came into thought, such as "what would I do if I don't get accepted to college?", or "where and what will I do if North Korea attacks?" etc. Then the idea of expressing my enjoyment for my freedom came along.
Inspiration:
My inspiration is Lynn Casper's work "You've said it all-Knee Bow" which is a piece that represents the signature move of the UW band. The knee bow is a single foot lean backwards that is exaggerated in Casper's portrayal. Casper did this to emphasize the physical movement of the band as they are taking joy out of this traditional pose and because of the aesthetic aspect to it. Some of the artistic choices that Casper emphasized in her piece which I mimicked, were that she shaded in detail, used tone to her advantage, use blank space as a major contrast and background. Other aspects are that Casper used only pencil which is a simple tool but effective in her use, which shows mastery of skills in her piece.
My inspiration is Lynn Casper's work "You've said it all-Knee Bow" which is a piece that represents the signature move of the UW band. The knee bow is a single foot lean backwards that is exaggerated in Casper's portrayal. Casper did this to emphasize the physical movement of the band as they are taking joy out of this traditional pose and because of the aesthetic aspect to it. Some of the artistic choices that Casper emphasized in her piece which I mimicked, were that she shaded in detail, used tone to her advantage, use blank space as a major contrast and background. Other aspects are that Casper used only pencil which is a simple tool but effective in her use, which shows mastery of skills in her piece.
My cultural inspiration came from the news, as I had been following up on many international crisis and issues such as the North Korea bombing threats. I began to understand that I have a privileged life were I am in control, I am free, I am able to do anything really, I have options in life and I take my own decisions. This is a gift that I appreciate, a gift I cherish and do not wish to lose. These threats have become world wide and they come out to be more frequent, if its not a couple of countries in the brink of war, its a country fighting internally, and if that's not the case its a natural disaster that is taking away all that is built, and formed. This is my main concern with the world today, that I might not even make it to tomorrow for any reason, because here in my city of Milwaukee, things do not seem to get better. All that the news has is news coverage on the new hit and sun, the road rage, the fatal shootings, the new kidnappings, the new found body in the lake, the officer that shot an unarmed man, the teens that are carjacking and breaking windows, etc. I find myself in a world of constant hatred, and violence that seems that it is ever growing by the day. There is not a day that something just doesn't happen. Life is usually part of a duality but I do not see the positive light, I only see that the dark is taking over with no sight of it getting better. Now-a-days life is about making your peers look worse to make yourself better and that's how you prosper, but I believe in caring for one another rather than hurting one another. I believe in peace.
Process: I began by searching out three different environments in Milwaukee (Shown above) which were my aesthetic inspiration. This was a personal choice that would allow me to be visually creative. I began by looking at each one of the environments and I analyzed them to see their strongest feature and to see what quality makes them seem peaceful and tranquil. The main qualities that they all share is that they all have some amount of trees, a body of water and a path that is accessible to the viewer. Once I begin drawing I start by creating a high and faded horizon that will give a sense of boundaries. After creating the horizon I started on the waterfall as the center piece, which was focused on the shading and blending to give it texture and form. This required layering and erasing to create highlights and dark areas. The next step was making the water which was simple shading and erasing. The next component was making the trees, and the path. The path was logs and planks as a path, and the trees were just hatching. The last step was hatching the grass which took time and precision.
Experimentation:
My experimentation was upon the actual inspiration as it mostly depended on the current events, it was based on my actual perspective eon the world. To me this is a little touchy of a topic as its based on feelings that I experience on a daily basis. It seems to be a pessimistic view on life but sadly its true and its something one cannot just avoid for the sake of feeling better. This is an issue that we have to come together and face. Therefore the experimentation was on how to convey all of this into the artwork without being negative and showing that we only have one path, that's just total destruction. Thats when I came up with showing and end goal for humanity, a calm, clean, quite, tranquil, natural environment. The other experimentation was in the use of the pencil and lead to create a well drawn/sketched image of the peaceful area.
My experimentation was upon the actual inspiration as it mostly depended on the current events, it was based on my actual perspective eon the world. To me this is a little touchy of a topic as its based on feelings that I experience on a daily basis. It seems to be a pessimistic view on life but sadly its true and its something one cannot just avoid for the sake of feeling better. This is an issue that we have to come together and face. Therefore the experimentation was on how to convey all of this into the artwork without being negative and showing that we only have one path, that's just total destruction. Thats when I came up with showing and end goal for humanity, a calm, clean, quite, tranquil, natural environment. The other experimentation was in the use of the pencil and lead to create a well drawn/sketched image of the peaceful area.
ACT Questions:
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
The most influential parts of Lynn Casper came from the actual art making process, which was in the layering.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach of the author was mostly just like an inner-monologue, were she was writing minor notes that seem valuable to the reader.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was the realization of the freedom we have.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inference that I made was that Lynn Casper had a physical view or model of her piece unlike me, where I had to create visual landscape.
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork:
The most influential parts of Lynn Casper came from the actual art making process, which was in the layering.
What is the overall approach (pov) the author (from research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall approach of the author was mostly just like an inner-monologue, were she was writing minor notes that seem valuable to the reader.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration was the realization of the freedom we have.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The inference that I made was that Lynn Casper had a physical view or model of her piece unlike me, where I had to create visual landscape.
Citations:
“Blog.” THE PARK NEXT DOOR, www.theparknextdoor.com/wisconsin-nature-blog.
“Hiking the Seven Bridges Trail in South Milwaukee.” Wisconsin Explorer, wisconsin-explorer.blogspot.com/2015/08/hiking-seven-bridges-trail-in-south.html.
Lewis, Chelsey. “Woodland Dunes is a nature lover's sanctuary.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, PMJS, 3 May 2017, www.jsonline.com/story/travel/2016/04/29/day-out-woodland-dunes-a-nature-lovers-sanctuary/84962136/.
“Source: Milwaukee police officer killed wife before turning gun on himself.” WISN, WISN, 7 Oct. 2017, www.wisn.com/article/one-dead-one-injured-in-milwaukee-shooting/9121734
Wisconsin Hertiage Fine Arts: Lynn Casper Bio, lynncasperfineart.com/pages/bio/bio.html..
“Hiking the Seven Bridges Trail in South Milwaukee.” Wisconsin Explorer, wisconsin-explorer.blogspot.com/2015/08/hiking-seven-bridges-trail-in-south.html.
Lewis, Chelsey. “Woodland Dunes is a nature lover's sanctuary.” Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, PMJS, 3 May 2017, www.jsonline.com/story/travel/2016/04/29/day-out-woodland-dunes-a-nature-lovers-sanctuary/84962136/.
“Source: Milwaukee police officer killed wife before turning gun on himself.” WISN, WISN, 7 Oct. 2017, www.wisn.com/article/one-dead-one-injured-in-milwaukee-shooting/9121734
Wisconsin Hertiage Fine Arts: Lynn Casper Bio, lynncasperfineart.com/pages/bio/bio.html..