Big Idea: Part One
Updated: 5 days ago
Using Abstract Expressionism to illustrate the inner and outer turmoils created by our lived environment.
Key Idea: Artmaking Needs Purposeful Structures
Since reading an article by Debra M. Hardy titled Using Positionality and Theory in Historical Research: A Personal Journey, I've been contemplating my own positionality as an educator and artist. For this assignment, I want to take a step back and thoroughly analyze my own perspectivity and the ways this shapes both my practice and identity. Through a personal artmaking project I aim to demonstrate the key idea that meaningful artmaking requires purposeful structures, and that these structures are built upon our own life experiences.
Utilizing abstract expressionism to explore ideas of positionality, space, and sensation my goal with this project is visualize the inner world that is generated by my outer world. In doing so, I will contemplate the main components of my outer world: lived environment, family, culture, physical being, behaviors, and relationships. Within the process of this project my hope is to reveal the interconnectedness between each attribute.
The Tension Between Identity and Environment
This project investigates the intersection of environment and identity. As an educator at two Title I schools, this big idea is extremely compatible with my curriculum and student population. Taking time to analyze the space we occupy and the invisible forces that sculpt who we are is so important within the journey of self discovery. A thorough inspection of our physical world allows for the dissection of our disposition. By doing this project myself, my aim is to demonstrate how art can be used to visualize the tension that exists between one's identity and their environment.
The artists that I will be pulling inspiration from are two abstract expressionists, Norman Lewis and Edvard Munch. I was drawn by these two artists mainly because of the amount of emotion they each pack into their illustrated figures. I also particularly enjoy Lewis' design approach to meshing body with space, hinting at this invisible tether between self and space.
Edvard Munch's famous work The Scream (1893) symbolizes the tension between humanity and nature, which is relates to my big idea in numerous ways. Adopting Munch's approach in depicting my inner experience of the outside world will allow me a chance to experiment with the visualization of emotion in an abstract manner.
Both Lewis and Munch have a stylistic approach where subjects are intertwined with the setting, merging as one to tell a deeper story about. By fostering this technique I will be able to visually describe the complex structure of my identity.
Project Breakdown
Step 1: Preliminary Phase
Research: Norman Lewis & Edvard Munch
Share short blurb about each artist's origin story and intention behind their artmaking. What outside forces inspire their emotionally charged art?
Outer World Mind Map
Center: Naomi
Branches: Family, Relationships, Culture, Environment, and Behaviors
In the process of creating this mind map, record words describing both the external and internal world (i.e. Family-Love-Brothers-Prison-Sacrifice-Distressed).
Repeat this social-emotional analyzation for each branch.
Take a picture of the final product.
Step 2: Visualizing Mind Map
In this segment of the process, I will build upon my mind map by adding a visual element. Each branch of my mind map will be given a symbol to summarize my inner experience in relation to the outer element (i.e. Culture: stylized Black figure. Family: worn heart).
Take an image of this product.
From there, contemplate how these symbols can come together to form an entire composition embodying my identity. This composition must combine figure and space (adapting the styles of Lewis and Munch).
In a 2x2 grid, I must brainstorm a series of four 10 minute drafts.
Now, on a single 9x12 sheet of paper combine these 4 drafts into a single composition.
Step 3: Artmaking
On an 18x24 sheet of paper, I will use mixed media (Tempura, Charcoal, Collage, Acrylic) to revise and transform my 9x12 draft into a larger scale composition. This visualization of my mind map will pull directly from Munch and Lewis' technique in merging space with figure, forming to tell the story of my identity.
References
Lewis, N. (1943/44). Jazz [Lithograph in black on wove paper]. National Gallery of Art. Washington DC.
Lewis, N. (1943). Shorty George [Lithograph]. National Gallery of Art. Washington DC.
Mir, S. (2016). Filling Out the Story: On the Art of Norman Lewis. Hyperallergic. https://hyperallergic.com/filling-out-the-story-on-the-art-of-norman-lewis/
Munch, E. (1893). The Scream [Tempura, Oil Pastel, Crayon, and Lithography].
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