Gallery Visit 4

For the last Gallery visit, I visited the Elementary Art Show. I got to interview my siblings as well :) This gallery visit was probably the most memorable for me as it was the first time I got to interview my siblings and have them explain more about their art.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Ql0zjQduBVxD_8Lo28KGHwKYrLXOobKw/view?usp=sharing 

AP Art Drawing: Final

AP Drawing: Concentration 12

Process Shots: 





Final: 




Reflection: 

Manipulation of Material-- For tempera resist, I had to paint counter-intuitively from how I would normally. Instead of direct color showing through as painted, tempera resist required me to leave the paper blank white to get to a deeper effect of the black ink. Also, I had to paint white paint on the white paper in order for white to show after the inking process.

Creativity-- I wanted to do something out of my comfort zone for this last concentration piece. Since I had only explored tempera resist once before, I revisited this and took on the challenge of using tempera resist for people's faces. I think it adds a new style to my concentration (antique, uneven lines), but at the same time brings some line quality and movement.

AP Drawing: Concentration 11 (Combined)

(This is my second combined piece for exemption)  

AP Drawing: Concentration 10 (Combined)

(This my combined piece for exemption) 

AP Drawing: Concentration 9 (Part 3)

This is the third part of my piece. The heart was made with acrylic and oil-based colored pencils and outlined using yarn.

Process Shots: 

Final: 

The complete look: 

Reflection: (Of the heart piece) 

Manipulation of Material: I used the yarn to connect the pieces of the art together, and the glue helped keep the yarn bent around sharp edges of the heart. I also used the white yarn on the black matte board for contrast so that the white yarn stood out. 

Problem Solving: It was challenging for me to conceptualize how I would connect the two pieces to the center, which was the heart. The yarn pieces were able to do that and also showed the simplicity of the connection between my siblings and the similarity of their heart. Also, I was initially thinking of threading the heart through the black matte board but didn't realize how thick the board was and the impracticality of having to poke small holes for the very intricate pattern of the yarn on the heart. I then used glue to trace around the heart and that gave the exact look I wanted.

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 8 (Part 2)

This is the second part of my three-part piece, painting my brother with acrylic on black matte board.

Process Shots: 




Final: 


Reflection-- 
Manipulation of Material: With the black matte board, it was definitely harder to paint light colors on top for the background, and that is the biggest lesson I've learned in this process. Next time, I'll use a lighter matte board color to make painting easier. Even though one layer didn't cover the black properly, I used multiple layers of paint so that the black wasn't overpoweringly visible put still left an "antique" effect on the background.

Presentation and Quality: Throughout this process, I kept building off of and correcting what I had previously done. Even at the end, I added some more line quality to the hair using very washed out pigment.

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 7 (Part 1)

My concentration piece will be three individual sections that come together in the end.
This is the first section of my sister.

Process: 
(experimenting with background color + work on mid-region)


(before minor touch-ups)


Final: 



Reflection:
Creativity-- I wanted to create a piece that was complex and told a message about the relationship of siblings. For the final look, I would be using a range of materials that are out of my comfort zone: black matte board, yarn threaded through across the piece, layering the board for depth, and yarn for crafting the heart. The concept itself, of having my siblings' faces sectioned and mismatched was challenging for me as it was out of my comfort zone, and I think that's what makes the piece creative.

Cultural Competence-- The entire look is meant to connect to my life and what I've observed about other people's perspectives. Siblings, especially twin siblings, are often connected by others according to their facial features, the external factors. However, I wanted to challenge that perspective and instead portray how my siblings are really connected together, in a simpler way, through their heart and character. I will be using yarn to create that contrast between the chaotic, tangled relationship of the features versus the clearer connection to the heart.

AP Art Drawing: Timed Drawing

Cultural Competence: 
I went on an Interim trip to explore the ancient Peranakan shophouses that still exist in Singapore today. Peranakan culture represents the interracial populations in Singapore. I was really inspired by the vibrant colors and a mix of traditional and European inspired carvings used to embellish the shophouses. What I noticed was how each shophouse, while having the same structure, was still unique and vibrant in its own way. Each color choice was different, and that is why I wanted to bring about the culture by placing tiles of shophouses next to each other. I also noticed how my portfolio lacked a bit in the line element, in patterns, so I thought this piece could be a good addition.

Final:

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 6

Reference:

 

Final: 

 

Reflection: 

Manipulation of Material-- I used colored pencil in a different manner than usual. Since my surface was black matte board, I needed to make sure that the color pencils were applied with enough pressure. In areas which were intended to be darker, I applied very little pressure and the dark base showed up automatically from the dark matte board. 

Problem Solving-- I wanted to work on a different colored surface, so I went with black. While the colors stood out and made contrasts and highlighting easier, I also found that sometimes, the colors dulled a bit if I didn't press hard enough. Through the process, I learned the perfect amount of pressure needed to make certain colors stand out while layering. 

Gallery Visit #3

I visited Cipta's exhibition down at the 1st floor of the library!
I really wanted to seize this opportunity because it was a very unique exhibition, one that I wouldn't get to see anywhere else in Singapore.


What I really took away from his work is his distinct personal style. He has a style of seeming unorthodox, mixing solid colors and toy-machine-like structures to build his figures. In many pieces, like the one below, he often used bright colors but juxtaposed them with a black base in order to bring a haunting feel of something deeper and darker than a seemingly bright toy. This is what I found gave the pieces their individuality and unorthodoxy.

                                                                                

I also noticed that with every piece, Cipta seemed to connect with the audience's emotions through his use of symbolism and satire. These were pertinent to a certain culture or group of people who would understand the characters. For example, the "Pink Eagle" figurine was meant for SAS. The Eagle represented the SAS mascot and he spun that into an image that seemed humorous and different. with the "Pig" figurine, I remember Cipta recalled how in Indonesia, the pig has some sort of negative meaning meant to be hurtful and derogatory, but I found it really refreshing that he used that image to connect with the Indonesian audience and bring about humor in a creative way. I think his use of neon-bright colors created that humorous feel.























I also noticed that with every piece, there was always a series or a sequence that guided the audience to a collection. All the mini figurines were grouped according to the intended audience or according to the type of figurine. All the bigger displays had series numbers (like Dollores IX, Dollores X....) and some were even grouped together in the same frame. I asked Cipta about why he chose to have a sense of continuation with his pieces, and he replied that he believed there was more to the pieces that couldn't be expressed with just one composition, and that with a series leading to more, the audience will be able to better understand the type of figure. He believes in showing the SAS audience more variations to the same figure so that we appreciate how different each figurine can be and how they can hold different meanings and emotions despite having a similar shape and size.



Finally, I observed that Cipta weaves emotions into his pieces but in a very deliberate and abstract way. For example, with the above-right piece, I noticed there were many expressions and emotions involved, however, they were portrayed in a unique manner. One of the farther pieces in the group has a robotic figure with a big red heart drawn on it. I think this is almost an allusion to the Wizard of Oz and a play on what certain figures do with emotions, how they handle them. Other figures had a distinct facial expression, with the eyes and lips prominent. The heart, eyes, lips, are all structures that bring about emotion, and by adding those touches, Cipta really draws the contrast between human emotions and robotic structures. He also portrays those emotions so evidently, almost like they were a natural part of any robot.

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 5

Inspiration: 

Process Shots:

Final: 

Reflection: 

Creativity-- I wanted to try a different style of art, and this Madhubani painting was very unique from my typical pieces. This was by far my most tedious and intricate piece and I was really proud of how intricate it turned out. Madhubani paintings are known for their imperfect depiction of figures, their border, and for the fact that these paintings cover up any empty space with recurring designs. This pushed me to view art from the perspective of an ancient artisan in India.

Cultural Competence-- I really think this strongly places culture into center attention. This painting was one of the first forms of art in India hundreds of years ago. It represents the imperfections of the artists but also their child-like vision of a creative life. This truly depicts the beauty of Indian art culture. More importantly, though, this painting connected me with my grandmother and the culture she was surrounded by in her childhood. My attempt at a Madhubani painting really gave me more exposure to ancient forms of art, and I would love to try this style out again.

50% Check

My game plan:
Touches to make--complete forehead, paint bracelet, deeper shadows in clothing folds, color variation in hair
start on piece two by tomorrow
leave one day for final touches of both pieces


 

AP Art Drawing: Monoprint (Concentration 2)

Reference Photo:


Process shot:


Final Photo:


Reflection on Manipulation of Material:
- had to find a balance between not having too much ink yet having enough ink spread all over--for that, I lightly ran my hand around the paper

AP Art Drawing: Concentration 1

Concentration: sibling love

Reflection: 
Problem Solving--
- paint would dry up fast, leave one-dimensional colors, so I would take many similar shades of a color to bring more depth when the paint dries
Presentation and Quality--
- overall, I documented my progress and noticed how I changed my colors overtime (including analogous colors, straying from browns in dark areas and into blues greens and purples as an addition)
- Big picture: half-way in I realized that I needed to work on all parts of the painting instead of focusing on one. This helped bring more cohesion into my work.
The final touches were made, including sharper contours, richer colors, and deeper dark values
- keeping the background a place for the eye to rest
- overall composition definitely challenged me!! I was really pleased with myself because I was able to tackle painting two portraits while also painting intricate folds of fabric--helped me grow my skills in color choice

Reference photo:


Process Shots:




Final Photo:

AP Art Drawing: Exaggerated Perspective

Reflection--
Problem Solving: One of the things about my composition was that there was a lot of "rest space" in terms of solid colors in my hand, the sweatshirt, and the iPhone. From the self-portrait unit, I learned that I needed to utilize my background better, creating more of a story to my piece. With suggestions from Ms. Harvey, I went to the library and took pictures of the aisles as the shelves narrow down. This further dramatizes the exaggeration and the intricate bookshelves add more motion to the calmer area in the front.

Manipulation of Material: Colored pencil is something I feel more familiar now with, especially after my very first color pencil portrait during the self-portrait unit. I figured color pencil would allow more intricacies needed for the facial features and small book spines. I think the color pencil was applied in different strokes and pressures depending on whether I was working on a reflective surface (iPhone), wooden (shelves), skin, or fabric (shirt). For the phone, I worked in more circular motions to give the fuzzy effect of the reflections. For the background, I applied a lot more pressure to make the wood look sturdy and hard. If I had done that with my face or hands, it would have looked plastic-like, which is why I was gentler with that and instead focused on layering the colors and adding blues and purples as well to create dark shades. The fabric required contrast to highlight the depths of the folds.

Creativity: For this piece, I definitely wanted to have some story or meaning behind my composition. The background is crucial because it conveys a message. Through the exaggeration, I wanted to depict how we don't need to turn to books anymore for knowledge, and we instead really rely on our phone for any sort of information (shown by my big hands supporting the phone). I think this piece kind of shows irony with a person being in a library but not learning from books.



Process Shots:






My Final:


(side view)

AP Art Drawing: Gallery Visit 1

I've always been intrigued by culture, particularly how certain cultures influence art styles. To explore more about this, I went to the Singapore National Gallery, known for Singaporean and Southeast Asian Art. I primarily observed art from Singaporean and Chinese heritage.

Evidence of visit:



To be honest, I expected to only see abstract art at the gallery because whenever I go to a building--say a hotel or restaurant--I always see abstract paintings. I was under the perception that abstract art is given more importance, in a way, than realistic paintings about everyday life. To my surprise, the gallery had a great mix of local and abstract art that was pertinent to the time period. During the tumultuous 1950s, art advocated nationalism and independence, as Singapore moved towards self-governance. Influenced by developments in realism in China, Russia, and Europe, artists believed that art should reflect everyday adversities and work toward the betterment of humanity. I was very happy to see paintings about local life portrayed as an integral part of art history, and that changed my opinion about abstract art getting more attention. In fact, I learned that these styles emerged under the influence of other countries and their cultures, so it's not that abstract art is considered more meaningful by many; rather, abstract art must've blended in with the modern culture that restaurants or hotels want to showcase.

Along with the time period, the level of modern abstraction increased. I always thought abstract art was independent of its time period; however, when I saw the abstract modern art, I was able to appreciate it more as I realized it was a part of the culture of different nations and a marker of advancement in ideologies and in the nation as a whole. I gained a new perspective on abstract art as I understood how it conveyed meaning poignantly and expressed features of the time period in question. Calling for a fresh perspective on what painting or sculpture could mean, some artists sought to reflect the modern industrialized age while others focused more on personalized experiences:


This piece, titled Barren Land, mimicked the metallic effect of machinery and reflected upon the effect of growing industrialization, where the greenery of land before slowly gets replaced by metal and machine-like shapes. This one, particularly, helped me appreciate modern art more, as I realized that realism here wouldn't express the message intended as purposefully and impactfully as this piece did.



This oil painting by Georgette Chen in 1963 titled Singapore Waterfront, isn't a completely abstract piece but does involve many abstract factors of modern art, like the repeated strokes to represent the movement of water. This, too, draws a contrast between the urban density across the waters and the two workers in the foreground appearing at rest, suggesting a different temporal space and more tranquil rhythm. Again, in order to contrast the two environments, it was important to highlight the difference between chaos and tranquility, and the use of patterns to show movement effectively drew that contrast.



This piece by Goh Beng Kwan in 1963 titled Black Afternoon was created on the day President Kennedy was assassinated. In this early experiment with abstraction, Goh creates tension between the geometric shapes and expressive brush strokes. The somber palette of brown, black, white and grey reflects both the influence of American Abstract Expressionism and the turmoil of the time. 



I also observed that the textures, painting style, and colors of the pieces varied for certain purposes or moods. Commonly used styles were realistic and detail-oriented, stroke-like and bumpy, and uneven amounts that produced cracks. These all fit into the time period of the people as some explore the detail of people's lives, some show the movement for their lives, and others show the emerging questions from self-searching. I was having a conversation with my mom specifically about how the artists were able to create textured work. Rarely did we find art that was completely smooth, unless purposeful. As we looked closer, we noticed a lot of the beautiful metallic, antique effects that brought subtle textures were actually using lacquer. I have also heard about plaster of Paris that is mixed with paint to create extreme textures. This got me thinking about how I can incorporate textures into my own artwork.

This oil painting called Potong Pasir Dairy Farmer exemplifies the realistic painting style by revealing the artist's meticulous attention of the appearance of his sitter. The farmer's weather-beaten skin, wrinkles, distinct facial muscles and pronounced veins running down his neck reflect the difficult realities of his social and economic conditions.

Around the tumultuous 1950s, art became a form of nationalism and independence. It is understandable, then, the depiction of stoic figures to reflect individual identity in times of social upheaval. There is a bumpy texture formed by the small and thick strokes of paint. This stroke-like style of painting brings out movement and chaos, or lack of clarity: pertinent to the time period. 



This piece titled Horizontals by Choy Weng Yang is a look into modern art. It demonstrates the artist's ongoing search for a precise vocabulary of colors to express emotions, using juxtaposition, color harmony, and different textures and intensities. The expressive and uneven treatment of paint is, to me, indicative of his emotive and intuitive, rather than scientific, approach to color, and the different vibrant colors themselves seem to represent their relations with one another (clashes and points of harmony). 


Finally, I noticed that some art was used less for aesthetic purposes but more as a statement that varied with each artist.



These pieces of wood were cleverly composed by Matthew Ngui, titled Chair. Ngui seems to challenge the validity of a single point of view, and the chair falls apart and reconstructs itself in an optical illusion. As I think deeper about the possible purpose of constructing a chair, I felt like the chair represents stability, which constantly changes according to our position in life. This was one of my favorite pieces. 




This pencil and watercolor work is by Zai Kuning, titled Still Performance. For historical context, in 1994, the Singapore Government withdrew funding for performance art. In response, Zai produced a series of repetitive and oversized self-portraits grimacing down at the viewer. The title of the work is a clever play on words: a performance has been stilled, but will still continue nonetheless. So while the body in each portrait is stationary, together they create a sense of measurement, a different kind of performance. This brought about a message of passion and almost a sense of rebellion: how one can never silence art.