Exhibition Text
Shining City
Acrylic on Canvas, 51 cm x 51cm, 2019
The portrait of the women in the foreground is starkly different than the brightly colored background behind her. She is turned away from the shining city behind her, isolated. Whether she is facing away of her own volition is unclear. Her posture is reserved, holding some sort of cloth tightly around her head. The city in the background exhibits both night and day simultaneously. The night, however, does not seem negative, maybe she is mistaken in turning away.
Contrast
Acrylic on Canvas Board, 41cm x 51cm, 2019
There are two strong lights, yellow and blue. The yellow light represents my family and home. The blue light represents the harsh light of the business world, one filled with technology and a chaotic bustle of people. The tree represents me as an individual and the stone ground represents the difficult foundation that I grew out of. Despite the harsh stone, however, the tree is still thriving.
Fog Filled Woods
Acrylic on Canvas, 41cm x 51cm, 2019
In this artwork, I explored the techniques needed for adding fog. This was quite difficult and it took many different tries to get this final result which I am happy with. This involved slowly adding layers of semi-transparent white paint in the further back planes of the painting and slowly moving forward. The fog is also a perfect agent of isolation, placing the viewer in the woods and separating them from not only the cabin but the rest of the forest.
Power
Digital Photograph, 3873px x 5810px, 2019
In this photograph, I sought to capture the iconic elements of this particular car while emphasizing isolation and power. The car’s isolation is emphasized through the depth of field which separates the car from the less detailed surroundings. Isolation is further emphasized with a brighter car relative to its surroundings and contrasting colors to the orange of the fall leaves. I wanted to highlight the contrast between human and natural power through the camera angle and focal length. Having the camera low to the ground makes the car feel larger, and the small focal length distorts the car to increase its menacing presence. This human power, expressed through technology, contrasts with the more subtle power of nature, set into the background out of focus.
Home to SCAD
Digital Photograph, 30cm x 24cm, 24cm x 24cm, 2019
I completed these photographs during my summer at Savannah College of Art and Design. I sought to capture the home of the individual through light and juxtaposition of background elements unique to each subject. For example, lighting for an individual with an urban upbringing was practically (rather than digitally) manipulated to suggest artificiality. The background was also more neon and intense to represent the urban upbringing.
Sense
Pen on Paper, 35cm x 28cm, 2018
The theme for this artwork was the five senses. I chose to depict New York City because of how memorable and intense my sensations were when I first visited. I wanted to capture the sight of the tall buildings and many cars. The sounds of honking traffic and people talking. The smell and taste of a hot dog cart and the feeling of rough concrete. I also wanted to more complexity by having the drawing depict two different time periods. The left is the past and the right is the present.
Mental Decay
Graphite and Paper Collage on Paper, 31cm x 74cm, 2018
Mendota Mental Health Institute is isolated from its surroundings and the rest of my neighborhood. The tall concrete walls I chose graphite to depict with graphite to enhance the lifeless feel of the building. I used collage to contrast the graphite and add a natural and colorful element, water, to the artwork. The substrate itself communicates the main idea of the artwork. The gradient of paper strips with varying sizes shows the gradual decay of the human mind.
Shipped Away
Acrylic on Canvas Board, 61cm x 46cm, 2018
In this artwork, the portrait shows the isolation through facial expression. The facial expression I painted took inspiration from a photograph by Philip-Lorca diCorcia, mainly seeking to capture the sadness that it contained. In testimony to what happens when human power is pitted against nature, he is weathered and tired, but strong.
