Tatum and My Animation- Reflection

I loved this animation as my exquisite corpse looks very chic like she is from Paris. Our animation is about my exquisite corpse who brings her new car to the cafe to show her friend, she walks over to Tatum’s exquisite corpse and they hug. Then they walk back over to my car, it starts to rain and Tatum’s exquisite corpse pulls out a lamp which is supposed to look like she is pulling out an umbrella! This task was very frustrating because if one of the arms was too far down or the piece of cardboard in the background moved, the whole animation would be mucked up. Although it was frustrating, it was also a lot of fun and the satisfaction that was felt at the end was really good.

My Animation

Surrealism Collages

Dada Collages

Dada Definition

The style and techniques of a group of artists, writers, etc., of the early 20th century who exploited accidental and incongruous effects in their work and who programmatically challenged established canons of art, thought, morality, etc. (dictionary.com)

Collage Definition

A technique of composing a work of art by pasting on a single surface various materials not normally associated with one another, as newspaper clippings, parts of photographs, theatre tickets, and fragments of an envelope. (dictionary.com)

More of My Nanny's Paintings

My Nanny's Paintings

These are my nanny's painting and I think they are amazing. She normally paints paintings of flowers or animals and occasionally houses. I love her paintings as they are very soft and colourful. My two favourite ones are the lorokeets and the giraffe! She makes them look life like!

My Environmental Collage

For some reason my last post of this didn't come up with the rest and I only just realised it now. So here is my environmental collage. In this I was addressing the issue of pollution/littering. The message that I wanted to come across is that "if we keep polluting our world, our nature may as well look like this (my collage), 'artificial nature' ". I have used contrast and juxtaposition in this image. The contrast is with the black and white background as the cans are red, green/blue and orange. I use juxtaposition as you would not normally see cans 'growing' off a tree. I really like this collage as it gives out a strong message and would hopefully make some awareness of what the future of pollution/littering may and possibly will bring.

My Surrealism Collage

This is my surrealist collage. It involves a large gecko/lizard eating a camera with a fly in its hand. The background I used in this collage is an overview of a city of lights. I used this to show a kind of scale and also because I wanted to emphasize the orange in the spots of the lizard. The reason I chose to make the lizard eat the camera is because typically, you would see lizards eating flies so I decided to use the camera to make it surreal. I put the hat on him just for decoration and to make him look cute! He almost looks like he is a paparazzi but instead of taking pictures with the camera, he is eating the camera!

Indigenous Perspective- Sorry Day

This is my collage on the indigenous perspective- Sorry Day. I chose this topic because it is one of the main indigenous issues. The background that I chose was the fireworks as it is a time for celebration in a way that it is a time of mourning. The reason that I chose the mother and boy hugging is because they are comforting each other and they look like they are thinking or remembering something. I put the butterfly on the mother's shoulder as to me the butterfly represents freedom and relief, like they can relieve a bit of stress or worry in their lives. I used juxtaposition between the lightness and brightness of the fireworks and the mother and child's dark hair and skin colour. Also as it is highly unlikely that the mother and child would be at the fireworks. The fireworks almost seems to make the mother and child look brighter. The reason that I chose an orange/yellow butterfly is so I could look like it had some relation to the fireworks. The focal point of this collage to me is the fireworks however the way that the fireworks droop down lead you to the butterfly, mother and boy.

Social/Political Comment Collage- Child Labour

The social/political comment that I was focusing on is child labour. I chose this topic as I feel strongly towards it and don't agree with it at all. Most of the children in this collage are from Asian countries, Middle Eastern countries and African countries. In the Asia-Pacific region, 127 million children under the age of 14 are victims of child labour and in Sub-Saharan Africa, nearly one-third of children under 14 are victims of child labour. In this collage, I used scale mainly and not so much juxtaposition. The way I used scale is by the girl in the top left hand corner- she is much larger than the other pictures. I put more children in there to try and exaggerate the importance of the issue. I didn't use any particular colours or lines in this collage. The focal point of this collage is both the girl in the top left hand corner and the boy in the hard hat, on the tractor, down the bottom. I think this because those are the places where my eyes are drawn first, probably due to the fact that they are larger than the other images.

Process, Intention and Expression

The fragmentation and displacement in the collage format, random and ragged juxtapositions of images often surreal or disturbingly provocative compositions reflect the changing times of the early 1900s. The Europeans were suffering from a feeling of lost identity and displacement - at the individual level, one had to define his personal role in society; on a larger scale, the idea of split consciousness (the real world and the subconscious world) was being heavily explored.

Surrealism

• Surrealism began in 1940's between WWI and WWII and still flourishes today. The surrealists celebrated the realm of dreams and the unconscious mind.
• The surrealists were heavily influenced by the work of a psychologist named Sigmund Freud. Freud believed that dreams represent our deepest desires. By studying our dreams we can learn more about the unconscious mind.
• In their effort to understand the unconscious the surrealists created imagery that joined the dream and fantasy world with the everyday, rational world. They frequently used realistic representation but placed objects in unusual settings. They also metamorphisised objects with one another by combining them in unusual or unexpected ways.

Tatum and I in the "string room"

My Exquisite Corpse

This is the exquisite corpse that I made in the gallery!

This artwork is called Mague ne Sagran (ranking black palm) grade 4 painted which was completed in 2005 by Michel Rangie from Vanuatu. The materials that are used for this artwork are carved black palm with synthetic polymer paint. I would say that this carving has something to do with tribes or tribal aspects and I would say that this artist is a native to Vanuatu due to the way that the colours and symbols are used. The colours would most likely also symbolize something to him.
In my research below, I found that customary government, law and religion have been strongly retained in the particular region where the artworks were created. It also says that each work is unique and is based on the chief’s social position at the time. Another thing that the collection of sculptures reflects and represents is the taboos guiding the customs of North Ambrym.

‘The Queensland Art Gallery has recently acquired a magnificent collection of Guardian for tabou house, Temar sculptures, Mague rite figures and slit drums from Ambrym Island, Vanuatu. Geographically isolated, the north of the island is considered an area where kastom (customary government, law and religion) has been strongly retained. These sculptures are representative of one of the most important forms of art making in Vanuatu and are made from breadfruit, ferns and local fibres. The mague sculptures play a central role within the contemporary articulation of kastom in North Ambrym. Ambrymese society is structured around chiefs who rise through a series of grades. Each rise in rank is marked by a ceremony and the creation of a sculpture, and each work is unique, based on the chief’s social position at the time. The slit drums are used in the ceremonies, and the temar sculptures are created as memorials to ancestor spirits and represent the strength, dynamism and vital nature of Ambrymese culture. Powerful, bold and expressive of a rich artistic tradition, this collection of sculptures reflects and represents the taboos guiding the ni-Vanuatu kastom of North Ambrym. Although created using customary practices, these works also demonstrate the dynamic nature of Ambrymese culture as it responds to contemporary issues and influences. An eagerness to communicate the importance of Ambrymese culture, and thus maintain it, has resulted in outsiders being given access to these rare works.’ (GoMA).

The reason that I believe an artist’s cultural background impacts their artworks is as they all have a different opinion, personality, lifestyle, upbringing and artistic interpretation and emotions. They may have grown up in poor surroundings and had a hard childhood, which would affect the way that they choose to create their artworks. In this case, the artist seems to have a quirky personality as shown in the way that they carved the statues facial features. This is also shown in the way that he used a range of colours to convey the artwork.

Activity A- Part 2

This artwork is called There is no place- Shallow cuts which was made in 2008 by Kibong Rhee from South Korea. The work was made by using water and light to manipulate form and matter. The materials that were used are glass, fog machine, artificial leaves, wood, steel, sand, motor and a timer. They add meaning to the work as it makes the tree look sad and lonely, ‘weeping’. The fog machine adds mystery to the artwork and ‘completes’ it- without it there would be no effect and people would not look twice at it because it would have no real meaning.
In this artwork, there are fairly plain, monochromatic colours (white-black). There are not really any definite lines in this piece as the fog makes the tree branches fad into their surroundings. They have more of a flow or a wave to them. There are also no ‘real’, prominent shapes to the artwork. The slightly lighter shade of light is around the willow tree and as you look further away from the tree, the light becomes dimmer and darker. The willow tree shows a contrast between it and the background towards the front of the tree and as you look further back, the tree fades into the background.
‘In the installations of Kibong Rhee, audiences encounter dreamlike scenarios in which everyday objects and images are made extraordinary through the illusion of movement and transformation. Using water and light to manipulate form and matter, Rhee plays on our expectations of the possible and impossible, offering metaphysical speculations that provide his work with a contemplative quality. In his installation at APT6, There is no place – Shallow cuts 2008, Rhee employs light and vapour to conjure a sublime impression of morning fog as it shrouds and obscures the silhouette of a vast willow tree. A powerfully physical work, it also suggest traditional landscape painting, forming a connection between experience and representation.’
It is about how you feel when you encounter the vast outline of the willow tree, visible through a thick and mysterious fog. Kibong Rhee is from South Korea, the willow tree is an important symbol of nature in traditional Korean painting and poetry. The Willow is the tree most associated with the moon, water, the Goddess and all that is feminine. It is the tree of dreaming, intuition and deep emotions. Symbolically it belongs to the beginning of spring, when all of life is stirring in the depths and begins to shoot outwards once again. Willow tree meanings include magic, healing, inner vision and dreams. The willow is a famous subject in many East Asian nations' cultures, and the image has been employed in a variety of Korean poetry. The willow was also part of mourning pieces created in the 19th century (and earlier) by women to commemorate the death of a loved one. These pieces always included one or more mourners in dark dresses bent over a burial vault, tombstone or urn with a willow tree--a symbol of death, tears, mourning, and reflection. Perhaps this is the origin of the term "weeping willow".

Part A- 4

This artwork is called X- Blind Spot No. 18 which were completed in 2008 by Yang Shaobin from China. The materials that were used for this piece are fibreglass and clay. When I first saw this, I thought that it was a real person and got a shock but then I realised that it was part of the exhibition when people started taking photos of it! I find this quite amazing as he looks extremely life-like. I think the meaning of this sculpture is something to do with the war and how tiresome and long it is as he looks as if he has just come home from the war, is relieved and has taken his hat of as a salute to the war.

Part A- 3

These artworks are called Mobile Talker (left) and Soldier (right)

which were completed in 2007 by Farhad Moshiri from Iran. The materials used for Mobile Talker are oil, synthetic polymer paint and glitter on canvas and the materials for Soldier are synthetic polymer paint on canvas. "Mobile Talker, like Soldier 2007, uses two layers of imagery. The background is formed by a flat hyperrealist painting of an ornamental, elaborately layered wedding cake and modern drapery, adorned with red roses- a motif beloved by the Persian poet Rumi. They are emptied of obvious significance however, becoming satiric signifies of a culture of kitsch weddings and nouveau riche aspirations that have become a feature of modern Iran. Moshiri draws over this imagery with acrylic confectionery icing to form the outlines of the figures. In Mobile Talker, a veiled young woman is outlined in bright hues, her mobile phone suggesting the tension between tradition and modernity in Iran. Soldier shows a moustached soldier in a style that suggests Persian miniature painting." My initial thoughts for both were “I want to eat it” and “how interesting- what a unique, imaginative idea”! They both are very original concepts and I have never seen anything like either!

Part A- 2

This artwork is called Whakapapa: get down upon your knees and was completed in 2009 by Reuben Paterson from New Zealand. The materials used in this artwork are glitter and synthetic polymer paint on a canvas. My first reactions to the piece were “the colours and patterns are amazing” and “the symmetry is perfect”. The thing that I would probably love the most about this piece is the use of colours- I love colours and try to make everything colourful so this is why it would be one of my favourites! The symmetry is also really cool as each side is exactly like the other even down to a little sprinkle of glitter! Also, it would have taken a long time to make this as the size of the canvas is huge. Once again, I am not really sure what the meaning is but the way everything is placed and how everything flows reminds me almost of a song or of a sort of kaleidoscope.

Part A- 1

This artwork is called People Holding Flowers which was completed in 2007 by Zhu Weibing and Ji Wenyu from China. The materials used in this sculpture are synthetic polymer paint on resin; velour, steel wire, dacron, lodestone and cotton- 400 pieces! My first reactions were ‘wow that would have taken a long time to create’ and ‘the colours make the whole creation look amazing’. The way that the little men look up and the flowers, draw your eyes to the flowers. The little man at the front of the piece is the focal point of the piece as he is slightly in front of the other little men which makes him like the ‘leader’. I’m not really quite sure of the meaning of this piece but I think it might be something to do with, 'if everyone puts in we can make a difference'. I think this because there are many people, each lifting a flower and ‘many hands make light work’!

GoMA Excursion

On Monday the 22nd of February, all of the year 9 art classes visited the Queensland Art Gallery and the Gallery of Modern Art in Brisbane. In particular we looked at The 6th Asia Pacific Triennial of Contemporary Art or the APT6. The APT6 includes the work of more than 100 artists from 25 countries, including collaborations and collectives, which reflect the diversity of practices across Asia, the Pacific and Australia. Most of the artwork in this exhibition is amazing and used all unique concepts and ideas.

The picture next to this is an artwork called People Holding Flowers which was completed in 2007 by Zhu Weibing and Ji Wenyu. The materials used in this sculpture are synthetic polymer paint on resin; velour, steel wire, dacron, lodestone and cotton- 400 pieces!

Our Creative Story

"When the rain came tumbling down, cats drowned on the seat and yellow flowers are in bloom, sweet scents fill the air which is black like, the ace of spades. Her hair fell down the stairs to the window in shock of hearing all kinds of tortured noises come from the street, and the bells ringing in the chapel, a sardine never swims alone in an ocean of tuna fish but with shaking hands soothed the baby's crying empty eyes looking into the dark and show nothing but purple cats with pink horsesand purple elephants dancing in the moon light emerges through the cracks. The sounds whistling around the carousel, the children play hopscotch like fragile monkeys work together to create a large pink tent. In the summer is my favourite is my favourite season. It is so bright and I am happy, is a very joyful word. Dogs have always eaten apples this. Christmas holidays have just been and the mouse ate a cake and started singing and dancing to the music of dragonforce. The dog jumped across the ocean wearing a tutu but then an angry leprechaun came from the tunnel and lived happily ever after".

This story was made in class and all 19 of us wrote a sentence with no knowledge of what the previous sentence was. This was hard as you had to try and make the sentence flow on to the next. My sentence was "but then the angry leprechaun came from the tunnel and lived happily ever after". Our story was written while we drew our surrealism drawings so it was hard to think of something when we were concentrating on that! I enjoy tasks like this because it challenges your creativity as well as being fun and interesting. I would love to do something similar again.

Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali was a skilled draftsman, best known for the striking and bizarre images in his surrealist work. His best known work The Persistence of Memory, was completed in 1931. Dali's expansive artistic repertoire includes film, sculpture and photography in collaboration with a range of artists in a variety of media.

My Surrealism Drawing

Once again I can't work out how to rotate it but here is my attempted surrealim drawing. Our task for today's lesson was to pick two sentences at random and to combine them both into one drawing thus creating a surrealim drawing. I found this task to be quite a challenge as I hadn't done anything similar to it before. It was even harder to draw these sentences as they really didn't make much sense. The sentences were "darkness crushed and cooled by clouds" and "imbibe stinging joys with loving grace". The sentences were almost opposites which was hard.

I started off with trying to work out what I would associate with each word or phrase. The first phrase was "darkness crushed" which when I immediately saw it I thought of the sky and the moon being crushed. The 'symbol' I used for that phrase was the giant foot on top and crushing the crescent moon. When I saw "cooled by clouds" I thought of rain coming out of the cloud and onto the foot. The phrase "imbibe stinging joys" was symbolised by by wrapping barbed wire around the giant foot. "Loving grace" was represented by the red and purple, love heart shaped rain drops. The red symbolised love and the purple represented grace. I made the background of the drawing is toned from light up the top to dark down the bottom so that it showed the darkness being cooled by clouds as the rain drops hit the sky. I also created the clouds so that they were toned from light at the top to dark down the bottom. There were stars next to the moon to give more of a 'night' effect and to show more of the darkness.
I didn't really like or enjoy this task as I am not a confident drawer and I am not a very 'wordy' person. I am not a fan of drawing and I would prefer to paint or create a collage! Also I don't enjoy English (the subject) and I am not very creative in English. Although I didn't like this task, I do enjoy learning about and playing around with surrealism. I find the surrealist artists' creations quite amazing and I want to improve my surrealism drawings. Considering this is my first surrealism drawing though, it is not all that bad!

My Art Title Page

Here is my art title page (can't work out how to rotate it)! I chose to make my title page colourful/rainbow because I love bright colours as they make me feel happy and uplifted! The reason I chose to use flowers and leaves is because I love them as they are colourful (maybe not to the extreme that i drew them!) and they always have different tones to them. I also like the way i draw my flowers because I can just let my pencil flow however I want to. The font I used for my title page was just curly and flowy which shows that I like to just let my pencil flow and curl however I want.

Juxtapose

Meaning: To place to or more things together, especially in order to suggest a link between them or to emphasize the contrast between them.

Juxtaposition is used by surrealist artists to inspire unexpected and unconventional thoughts and feelings to the viewer or reader.

Rene Magritte's work frequently displays a juxtaposition of ordinary objects in an unusual context, giving new meanings to familiar things.

Andre Breton

Andre Breton was a French writer, poet and surrealist theorist. He is best known as the principal founder of surrealism. His writings include the "Surrealist Manifesto of 1924" in which he defined surrealism as "pure psychic automatism".

Surrealism became a European movement that influenced all domains of art, and called into question the origin of human understanding and human perceptions of things and events.

Surrealism

Surrealism was founded in 1924 and is a cultural movement and an artistic style. Surrealism style uses visual imagery from the subconscious mind to create a type of art with no intention of logical comprehensibility. Various surrealist artists include: Salvador Dali, Rene Magritte, Yves Tanguy, Joan Miro, Max Ernst and Giorgio de Chirico.