Blaugust is back, which means more blogging! I’m hoping to be able to provide lots of content this time, with the crutch of “old art” to help me fulfill that goal.
Click for larger view!
This piece is from my life drawing classes last year. The assignment involved drawing a self-portrait involving three figures composed in some kind of narrative. We were also supposed to take stylistic lead from another artist.
I chose to emulate Marlene Dumas’ ink drawings as I was at the time experimenting quite heavily with watercolours and inks. I combined her use of unpredictable washes with the sharply defined edges that can be attained by using masking fluid.
I got quite wrapped up in the narrative and the symbolism. I think our lecturer was specifically addressing me when she cautioned us against turning the assignment into an illustrative work. And although the assortment of (mostly) round shapes in the background on the right seem quite arbitrarily chosen, there is a meaning attached to each.
Man, I should get in on this “old work” thing. Though I guess I’d need some old work first. :/
The shapes down the right-hand side are interesting; do I see a Pepsi logo in amongst the flowers?
I think that Pepsi Logo would actually be a cats-eye marble, though I struggle to remember what the specific intent behind it may have been.
I think when I initially drew this up I really wanted to focus on the interlocking of cogs and flowers, but I ended up with some more fanciful imagery as well. I’ll have to revisit that cogs and flowers idea, though…
Ooh yeah, that’s a neat combination. Raises lots of interesting questions and ideas just sitting there…