Mixed Media
"Happy Place"
Size: 19.05cm x 14.224cm Medium: Assemblage/ Found Object (plastic, dried plants, acrylic paint, photo, rubber, picture frame with glass window) Date:02/24/17 |
Exhibition TextThe purpose of this piece was to present a visual juxtaposition between my childhood and present life. The piece in its entirety represents myself: who I was, how my past has affected how I am now, and the way I view things. My artist inspiration was Marc Giai-Miniet when representing loss of ignorance. The picture frame itself is a found object assembled with individually found pieces.
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Critical Investigation
Artist Inspiration
Marc Giai-Miniet Marc Giai-Miniet is a French artist who, in the early 90's, played dark twists on children’s dolls houses, dioramas, miniature 3D theaters, and boxes. They contained disturbing metaphors about the human condition, human presence, and memory that causes curiosity. Giai-Miniet's first boxes included cardboard characters in ''ironic existential ballet''. The figures in later years were removed. The boxes increased in size to feature scenes of massive libraries, abandoned laboratories with machinery, stock rooms in a state of disarray, desolate waiting rooms, interrogation rooms, prison cells, stairs, ovens, sewers. In short, the artist creates the idea of people, of a human presence, in each scene without using figures. The boxes are barren and heavily marked by human presence. Books are a reoccurring symbol throughout many of his pieces. They are the embodiment of record of human memory and thought, although used and bruised. The boxes are barren and heavily marked by human presence. Books are a reoccurring symbol throughout many of his pieces. |
"Marc Giai-Miniet’s Nightmarish ‘Theatre of Memory’ on Show in New York." Yatzer. N.p., 07 Oct. 2014.
They are the embodiment of record of human memory and thought, although used and bruised. He recalls his child memories and believes his desire for taking up drama as a teenager is a reflection of the artist’s repressed desire for taking up drama as a teenager. It might not had just been his traumatic experiences, but they did play a role. They were also symbol of games he would play as a child. Giai-Miniets' early exposure to images of the Holocaust at a young age, specifically things like the manner in which the Nazis seized concentration camp victims’ belongings and recorded their identities, had most likely the biggest effect on these works. |
"Marc Giai-Miniet’s Nightmarish ‘Theatre of Memory’ on Show in New York." Yatzer. N.p., 07 Oct. 2014.
His pieces contained the aftermath of gory and disturbing scenes in painstakingly three dimensional crafted detail. These scenes contained unknown experiments, interrogations, and slaughters. The scenes he creates influence the viewers imagination awake, and coach both it and our memory. It begs to for a metaphor or meaning that’s been left buried deep below the surface in which only the audience can come up with alone. |
Planning and Journaling
Sketches:
Process and Experimentation
***Click or hover to display caption
Photos:
Reflecting:
As for the process, it was difficult trying to find myself and play with the objects I had. I feel that with this piece, I learned a lot about myself. Marc Giai-Miniet taught me that the audience making up the story is sometimes the most fun part of the artist to create. Pieces like that carry a lot of power in the most simplistic and elegant ways. Looking back at my piece, I should have placed the background first so I would have planned how full t would look better. In the end, I was satisfied on how it turned out. I would, however, ,change my process of working from background up to foreground so that it is easier on me. I feel that what I'm trying to convey is very visible, while still keeping blank spaces for the viewers to fill in. My intentions were to have the dragon symbolize hope and the scene(along with the dragon) ignite a sense of innocence . In knowing this, you now understand that it stands on giving hope to being more in touch with my inner child and also not being as innocent. In this piece I'm basically stating that I'v come to terms with my experiences and they have shaped me into a better person., . The ground scene is is like the free spirit, light-heartedness, and comfort a child has through ignorance. The dull and blooming flowers represent life, death, turmoil, and growth the emotional, physical, and social battles I've faced. The frame itself is my body in which the viewer takes a peak at my life and my soul in general.
As for the process, it was difficult trying to find myself and play with the objects I had. I feel that with this piece, I learned a lot about myself. Marc Giai-Miniet taught me that the audience making up the story is sometimes the most fun part of the artist to create. Pieces like that carry a lot of power in the most simplistic and elegant ways. Looking back at my piece, I should have placed the background first so I would have planned how full t would look better. In the end, I was satisfied on how it turned out. I would, however, ,change my process of working from background up to foreground so that it is easier on me. I feel that what I'm trying to convey is very visible, while still keeping blank spaces for the viewers to fill in. My intentions were to have the dragon symbolize hope and the scene(along with the dragon) ignite a sense of innocence . In knowing this, you now understand that it stands on giving hope to being more in touch with my inner child and also not being as innocent. In this piece I'm basically stating that I'v come to terms with my experiences and they have shaped me into a better person., . The ground scene is is like the free spirit, light-heartedness, and comfort a child has through ignorance. The dull and blooming flowers represent life, death, turmoil, and growth the emotional, physical, and social battles I've faced. The frame itself is my body in which the viewer takes a peak at my life and my soul in general.
Informal Group Critique
It was an evaluation on the overall piece and its craftsmanship. The overall aesthetic and craftsmanship was executed well. The ideas were solid. I was advised to better explain all of the metaphors and details. My group had criticized time management and order of creating. It was advised that I should next time put the background first and then add the middle ground, and finally the foreground. Next time I will put this into practice.
Critique:
Giai-Miniet had inspired my piece in many ways. There is a strong connection with my artist. The composition of my piece is centered much like Giai-Miniets within a show piece. Within our pieces, there was a scene in which the audience is left to decipher. Both of our pieces were inspired by darker events within our childhood that effected us either positively or negatively, depending on the audiences opinion. The detailed craftsmanship is three dimensional and brings that touch of beauty into both pieces. Both pieces display a personal battle and the emotions that they carry because of it.
However, differences are quite visible. Instead of a dark surface for the piece with mystic internal beauty, I went for the opposite. My piece has the surface of the piece more light and the underlying details are darker. I did not use multiple divided sections or rooms. Instead I used one section in order to better make use of my time and have it be simple for the audience. I did keep my person, and this was only because the person mattered through adding to the scene and creating a sense of comfort. magic, and elegance.
However, differences are quite visible. Instead of a dark surface for the piece with mystic internal beauty, I went for the opposite. My piece has the surface of the piece more light and the underlying details are darker. I did not use multiple divided sections or rooms. Instead I used one section in order to better make use of my time and have it be simple for the audience. I did keep my person, and this was only because the person mattered through adding to the scene and creating a sense of comfort. magic, and elegance.
Connecting to ACT:
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause and effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
Instead of a dark surface for the piece with mystic internal beauty, my piece it is the opposite, in which the surface of the piece is more light and the underlying details are darker. The use of childhood traumas to create a scenery was also used within both my piece and Marc Giai-Miniet.
What was the overall approach (point of view) the author (form your research) has regarding the topics of your inspiration?
Marc Giai-Miniet used dioramas to create gory science fiction based dollhouses. His childhood traumas had affected his view and play on the dollhouses. Fixated on this, he created detailed scenes, sometimes even containing small human figurines,
What kinds of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The term "Ignorance is bliss" comes to mind. When viewing ones childhood in comparison to who they are present day, oftentimes, humans latch onto the idea and get a sense of nostalgia or even revert away from it. The past is something that effects who we are as people in our future.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central themes around my inspirational research would be childhood,presence, growth, memory, and ignorance onto the world.
What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Marc Giai-Miniet background knowledge and traumas helped shape the idea of using human presence without using figures. The idea of people once being there, and the viewer not knowing what exactly happened, makes it all the more enticing,
Instead of a dark surface for the piece with mystic internal beauty, my piece it is the opposite, in which the surface of the piece is more light and the underlying details are darker. The use of childhood traumas to create a scenery was also used within both my piece and Marc Giai-Miniet.
What was the overall approach (point of view) the author (form your research) has regarding the topics of your inspiration?
Marc Giai-Miniet used dioramas to create gory science fiction based dollhouses. His childhood traumas had affected his view and play on the dollhouses. Fixated on this, he created detailed scenes, sometimes even containing small human figurines,
What kinds of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
The term "Ignorance is bliss" comes to mind. When viewing ones childhood in comparison to who they are present day, oftentimes, humans latch onto the idea and get a sense of nostalgia or even revert away from it. The past is something that effects who we are as people in our future.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central themes around my inspirational research would be childhood,presence, growth, memory, and ignorance onto the world.
What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Marc Giai-Miniet background knowledge and traumas helped shape the idea of using human presence without using figures. The idea of people once being there, and the viewer not knowing what exactly happened, makes it all the more enticing,