"Throughout the Day"
Size: 60.96 cm x 60.96 cm Medium: Acrylic, hairspray, charcoal Date: 09/06/17 |
Exhibition TextThe inspiration behind this piece is Laura Zombie's Space Cow and Teese3. I was inspired by her use of color and raw grungy trademark style, as well as capturing emotion not only in the face, but using body language as well. This piece deals with my difficulty dealing with the grasp of reality. Multiple times a day, I suddenly become aware that I am living and one day won't live. I understand that, ultimately, I will die, and I battle my emotions of fear and love. I am not afraid of death itself. It is abandoning what I care for and the unknown that both worries and fascinates me.
|
Critical Investigation
Lora Zombie is a self-taught artist who gained recognition in the early 2000s. Her work circulated online through social media, news outlets and blogs. Recently, Lora has had exhibitions in Los Angeles, Toronto, New York and Russia. Lora also has designed a company called HEROTIME, it includes apparel and accessories. She writes in her profile, “I grew up in Russia watching a lot of American television; Star Wars, Batman, and Looney Tunes. I became very interested in comics and comic book art. When I was 15 I learned about the virtual British band, The Gorillaz, and for the first time I had a dream; to go to London and work for the Zombie Flesh Eaters which was the creative studio behind The Gorillaz. It was because of this I started to sign my work as Lora Zombie. I managed to find a client in England to do some illustration work for and finally had the opportunity to visit London. I was only 16 years old, quite naive about the right and wrong ways to do things.” Lora has also completed collaborations with HBO, Warner Brothers, Lollapalooza, Black Milk Clothing, Perrier, Urban Nation, The Hundreds, and Sony/AMC. In just 2017, she completed multiple outdoor murals in London, Los Angeles, Iceland, Berlin, Dublin and Toronto.
|
“Lora-Zombie's DeviantArt gallery.” DeviantArt, lora-zombie.deviantart.com/gallery/. Accessed 2 Sept. 2017.
In an interview with Kazie Holiday from The Hundreds Lora explains, "Themes change always, lately there have been a lot of animals in outer space. I like to combine things, weird things, opposite things, violent things, dark things, with happy things. I don’t really think about themes, I just paint ideas as they come to me." |
“Lora-Zombie's DeviantArt gallery.” DeviantArt, lora-zombie.deviantart.com/gallery/. Accessed 2 Sept. 2017.
Lora also explains an experience with her inspiration, "I looked up the address for the Zombie Flesh Eaters studio and rang the doorbell with my portfolio in hand, a lady opened the door, looked at me and unsure of what to make of me, promptly closed it again. I learned an important lesson at the time about the discrepancy between the desired and the actual, and the need to have a flexible mind that is ready for introspection and change." |
Planning and Journaling
Process and Experimentation
**** Hover over to view caption and click to view larger
Reflecting
As for the process, I found it to be very fun and liberating making changes and just really playing with the materials. Within my piece I feel that I did a wonderful job expressing the feelings I felt through color. Attempting to mimic Laura Zombie's use of color and grungy style for the background had definitely helped give an idea to the viewer as to who I was as a person. Looking back at my piece, I really liked how it turned out. However, I do wish that I had her style more prominent in my figure, just so that it has a stronger connection to the artist. It was a little difficult because I needed to be in control, and I felt it didn't look like me if it wasn't realistic looking. I feel that what I'm trying to convey is very mysterious and somewhat visible. My intentions were to have the black ash symbolize my realization of my own death. It is something I am not afraid of, which is why I have a calm face. The background represents the fire that is both my passions and things that make my life vivid, weather they be positive or negative. It is also a representation of how Complicated my feelings are, and how I cant seem to keep them in control, much like the control in my life. I wanted the fire to be an abstract form so that the meaning of it could be more flexible for the viewer to be able to connect with. I had changed thee background to this because I felt it really wasn't expressing all of which I wanted to present.
Critique
Similarities can be drawn between Space Cow and my self portrait. I had used a large portion of her color usage on the background, I highlighting orange as my main color as she did for the background, as well as used harsh lines of black and faded black surrounding the figure. The form of the figures within my piece are similarly composed in the center, facing left in both inspiration pieces, with the head tilted slightly back like in Teese 3. The shapes created by the background and the black ash appear to be similar, looking both chaotic and controlled. There is much space around the figure itself as well. This draws more emphasis towards the subject of the piece. Texture is implied in the fur of the cow as well as the explosions. This texture is presented implied in my hair and direct in the ash. Value is two dimensional, but is implied to be three dimensional in my figure. This is similar to Teese3's hair and Space Cow's explosions. Balance is brought by the subject being unified with the background among all three pieces, as well as in the variety of smooth shapes and chaotic lines. In all pieces, there is emphasis placed on the subject for being composed in the center. Movement is found within the background shapes and colors. There is also movement in the position of the figure and hair of Teese3, and the chaotic splashes within Space Cow that I mimicked in my piece.. Proportions are kept realistic. Rhythm is created in the pieces by the vibrations of color as well as the vibrations of line work.
Differences between my piece and my inspiration can be seen within its components of color. I did have the orange base, like Space Cow, but I had added a bit more tints of red and a yellow hue. There is also a lot less black used within my piece than in both of Laura Zombie's pieces. The form of my figure is slightly similar yes, but it is also different in the fact that the body was facing fulling forward, instead of sideways with the head tilted back to expose a shoulder. This made the seduction within Teese3 not be present in my piece.. There are also a lot less harsh lines and chaotic lines. There is also a lot less texture and more free space in my piece as well, but I prefered it this way to present it in a more psychological state. The shapes in the background are more abstract than drips of color or plain black.
Differences between my piece and my inspiration can be seen within its components of color. I did have the orange base, like Space Cow, but I had added a bit more tints of red and a yellow hue. There is also a lot less black used within my piece than in both of Laura Zombie's pieces. The form of my figure is slightly similar yes, but it is also different in the fact that the body was facing fulling forward, instead of sideways with the head tilted back to expose a shoulder. This made the seduction within Teese3 not be present in my piece.. There are also a lot less harsh lines and chaotic lines. There is also a lot less texture and more free space in my piece as well, but I prefered it this way to present it in a more psychological state. The shapes in the background are more abstract than drips of color or plain black.
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.
Laura Zombie had inspired me to use bold colors in her blotted style. I had tried to mimic the serene feeling displayed in Teese3. This showed how I had come to realize my death is imminent, but I do not fear it.
What was the overall approach (point of view) the author (form your research) has regarding the topics of your inspiration?
Laura Zombie had been very playful when it came to using her mediums. I found it really liberating to lose some of that control and allow myself to play with my mediums
.
What kinds of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered a new technique in which to demonstrate something in a a more playful manner.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was expressing emotion through a more contemporary art style in order to present my realization of life and death.
What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Laura Zombies style is meant to be fun and playful to attract the viewer. This use of playfulness adds a less serious tone to my piece.
Laura Zombie had inspired me to use bold colors in her blotted style. I had tried to mimic the serene feeling displayed in Teese3. This showed how I had come to realize my death is imminent, but I do not fear it.
What was the overall approach (point of view) the author (form your research) has regarding the topics of your inspiration?
Laura Zombie had been very playful when it came to using her mediums. I found it really liberating to lose some of that control and allow myself to play with my mediums
.
What kinds of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered a new technique in which to demonstrate something in a a more playful manner.
What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was expressing emotion through a more contemporary art style in order to present my realization of life and death.
What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Laura Zombies style is meant to be fun and playful to attract the viewer. This use of playfulness adds a less serious tone to my piece.