Gabriella Hudsons A2 Exam Evaluation

The title of our A2 exam was “Inside, outside and everything in between”. Initially I began researching the idea of mental disease and how the “inside” distorts the “outside” in regards to mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, but as my researched developed I became increasingly fascinated with the disorder, dysmorphia. The greatest interest to me is how society and images portrayed in the media can impact on our self esteem so violently it leads to individuals mentally distorting their physical appearance.

I began my research by looking for information on the disorder; I then produced my own photos. I was heavily influenced by the work of Belinda Eaton and her work on “dysmorphia”  who purposely uses extreme angles to obscure the body. Instead of using angles I decided I would physically distort my own face using rope and hair grips. I then edited these images and using the clone tool on Photoshop to overlay watercolour drips onto them, which gave a really dramatic and distorted effect. I also overlaid animal imagery over the top to perpetuate the idea of how we are all animals, but animals are free from mental distortions unlike humans; the overlaying of the animals also added to this grotesque imagery which I used to portray the distorted body image in the dysmorphic’s head.

After obtaining these images I began to use different types of mediums to explore the idea of “dysmorphia”. I began by using pencil to show the harshness and “grittiness” of the distorted image I was creating. I also used inks making sure I stuck to cold colours, such as greys and blues to represent the pain of this crippling disorder. I found when using inks I could create “explosions” of drips and this added further dimension and obscurity to my pieces.  I also created a series of etchings which I felt developed my use of different mediums and I really appreciated the way it allowed me to use the harsh edges and texture to display the harshness and distortions of dysmorphia on the body.

 




 I also began exploring textile work I proceeded by painting a realistic image of a friend with oil paints then I enhanced the skin tone using cold colours to create an almost grotesque image, I believe using oil paint was the best medium to blend and contrast these colours, I then stitched over the piece almost to represent an manifestation, to portray how the disease manifests over reality. I also enjoyed sewing over images and tearing away the paper to show how the disorder cripples people and manifests itself, and how reality is torn away from the individual.

In order to continue my research into this idea of how animals are free from distortion, I visited tropical world hoping to capture images of birds, which represent freedom. With the images i wanted to give a notion of “surrealism” and I was influenced by impressionism and the works of Degas and Monet, I love how in Monet’s waterlillies have such clarity but are painted in a abstract way. I started to incorporate this technique into my art as the abstract really coincides with the ideas of distortion of the mind.

I was also inspired by contemporary artist Charmaine Olivia whose paintings are extremely intelligent in the way they capture light and the depth of expression. I attempted to recreate a few of my own photos in her style which really developed my use of depth and traditional painting skills. 

For my final exam I decided to create a large scale piece using oil paints. I used two of my own images which I had taken of a friend and painted them using the concept of light which I had acquired through Charmaines Olivia’s work; to show the distortions I enhanced every element, I contrasted the lighting and I experimented with colours to give the piece a slight distortion. I also incorporated the “animal” concept from my research which portrayed the message of “how animals are free from the distortions”. I also attempted to add a certain degree of impressionism into my work which intertwined with the original painting to show the manifestation of dysmorphia and how it consumes its victim.

Gabriella Hudsons Coarse Work Evaluation

At the beginning of the year we were assigned to produce a project based on memories, I decided to explore the distortion of childhood memories. I started by researching memories and the psychology behind how memories become distorted, to give my project a personal aspect I used a selection of images taken from my own childhood.
 I began by trying to express the distortions of memory through the use of colour, I produced a water colour softly using the colours to faintly outline one of my own images this represented the fading of memories. I then paired this with bright painting of dripping paint; I did this as it contrasted with the faint outline of the memory to show the expressive enhanced memories of childhood.

 I proceeded to do some “rough” sketches in my art pad, not dissimilar to Kathe Kollwitz, I believe these sketches effectively captured the movement of childhood, effect of the pencil captured the “sketchy-ness” of the memories. I also delved into the use of transfer; printing images on paper using paint, which gave the images a “tarnished” effect, which again related to the distortions of memory I also used brightly coloured paint to enhance the happiness and vibrancy of childhood.

I then explored the use of recycled materials on my work in order to “catch a moment”, I used an old Mcdonald’s happy meal box to symbolize the enhanced enjoyment you feel as a child and ink splattered kitchen roll in my textile pieces, which really capture the physical memories of being a child. I also experimented with water colour using it expressively; with lots of drips to try and capture the true love and emotions that children feel. Again perpetuating this idea that when you are a child everything is “brighter”.
  I used textile to show the distortions of childhood, and explore the idea of how memories are confabulated  when a child and the stitches represent the “inaccuracies” when trying to reconstruct a memories, again bright primary colours were used to try and present this idea of simplicity and clarity a child’s life processes.

I also explored the medium etchings, I believe this to be a weakness of my work as it produced a harshness and “uncleanliness” which did not portray the idea of the innocence of a child’s memories; however the murky texture and appearance of the etchings do portray memories as unclear and distorted. I also created a few oil paintings where I enhanced the colours and the brush strokes to create the pixilated distortions of being a child and the contrasted colours again captures the vibrancy of childhood. I also experimented with the way in which I applied acrylic paint for example I applied it using letter stamps in order to create an image, this represents my own personal distortion and struggles as a child with dyslexia.

The next project was a project I assigned myself. I decided to explore how the face can be used as a platform to express message and meaning I began this by taking pictures of faces with numerous expressions and began to look at the use of inks to express these messages, developing my ink use from the previous project. 
The artist I used for inspiration was Marion Bolognesi, as I love the way she uses inks to display emotions and messages. I used inks faintly and then contrasted more intensely in certain areas to create drama and emotion, I become extremely interested in the idea of colour to express feelings and emotion, cool colour such as blues, greys and greens were used to give of cold expressions such as jealousy and pain and then I used warm colours such as hues, pinks reds and oranges for warm emotions such as happiness and love. I then proceeded to do a series of oil paintings using the oil in a similar way focusing harsher brush strokes on the emotive parts of the face such as eyes and mouth and smoother less textured stroke on the background to contrast and enhance the dramatic parts of the piece.

 I then developed this idea of the face and emotions to display the message of manmade society and how it represses nature.  I portrayed this idea by using smooth paints and inks to represented the gentleness and vibrancy of nature contrasted with the harsh geometric lines and illustrations of manmade society and the architecture of cities.  I explored using real nature into my art through etching leaves onto contracted paintings and drawings; I also used rope to show repression and the way in which society is “tied” down and nature is free.

Dysmorphia