experiments – FMP Domestic Violence

April 27, 2019June 11, 2019

painting males face in sections experiment

Unfortunately due to running out of time I was unable to do this experiment however I believe that it would have been a good piece that showed the meaning of being hidden and the idea of domestic abuse being invisible to society. If I had the time I would have developed this idea by using words in the sections of the face as well as using colours that would represent the depressing and suffocating emotions of the victim I would have also experimented with how the face would look and what faces the male would be pulling, for example I would have got him to silently shout as this would give the influence that he was trying to be heard.

April 27, 2019June 11, 2019

Make-up on a male model experiment

Dear Journal,

Today I have created a bruised and abused look on a male model after experimenting with a female model I have now gained confidence when using the the make up and have now done it again for my final piece using a bruise wheel. From doing it on the female model I was able to then figure out where the bruisesshould be done on the face which would then make the biggest impact possible in showing abuse I then used this to create the same look on the male model, for the lighting I decided to experiment with different coloured plastic sheets which I then placed over a light and then reflected it at the model for example I used orange this gave off an orange/red glow onto the face and surroundings however this created a warm and welcoming sense which was not what I wanted to portray there for i chose not to use them images in my final piece. However I then moved on to just the camera light and a black back ground however the black did not seem as pure back as it was in real life but the camera picked up the grains and other colours within it which again lead me to start out other backgrounds this was when I decided to use my purple blind as the background, at the time it was light out side so I wasn’t to sure how that would come through the blind and camera however I was surprisingly shocked at the out come as the purple seemed to fade and get darker the further out of the face you were I liked this as it was not just black but seemed to be more interesting and deep looking as well as it being an unusual dark purple I feel that it brought out the face much better then the other backgrounds and linked in with the colours of the bruises which made it all look linked in and as one piece.

I decided to use this image bellow for my final piece. This is because I loved the eye contact the male has with the camera which creates a sense of connection between the image and the public and I believe that eyes show stories so I found it important for the image to show the eyes and to make that connection as when their eyes are closed you often feel shut out or ignored but that person however I wanted the public to seek he was teaching out and trying to tell them something without saying a word. I also chose this image because of the purple/black background which makes the bruises stand put as well as the eyes which are the two main components to telling the story of the image.

The images created using the coloured plastic which I found created a lovely look which was unique and welcoming however although I liked the warmth of the image it did not highlight the bruises well and they almost became invisible which would then mean people would struggle to see the meaning behind the image also the warm sense was not what I wished to create as I wanted the image to be cold and harsh so as people approach it they know it is something much more less welcoming and is a powerful image with a strong meaning behind it.

I tried getting the model to act as though they were flinching with their hands as if they were having to protect their face however on some of these I was not sure if the hands in the image was too much as well as the smashed glass over the frame however I thought that some turned out quite powerful.

April 18, 2019June 11, 2019

FMP projecting words experiment

Dear journal,

today I have been experimenting with projecting words onto faces and other materials, to capture images that express the reality of domestic abuse with a clear picture of what words can be related with the subjects.

This image is one of my favourite because of the way I placed the writing so that the words ‘abuse’ in bold goes across the mouth area suggesting to the viewer that they don’t have a voice in the relationship and that they are being controlled and restricted by their partner or self-esteem almost as if the word ‘abuse’ is representing tape over their mouth and gives the allusion that their mouth is covered even though it is not it is only words projected onto it however by doing this it creates the sense of suffocation and being unable to talk, drawing the viewer to the mouth area which is also what is used through Lulu Guinness who also draws attention to the mouth area e.g. the lips I liked the idea that she used a particular area of the face to create handbags and other items as it could represent so much with being so simple. as the way I have First I decided to project the words onto a manikins face to create a an non characteristic approach giving the face no identity, the reason for this is that I wanted to see and feel the effect of it not being an actual persons face to give the allusion that this could be anyone of any gender or age, whereas if this was a womans face I think men would find it hard to relate to the piece or would feel that it is not expressing who domestic abuse effects appropriately or fairly when men are abused by women too. this could also make a man viewing the piece feel uncomfortable and judged when looking at it as if the piece of art is trying to portray men as the abusive sex however this is not my aim therefore I have chose to experiment on a manikin. also I feel that when experimenting with the projectors distance and type of face its being projecting on I realised that when being projected onto the manikin the words are a lot clearer and easier to read wo when they are projected on a real face as shown below. I think it has came out clearer because the face is all one colour which is a light cream/white colour.

I then projected the words onto a female model to create more of a personal effect I tried multiple arrangements with where the words were projected as well as the directions the person was facing this was to explore with what to me created the best image which was balanced between being personal and creating the right connection between the viewer and person in the image. personally I found that when the model made eye contact at the camera and looked directly into the lens it created a strong and emotional image as most people see the eyes as looking into the soul and seeing true emotion through them, I also believe that you make a much stronger connection with people by looking at/into their eyes as it often helps to tell a story.

once typing up words that I personally thought represented the emotions of a victim of domestic abuse using the primary research into articles and other resources I then arranged them in a collage printed it on paper then copied it onto a sheet of plastic, this means that the face behind the projection comes through between the words and the two combine.

April 4, 2019June 11, 2019

04/04/19 experimenting with make-up

March 21, 2019June 11, 2019

FMP 21/03/19 experiments

Dear diary,

My target for this lesson is to find more artists that link to my work and show ideas of what I am experimenting on and doing.

I am also going to try and create different examples within my sketchbook to show my development and different ways of my work coming together, this will also help me to select a design that works best and I think is most apropreate and effective.

Comparisons through my art and other art in everyday life e.g. restaurants other art work in public places

Update:

I have worked in my sketchbook for most of the day and have been photo copying my original designs and drawings to then experiment on the copies. For example I have used material and fabric, glass and card to create the different ideas and experiments.

March 19, 2019June 11, 2019

FMP 19/03/19 experiments and ideas

Dear journal,

Today I did a ten minute task which was to create a sculpture or structure using only three pieces of thin wire. I decided to create something that linked into my FMP and therefore I decided to create a face using wire which was one of my original ideas that I have yet to bring to life and develop however doing this task meant that I have developed the idea by creating a small 3D version. I am happy with what I created in the small amount of time given. To me the wire work shows a basic face sculpture which allows the viewer to use their imagination to create a story behind the work or what the message could of been if i had more time and was able to use other materials then just three pieces of wire i would have used fabric within the wire gaps to create a more detailed look also by adding different textures and colours it would help create a story behind the piece as colours/textures can represent feelings and emotions.

I have then continued to work in the workshop however I have also been designing further ideas for example i have seen work that shows a sculpture coming out of a frame which I love the idea of as it’s a cross over from fine art and 3D (artist inspiration for designs Ib Burnstein who creates realistic sculptures of people/objects within a frame)

Design one is a design that shows the controversy between two people and the relationship between them. For example the person on the right is happy and content with life where as the person on the left is putting on a front towards their partner when the reality is that she is in pain and uncomfortable with her life feeling trapped and consumed by the relationship they are in. I have designed it in a way in which it looks as though the person suffering is calling out to the audience o expressing how she really feels to those viewing it I did this by creating the sad face facing towards the viewer i also did this to help engage them with the piece of art and to help express the feeling of suffocation which is also why i based the sculptures in a frame like the artist Ib Burnstein to create the deception of a picture perfect love however with a dark twist as the frame holds the person in place only to be admired by others such like their partner and to keep their mouth shut and to just look pretty. I have also kept their identity to a minimum e.g. not giving them a gender as i feel that domestic abuse can relate to anyone with any sexuality or gender therefore by creating the person on the right as a girl its suggesting that mainly women are the victims of abuse where as it can also be men, elderly and other types of people, however I want my art to be something that all types of people can relate to whether they are the victim or abuser.

I chose to base the sculptures in frames as it gives that sense of enclosure and suffocating which is what I want to portray within my work to express the feelings of the victims as they are consumed by their lovers, by my work showing the person trying to escape it expresses that although it may look like a pretty picture or something to admire (the relationship) it’s not as it seems, which is why I chose a frame to suggest that the art of love and what people see is something different to what it actually is. However I would also like to work with light and other elements such as sound to create more of an effect and connection with the public as I believe that light can express and determine moods so I would use red lights in the corner of the frames to lower the mood and to reflect off the materials such as metals and glass within the sculpture again helping to bring the piece of work to life and reflecting the message behind it.

March 18, 2019June 11, 2019

FMP 18/03/19

Dear diary,

During this week I am going to write up my 500 word review on the project so far this should include artists that have influenced me, the experimental designs, problems that I have solved along the way and what I plan to do in the next few weeks, I will also be questioning myself on the work that I have done so far to see weather I am happy with my progress.

Today I am going to research some materials that I am using in my experiments I will also create a separate blog post mainly for research so that it is easier to find and is all based it one area.this is under “materials research”.

March 12, 2019June 11, 2019

FMP 12/03/19 experiments

Today I have took the time to create some more ideas based on domestic violence that show the hidden side of being abused.
I have completed my pen drawing which I will then add water colour for a bruising effect (i will do this tomorrow as one of my targets) I have decided to use water colour as it is transparent showing that people see through the abuse and only focus on the image that they can see not the image hidden behind the smile. I have done a line drawing of a woman in pen and will continue to work on this over the next few days. I decided to do it in a line drawing as it would give me a better understanding of the shape it would be in if I made it out of wire as in the next few weeks I hope to create a similar if not the same sculpture made from wire and metals as it could represent the caged feeling and the feeling of being trapped as wire and metals are often used for cages or restriction.
For the rest of the day I will be bringing my ideas to life through material experiments and materials in the workshop giving me time to experiment with ways in which is best express the message that I want my art to portray. During my time in the workshop today I have been able to create a face using clay I used a plaster mask which I found to use as my template and a base for the clay I then rolled out a thin layer of clay long and wide enough to be placed over the mould, I then used water and my fingers to push down the clay into the indents to create the face shape, by using water the clay became much softer and easier to work with and created a smooth surface and texture it also helped it not to crack when pushing it down to create the shapes such as the nose and mouth. I will continue to work on the clay face when in collage and keep adding detail to it until I am ready for it to be painted I will then try different paints and materials to create a textured face expressing the difficultiesand pain behind domestic violence.

Update:

When working on the face as it was very fragile as it was a thin layer