Exhibition Text:
Many people today seek thrills and horror. But not many get what they desire. And many were not seeking any thrills that night. Many women endure and deal with these 'thrills' every time they leave their home. Day or night. There's monsters lurking in the dark on the pathways to parties and waiting in alleys to strike and slither their tongues down your throat to keep you quiet, Waiting to use their large, groping hands to keep you in place. Their pale, slimey bodies used to the dark and damp places they reside- waiting for you to walk past, and waiting for the chance to rip off your clothes and use you. And when they do, they tear out your tongue to make sure you stay quiet.
This piece was inspired by the haunting artworks by Francis Bacon and Masahiro Ito.
This piece was inspired by the haunting artworks by Francis Bacon and Masahiro Ito.
| Critical Investigation |
This piece is inspired by the struggles of women by sexual predators. However it's not just limited to women, Men are also sexually assaulted. And both men and women can by assailants. Thus my monster had to include both male and female references. These ideas were inspired by the monsters and ideas of Masahiro Ito. Masahiro Ito was the Videogame Artist for the Silent Hill Franchise. Some of his notable monsters and characters he designed are Pyramid Head and the Bubblehead Nurse. My other inspiration in this piece was Francis Bacon, who's dark tones and unique macabre style influenced me, Masahiro as well.
| Inspiration |
Masahiro Ito mainly works with sketches and physical drawings, but what I was most inspired by was his work when he was a part of Team Silent, the crew that worked on the Silent Hill games. His work had a macabre and somber feel. The eerie monsters he made only added to the style. When he made monsters, he made them based off the internal struggles of the main character or other characters; such as Pyramid Head, arguably the most famous monster of all of the Silent Hill Franchise, is based off the Main Character's desire to be punished for his repressed memory of murdering his wife after having intense repressed sexual desires from her Illness.
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A fun fact to also Mention: Masahiro has stated on his twitter that many monsters and many of his own works were inspired by the works of Francis Bacon, My other Inspiration.
Francis Bacon mainly works and prided himself in paintings, What I was inspired by the most - besides the strong use of color - was how the painting has a threatening and macabre aura to it. This aesthetic really inspired my piece, as it is uneasy to stare at, much like staring down a plague doctor was uneasy as well.
I mainly took out this macabre aesthetic, but once again, the harsh and bleeding lines of contrasting colors also inspired how my piece would eventually look, along with some of the grainy textures in the piece as well. |
| Planning Sketches |
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My sketches mainly focused on the monster design I wanted with this piece. Since the monster was supposed to represent sexual predators and rapists, I wanted to make a lot of symbolism with it, taking a book from Masahiro Ito's book.
So things like the Arm on the crotch of the monster, the long tongue, the many tentacles, the holes and hollowness inside have meaning when you think of a rapist or sexual predator. My last sketch was just a basic sketch of the overall piece, how I wanted the composition, where things were placed, angles, etc. |
| Experimentation |
When making my piece, I not only experimented with other monster designs (Reference Planning sketches) but I also experimented with keeping it a Photoshop image, or making it into a digital painting. The simple Photoshop composition would have been enough, but I felt like it didn't fit with what I wanted it to be. So when I got a basic shape of the figure, I changed it into a digital painting.
| Process |
1.) I went to a background area and take photos. Since there's a figure in there, I posed for the photo to lessen work later.
2.) Once I had a good enough photo, I imported the photo into Photoshop.
3.) I started by using the select tool and removing all the white sunshine in the photo.
4.) Once that was gone, I put another layer full of the color black underneath and merged the layers.
5.) I exported that photo into Paint Tool Sai, and started to blend out the black with the marker and watercolor brush tool.
6.) Once the background was done, I put this photo back to Photoshop and started using pieces of animals and skin to make the monster. I made it overall choppy and not perfect to make the painting process easier.
7.) I imported this file Back to paint tool sai, and started to paint over the image.
8.) When the image was done being painted over, I exported as PNG and had finishing touches made in photoshop.
2.) Once I had a good enough photo, I imported the photo into Photoshop.
3.) I started by using the select tool and removing all the white sunshine in the photo.
4.) Once that was gone, I put another layer full of the color black underneath and merged the layers.
5.) I exported that photo into Paint Tool Sai, and started to blend out the black with the marker and watercolor brush tool.
6.) Once the background was done, I put this photo back to Photoshop and started using pieces of animals and skin to make the monster. I made it overall choppy and not perfect to make the painting process easier.
7.) I imported this file Back to paint tool sai, and started to paint over the image.
8.) When the image was done being painted over, I exported as PNG and had finishing touches made in photoshop.
| Reflection |
My main goal and theme of this piece was to engage the audience and have them disturbed by the monster. My point of this piece was to give off the fear that people experience when going somewhere alone, and feeling the breathing down your back of someone about to catcall you or try and get on top of you. I enjoy and feel like I succeeded with the symbolism of my monster, and how everything can come back to the theme of sexual predators and rapists. I think I also succeeded with the overall composition of the piece, and how the monster breathes down the female's neck. Another strength I think I had was transforming the original image. I say this because the original image was in the day, and sunlight was clearly shining through. Something I feel like I fell short on was the business of the piece. I feel like I should have and could have added more to it, if I had more time than my schedule would allow. However, overall I feel like I succeeded in making something that would make you uncomfortable and uneasy. Probably because of the monster.
| ACT Questions |
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your art work?
My inspirations have affected my artwork by having a meaningful physical affect on my work. Sherman had affected my meaning with feminism and struggles of women and Picasso affected my work with the inspiration for a warm-peach period of my own.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author ( from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors really went in depth about the history of the artworks rather than the meaning of the works. With the author for Picasso for example, they focused a lot of the physical aspects and history of the works.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that many people - especially in the past - really focused on the physical attributes of a human, rather the internal attributes of them. That's why artists like Sherman focused a lot of their time on the society's views of beauty and the psychical body of a woman
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Mainly my theme was social issues and constructs. Not only because of Sherman's Feminism but Picasso's peace advocacy in his life as well. Truly artists with strong world views seem to inspire me.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Life is unforgiving and treacherous for anyone and everyone. War and Discourse is just part of society and not much can be done about it since it has been around for so long. Society wants to control us whether it be from controlling how we look or think of ourselves - or war and discord it wants to control with fear. And it works.
My inspirations have affected my artwork by having a meaningful physical affect on my work. Sherman had affected my meaning with feminism and struggles of women and Picasso affected my work with the inspiration for a warm-peach period of my own.
2. What is the overall approach (point of view) the author ( from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors really went in depth about the history of the artworks rather than the meaning of the works. With the author for Picasso for example, they focused a lot of the physical aspects and history of the works.
3. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I have discovered that many people - especially in the past - really focused on the physical attributes of a human, rather the internal attributes of them. That's why artists like Sherman focused a lot of their time on the society's views of beauty and the psychical body of a woman
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Mainly my theme was social issues and constructs. Not only because of Sherman's Feminism but Picasso's peace advocacy in his life as well. Truly artists with strong world views seem to inspire me.
5. What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Life is unforgiving and treacherous for anyone and everyone. War and Discourse is just part of society and not much can be done about it since it has been around for so long. Society wants to control us whether it be from controlling how we look or think of ourselves - or war and discord it wants to control with fear. And it works.
Citations:
“Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X | Francis Bacon.” Francis Bacon, www.francis-bacon.com/artworks/paintings/study-after-velazquezs-portrait-pope-innocent-x.
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ 358528820309327948/
https://silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Masahiro_Ito
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Head
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/ 358528820309327948/
https://silenthill.fandom.com/wiki/Masahiro_Ito
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramid_Head