064: Reflection

This is my candidate statement for IB Visual Arts. I feel it might  be something worth looking back on in sixty-three years.

"Throughout my journey in the past two years, art has become a passion and a means of expression. Having struggled with dark complexities of human emotion prior to the beginning of my IB journey, as an artist I was extremely apprehensive in creating artwork that expressed my personality or personal life – I was fearful of exposing myself to censure and criticism. Once I dared to take risks, the result was invigorating, so I continued to force myself to be brave and eradicate my fear of the unfamiliar.

I have explored the depths of human emotion, often focusing on the vulnerability of women within cultures and society. My self-portraits attempt to capture the essence of this, focusing on my own emotional struggle, feelings of captivity, vulnerability and the seeming incapability of escape from darkness. To develop my sense of composition, I concentrated on using light and dark to manipulate tone and balance my work. 

My work has been greatly inspired by Annie Leibovitz (US 1949), and her ability to capture a great magnitude of emotion through her portraits. Artistically, my aim has been to create and manipulate photographs which immediately instil emotional sensations in a viewer. My main medium has been film and digital photography, focusing on digital manipulation, capturing precise instances and manipulating it to represent what I feel within that moment. I have explored the role of music in emotion, photographing and manipulating portraits of musicians, and using music to influence my viewer’s emotions in my ‘Cycle of  Captivity’ stop motion piece.

Leif Podhajsky’s, (Australia b. Unspecified), themes of connecting with nature have inspired me to further my investigation of human emotion and its place in nature, leading me to create abstract portraits and landscapes, exploring concepts of symmetry, repetition and the connection between nature and the human body.

P.s. I graduate on Friday. One exam down, twelve to go.

062: I have now completed my first exam.

This is such a surreal feeling. Art has been a whirlwind of creativity, emotion, inspiration over the course of the past two years - and I mean that 100%. And now it's over, and I feel flat.

I had my first IB exam yesterday, for Visual Arts, a 45 minute interview in which I was able to share the meaning, technique, artistic influences, cultural influences, etc, behind my artwork. It was such an incredible experience, and I'm surprised to say that I genuinely enjoyed the experience. I can't be certain how I went - but my examiner did tell me that he was 'moved' by my work- which is all I could have hoped for. I feel happy with the way it played out.

I quite literally walked out of my examination and didn't even notice - I didn't feel anything, until my IB co-ordinator asked me how it went, and I had the most absurd feeling - that resignated with me for the remainder of my day. The examination was a confronting experience - to speak about something that has been so internal, something that is a part of me that I am only beginning to share with the world, but it was such an empowering feeling. I am so happy and simultaneously, I am so sad.

One exam down, twelve to go. Not too long now. I'm excited.

060: Currently

Today I finished setting up my graduating show, and I am ridiculously happy with the way it's turned out. It's all very ethereal and what not, but I don't know want to give too much away. Art exam is on Saturday, I will post some images of the display after that!

057: Polaroids

Firstly, sorry about the terrible quality of these scans. Anyone who knows me knows about my love for cameras and film of any sort - I've had a polaroid sitting in my cupboard for who knows how long - so when I discovered The Impossible Project, you can only imagine my joy. These were taken a while ago now, but here are 8 of my polaroid photographs, featuring Alia and Sam. These particular 8 are going to be hung in my exhibition.

052: Podhajsky

So much talk about my graduating exhibition but nothing much to show in the blogosphere. Leif was one of my main inspirations throughout the course of the past two years, (moreso this year) as I began to distance myself from mainstream photography and enter the field of digital manip. You may know him for his more familiar work with records; Tame Impala, The Vines. I am now obsessed with symmetry and repetition and Leif's work is incredible. Delving deep into the obscurities of our connectiveness and psychedelia, Podhajsky creates a surreal balance between perfection and ambiguity. If you don't know him, and are into art/design etc. I strongly suggest you click here.

I think my favourite of his work would be the COAGULATED PHYSIQUE series, some works featured below.

051: Currently

   I've been feeling pretty down lately, but as usual using music to lift my spirits.

And everything is a-okay because I have a Paul Simon record playing, and I'm dancing to 'You Can Call Me Al'.

My art exam is in 10 days. I am scared.

045: Camouflage

033: I don't find success interesting as art

If you've never heard this song before, it's time to appreciate it. Jim Ward has a beautiful voice and Tegan is incredibly interesting. Such a mesmerising and raw pair. Ah, I can never get sick of this song.

031: Run away

022: Hello Alia.

All of my finals must be finished within the next couple of weeks, so I've been working really hard for art and neglecting many of my other subjects. Art extended essay is due in tomorrow, and here is a taste of what might be in my exhibition. I'm all over the place, hello disjointed blogging.

Edit:
I made Alia look deformed, but I can't help feeling this looks like the cover for some rad album. Just sayin'.
Maybe I should be an album artist.

020: Gotye - Somebody That I Used To Know Ft. Kimbra

019: Self Portrait.

These are just tiny taste testers of what is to come... I shot these last night on my Canon EOS 500D before I went to sleep, because I had a creative yearning and have been meaning to take some more self portraits for a while now - I just haven't had the time. There are many more that I don't want to reveal via the internet right now, but keep an eye out for them in the coming future. These are the raw images, I haven't began editing/digitally manipulating yet.

013: The longest memory.

One of my favourite pastimes. In all seriousness. I did this one a while ago when I was going through a hard time, and couldn't find the words to communicate what I was feeling.

006: Kruger

Barbara Kruger, 1983