Blog Post #5

Zdzislaw Beksinski

My series of work up till this point have tried to make a name for themselves in their inspired expressionist/ impressionist style and surialist themes. I have tried to put myself in each of these asspects and combine them and make them my own. In one of my works (black and white) I even tried to emulate an artist I admire, which is the same artist I'm contrasting myself with, Zdzislaw Beksinski. He uses shapes, textures and interpreted shadows to express heavy emotions. He uses rich, nutural, and muted colors. I use more contrasting bright colors than Zdzslaw in my works and have more of the elements I metioned before. He obviously has a better handle on getting his message across to the veiwer  and this is somthing I wish to take and learn from him.

4 & 5

My concentration is evolving to include more complex themes relating to my topic, death. I have tackled attituides such as loss and rememberance as expressed in the painting with figues holding on to each other and the woman decorated in sugar skull face paint to symolise the rememberance and celebration of the Mexican holiday, Day of the Dead. I'm continuing to experiment with contrast in my work. I'm still experimenting with finding themes in death and have yet to create a solid foundation for the vision of my works. In future projects i will try to make themes more evident in my concentration.

Concentration 2 and 3

My three concentrations thus far have been a struggle in trying to keep the same consistent themes alive. These works are up for editing and replacement in the future, but as is now what seems to be connecting my works is a sense of surrealistic symbolism for the attitudes and concepts associated with death. With each new concentration I look to make a theme in my work more symbolic and more representative of the feelings towards death.

 I think when it comes to portraying emotion with colors and textures Zdzislaw Beksinski takes the cake...

I look to improve my concentrations I've already done by continuing to manipulate and expand on them. For my fourth work I think I'll do a painting on companionship in death. I may demonstrate embrace as symbolism like my inspiration above.

1st Concentration

 

This work of mine relates to my concentration on death through the symbolism of the cattle skull and the use of dark colors. This piece is meant to demonstrate the surreal perception of death and demonstrate the reverence given to that sense of the beyond and the after or end in the figures attire. The contrasting color scheme of red and green also demonstrate the divide given to death. The divide is also arguably demonstrated between the use of impressionistic and surrealistic painting techniques I may look to use contrasting elements in my future concentrations to keep alive this theme of a divide and separation given to death. It works in this piece keeping the viewers interest. i look to make themes more evident in future works.

Subject Change

I have been fortunate enough to figure out that my original theme for my concentration works is not something I want to pursue. Instead my theme is now death. Death and its connotations given to it by different peoples and cultures. My works will be tablets or masks with sculptural depth, used in dioramas, installations, or other interesting ways in photographs. They will have reoccurring visual themes and have a surrealistic feel to them. The first concentration work is a cultural "worship" of death and its use as an instrument by which to achieve a desired means. All works will have a commentary presented in the subject matter. I find that artists like Zdzislaw Beksinski spike my interest in nightmarish fantastic interpretations of such subject matter.
Zdzislaw Beksinski:

I will try to document my first work developing as it happens...

Humanity and It's Worship

My idea for my concentration is to explore the aspects of human kinds "worship" and creating of "gods" whether it be actual gods or religion, or material or emotional escapes and idols to their life. What gives them purpose, what is their purpose for their choices and behavior. This is still in its developmental stage and is still evolving through my creative process of thinking and putting into action through works and words. This should in no way shape or form be centered around religion solely, in fact it should be a very minor thing and in the future the name of my concentration may change just to stress that fact.
Ideas/Possible themes:
love/sex/companionship/relationships?
 http://news.cnet.com/i/ne/p/2007/eternal_embrace_513x600.jpg
http://www.citizensadvocatenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/07/homo.jpg
http://image.shutterstock.com/display_pic_with_logo/302296/302296,1234293716,3/stock-photo-soldier-and-woman-embrace-24758005.jpg

ideology (morality, religion, etc...?)
http://muslimvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/0worship_mehmedakif_848466108.jpg
http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ZnNg5TguK3Q/TjCtIsqj47I/AAAAAAAAAR8/8DHKVpfogjA/s1600/aabxvi-communion1.jpg
http://www.viewzone.com/buddha.head.jpg

material wealth?
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Bank_of_America_Washington_DC.jpg
http://i1-news.softpedia-static.com/images/news2/The-Giraffe-Women-of-the-Neck-Rings-2.jpg
http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2007/03/24/world/25diamond.slarge1.jpg

power/status?
http://www.glogster.com/media/5/32/60/15/32601561.jpg
http://www.wired.com/images_blogs/photos/uncategorized/2008/08/08/dsc_0483_2.jpg
http://purpleopurple.com/biography/Short-Biography/Saddam-Hussein.jpg
http://www.ideas-for-weddings.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/victorian-era-wedding-dresses-1.jpg

note) very experimental... could change radically in the future.