Baptism
Size: 23 cm X 15 cm
Medium: Block Print
Date of Completion: September, 2017
Medium: Block Print
Date of Completion: September, 2017
A baptism is usually associated with renewal, rebirth, and forgiveness. My piece, titled Baptism, is centered around my perception of the erasure of my culture's history and the romanticization of the perpetrators. I used the contrasting styles of pre-Columbian art and Alphonse Mucha's work to tell the narrative of a baptism in which a people emerged cleansed by colonialism of the great history that preceded them.
Research & Inspiration
The inspiration for this piece was heavily influenced by my desire to create something that translated itself well to the medium I was working with. My plan for this piece was to create something that depicted my struggles with learning about my Mestizo heritage and trying to embrace it. Reflecting on my struggles then brought me to reflect on those who struggled before me to keep my culture alive. This piece was inspired heavily by the contrasting cultures that created me.
Aztec Tizoc StoneThe Tizoc stone was a stone dedicated to the Aztec emperor Tizoc upon the completion of his first and mandatory military expedition. The stone's edges depict gods from other Mexica tribes being slaughtered by Tizoc's warriors. On the surface of the stone, a sun plate is depicted as well as a groove that leads from the center hollow to the end of the stone's surface. It is believed this hollow and stone were used to hold the hearts and drain the blood of the sacrifices (usually slaves) that were captured during military campaigns and offered up to the gods. These offerings were believed to help the emperor win the favor of the gods.
Initially upon first viewing the stone I was inspired by the bold geometric shapes on the surface. However, I then became inspired not only by the stone's physical appearance but by the history of the stone itself. It's use and reason for creation led me back to reflect on my initial inspiration. With this reflection I concluded that while the creation of my piece deals with the romanticization of colonialism in Mexican culture, domination and oppression was also prevalent in Mexica tribes. This in turn led me to reflect on the purpose of the stone which was essentially to show supremacy of culture and power through sacrifices. This I believe deeply influenced my piece as I thought that theme of supremacy in culture and power was prevalent in colonialism. Essentially, in my piece I wanted to recreate the story of the Tizoc Stone.
|
Alphonse MuchaChampagne Ruinart was a commissioned piece by F. Champenois. The piece is an advertisement for champagne done by Alphonse Mucha during the art period known as Art Nouveau.
|
I was very much entranced by Alphonse Mucha's. I loved the movement he created thought the piece through not only the composition of the figure but through the hair. I chose to use Alphonse Mucha's Champagne Ruinart as a obvious contrast to the geometric shapes that would be in my work due to the the Tizoc Stone and to incorporate a sense of movement in the piece. I also chose Alphonse Mucha's work to represent European influence and colonization. Much of Mucha's most renowned work was advertisings that depicted everyday items to be the epitome of glamour. The glamour in his work was emitted through the fine and lavish women he depicted. The way he conveyed glamour in everyday goods inspired the way I wanted to depict the sentimentality in my work.
Planning
This first sketch was the simplest and in your face approach to the theme I could come up with. This sketch was merely a warm up for other sketches. This sketch also served me as a way to really study the characteristics of each piece that I was trying to incorporate into my work.
|
The original plan for this sketch was for her to appear as if she were being submerged. She is a stand in for the Tizoc Stone and essentially the old indigenous ways that have been lost due to colonialism. I wanted to emotion to be ambiguous, is she being saved or damned, is this a moment of enlightenment or is she being cursed. I played with producing the effect of water on her face and tried to produce a tier like an effect throughout her face. Needless to say, I was very unsatisfied with the outcome as it neither gave the impression of the Tizoc Stone being an inspiration nor Alphonse Mucha's work. In the end, I scraped everything but the bare bones and began again.
|
In this sketch, I refined the hair and started to heavily referenced both the Tizoc Stone and Champagne Ruinart. In this sketch, I experimented with a different way of getting that submerged feeling with Mucha's swerving style. I also experimented with adding harsher and far more legible geometric shapes to her design. In this sketch, I feel I was able to bring a contrasting culture and style together into one cohesive piece.
|
Process
After I had created my final sketch I traced it onto transfer paper with a pencil and transferred it onto the linoleum block by placing the tracing paper over it and redrawing the drawing. After this, I began to carve away at the linoleum using linoleum cutters. I started at the corner of the linoleum square and used the smallest tip in order to properly access what I was capable of. After I was confident enough I began carving the outlines of everything that would be bold black. After these outlines were carved I went back in with a bigger carving tip and carved out what needed to be white in the finished product. It was difficult to cut out every part that needed to be negative space because at times the drawing was so intricate that the linoleum cutter was far too wide to cut out. This issue lead to altered designs and line weight in the positive space that creates the hair.
After I had carved out the whole piece I moved on to beginning to prep to print. To set up my workstation I set newsprint down and got out all the necessary supplies for printing. These supplies were: speedball water-soluble ink, brayer, baren, ink tray, paint spatula, and paper. After this was set up I simply scooped out the ink with the spatula rolled the brayer in the ink till it was covered evenly in ink and rolled it onto my carved linoleum block. After the ink was on the block I took a sheet of paper centered it over the block and pressed it down to the block with the baren. Finally, after I felt I had delivered enough pressure for a clean transfer I revealed the print by peeling the paper of the linoleum block.
Experimentation
I found that while carving the initial sketch I had designed there needed to be more negative space in the piece so I carved out individual hair strands and then played with how deep I could carve them and how they could be shaped. I also experiment with how much ink I put on the print and how much pressure I applied during the printing stage. I tried to apply less ink to the hair and even water it down to see what effects it would produce but I was unsatisfied with the product. I also tried to print by pressing down harder in places I wanted complete black and less in places where I wanted a faded look. However, despite my attempts, my ink looked pealed instead of faded and at times smudged. Though most of my experimentation was unsuccessful it reinstated what I wanted in the print which was clear bold geometric shapes contrasted by flowing round lines.
Reflection
Overall I wouldn't say I am content with the outcome of my print however, I believe I was able to depict what I wanted. In my work, I depicted a similar narrative to the one depicted on the Tizoc stone while simultaneously using Alphonse Mucha's contrasting style to glamorize the dominance occurring in the print. However, I feel that the symbolism I used in creating the piece isn't very legible. The Tizoc Stone was created with a function while simultaneously telling a full-fledged narrative and my piece is created with a single snapshot of history in mind and no other purpose. I believe the process of incorporating Alphonse work was a lot smoother and effective as I as essentially using his marketing technique. I also felt that I had properly implemented the use of line in my work so that it would give hints of his work as influence and create movement but I could have improved on the use of space much better than I did.
I felt the technical aspects of executing the print were decent but could have been better. There exists in some places in the print messy lines and rough edges that draw the viewer into them immediately. It is evident that I was struggling with the crispness and legibility of the geometric shapes. There was also the aspect of the hair, which though I tried is not as flowy and lively as in Mucha's work. In fact, I fear that I have made it evident that though I was trying to think outside the box the print was made in one. Despite all of the wrong in the work I did improve my skills by practicing fluid motions and learning how to deal with mistakes I can't correct.
I felt the technical aspects of executing the print were decent but could have been better. There exists in some places in the print messy lines and rough edges that draw the viewer into them immediately. It is evident that I was struggling with the crispness and legibility of the geometric shapes. There was also the aspect of the hair, which though I tried is not as flowy and lively as in Mucha's work. In fact, I fear that I have made it evident that though I was trying to think outside the box the print was made in one. Despite all of the wrong in the work I did improve my skills by practicing fluid motions and learning how to deal with mistakes I can't correct.
Act Connections
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your work?
The cause-effect in my inspiration led me to venture into different art styles. As a Result of wanting to contrast a culture with a styles my inspirations became very apparent in my work
.
2) What is the overall approach(point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors who wrote the work I conducted research for my piece used objective language in their works. They presented factual evidence in a professional tone that led me to absorb the information and do with what I will.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
From my research I can generalize that Alphonse Mocha's work was characterized by the looks and feelings of opulence compare to pre-Columbian art which is was more characterized simple figures trying to rely stories.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The Central Idea for my research was contrast. I wanted to find two styles that contrasted completely and bring them together to emit a sense of struggle.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While conducting research I came to the conclusion that there were many parallels in the history I was condemning to be violent and the one I saw as the victim.
The cause-effect in my inspiration led me to venture into different art styles. As a Result of wanting to contrast a culture with a styles my inspirations became very apparent in my work
.
2) What is the overall approach(point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The authors who wrote the work I conducted research for my piece used objective language in their works. They presented factual evidence in a professional tone that led me to absorb the information and do with what I will.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
From my research I can generalize that Alphonse Mocha's work was characterized by the looks and feelings of opulence compare to pre-Columbian art which is was more characterized simple figures trying to rely stories.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The Central Idea for my research was contrast. I wanted to find two styles that contrasted completely and bring them together to emit a sense of struggle.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
While conducting research I came to the conclusion that there were many parallels in the history I was condemning to be violent and the one I saw as the victim.
Bibliography
Foundation, Mucha. Mucha Foundation, www.muchafoundation.org/gallery/browse-works/object/276. Accessed 11 Sept. 2017.
Cartwright, Mark. "The Tizoc Stone." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Sep 2013. Web. 11 Sep 2017.
Cartwright, Mark. "The Tizoc Stone." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 28 Sep 2013. Web. 11 Sep 2017.