Recently I have been reflecting on the Dynamic Harmony collection. During the making process, I was not interested in working with colors. I used a limited color palette because I wasn't sure what the message would be if I used color. This was later the catalyst for my exploration of color theory in my new collection. Previously I was not sure how to talk about my work or what I wanted to say, I only had the vision and a few words to describe what I was working towards. I feared explicitly describing what my work was about, this is why I chose ambiguity. I also wanted to make universally understood material. I aimed for my viewer to have a connection with the art piece even if it did not tie to a specific subject or experience. This is why I chose abstract, geometric shapes, and a few colors. My process enabled me to explore and challenge myself to create a complex, energetic, and rhythmic work. Parts of my creations were focused on finding a beat, something steady in the piece that could create a structure. After finding structure, I looked for moments of chaos to create where imagination was the main driving force. Once structure and chaos were set into the piece, I backed up from the composition to look at it as a whole. This process I describe as zooming in and out is similar to a telephoto lens. This step was crucial to me, I needed the ability to focus on small moments and find those moments to also be recreated when looking at the piece as a whole. Almost a fractal-like process. Once I found each of these mini-processes in my work I would deem it complete. My goal for the viewer was to feel a sense of satisfaction and calmness in my work. I would like the viewer to see these bits of chaos, stillness, and movement all working together in cohesion, similar to a song, book, play, or even possibly a metaphor for life. Another message in my work is located in the movement using repetition. In my experiences in life, I have found doors/windows/moments that not only are representative of a singular experience, but also a bigger picture. Similar to a lesson unlearned, going through the movements of the last one until you can break through into a different pattern of thought/experience. This is part of the driving force to be changing and integrating my new work differently from past work.
In this piece, I decided to use all the materials I had previously prepped for other projects but fit them into one composition. I used a whole new style that I had not worked with before. I did not check how each piece worked in correlation to the others until the very last layers. I started the composition by randomly laying down the paper and gluing it on. I thought less and used intuition more. I worked starting with big layers to small. I had been researching and exploring music, specifically slower music full of drums. After reflecting on the piece I questioned the steps of my art process and my 'working' phase. I thought about the beat of the music: patterns, rhythms, melody. I was surprised at how quickly this piece flowed together. I used all the things I learned from my previous paper and mixed media collage.
This piece is forever changing and evolving. I keep seeing new and interesting layers and things I can do with this. I was having so much fun working in three-dimensional shapes I knew I wanted to make something big. I wanted to push myself to see how big I could make this body of work. I used more of my style from Trimming for the first layers of paper and vinyl. I used more colors, inspired by my digital collages and sketches. I played with different types of surfaces and spray paints inspired by Intention, Extension. Planes of Placidity feel like the collaboration of my previous work. I am working on finishing new layers with wood and plexiglass to manipulate the idea of layers similar to the use of vellum in Stress Relief. My favorite experiment in this piece came with using holographic vinyl. I work to push materials beyond the original purpose and combine them with other media. I enjoy making big pieces that have interesting sections that bounce your eyes to different places and when you walk around them.
I played with rearranging, cutting, gluing, and forming elements into different abstractions. I realized in this project that I don't like to solidify layers. I love change and movement. While working on Intension, Extension I started examining how I can use and change movement, layers, and dimensions. Intension, Extension is made from a combination of spray paint, vellum, paper, wood, and masonite. I worked with the concept of not finishing the piece to be in a border, but something other than a rectangle, square, or other shape but shapes on top of each other instead. I am working on how to look outside of the framing aspect. I aim for my audience to think about the relationship between elements, shapes, lines, and values. I used two different techniques from making one composition and cutting it into parts and making one piece its separate composition and then laying it on as a separate layer and consistently moving around pieces to find how I preferred the lines and shapes to work together.
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