Deconstructing the Grand Master

Collaborated with Drawing Transformations

As we were told to find artists from before we were born, at first I found it quite difficult to research similar artists to myself that are no longer practising. I tried to collect a number of artefacts with some conceptual connection to my practice, with inclusion of installation, textile and fine artists, illustrators and photographers. I wanted to gain a wide variety of influences in attempt to guide me in a specific direction. I found the easiest and most productive way to start my connection with the Drawing project, is to study the concept of lines and colour. Lines are mainly to draw focus to a general area of a composition, within the foreground or ground. Francis Bacon was a specific artist that helped me with idea of deconstruction, Bacon stated that although he admired “the magnificent colour” of the Velaquez deconstruction, he wanted to make the piece curious to the viewer. Although the attempt made the piece more dramatic in its response (page 10, book 2)

As an introduction to the collaboration of both projects, I studied the artist Carne Griffiths and how he uses lines to identify the shape of the composition using drips and vibrance of colour. The delicate lines connects the relationship to development of technique to the artist, and was a big inspiration to me throughout the drawing project (page 13, book 2)

The word deconstruction I considered as ‘adaptation’, as the essential guidance to process. Although I feel I may have adapted my ideas too much throughout this sketchbook, to come to a conclusion that was unexpected.

The idea of artist Emir Sehanovic’s monochromatic experiments of removing the identity and replacing the facial structure with an ink blot/blood (page 7 & 40, book 2), inspired me to put forward this technique to my final display.
To start my production I collected a series of photographs from artist’s studios such as Rembrandt and Kentish Studios from Ebay. These postcard like photographs mounted on card give a very strong Early Victorian representation. The whole idea is to distinguish life and death by visual communication.

An illustration as an installation adding a modern twist. In development of my idea after the collection of these images, the application of my knowledge using colour connotation research, will be taken into consideration within the production.