Surveillance
Gouache on watercolor paper
90 x 61cm
October 2017
Gouache on watercolor paper
90 x 61cm
October 2017
Exhibition Text
"Surveillance" is a representation of the constant surveillance that parents put their children through, inspired by Richard Hamilton's "$he" and "Hommage à Chrysler", Adam Stoner's "Ladder in the Garden", and the themes of George Orwell's dystopian novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four".
"Surveillance" is a representation of the constant surveillance that parents put their children through, inspired by Richard Hamilton's "$he" and "Hommage à Chrysler", Adam Stoner's "Ladder in the Garden", and the themes of George Orwell's dystopian novel "Nineteen Eighty-Four".
Planning
Inspiration
Richard Hamilton's "$he" (1958-61) and "Hommage à Chrysler Corp" (1957) make use of faded transparent washes of color, mostly pink, creamy white, and orange. They use fragments of images such as the Chrysler car in "Hommage" and the disembodied wisps of a feminine figure in "$he" and carry themes of consumerism and capitalism. Even the title of "$he" makes use of the U.S. dollar sign, alluding further to themes of capitalism. Adam Stoner's "Ladder in the Garden" also uses transparent washes of color, yet focuses only on shades of black and white paired with hues of red and orange and the occasional blue accent. Both Hamilton and Stoner's works make realistic objects seem abstract and dreamlike through wavy, rippling lines and fading colors. However, Hamilton uses more subtle contrast and keeps the overall value of his pieces very light, while Stoner uses bold contrast through sweeps of black and saturated orange to make his pieces pop. George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" is a novel written in 1944 about an imagined future where 1984 is a dystopian We're reading 1984 in our IB HL Literature classes and the themes of surveillance reminded me of both my own experiences and the experiences of my friends in regards to being controlled and having a lack of privacy. |
Adam Stoner. "Ladder in the Garden" (2016)
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For example, I have friends who've had their own bedroom doors taken off by their parents who say because they've misbehaved they no longer deserve privacy. Additionally, some parents even go as far as to install spyware on their children's phones and control everything they're doing. However, this only creates an environment of fear and mistrust for both the children and the parents. This is why I chose to have two figures, who represent the parents, standing in an empty doorway. Additionally, other symbols of surveillance or being watched are the flies on the wall, the 3 overlapping eyes, and the text that says "BIG BROTHER" in reference to Big Brother from "Nineteen-Eighty Four".
Planning Sketches
The first sketch was the most narrow of the three, scaling to be around 30.5cm by 91.4cm, in order to make the viewer feel as if the figure in the piece is actually looming over them. The disembodied eyes here were the beginnings of the most important symbol in the piece; however, in this sketch they looked trite and I strived to find a different way to portray them.
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The second sketch was the first to include two figures and the text "BIG BROTHER". The eyes still looked trite on the figures' faces and the figures themselves were too short to represent overbearing adults. This sketch also includes the flies, alluding to the phrase "fly on the wall".
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The last sketch is the closest to the final outcome. It includes the 3 eyes on the left, the cut-off text saying "BIG BROTHER" in the bottom right, and the two figures in the doorway. However, the final product has the figure on the right as shorter to add to the diagonal asymmetrical composition.
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Experimentation
Experimentation consisted of examining how to layer gouache to convey depth and shadow. The first image is of the basic color layout of the figures and doorway, making the doorway tall and distorted. The shading was accomplished by setting a light wash of pink and purple on the walls, letting it dry, and then putting a wash of grey and purple over it. The doorway is left light to indicate where the light source is.
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The second image makes use of the knowledge gained from the first image and incorporates the colors of the eyes: red-pink, blue, and black. It also features some elements that were temporarily inspired by Salvador Dali's "The Persistence of Memory" such as the melting clock in the upper right and the ants in the bottom left. However, these elements were removed in order to prevent too much clutter.
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The last image experiments with incorporating different colors and using more solid black lines. The doorway was accidentally painted, but this helped cement my decision to make it the origin of the light source. This also helped me learn about how to effectively use white gouache, as seen in the slight mottled stippling of the walls.
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Process
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To begin, I sketched the scene using pink and blue colored pencils. Gouache is a watercolor paint and can be made transparent, therefore showing the sketch lines underneath. Using a light colored pencil ensures that the sketch is light enough to either not be seen or to contribute to the overall color scheme.
Secondly, I measured and taped out an area measuring ##cm by ##cm so that while I painted, I was not getting any paint on the outside edges. This creates a clean white frame around the piece. Third, I began my first washes of gouache across the piece. If any paint got onto the white frame it could be covered with white gouache before completion. The lightest washes are applied first and gradually got darker or more saturated as I continued. Lastly, I added the eyes. I decided to omit the "BIG BROTHER" text and replaced it with a large white outline of an eye in the same style as the other three. |
Reflection
ACT Responses
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork.
"$he" and "Hommage à Chrysler Corp" by Richard Hamilton and "Ladder in the Garden" by Adam Stoner inspired my use of transparent washes of color and the disembodied floating eyes, while the dystopian surveillance themes in "1984" by George Orwell inspired me to portray how teenagers are constantly watched to the point of harm.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
George Orwell's "1984" is about how the constant control and surveillance of society created a dystopian world without personal freedoms.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While it's important to watch out for children to make sure they're being safe, overprotection can be just as dangerous as no protection.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was how to portray being watched that felt as if it were disconnected or seemingly unreal.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I was able to infer that George Orwell's "1984" accurately predicted some aspects of our modern day world and strongly advocates against government surveillance.
"$he" and "Hommage à Chrysler Corp" by Richard Hamilton and "Ladder in the Garden" by Adam Stoner inspired my use of transparent washes of color and the disembodied floating eyes, while the dystopian surveillance themes in "1984" by George Orwell inspired me to portray how teenagers are constantly watched to the point of harm.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
George Orwell's "1984" is about how the constant control and surveillance of society created a dystopian world without personal freedoms.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While it's important to watch out for children to make sure they're being safe, overprotection can be just as dangerous as no protection.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea around my research was how to portray being watched that felt as if it were disconnected or seemingly unreal.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I was able to infer that George Orwell's "1984" accurately predicted some aspects of our modern day world and strongly advocates against government surveillance.
Bibliography
Orwell, George. "1984". W. Fink, 1982.
Oxford History of Art: After Modern Art, 1945-2000 David Hopkins.
Orwell, George. "1984". W. Fink, 1982.
Oxford History of Art: After Modern Art, 1945-2000 David Hopkins.