The theme chosen for my final work, “Taking a breath”, size 79cm X 30.5cm, was the concept of escaping time to allow ourselves a breath and a breakaway from the fast paced and demanding environment we inhibit.
I believe that our world consists of overly high expectations along with high demands and the consistent need to function accordingly to societal expectations 24/7. This in my opinion, drains individuals and causes us to not pay attention to the beauty present within daily life due to the inability to appreciate or take a moment to ourselves.
Through exploring different artists, I was able to understand and discover which elements and techniques I wished to incorporate into my final artwork. I drew inspiration from Jackson Joyce, who often illustrated nostalgia and daydreaming, connecting to the idea of looking back on time and appreciating moments of simplicity. I was inspired to utilise elements that symbolised daydreaming as an escapism technique. I was also inspired by Gertie Huddleston who escapes time through reducing landscapes to symbols and patterns, to incorporate abstract techniques and patterns that would intrigue the audience. Kipling West inspired me to incorporate elements of fantasy to demonstrate how we can escape time through our imagination.
“Taking a breath”, was completed and developed to demonstrate the importance of taking a moment to appreciate the beauty present within daily life and to escape the business of our day-to-day routine. I feel very strongly about this concept, allowing me to connect heavily with my artwork and enrich the audience’s connection.
The creation of my final composition included various problem-solving capabilities and idea development. It was necessary to consider the size of my work and how many symbols I was able to include without it looking too cluttered. I also had to consider colour to ensure the artwork remained balanced. I had to develop a system to ensure all symbols and colours would be balanced, to create a harmonious final piece that represented my concept clearly.
