My name is Daizi Davies and I am 19 years old from Cardiff. I like to draw inspiration for my art from my personal life and the challenges I face day to day. I like to experiment with many different mediums but the common link that all my work has is that it is highly autobiographical. My main aim with anything I create is to tell a story and make whoever is viewing it feel something.
I am currently studying Fine Art at DeMontford University and I hope to grow as an artist as well as learn new things that will help me in my future as an artist.
After looking at the work of Lindsay Obermeyer I felt inspired to continue to look and reflect on the subject of femininity.
I decided to focus on breasts as they are often typically linked to femininity. I used modrock to create plaster casts of my bare chest. Although after reflecting on these moulds I didnβt personally feel comfortable displaying my bare chest but, I did like the effect of the modrock which made me want to continue using it
To work around this issue I decided to use a bra to cover my chest. I feel like the inclusion of a bra adds an extra layer of commentary to the piece.Β
For my first attempt, I didnβt make the bra and chest piece separately which ended up making the piece look distorted – there was no clear divide between the chest and the bra.Β
Plaster hand with the fingers distorted using wireΒ
Immigration: Missing You – 2008Life Force- 2008Ball and Chain – 2005Don’t Leave Me – 2005
Linsey Obermeyer’s “Womans Work” collection 1997-2008 is a series of pieces that consist of knitted jumpers. The main theme of the pieces consist around motherhood. The piece “Immigration: Missing You – 2008” features two jumpers one made to fit Obermeyer and the other made to fit her daughter separated by a fence. The piece leaves a feeling of isolation and despair
I liked the use of the softer materials and everyday objects and alters them to convey such heavy topics.
For the first sculpture project we looked at Claus Oldenburg and his large scale projects. After looking at in particular his “Ice Bag” 1971 I began to look into a paper bag.
Claus Oldenburg Ice Bag 1971
To begin with, I began with creating sketches of a paper bag.
I decided to build the bag out of clay to try and replicate the folds in the paper.
After working on my first Oldenburg inspired project I wanted to stay focused on the general idea of a bag but add my own artistic style. Almost linking to my painting project I wanted to still focus on my human anatomy. I wanted to focus on hands as they are versatile and would be able to developed upon.
In my original plans I wanted to create a bag out of hands.
To start my project I went to the plastics workshop to make a mould of my hand.
Using alginate (a seaweed based powder) mixed with water I was able to make a realistic mould of my hand. To make the mould I took a sheet of plastic and hot glued it into a tube big enough to fit my hand. I filled the tube up with the alginate mixture and had to insert my hand into the mixture quickly. I had to wait for approximately 5 minutes for the mixture to dry around my hand then added plaster to create a cast of my hand.
After creating the plaster hand I coated it in multiple layers of silicone to create a reusable mould.
“Internal workings of a human being” – very literal, maybe about emotions
Found the two distorted portraits interesting – liked the fact the pieces needed to be looked at to find out what they were, faces coming though the layers of paint
Good technical skill – liked the darker elements, something different
Pieces made them think of structure of the body – life expediency
Textured ‘swirl’ painting on MDF could link to; cells, structure of brain, organs
simple but complicated, good technical skill, good contrast against MDF
Liked the paintings on acetate – could try layering them, break down different layers of the body
Preferred work – paintings where subject could be questioned
Currently in sculpture I’m working on combining everyday objects with aspects of human anatomy, I have mainly experimented with plaster, silicone and liquid latex.
Contemporary artist- Xooang Choi
Xooang Choi – The Islet of Asperger Type, β ₯, 2009, photo via koreanartistproject.com
Xooang Choi is a hyperrealist sculptor, who is based in South Korea and obtained his postgraduate in sculpture from Seoul National University in 2005. His sculptures made from a mix of clay and resin and painted with fleshy tones combines hyperrealism as well as surrealism.
He takes body parts out of context to create disturbing and thought-provoking pieces
Widewalls
I felt like Choi’s work inks very well with my own current practice as I am also trying to push the boundaries of preconceived notions and boundaries of human anatomy. After looking at his portfolio I was particularly inspired by the way his sculptures are painted.
Historic Artist – Alberto Giacometti
Alberto Giacometti with his sculptures 1956
The swiss sculptor, Alberto Giacometti, created work inspired by the human condition. Said to be one of the most important sculptors of the 20th century his strong and distinctive style makes his work feel cohesive and it is almost like they have a familial bond.
Standing Woman c.1958β9 – image taken from the Tate website
Although my work and Giaometti’s work do not share many similarities visually, I find his philosophies very interesting and inspiring. Giacometti used his work to raise questions about the human condition which is something I also strive to do through my work.
Untitled Bone Painting, November 2021, Acrylic on black A5 card
As part of a painting project with the focus of human anatomy and bones this smaller piece was created to cause the audience to question the subject matter of the painting. The painting itself is a close up image of a shoulder bone although, during a group critical people stated that the image could be some sort of sea creature or extraterrestrial being. The painting was complimented as it caused the audience to stop and question what the image might be. Different audiences would react and interoperate the painting in different ways depending on their own background. The use of a less commonly recongisable bone as well as its disorientating positioning adds a level of mystery around the painting. The use of acrylic paint allowed for many layers and a textured finish as well as smooth blending of the colours. The positioning of the subject matter allowed for more detail to be added. The black background allows for a dramatic contrast of the yellowing bone, allowing the highlights of the image to stand out.
The subject of focusing on human anatomy was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s anatomy studies and the dark background and heavy brush strokes were influenced by Van Gough’s Skull of a Skeleton With Burning Cigarette.
Skull of a Skeleton With Burning Cigarette – Vincent van Gogh
Leonardo da Vinci anatomy studies
In development of this piece, sizing up the piece would allow for audiences to see the detail properly. Also, pushing the proportions and distortion further to make the original subject matter even difficult to identify.
A photograph I took as a reference image. The angle of the image makes it difficult to identify what the subject matter is.
An art director has variety of roles working throughout many artistic industries. Often working more than 40 hours a week an art director is responsible for the overall aesthetics of a product or project and managing groups of other creatives. There is no set number for the size of the groups an Art Director may be overseeing. The particular aspect of art direction I’m interested in is art direction within TV and film.
To become an art director there a multiple different paths. Firstly you will need to finish a bachelors degree within an art related subject. From this point you can either search for internships or chose to continue with education and get a masters degree in art direction. Personally I hope to go down the route of continuing with education and study the MA Design for Art Direction at University of the Arts London. After this point it is finding work within the field of art direction.
Chae Kyung Sun is the art director behind Netflix’s popular 2021 Korean drama, Squid The entire atmosphere of the show relies on its aesthetics. In watching interviews featuring Chae Kyung Sun it is fascinating to hear the amount of attention to detail. There was not one aspect of the set design, costume or props that were not thought about.
“I think I focused on the mind of the person who came up with the game. I imagined heβd think he gave the contestants a chance as if heβs a god.“
Chae Kyung Sun
I think Squid Game is a perfect example of the importance of art direction. The visual impact of a show is usually the most memorable aspect of the show and responsible for setting the tone. It is an art directors responsibility to ensure all the pieces come together to create a cohesive narrative.
Sources:
What does an art director do? – CareerExplorer – https://www.careerexplorer.com/careers/art-director/#:~:text=Art%20directors%20usually%20work%20more,weekends)%20to%20meet%20strict%20deadlines
How To Become an Art Director | Indeed.com – https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/career-development/how-to-become-an-art-director#:~:text=How%20to%20become%20an%20art%20director%201%20Earn,a%20full-time%20art%20position.%20β¦%20More%20itemsβ¦%20
