Other Self
Abstract
The works created for the thesis exhibition Other Self depict not only the likeness of family members, but also the essence of the relationship between the model and artist. Through portraiture, I explore the stylistic decisions and theories that affect the viewer. This paper examines how I create moments of introspection for the viewer. When my drawn portraits provoke introspection, or the examination of one’s self, there is a moment created – a moment for the viewer to focus on their own lives by experiencing my memories of the people who have shaped my life. The portraits and thesis are influenced by the words of my mother: you are who you hang around with.
In Part One, I discuss the genre of hyperrealism and its more-than-real use of exaggeration and detail, sparking the viewer’s relationship with the drawing. I then explore the context of portraiture and its essential role in the connection between the model, artist, and viewer. Furthermore, I examine the use of the photograph as source material for drawing. Likewise, I will examine how the use of drawing and artistic decisions affects the work’s reception. In Part Two, I discuss theories of phenomenology that encourage introspection in relation to my work and its connection with perception and memory. I look at the phenomenological and its connection with memory. To conclude, I relate Jan Zwicky’s concept of ‘Lyric Philosophy’ to the experiential encounter with an artwork.
In Part One, I discuss the genre of hyperrealism and its more-than-real use of exaggeration and detail, sparking the viewer’s relationship with the drawing. I then explore the context of portraiture and its essential role in the connection between the model, artist, and viewer. Furthermore, I examine the use of the photograph as source material for drawing. Likewise, I will examine how the use of drawing and artistic decisions affects the work’s reception. In Part Two, I discuss theories of phenomenology that encourage introspection in relation to my work and its connection with perception and memory. I look at the phenomenological and its connection with memory. To conclude, I relate Jan Zwicky’s concept of ‘Lyric Philosophy’ to the experiential encounter with an artwork.