This exhibition shows a spectrum of anger and love: two emotions often seen as opposites. This is not the case. Human experiences fall between the two. One may feel both in the case of a bad breakup, or the perception of the self. These pieces, arranged left to right, represent different points on my own spectrum. The leftmost piece is mostly anger, the rightmost pieces are mostly love.
Farthest to the left is Broken Boy, which is about resentment towards those who are undeserving of their influence and power. A digital medium allows easy communication of lighting, perspective, and color. The King sits at the focal point, with handsome young features and an exposed chest, suggesting inexperience and vanity. Dark colors represent his evil. He is not fit to rule his kingdom, which should inspire anger.
To the immediate right are two pieces of anger, with elements of love, resulting in conflicting emotions. They feature Deer Skull Guy (DSG), who allows me to represent myself while remaining anonymous. His design represents being constantly in-between. He is neither human nor animal, neither alive nor dead. Therapy and Liar are about working through toxic relationships. Therapy shows DSG surrounded by swirling, confusing movement, sitting on a melting couch. The rhythm of the drips is dreamlike. The central lighting and composition bring focus to him, exposing him. The colors are limited and dark, making him appear stagnant and trapped.
Liar tells a story. Flat medium, horizontal composition, and movement of line create a conversation that the audience follows. The monochromatic palette creates a stark contrast with the paper, and the use of irregular line communicates unease. This grabs the viewer’s attention and unsettles them, making the conversation uncomfortable to read.
The middle represents the in-between. DSG appears again in Mask and Voodoo Doll - both of which are about facing oneself. Individuals need to take themselves into their own hands, as in Voodoo Doll, or adopt a persona like a Mask. This allows the individual to take a step back and analyze how they feel about themselves and others. The 3D mediums for both pieces make them interactive and lifelike. DSG’s palette is muted yet naturalistic, his design vertical and unstable. Color and texture emphasize that he is composed of bone. Internal Monologue fits here because it is about morality, or its absence. One mermaid is depicted as more traditional, feminine, and beautiful, while the other appears monstrous and ugly. They are both injured from the fight. Love is often seen as a “good” emotion, and anger is seen as “bad.” Despite this, neither emotions are truly good or bad, right or wrong, just like these mermaids. The pretty mermaid can be seen as “love,” and the monster mermaid as “anger,” both equally capable of inflicting harm.
The pieces further right of this represent mostly love. Here are Self Portrait and Wizard Dreamscape. Self Portrait turns my own narcissism into something constructive. I appreciate my pale skin and my dark hair, as emphasized by the monochromatic palette. This inspired by Tim Burton’s monochromatic male protagonists, whom I bear a resemblance to. The same black and white palette used in Liar juxtaposes Self Portrait with similar but different emotions. Self Portrait is not all the way on the “love” side for this reason - there is negativity in narcissism.
Wizard Dreamscape is about my family bonds. This piece is about how my thoughts and identity are structured by those around me: the people I love, who gave me the depicted objects. The gentle, regal color palette and lighting is easily communicated via digital art. This piece appears like a painting due to how the brush texture communicates value. Depicting a traditional style using a modern medium contrasts new and old, myself and my family.
Finally, on the far right, we reach my pets, another example of familial love. I have two cats and a fish and I love them unconditionally. All three pieces are about capturing their beauty. Gigi is made by hand out of polymer clay rather than a mold, so that the process was loving and intimate. Both Gigi and Chilcoot show my cats painted in abstract color schemes to call greater attention to their personality and whimsy. Orpheus is colored realistically because he is such a beautiful blue, and so that all three pieces have a common, vibrant blue theme. I love my pets so much, which is why they are grouped together on the rightmost point of the spectrum.
I hope the audience experiences my emotions as they correlate to the spectrum, while recognizing their own feelings as they view the art.