Art

Shelby Thornton "ALTERED|Nihil est ut Videtur "

My body of work is a culmination of works created to symbolize an idea. The second part of the title translates to, “Nothing is as it seems”. Preeminently due to my studies in philosophy, this has become a resonating thought for me, and I chose to explore this through visual mediums. The first part of the title “Altered” serves a dual purpose. My aim is to alter others’ perspectives; I also take things and/or images and alter them to express the idea that what you have come to believe or think you know may not be as you previously understood.

In the works can be found observable contemplations of many philosophical thoughts including: the concept of mind and consciousness, abstractions of personhood, notions of dissecting semantics, representational theory, the indivisibility of nature and machine and where mankind fits in, synchronicity, singularity, and discerning what one is made of and how that dictates one’s reality.

I began examining these concepts in the interest of seeking understanding or truth about the reality I am a part of. Rather than being provided the answers I sought, I discovered that truth and understanding were much more idiosyncratic and illusory than I formerly thought. What we are left with then is my work serving as visual representations through different mediums of the way that things are not always as they appear to be as well as the apparent subjective nature of reality itself. This is my reality. An autopsy inside my mind.

Isabelle Delplanche , "A Study in Different Artistic Mediums "

I conducted a study to analyze the effects of different mediums and processes. Four pieces were constructed, each employing a unique medium. The first piece was a still life done on white paper in pencil graphite, with a focus on figure ground relationships. The second piece was also a still life done on dark toned paper and utilized charcoal to focus on how manipulation of the medium relayed texture. The third work was a self-portrait done on blue-gray toned paper in black and white Conte crayons to highlight the conceptual differences between drawing from life and a photograph. The fourth piece was a still life tryptic done on white paper in pen and ink to understand how crosshatching informs surface and form. While different mediums were employed between the works, all conveyed the significance of the application of design principles to perceptual drawing.