Sustained Investigation #2

Artist Statement

This is my second sustained investigation which is part of answering the question, “How can I create representations of parts of the human body using imagery/materials that reflect their purpose?” In this piece, I chose to paint an eye. I wanted to add diversity in the materials that I used for my sustained investigation, so for this painting, I chose a circular mirror for my surface. The qualities of the mirror are meant to be representative of the purpose of the human eye; to see something. Like the heart painting and inclusion of leaves in the lung drawing, this tied in with the reflection of the body part’s purpose as part of my theme.

The circular mirror was originally meant for an entirely different purpose, not at all related to 2D Design. A mirror/art piece I have in my room recently broke, so I ordered two sizes of circular mirrors to see which would fit better as a replacement. As soon as I opened the package and pulled out the mirror I was struck with the idea of incorporating one of them into my sustained investigation. I didn’t use anything special to adhere the acrylic paint on the mirror, it ended up sticking fine on its own If I scratched it, however, the paint would easily come off. This proved to be a good thing as it allowed me to put more detail into the piece and let the mirror show through more.

In this piece, I used elements of space in order to make the mirror show through, which was just as important to the meaning of the art as the painting itself. I also used color and line to make a somewhat realistic rendering of the human eye, and both elements contributed principles of contrast and emphasis (eyes always remind me of small explosions; everything blowing away from or maybe pointing to the middle). I experimented a bunch with how I wanted to make my brushstrokes on the mirror in order to make it look realistic. I tried many different brushes before settling on a very wide, bristly one. I also decided halfway through to get rid of the black part in the middle so more of the mirror would show through. If I were to expand on this project I might add more 3D elements around it.