Sustained Investigation #2

Artist's Statement:

Jillian Wight

Medsker

AP Art and Design

21 October 2021

This piece was the second in a series that will explore how perception influences the concept of beauty. While my first work was a very flat exploration of the topic, I wanted this piece to be much more narrative-driven. I tried to illustrate a work that told a story, and I think this was effective! I used the skeleton to represent the purest form of humanness and created a sort of pit that the figure was falling into. On top of the skeleton, beauty products are falling to illustrate the manner in which we tend to bury ourselves behind the need to be beautiful. I drew a pool rim around the edge of the hole to tie the subject matter into the very country club, overly bright, lavish color scheme. This contributed to the general irony of the piece. I added faces peering into the pool to represent high society figures we would typically see as beautiful because they have all the ingredients. However, I illustrated them in a manner that was particularly unflattering to further my point. Finally, I incorporated some symbols into the patterns surrounding this scene. Apples, both full and sliced, relate to the complexities of femininity. Flowers further the irony of my work, and skeletons and ghosts are a constant variable throughout my pieces. They represent the fact that humanness exists beyond appearance.

I used Dual-Brush markers to color in large areas and create gradients. I used Blick fine-point pens to add detail and refine the piece. With white gel pen, I created vivid highlights that drew certain elements out of the background. With masking tape, I stuck on the old lady peering into the pool. I used colored pencil to emphasize the skeleton in the middle, and I used Sharpie pens to outline the piece and give it a comic-y feel that contrasted the deep subject matter.

For this piece of artwork, I went through much more planning than usual. This is because normally, my work is driven by my pattern, form, and color. However, this design had more of a narrative. I played around with placement a lot and made sure that the composition flowed in a way that effectively captured the viewer. In addition, there were numerous elements of the piece that were very difficult. Specifically, the optical-illusion type hole proved challenging, and I had to erase and restart it many times. I also restarted the old lady who peers into the pool, by redrawing the figure on a separate page and then using it as a sort of sticker. I think that what I learned from the piece is that I need to work a little smaller and focus on one large subject as a way to better convey my messages.

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