STUDIO ART

Graphite Drawing
Watercolor Painting
Watercolor & Colored Pencils

Hand-lettering/Calligraphy
Acrylic Painting
Resin, Sand, Plaster Molds

AP 2D ART & DESIGN

SUSTAINED INVESTIGATION PORTFOLIO

JUNE 2022 - JUNE 2023

In this portfolio, I explored the theme of, "How does the past relate to the present?" Through these artworks, I sought to articulate my perspective of the coming-of-age experience and the passage of time.

'RIGHT WHERE YOU LEFT ME'

Watercolor, Watercolor Pencils

In this first piece, I wanted to establish several motifs to use throughout the rest of the portfolio: contrasting past and present, cars, and torn edges.

The cars in color are from the 50s, while the black and white car is from the 30s. I used this to demonstrate the feeling of obsolescence, or being left behind while peers and the rest of the world continue to progress (shown by the motion in the Ferris wheel and rollercoaster).

'HOME'

Graphite

I wanted to challenge myself to draw hands, and it became a motif for control throughout the portfolio. In this piece, I am reaching through the closet of my current room to my childhood bedroom, symbolic of my desperation to return to the past- yet its ultimate inaccessibility.

The continuation of torn edges further carries on the idea of damage- the visceral tears of my skin represent how destructive looking back to the past can be.

As a child, I thought my closet was like a time travel machine that could transport me to different worlds. I wanted to incorporate that sense of childlike whimsy into the piece by including galaxies in the closet.

VISUAL JOURNAL/COLLAGE

Photographs, Baseball/National Geographic Magazine Clippings, Newspaper Articles

This was used to brainstorm ideas for future projects, intended to be read from the top left down.

I created a contrast between the past and future by juxtaposing images of nostalgia (retro real estate listings, neighborhoods, churches) with images of futurism (the moon landing, Petri dishes, planets, space).

I used different snippets of phrases/ sentences to piece together a narrative of a society bent on rapid progression ("a new era") that ignores all warnings ("things cannot keep going at this rate"). In its haste to evolve ("Go! Go! Tonight!"), it ultimately destroys itself ("Humanity in Memoriam").

UNTITLED

Sand, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencils, Acrylic, Plastic Sheets, Thread

This piece demonstrates my broken/flawed concept of time and my inadequate attempts to 'fix' it (represented by the red thread).

I wanted the sand to be freeform, a signal of my abandonment of the perception that time is only linear and only moves in one direction.

'REARVIEW'

Crackle Paste, Acrylic Paint, Watercolor, Watercolor Pencils, Gouache, Graphite

This piece alludes to the Biblical story of Lot's wife, who turned to look behind her as she fled from Sodom and Gomorrah, which were destroyed by fire.

I decided to mesh this allegory with driving, as that also involves turning around.

My current self, in the driver's seat, is petrified at having looked back at a younger version of myself, who burns brightly in hindsight.

The fuzzy clocks hanging from the rearview mirror correspond to the scenery in the back and side windows: the pastels are nostalgia, the browns and grays are hardship.

The ultimate message of this piece is that looking back on the past, through the lens of nostalgia and with the intent of escapism from the present, is detrimental.

'TETELESTAI'

Resin, Plaster, Acrylic Paint, Sand

In this concluding piece, the inquiry of the portfolio finds its resolution, or rather, the solution: God's sovereignty over time supersedes my struggle with the concept of it, as it's minuscule when put in cosmic perspective.

The hands, half translucent and half opaque, represent the duality of Christ's nature: His divinity and His humanity.

The sand is a continued motif of time's directionless passage. Unlike in an hourglass, it flows both upward and downward.

The red thread is tied to the ring finger of both hands to represent Christ's marriage to the Church. The thread is positioned on the 7, the number of completion in the Bible. This alludes to how Christ fulfilled the Law and prophecies through His sacrifice on the cross.

OPEN HOUSE EXHIBITION DISPLAY

Each of the AP Art students were given the opportunity to create our own displays that coordinated with the theme of our portfolio. I included key quotes, colors, and process photos to aid passing viewers in understanding the portfolio's meaning.

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