Silk Screen
A Messy Home with Open Arms 91.44 cm x 91.44 cm Silkscreen October 2018 Exhibition Text: A Welcoming Home reveals the welcoming nature of Milwaukee, despite being a big city with flaws. The city of Milwaukee welcomes anyone and everyone, no matter what issues they have. Inspired by the works of Kara Walker, A Welcoming Home is based on my perception of Milwaukee being changed as it became more and more like a home to me.
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Meaning
My piece represents my interpretation of community, welcoming, but not perfect. When I first moved to Milwaukee from a much smaller city in Minnesota, I hated it with a passion. I didn't know no one here, and believed that the city was raved with violence. I saw it an obstacle to the so called "life without troubles" I wanted. At that time, I was unable to comprehend that such a world does not exist. I did not open my eyes to my city: I didn't walk outside and truly see things for myself. A few years later, my belief that I lived in a doomed, scary city had long subsided as I came to appreciate certain qualities of Milwaukee. I have met people who lived lives I couldn't imagine, seen cultures I didn't know existed, and overall saw a beautiful city with some rough patches. I saw a city that open its arms.
My piece represents my interpretation of community, welcoming, but not perfect. When I first moved to Milwaukee from a much smaller city in Minnesota, I hated it with a passion. I didn't know no one here, and believed that the city was raved with violence. I saw it an obstacle to the so called "life without troubles" I wanted. At that time, I was unable to comprehend that such a world does not exist. I did not open my eyes to my city: I didn't walk outside and truly see things for myself. A few years later, my belief that I lived in a doomed, scary city had long subsided as I came to appreciate certain qualities of Milwaukee. I have met people who lived lives I couldn't imagine, seen cultures I didn't know existed, and overall saw a beautiful city with some rough patches. I saw a city that open its arms.
Inspiration
Critical Investigation
At first, I did not know how to approach this project. The word, "community", seemed extremely vague. As I pondered the meaning of the word, I thought of what I considered to be my community. I considered my friends and immediate family members to be apart of my community. I also considered people of Milwaukee to be my community, since it seemed that we all lived on the same boat with the issues our city faces. So as I did my research, I knew I wanted an artist that expressed the social issues of a certain group.
The works I was inspired by were from Kara Walker. Walker is New York-based known to create silhouette pieces that based on social issues like race, sexuality, gender and violence (Sikkema Jenkins and Co. 2018). It is seen in her pieces that eccentrically horrific movements and gestures portrayed by the subjects represent that suffering the subjects face. Her piece, Slaughter of the Innocents, conveys the similarities between violence and injustice African slaves faced and the violence and injustice their descendants are now. The exaggerated gestures represent historic stereotypes about African Americans. In her other piece , Monomentality, it noted that her subject represent society as a whole. Given the racial issues that arose during presidential election in 2016, Walker projected the insanity of the political climate. Walker's contrasting use of black cut paper print on a white canvas exemplifies her belief that African Americans are subjected to discrimination, despite the change in society and culture. Albeit her pieces portray her community (society) as a ruthlessly violent force, I was inspired how she used clean, silhouette-like figures in her pieces. As I began brainstorming for this project, I wondered what it be like if I used silhouettes to portray society as a utopia, instead of Walker's dystopia. |
Walker Kara. Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something), 2017. Black cut print on a White canvas. Deste Foundation Project Space, Slaughterhouse, Hydra, Greece.
Walker Kara. Monomentality. 2016. Black cut print on a White canvas. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Ohio.
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Planning
Sketches
Stencil
For this project, I really wanted to use the Milwaukee concept for this background, but I didn't want to seem unoriginal. Among the three sketches for the stencils, I liked stencil #2 the best because it seemed the most realistic and silhouette like compared to sketches 1 and 3. I liked the concept of sketch 1, but I don't know how I am going to make that seem more like a silhouette. Sketch 3 seemed a little loosely drawn, which I didn't know to how to connect to Walker's piece.
Background
Among the three sketches for the stencils, I liked background #1 the angle the candle is drawn from seems so perfect like compared to sketches 2 and 3. I liked the concept of sketch 2, but I don't know how I am going to add a stencil on that. Sketch 3 seemed a little loosely drawn, which I didn't know to how to connect to Walker's piece.
Notes, Brainstorm, and Outline of Steps
Process/Techniques and Experimentation
Experimentation with Images
Once I decided use sketch #3 as a stencil, my younger brother helped take one more photo of me. (Lighting wasn't an issue as I knew that I didn't need it.) I had to keep in mind that I would have to draw on the paper-side of printing paper, and would flip it over in order to print on the plastic side with the silkscreen. (So thus, it would be reflected.) I also began taking photos of a candle in the exact angle of background sketch #1.
Experimentation of Photoshop
As I was attempting to work with this candle, I noticed last minute that the background is too dark for Tyvec, since the surrounding area was too dark for a stencil to be seen. So thus I had scrap the whole idea.
I instead thought about reusing the Milwaukee image Background from other MIAD IMAG(E)INE piece, but inverting it.
Given that the invert background of other piece was black, I thought about making it light gray instead.
After scanning the image, I used Quick Select, a photoshop tool I used how to use from the Digital Collage, to select and drag the Milwaukee image on to a black square I took a picture of. Then, I rotated the image as well as enlarged it. I selected the background, then to >Image >Adjustments >Replace Color. I replace the black background with a lighter gray. and the Milwaukee image layer, I managed to get Milwaukee background. After that, I made a copy of the Milwaukee layer, enlarged it, then I used the Opacity Tool, to turn it black and add a shadow to the Milwaukee background.
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STENCIL MAKING
After opening the picture up on photoshop, I used Quick Select, to select image one and then I move it to a black background. After that, I turned the image of myself white by selecting >Image >Adjustments >Hue and Saturation and increasing the lightnes. After that, I moved them onto a black background, which I then enlarged to exclude my hands/sleeves.
Final Stencil and Final Background
PRINTING AT MIAD
After taping the printing paper under the silkscreen, I used paint and a squeegee to spread the paint over the silkscreen onto the Tyvek. After reusing the same paint to print on the bottom left, I added a coral color over purple paint layer on top of it, in order to create a nicer color.
Final Product
Reflection & Critique
Compare
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Contrast
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When creating this piece, I was primarily inspired by Walker's piece use of silhouettes. Akin to a tree, my piece later branched out and grew with the help of my creativity and my message. I believe I did a terrific job with my use of Photoshop. In general, I am not so content on how my piece turned out but, I could say that I could sense the message after analyzing it. My use of adding a layer of paint top of the bottom left figure of my piece was a nice touch in adding balance into the piece. One part of my piece I could have improved on was the first print. I added way too much paint, making it oddly shaped as I attempted to remove some. After applying a layer of brown paint on the bottom left, and then applying a layer of yellow paint, make added a nice yellow to contrast the brown. A challenge I had while creating this project was that prior to being introduced to it, I have never used a silkscreen before. which clearly affect the brown print on the upper right corner of the piece.. Another challenge I had while was getting ideal pictures to use for the piece. (It took a lot of retakes to perfect the picture of self, which was to my brother's annoyance.) After patience was running low, so did the quality of pictures taken after that. (After evaluating the piece, I noticed the bad lighting did not negatively affect the piece, since I Quick Select it and lighten/darken it.) A success I had with this project was learning how to take screenshots of my process, which helped me record my process. Another success I had with this project was that the work that after evaluating it, I could sense the unity all the elements the portrait has. Overall, I believe this piece was better than my last piece is quality and visual attractiveness.
ACT Response Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?Walker's use of asymmetrical balance and silhouettes inspired me to include a welcoming gesture into my piece. My inspiration's lack of color inspired me to limit color on my piece as well.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author approached the topic in a biographic way, while explaining Walker's style and purpose.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that when people observe work from Walker they tend to not see the message her piece says about her perspective of today's society.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my research was to find a artist that could tell a story about their community without a defined figure.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Throughout my research I inferred that Walker's ancestry and her account of the racial tensions in U.S.'s history caused her to integrate abused figures into her piece.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author approached the topic in a biographic way, while explaining Walker's style and purpose.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that when people observe work from Walker they tend to not see the message her piece says about her perspective of today's society.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around my research was to find a artist that could tell a story about their community without a defined figure.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Throughout my research I inferred that Walker's ancestry and her account of the racial tensions in U.S.'s history caused her to integrate abused figures into her piece.
Bibliography
“Kara Walker.” Sikkema Jenkins & Co. , 2018, www.sikkemajenkinsco.com/kara-walker.
Walker, K. (2016). Monomentalility. [Black cut print on white canvas], retrieved from http://www.karawalkerstudio.com/2016/.
Walker K. (2017) Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something). [Black cut print on a white canvas], retrieved from
http://www.karawalkerstudio.com/2017/.
Walker, K. “Kara Walker Studio.” Kara Walker, Sikkema Jenkins & Company, 2018, www.karawalkerstudio.com/2018.
Walker, K. (2016). Monomentalility. [Black cut print on white canvas], retrieved from http://www.karawalkerstudio.com/2016/.
Walker K. (2017) Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something). [Black cut print on a white canvas], retrieved from
http://www.karawalkerstudio.com/2017/.
Walker, K. “Kara Walker Studio.” Kara Walker, Sikkema Jenkins & Company, 2018, www.karawalkerstudio.com/2018.