Title: A Broken Home
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Inspiration:
Emily Carr:
I was inspired by Emily Carr use of line and shape to give a sense of urgency of deforestation, and implement it into my piece to give a sense of urgency on the tragedies that happened to the Hmong during the Secret War. Emily Carr's culture and main works was based off of the indigenous communities and how they were affected by deforestation and showing how their culture has changed. Moreover, being a expressionist artist, which uses emotions to evoke mood. This in Odds and ends of using textures and the moods of the colors being sorrow, to showcase the reality of what the world could succumb to which is the result in death of the environment. Implementing it into my work show the trauma and chaos that occurred as a result of the Secret War and the PSTD and inter-generational trauma of survivors of the Secret War. Similar use Carr's use of textures and movement to evoke a mood, by having sharp rough textures to make the audience shocked on what is occurring in the piece, and having the movement chaotic by the lines being contrast of short strokes and long strokes. |
Another inspiration was the Hmong clothes of Laos, speicifcally, Hmong of Luang Prabang of being one of the Hmong communities that was heavily affected by the Secret War. Also, Hmong immigrating to Luang Prabang to escape communism due to Luang Prabang district closer to Thailand and refugee camps. Additionally, incorporate the Hmong colors of black and blue which symbolizes the Hmong praying to the heavens for a good life. and have the symbol in my art to have the figure express the hardships and the want of going back to a home, however, is destroyed. Putting it in my own piece to symbolize wanting to go back to a home however, the home that was once knew is gone.
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Planning:
Firstly, I wanted to pick a color palette that suggest somber, yet a peaceful homeland, with the colors I picked were greens and dark blues. Additionally, I wanted the main figure to contrast, sticking with the plain black and blue Hmong clothes to have the same meaning of waiting for waiting for the heavens. I sketched out the background, having similar forms as Odds and Ends by Carr, however, incorporate destruction of a home to create shock on what is happening, similarly to Carr's background a deforested field to create shock. Then, I sketched out the main figure I wanted, having the clothes inspired by the Hmong of Luang Prabang, having the figure wear pants to symbolize how the Hmong left with nothing because in Hmong culture, white Hmong dresses were only worn on special occasions.
Proccess:
I started with a sketch, planning where I wanted each, using Emily Carr's Odds and Ends and my sketch from the planning as a guide. Then I went in with a light sketch, of the greens, and grays, blocking out the figures, and going in with a yellow from the yellow being the lightest. Afterwards, I went in with a harder pressure and less precision of the lines to create a sense of chaos, from the cultural inspiration of Carr's work, expressionism to have emotion and mood being created in the piece. Later, going in with a darker blue in the sky to give a somber mood, and greens with warmer tones to give a peaceful, homelike feel to it. Afterwards, going in with browns and reds to warm the green colors to emphasize this.
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Then, I went applied more pressure on the lines to add texture, and to bring out the greens and yellows more, and cleaning up the background. Doing this process again with the main figure of the Hmong outfit, however, leaving less texture to give a sense of contrast from the harsh texture of the background. Having the shirt black and having a lighter tone blue to give the sense of waiting for hope due to the meaning behind those colors of Hmong Clothes. Also, I wanted it a lighter blue to give the sense of a contrast, and a vessel of the past to symbolize the chaos and tragedies that the Hmong have faced.
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Experimentation:
I experimented on the different pressures and line strokes to create texture. With softer pressures being able to blend out easier with larger lines, and heavier pressure gives a more rough streaky textures with a finer line. Using this to contrast and add texture to the piece because I wanted to showcase the movement and chaos of the background to symbolize the trauma felt by the Hmong.
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Afterwards, I tried using the eraser to give a lighter color and add texture to the piece due to the work only having one rough streaky texture. Using the eraser to blend out lines and add highlights to give definition and depth into the illustration. This allowed me to refine the textures more and create depth better because of the highlights not as visible as the mid tones and shades.
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Reflection:
Overall, if I was to do this project again, I would of went in a lighter sketch for some areas and define where my shades and highlights are going to go because the work is highly textured. Moreover, blended more to give more contrast because the piece gives a chaotic sense than a peaceful homeland that was once known. Things I learned from this project was using the eraser to create texture rather than just the pencil, and how contrast can bring out depth. Additionally, how movement occurs in a piece, of having different strokes and having some strokes in unison to create movement around the whole piece rather than just in a specific area.
Compare & Contrast:
Contrast:
- In A Broken Home has the texture and movement to express the chaos and trauma felt by the Hmong after the Secret War. Contrasting from Odds and Ends by Emily Carr using movement and texture go showcase shock and express how destructive deforestation is. - In A Broken Home uses color to create a somber mood and symbolize wanting to go back to a homeland that doesn't exist. However, Carr uses color to suggest a shock of a peaceful forest destroyed. - In A Broken Home the theme is about wanting to go back to a Homeland that is destroyed, and the trauma caused by having to leave a home behind. While in Odds and Ends has a theme of urging people to see the affects and destruction of deforestation. - Carr uses larger short lines to create movement in the piece while in A Broken Home uses longer thin streaks to create movement in the piece. |
Compare:
- Similarities in Emily Carr's Odds and Ends and A Broken Home wants the audience to feel a sense of shock to see what is occurring in society. - Both use texture and movement to give a sense of restlessness and chaos to have urgency of people knowing about the theme of loss and destruction. - Both uses colors to symbolize a sense of peacefulness and somber moods to represent how destruction can affect a place, and how things don't always seem as they are told to be. - Carr's Odds and Ends and A Broken Home both uses thin streaky line and smoother, larger forms to add contrast to subject the main figures from the background. Moreover, emphasize on the figures to give a sense of urgency. |
ACT Questions:
1) Clearly explain and describe how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
The cause effect relationship between my inspiration and it's effect on my artwork is the use of texture and color between my inspiration and piece. With my artwork using texture and movement to give a sense of chaos and symbolize the trauma felt by the Hmong.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach regarding the author and topic of my inspiration is how texture and movement can affect how a piece can add shock and express emotions in the piece.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations I've made was the use of art of Carr's use of color and textures to create mood and meaning to a piece, because of Carr original inspiration of her own culture, being expressionism, and wanting to showcase how the forests don't look as it seems in paintings, and wanted to express through emotions of how deforestation affects the landscape.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspirational research was use of movement, color, and the texture involve inspired my research to showcase meaning behind an expressive piece.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Conclusions made while reading my research was Carr wanting to showcase the variation of what forest used to look like because of wanting to express the concerns of deforestation.
The cause effect relationship between my inspiration and it's effect on my artwork is the use of texture and color between my inspiration and piece. With my artwork using texture and movement to give a sense of chaos and symbolize the trauma felt by the Hmong.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
My overall approach regarding the author and topic of my inspiration is how texture and movement can affect how a piece can add shock and express emotions in the piece.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations I've made was the use of art of Carr's use of color and textures to create mood and meaning to a piece, because of Carr original inspiration of her own culture, being expressionism, and wanting to showcase how the forests don't look as it seems in paintings, and wanted to express through emotions of how deforestation affects the landscape.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspirational research was use of movement, color, and the texture involve inspired my research to showcase meaning behind an expressive piece.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
Conclusions made while reading my research was Carr wanting to showcase the variation of what forest used to look like because of wanting to express the concerns of deforestation.
Bibliography:
Art Canada Institute - Institut de l’art canadien. “Emily Carr.” Art Canada Institute - Institut De L'art Canadien, www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/emily-carr/style-and-technique.
Emily Carr. “Odds and Ends” 1939.
https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/emily-carr/style-and-technique.
“Expressionism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism.
“Paj Ntaub or Story Cloth.” Hmong Attire, https://www.hmongembroidery.org/hmongattire.html.
Vang, Pang Ter. YouTube, YouTube, 2 Jan. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/?gl=ES.
Emily Carr. “Odds and Ends” 1939.
https://www.aci-iac.ca/art-books/emily-carr/style-and-technique.
“Expressionism.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., www.britannica.com/art/Expressionism.
“Paj Ntaub or Story Cloth.” Hmong Attire, https://www.hmongembroidery.org/hmongattire.html.
Vang, Pang Ter. YouTube, YouTube, 2 Jan. 2021, https://www.youtube.com/?gl=ES.