CAVA1001 Final Project - Quynh Huong Doan - 510605276
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Final Project
1. Artists Research
CAVA1001 - QUYNH HUONG (EVELYN) DOAN
a) Imants Tillers:
Signature: collage of multiple boards of canvas to explore themes relevant to contemporary culture
(migration, displacement, diaspora or place, locality, and evocations of landscape).
Mixed materials: layers of imagery and text drawn from a great many sources of influence and
inspiration, including other artists' work.
IMANTS TILLERS JOURNEY TO NOWHERE, 2017, FROM THE SERIES IN NORMAL TIMES, ACRYLIC,
GOUACHE ON 90 CANVAS BOARDS, NO. 98522 - 98611, 226 X 353.5
IMANTS TILLERS THE SIEGE, 2019; SYNTHETIC POLYMER PAINT,
GOUACHE ON 54 CANVAS BOARDS, NO. 108714-108767; 227 X 212 CM
b) Anselm Kiefer:
Signature: used a number of mixed media such as ash, clay, straw, shellac, and lead in artworks to tackle
the notions of the troublesome past
Large in scale
Includes names and signatures of historically important people. These encoded sigils of legendary
characters and historical places help Kiefer deal with the past and connect him with the movements of
New Symbolism and Neo-Expressionism.
ANSELM KIEFER AURORA, 2015–17, OIL, EMULSION, ACRYLIC, SHELLAC, AND SEDIMENT OF AN
ELECTROLYSIS ON CANVAS, 280 × 380 × 9 CM
ANSELM KIEFER BALDER'S TRÄUME (BALDER’S DREAMS), 1982, OIL,
ACRYLIC, EMULSION, STRAW, AND PHOTO ON CANVAS, 274 X 376 CM
2. Marterial Experiments
a) Colours & Painting Techniques
b) Impressionism & Wash
c) Surrealism
3. Initial Artwork Planning
4. Final Artwork Planning
Theme: While you were sleeping. Inspired by Anselm Kiefer "Aurora"
Kiefer’s style falls under the classification of neo-expressionism. Kiefer belongs to a generation of postwar
German artists for whom recent history, was a nightmare to escape. That's why his artworks are often
found in abstract, spiritual influences drawn from mythology and theology, as well as culture’s dark past,
and incorporating names of either influential historical people or places as sigils.
About "Aurora", what really impressed me is the dried, messy brush stroke, no direction, and a mixture of
colours that create the sign of the time. It's messy and looks like a dirty old oxidized piece of metal that
has been abandoned for years. A touch and reflection of time and history, as well as a question of memory
and heritage ( What Anselm had always been pursuing in his art life).
ANSELM KIEFER AURORA, 2015–17, OIL, EMULSION, ACRYLIC, SHELLAC, AND SEDIMENT OF AN ELECTROLYSIS ON CANVAS,
280 × 380 × 9 CM
5. Idea Forming
This idea came across while I was trying to explore the
"Past and Present" theme but unfortunately, I could not find
the appropriate techniques to work on it. So, I randomly
mixed some colours and randomly added some dried
flowers to it. The mixture reminds me of something
dreamy, and fanciful like a flower garden in fairytales but
also a mystery, inexplicable and potentially dangerous. An
example of that feeling is the scene when Aurora is sleeping
in "Sleeping Beauty". That’s how the idea was formed.
6. Reflection of Surrealism
a) Reflection
Robert makes use of everyday materials
including electric light, a mirror, a flattened
umbrella, a t-shirt and reproductions of wellknown
artworks. He also incorporated
newspapers, magazines and comic books in
the centre and left-hand panels. The aim of
this artwork is to bridge the gap between life
and art. “I don’t want a painting to look like
something it isn’t, I want it to look like
something it is.” - Robert Rauschenberg
ROBERT RAUSCHENBERG, CHARLENE, 1954, OIL, CHARCOAL, PRINTED REPRODUCTIONS,
NEWSPAPER, WOOD, PLASTIC MIRROR, MEN’S UNDERSHIRT, UMBRELLA, LACE, RIBBONS, FABRICS,
AND METAL ON HOMASOTE MOUNTED ON WOOD, WITH ELECTRIC LIGHT, 89 × 112 × 3 1/2".
b) What I'm going to do with the mixed materials:
Pictures of the old castle represent darkness and Flowers from the garden. The garden will be overwhelmed by
the darkness while the human subject was sleeping. A combination of beautiful danger
The use of flowers, along with pastel colours will create the most realistic impression of a fairy tale garden
(which is something unreal). The dark colour will be a layer on top, representing the invasion of the dark. Dry
brush stroke and messy mixture using a palette knife will bring the sign of time (old, abandoned and potentially
dangerous)
c) Explore the idea: What could possibly happen with the
world while you are asleep?
The world is rapidly changing and no one, not even you
would know, tomorrow when you wake up, how is it gonna
be. Every day you wake up with a question: "How's the world
today?" and "What if it has changed during your sleep"? Then,
HOW?
d) Techniques I'm planning to use in this artwork:
Wet on wet
Dry brush
Palette knife
Details
Splattering
7. Documenting my Artwork as it Evolves
a) First attempt
b) Second attempt
8. Finished Artwork
EVELYN, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, 2022, OIL, FLOWERS AND PHOTOS
ON CANVAS, 50 X 50 CM
9. Artist Statement
EVELYN, WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING, 2022, OIL, FLOWERS AND PHOTOS ON
CANVAS, 50 X 50 CM
While you were asleep delves into the
world's uncertainties and potential
peril. I was interested in recording
this notion through a subjective
experiment based on how the
environment around us has changed
in a short period of time (Same place
- different time - different things) and
imagination (What if it's not a good
change?). When we're immersed in
wonderful dreams and imagination,
darkness may have taken over our
world, and when we're awake enough
to notice, the beautiful world is now
only an abandoned memory. So be
cautious. I attempted to employ a
range of resources, including
photographs and actual flowers, in
order to create the most ridiculously
realistic dreamlike setting possible
inside my artwork.
Dark colours are layered on top, indicating the dark's invasion. The symbol of time is created with a dry brush
stroke and a sloppy combination with a palette knife (old, abandoned and potentially dangerous).
Anselm Kiefer and Robert Rauschenberg influenced the concept of possible peril. Kiefer's paintings are a
reflection of his traumatic postwar personal experience, which has haunted him his whole life. Despite the fact
that his artworks are viewed as the product of a complicated, obsessive man, inclined to draw connections that
may appear flimsy to the rest of us, the exceptionally rich raw material is the star of his art, given it to be his
signature and the highly unusual material choice. Spiritual elements pulled from mythology and theology, as well
as culture's tragic past, may be seen in his artwork. Aurora inspired me to investigate the concept of the dark
realm. I discovered the usage of mixed media through Robert Rauschenberg, who uses uncommon art materials
to communicate his objective of bridging the gap between art and real life. The use of mixed media, such as
photography or flowers, is the most obvious impact of Rauschenberg on my work. This allows me to be creative
and construct the background environment that I desired.
10. Reflection
I believe I was quite successful in accomplishing my intentions because the symbols used in my work were
carefully considered in relation to my goal, such as the harmonious combination of photograph with the rest of
the artwork by layering acrylic colour on top or the use of dry brush stroke and messy acrylic mixture to
achieve the sign of the time. The difficulties I had were in blending colours and layering to get the overall depth
and harmony of the image. This was quite difficult at first, and I actually failed once when attempting to blend the
colours together. But as I worked on my project, I realised that it could be corrected by dividing the artwork into
sections and layering the colours in the correct order to achieve my goal. I believe that using acrylic layering
over other mixed media on canvas was a sensible decision, and I am typically pleased with my artwork. I will
certainly attempt to employ these strategies in the future.