Hi all,
I’ve recently been working on some new pieces that are adjacent to the series Self Exploration. What started as a new piece for that collection slowly evolved into a new series I plan to continue to expand on. Let’s jump into what happened and how it informs my future works.
This first sketch defined the concept for the final piece. Mood applied with color and line quality are adjacent to previous works, but the departure begins with the use of words in the margins. Use of language is new to not only this series but also to my work, so its appearance as part of the piece lacks intentionality due to lack of experience in how to incorporate it. I felt that this work was elevated with language, but that in its current state text still has the potential to play a larger role.
The second sketch worked more at the subject and in elevating its presence on its own. This portrait is more realistic than its predecessor, with focus placed on the hair and how it lays. While not stand-alone as it was, this sketch was informative to the level of realism of the final piece. I ultimately chose to create a portrait in a similar degree of realism but in different aspects for the final piece. An example of this in the final piece is that I chose to make the jawline more accurate, but to loosen accuracy with the proportion of facial features in relation to one another. This choice accentuates the eyes of the portrait as properly conveying a sense of emptiness and a decreased sense of relatability to a doll-like face– all while still retaining a degree of recognizability to the subject.
The final piece is a happy marriage of the previous iterations, as all works considered “final” ought. “Trade-In” incorporates the message of the first and the aesthetics of both. Not only does it consider adjustments as described above, but also breaks a compromise between the monochrome second sketch and the muddied first. It retains a balance of clarity while also considering energy in line quality. The aforementioned clarity bears resemblance to Sketch 2 as well as “Sensibility,” which I discussed here.
In addition to bringing together both sketches, I also utilized a unique approach to medium in order to help address the issues with the text in Sketch 1. “Trade-In” consists of a drawing on paper that is digitally collaged with found text. This allows the portrait to employ the line work I enjoy from physical drawing while elevating the text. This found language better conveys a call-to-action and really drives in this unnatural way of describing a person. Contrasting the drawn, more personal portrait with cold, digital marketing language brings in a stronger sense of discomfort in its unsettled identity.
This new way of working excites me. I am able to bring a new element into the way that I create while maintaining my sense of self in my work. I am not sure yet if this will be a continued exploration in collage, but I am always happy to have discovered a new tool for expressing meaning through artwork. The future holds more work on this and similar concepts, and pushing them to reach their full potential.
Until next time,
Rebecca Lugo
Rebecca Lugo 