Artwork: Screen Printing
Hydrangea
Screen Print on paper
Size: 15cm x 20cm
October 2018
Size: 15cm x 20cm
October 2018
Exhibition Text
"Hydrangea" is a screen printed artwork named after a flower that symbolizes emotion and understanding. The piece was inspired by Octavio Ocampo and his surreal optical illusions,“Mouth of Flower” and “Ecstasy of the Lilies”. Hydrangea reveals feelings that one stores inside when it's too difficult to talk about while showing both an arrangement of plants and a sad face.
Process
I knew that the theme that I wanted to portray was the feelings that one stores inside. At times it could be difficult to talk about things, and so I wanted to show this feeling through a print.
Sketches
The first sketch that I created is of a girl who has buried her head in her arms. The idea was to have her not show her face which would create a sense of mystery. The plan was to have a longer print. This would extend to the right side revealing a puddle of water that is going down the drain. At the end one would find out that she is suffering, although one can not see this in the front.
|
Creating the Optical Illusion
As I began to plan out how to create an illusion I came upon the idea of creating a sketch that I could just go over with tracing paper. I sketched out a person with tears in their eyes on parchment paper and then with another piece I began to sketch flowers that outlined those features. The first time I did this, I was not liking how I had arranged the plants and so I began to trace on a separate sheet. I placed the parchment sheet on top and taped the paper down on a flat surface. I first began by figuring out how to create the eyes. I drew leaves on top of the figure and began to add flowers to different areas so that they would outline the facial features and hair. When finished, I got another piece of parchment paper and put that over my final sketch. I traced once again, but this time I traced with a permanent marker.
As I began to plan out how to create an illusion I came upon the idea of creating a sketch that I could just go over with tracing paper. I sketched out a person with tears in their eyes on parchment paper and then with another piece I began to sketch flowers that outlined those features. The first time I did this, I was not liking how I had arranged the plants and so I began to trace on a separate sheet. I placed the parchment sheet on top and taped the paper down on a flat surface. I first began by figuring out how to create the eyes. I drew leaves on top of the figure and began to add flowers to different areas so that they would outline the facial features and hair. When finished, I got another piece of parchment paper and put that over my final sketch. I traced once again, but this time I traced with a permanent marker.
Cutting out the Final Sketch I had two outlines created so that I could cut into one and keep the other as reference. If anything happened I would be able to sketch the piece once more. I began cutting with an x-acto knife around the plants, adding thin and thick lines to distinguish the flowers from the leaves. In order to create my print I had to make sure to leave the paper that was cut out attached in some kind of way so that I could successfully create a print. In order to do this there were many instances in where I has to cut dashed lines. This was done to keep the paper attached but still have a clear outline of the plants. In the process of doing this I cut out more than I originally planned to do. To fix this area I ended up retracing the eye area and then cutting out around that and taping it on top of the other paper. I then cut that area once again. The same process was followed throughout the entire piece until it came to an end. |
Experimentation
Because this was my first time doing screen printing I was a bit nervous about what I was doing. To test out this process I sketched out things that I saw around me. I ended up sketching a giraffe that I saw in a pencil pouch. I then cut out the design and began to create prints on cut out cloth from old t-shirts. The first prints came out decently but as I kept on printing more and more the parchment paper began to get more and more wet. This not only made the fabric paint go through the paper but it also kept wrinkling around the edges. In order for this not to happen with my design, I decided that I would create the print by using palette paper and screen printing ink. |
Making a Print
Before creating my print I decided to tape together three boxes of snacks. Lacking the screen printing squeegee I decided to create my own. I flattened out the three pieces of cardboard and then aligned them together. I then used a gray duct tape and sealed the entire box. Not only did it feel sturdy, but the tape made the boxes feel rubbery and smooth. This would help me get the ink through much easier and faster.
Before creating my print I decided to tape together three boxes of snacks. Lacking the screen printing squeegee I decided to create my own. I flattened out the three pieces of cardboard and then aligned them together. I then used a gray duct tape and sealed the entire box. Not only did it feel sturdy, but the tape made the boxes feel rubbery and smooth. This would help me get the ink through much easier and faster.
The next step involved taping my cut out design on to the screens with masking tape. I centered my design and then taped around the edges. This was done to prevent the ink from spreading on places that were not meant to be printed over. I finally began to print my design on paper and a piece of leftover cloth. The design only lasted so long before it began to wrinkle and go through the paper. At the end of my process I ended up creating four prints on paper and one print on cloth.
Research/ Artistic Inspiration
Octavio Ocampo
The artist I was greatly inspired by is Octavio Ocampo, a famous Mexican painter. Octavio Ocampo grew up in a family of designers, making him more interested in creating art. He began by constructing paper mache figures and later on began to create paintings. His unique style involves creating surreal paintings that are also optical illusions. His paintings often show a person created out of other elements which are revealed when paid close attention to. I was inspired by his surreal works, “Mouth of Flower” and “Ecstasy of the Lilies”. Both works show women's faces created by the placement of plants. Similar to his work I would like to have plants create a face that depicts my theme. Although my piece might be very obvious, I would like to show plants that reveal more than just flowers and leaves. I would like to create a similar outline to that of Octavio Ocampos' work. I plan on creating the face completely by using flowers and leaves while centering my figure just like in "Ecstasy of the Lilies". Another thing that is seen in that piece is the thin lines on the flower petals. They not only show movement but they help shape the flower. Because my artwork will be a print, I would like to include these thin lines to differentiate each of the plants while also adding movement to them. In the other hand, "Mouth of Flower" is a much simpler work. It reveals the face of a woman but with the simple use of a few amount of plants and a butterfly. My artwork will consist of the use of flowers similar to that used in "Mouth of Flower". Not only will I incorporate the same style of plants, but I will add the butterfly to complete my piece.
Reflection
"Hydrangea" was a successful project. Working with a new medium was interesting and full of learning but I was able to manage to make a piece that I liked. My piece has a bit of a surreal look similar to Octavio Ocampos' work as well as elements and principles of art. Just like "Ecstasy of the Lilies", my piece is centered to bring the focus to the face but also shows space in the outside just like "Mouth of Flower". I can also see that Octavios use of lines and shape helped develop my idea. The flowers that I included have a similar shape and use of line to that of his work. The lines not only varied in size but their directions also helped create the look of the flowers. One of the most obvious parts that I included was the same plants he used. The leaves, flowers, and butterfly were all similar to that of "Mouth of Flower". The flowers that were added were all mostly similar, while the one in the center was kept the same to help resemble the lips. In addition, the surreal optical illusion can be seen in all three pieces. They are each composed of some kind of plant which reveals a person. Although my artwork resembles the pieces made by Ocampo, I wish I would have done more with the medium. If I were to recreate this I would consider being a bit more detailed, which would mean I would have to take more time cutting and designing the outline or considering changing the medium. I notice that Ocampos work is very colorful and I would like to consider using more hues in my piece next time.
Meaning
"Hydrangea" was created with the intention of highlighting the feelings that I experienced at the time of my godfathers death. Not too long ago, my godfather died and it was the very first time I had felt very upset. I recall feeling distress and regret severely while I refused to accept any kind of affection. I would purposely push those who tried hugging me and stiffened up when I was unable to get away from them. The refusal of affection and strong feeling of sorrow have been in my head for a while, and so I created a piece that will hopefully get all of my feelings out. The piece that I created was purposely done as an optical illusion to show the hidden feelings inside of someone. The arrangement of plants depicts the feeling of peacefulness. A flower is centered bringing the focus to that area, yet when you look closer you realize that there is a person with watery eyes. The person symbolizes the feelings that a person might store inside of them. Lastly, the print is made out of black ink to depict more of a sad scenario and was named after a flower that symbolizes understanding and emotion.
Connection to ACT
1. Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
I can clearly see the cause and effect relationship in my work and Octavio Ocampo's work because he served as inspiration for the creation of the surreal optical illusion made with plants in my art.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my inspiration wrote about Octavio Ocampo to show others about this famous Mexican painter. The website has lots of his work and a biography in where readers get to see what his reasons were for creating his artwork.
3.What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my inspiration I have learned that there is more to what you see artwork. Many times we look at an artwork but never stop to think about the process nor the theme. I have come to realize in Ocampos work that one should always consider looking closer into the work, for it can uncover many things.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration is to create surreal artwork that are optical illusions. Ocampo is fond of making art that makes you look twice, making this his theme in his artwork.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I inferenced that Ocampo creates work that makes people look twice to get an idea across. This is his way of saying "read between the lines" but in a visual way.
I can clearly see the cause and effect relationship in my work and Octavio Ocampo's work because he served as inspiration for the creation of the surreal optical illusion made with plants in my art.
2. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The author of my inspiration wrote about Octavio Ocampo to show others about this famous Mexican painter. The website has lots of his work and a biography in where readers get to see what his reasons were for creating his artwork.
3.What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
While researching my inspiration I have learned that there is more to what you see artwork. Many times we look at an artwork but never stop to think about the process nor the theme. I have come to realize in Ocampos work that one should always consider looking closer into the work, for it can uncover many things.
4. What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central idea of my inspiration is to create surreal artwork that are optical illusions. Ocampo is fond of making art that makes you look twice, making this his theme in his artwork.
5. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
While reading my research, I inferenced that Ocampo creates work that makes people look twice to get an idea across. This is his way of saying "read between the lines" but in a visual way.
Resources
- Potts, James. “Ecstasy of the Lilies, by Octavio Ocampo.” Visions Fine Art Gallery - Sedona Arizona - Ecstasy of the Lilies, by Octavio Ocampo, Visions Fine Art, 2016, visionsfineart.com/ocampo/ecstasy_of_the_lillies.html.
- Potts, James. “Mouth of Flower, by Octavio Ocampo.” Visions Fine Art Gallery - Sedona Arizona - Mouth of Flower, by Octavio Ocampo, Visions Fine Art , 2016, visionsfineart.com/ocampo/mouth_of_flower.html.
- Potts, James. “Octavio Ocampo.” Visions Fine Art Gallery - Sedona Arizona - Octavio Ocampo, Visions Fine Art , 2016, www.visionsfineart.com/ocampo/bio/bio.html.
- “Octavio Ocampo Art Prints Available at Gallery4Collectors.Com.” Gallery4Collectors.Com, Gallery4Collectors.Com, 2018, gallery4collectors.com/collections/octavio-ocampo.