Art GCSE Exam Lara G 2020 -2

Exam Work - Event - Y11 Unfortunately due to corona virus and quarantine, my sketchbook of work and ďŹ nal piece did not go according to my previous plan, however, I tried to make it work the best I could in the strange conditions.

Statement of intent - run up to the exam, explanation of my sketchbook In the run up to my final exam I produced a sketchbook of work exploring the theme of event; collecting and finalising my ideas initially, through techniques such as mind mapping, looking at the meaning and significance of “event” to both our society and to myself individually, initially with particular focus on, “non-events” and personal events, or the significance of events to individuals and one’s identity. I then further explored these themes through the medium of photography. My photos divide into three main subcategories, taken at separate times. The initial photos focused on the non-event, trying to understand and capture the movement and lives of people in their day to day, between events, both as a group and as individuals, and looking at the significance of this time in between the events of our lives, the time we forget and potentially dismiss as wasted or unimportant, and the role this plays in our identity. In my second photography study, I looked at subjects who I was familiar with, once again in the space of the non-event (e.g. waiting for a bus), I wanted to display an appreciation for this time and its beauty; despite not being filled with an event, this time is significant and shouldn’t be dismissed or avoided. And finally, the final study looked at an alternative theme, looking more intimately at a subject who I am close to and seeing how I could work with these photos, which I would finally use in a digital design.

I then further explored the theme of event by gaining inspiration from galleries and artists, and finally settling on the work of an artist that I had not seen in any of the galleries I visited, Botticelli. I explored the meaning and significance, in its ability to tell a story, that is paired with the beauty of botticelli’s pieces, as I explored and deepened my own idea. I further explored my idea through the use of experimentation with media. I drew and painted (pen and pencil drawings, using a range of different styles and techniques, ink, quink and bleach paintings, and finally oil painting) some of the photos I had taken, to get a feel of my potential subjects and to decide on a medium I wanted to explore for my final piece.

Statement of intent For my final piece I looked at the idea that, “We are the condensation of events into a being”.

Everything we are we once were, or someone else once was.

When looking into ourselves and deciding what or who we are, some answers or steps forward can be found in the events we’ve experienced or lived through, shared events can create similarities and connections between people, but despite the shared outward experience we can all react and respond differently to these events.

Things as simple as, when you were little and you hurt yourself in a certain way, after that you would slowly learn not to repeat the actions as a result of your experience of the event, similarly this can also work for positive and more complex events and reactions.

In my piece I wanted to explore the idea that we are largely built up of the reactions, responses and memories of the events we’ve experienced, whether that be first hand or otherwise. To create a visual representation of this condensation, sum or concentrated mass of reaction, I chose a subject who I knew well, Isla, who I’ve known all my life and maintained a close friendship with, as well as both of our families, we have a lot of shared events and quite similar childhoods, as well as an understanding of the potential differences. I believe my closeness to the subject will allow me to uncover a raw intimacy with the subject that the viewer of the piece will receive.

I created a composition of the main photo taken recently for the purpose of the piece, and a collection from regular intervals of Isla over the past few years, despite these photos holding little to no significance to the viewer, they give them, an insight into Isla and her life through a visual representation of some of her events and memories, allowing the viewer to feel a closeness as though they are familiar with the subject but with a barrier created by the fact that they have never met her.

Statement of intent I decided to work in oil paints, I wanted to capture both a beauty and serenity in my piece, paired with an intimacy and closeness.

Looking at the significance and importance of the events of our past, both those that become memories and those that are forgotten, that change us and shape our identities. I wanted the piece to tell a story, on different levels depending on who is viewing the piece; to the subject the piece acts as a way for her to connect to the freeze frames of her memories shown, filling in both the context and how she felt at the time. To those close to and familiar with the subject the piece acts as an insight into some of fragments of her life, both shown visually and mirrored in the painting of her. To those unfamiliar with the subject, the piece allows them to connect with the subject without every really knowing them, welcomed into elements of their life and shown a story deeper than just her appearance, and hence given a deeper understanding of who she is, despite not knowing the context and meaning to each of these fragments of memory. The photo I painted from shows a warm captivating lighting dappled over the subjects face from the shadows of the trees behind and above her. The face is almost separated in two, by shadow. On the one side (the left) the tones in the skin are cooler, and warmer on the other (the right). This offered both an eye catching feature to the composition of the piece and linked to the events both good and bad (warm and cool) that go into making up our personalities, and therefore creating a continuity between the photo display on her shoulders, and her face and head above, visually showing how these events go into the making of our identities.

Each of the small photos, despite not actually showing the event shows the response of Isla at the time, placing the significance on the human response and reaction to an event and leading to the overall picture of how this shapes a person, the final image. Each of the photos of Isla show a fleeting expression, a thought or feeling captured in each photo only truly accessible to Isla, creating a personal feel and intimacy to the piece, in its special connection to the subject. The piece also acts in homage to our friendship and shared events, and as a result the way we’ve shaped one another into the people we are today.

My Event Final Piece Although the piece was not quite how I had planned, prior to the pandemic, I am happy with it, and think it was a reasonably successful piece, unfortunately the photos are not the best.

Event - initial mind map

Event mind map 2 more focused

Photogra phy study 1

Photo pages extended

Photo pages extended pt2

Photo pages 2

Photo pages 2, pt2

Favourite Photos - in depth analysis

Favourite Photos - in depth analysis

Favourite Photos in depth analysis

Gallery page Fitzwilliam feast and fast

Gallery page -

Gallery page -

Gallery page -

Gallery page -

Drawing responses and experiment ation

Drawing responses and experiment ation

Drawing responses and experiment ation

Drawing responses and experiment ation

Drawing responses and experiment ation

Painting sample and digital design

Artist Research Unfortunately I had to do this page digitally, as it was during quarantine and I could not print the images at home.

Plan Due to the fact that I could not print at home and my painting sample was at school, I had to digitally combine these images to create the composition and plan I wanted on these pages, in reality the oil paint sample is A4, and so I have put it on an earlier page larger as well.