Though this week’s reading was short, it gave me a great deal to think about. The first section helped me understand my work better. The question, “How do you describe your work in a historical context,” and the three questions that come from that question being broken down “into three concentric circles,” (“First, describe the history of your own work; second, describe the events and circumstances during the time you were {and are} working; and third, identify the influential events in the history of your artistic field.”) are a great way to begin to look at my work more closely and more deeply.
My past work usually had to do with the figure and humans in some way. I have tried for so long to figure out why the human body captivates me. I just thought that maybe it was because it was the hardest thing to draw or paint or sculpt because we are the most familiar with it because it is us. That theory is part of the captivation, but I think that another part has to do with my issues I have always had with my body. It has to do with being comfortable in my height and weight because I have always been the bigger person in my friend group, and I was the tallest girl in my class since preschool. I think that I am trying to find the beauty in all figures, including my own.
The second question is answered in that I am constantly thinking about human bodies because of the contemporary movement to accept everyone’s body as being beautiful. I am trying to figure out how I fit into this world, both in a life purpose and in a physical existence.
With the third question, I’m not quite sure how to answer that one just yet, but I believe that with time I will not only be able to actually answer that question, but be able to answer all three questions better and with more clarity.
I have always, at least as far back as I can remember, been aware of the ideas brought up in the second section on frames and filters. Every adjective and adverb is relevant to the present time. I know that in my twenty-one years on the Earth, many words have changed meanings. Also, my mom and grandparents use some words in a way that is outdated compared to the contemporary usage of the words (unfortunately, I cannot think of any words fitting this). I think that as artists, we must always be aware of current frames and filters because viewers of our work will more than likely be up to date on the current frames and filters and could be confused and could erroneously perceive our work.
Savanna Eleanoire 