Time & Motion

 

The multiple arms imply movement, but it is unclear whether the body is meant to be turning to the left or right, front or back, only that it is in some restless motion. However, the legs are kneeling, grounded. The head is twisted, looking back, seeming to be able only to stare at the figure that embraces it. This creates a tension between the parts of the body, implied motion and implied stasis both existing at once. The patterns on the arms, hair, and the lines that make up the figure unite the composition, suggesting that though they are discrete, the touch and connection between the person and the spirit that embraces it make each tangible.

The colors of this piece are based off of the secondary colors purple, orange, and green, while the blue that creates the lines and patterns on the figure’s body are blue, a color that breaks the color scheme and enhances the brightness of the tangerine background and raw purple-pink skin. Everything is enhanced; color, sensation, and movement overtakes the image.

Modularity, Grid, Pattern

 

Here, my focus was creating organic, loose shapes that were confined to a non-organic very linear area. I wanted to maintain the shape of the square using shapes without harsh angles. I’m continuing the hand motif from a previous work, as well as the winding lines I’ve used to represent bodies of figures in previous work. In addition, the lines resemble coiled intestines, as though organs have been pressed into some type of block form, or perhaps grown naturally into some chamber shaped in such a way. 

Diagram

 

Taking inspiration from traditional squash blossom necklaces, this is a representation of the jewelry that focuses on how the forms of the necklace bunch together. I designed this as an idea for body paint or other adornment on the chest where the squash blossom would sit. I took into account the structure of the body and how I feel emotion dwells in my own body and how to best represent it using a mostly continuous form. I really enjoyed this idea, so I used a previous work as reference to design another body adornment.

This body ornament represents how warmth feels on my body, especially sunlight. It pools near the center of my chest, pouring down from my shoulders. 

These figures are based off of figures in sand paintings, as well as certain petroglyphs that are more ancient. 

Layers & Transparency

 

I used multiple elements of transparency to achieve different effects in this piece. I used stippling with ink in addition to watercolor itself as a medium, which lends itself to transparent techniques. The background employs flat, opaque shapes in order to further differentiate the figure in the foreground. I was also inspired by the text, which mentions the creation of layers in printmaking via the use of precisely aligned layers. The red and green at the edges are meant to look like these layers, were they to deviate slightly in the forming of a shape and the edges made unclear. In addition, the effect of the watercolor washes makes the main figure appear translucent, the red of blood showing through and a blue-green pattern sweeping through the skin, a color reminiscent of the veins visible on the hands and arms.

Framing, Hierarchy

 

The sequence of the hand suggests movement and their position, surrounding the central figure, places importance on this central figure as well as creating depth. The round frame compliments the arc of the hands and is visually similar to a mirror, or a window; suggesting both at once separation and reflection. It creates “new meaning and emphasis”; capturing tension between the central figure and the surrounding hands past the inherent relationship implied by hands reaching and grasping for something. Within the figure, there is also a second profile, created by dark areas within the hair. It’s a slight resemblance, but next to the central figure’s profile, the human figure which the human eye naturally searches for is obvious. In addition, the red marks near the middle resemble blood, but, are instead simply clusters of shapes that create the red streak. The hands, figure, and seeming rivulets of blood have no actual contact yet tell a story via implication.

Gestalt Principles

 

The figure’s yellow hands are meant to reference a Navajo story, in which Coyote steals Water Baby, the child of Water Monster. The attribute that sets this baby apart are its yellow hands, which reach out from the bundle in which it is hidden. This is a concept that I came up with in senior year of high school, so I used a reference image of my own face at the time to get closer to the emotion and physical state that inspired this composition. I chose to have the hands cover the eyes in order to further emphasize the separateness of the figure from humanity, being the child of a monster, and fundamentally inhuman. On page 1132, blocking or removing the eyes is noted as creating emotional tension. The white background is further indication of the alienation of the figure, with the faint purple shadow of hair even further blurring the lines between face and yawing empty background.

Rhythm and Balance, Texture

 

For this piece, I thought about what textures represent in our society, and how they demarcate not just the physical, but also the social. Through history, certain fabrics, patterns, and textiles have served as physical signifiers of class. A particularly evocative texture that I considered was the bus seat. I wanted to convey a “physical presence,” as is described by Lupton, and this is one that stands out to me, as I’m often lost in these patterns as I ride the train into Denver at home (790). The patterns designed to hide stains and the tacky-manmade texture are synonymous with public transit. 

 

In examining Navajo art, I also observe where art fills the gaps around me, and wonder what it would be like if those small physical experiences of being in public were to be made “indigenous” or “decolonised”, and how it would affect our lives down to the smallest details. I designed this as a bus seat pattern for what I imagine textiles in indigenous public transit could look like. The figures and colors take design cues from both bus seat textile, natural pigments used in Navajo dyeing, and sand paintings. The figures are meant to mirror in diversity and magnitude the people who use public transit and how they all mingle in harmony. The variety of figures also offers a “reward” to the viewer upon closer inspection, and I imagine any unoccupied transit-goer could inspect these patterns to relieve boredom. The busy pattern and fuzzy texture I added are meant to mimic the sensation of bus seats. In a decolonized world, I imagine public transit would be far more widely available, free, and connect people to each other.