Here is my graduation show for my BFA I did in fall 2008, I took a break from art once I graduated and am currently building new canvases to dive back in head first(made a few 3ftx5ft canvases, that's serious business). Hope you guys like these and look forward to showing off my new stuff.
There are a lot I left them pretty big so you can see the detail, even big there is a lot lost from the originals. If anyone would like detail shots just say so and I shall wrangle some up online.
This one is older than the BFA Graduation show. After making this one and getting such a great response in class and from students and professors not in the painting program i decided to pursue these creatures further, they started as just doodles in high school.
Titled "Hunt" used a lot of art history themes and composition ideas. at the time i was using feathers on the head as age/societal rank with the small guy in the front just having earned his first feather of "manhood age" and going on his first hunt.
graduating group show images
Overview of show set up.
This is one of the figures I cast in resin. I broke it up, "aged" it with tea and paint tore open Polaroids I had taken of some woods caves fields etc. Then I scraped various parts of the Polaroids away and painted in various states of fictional archeological digs/surveys. Making it as if this crude figure of one of my creatures was found in a dig site. The heart and brain inside the stomach refer to the motif in the two bigger paintings on the wall behind it.
This is a mask worn by tribes people that had once interacted with the creatures in the past but having lost contact over a long period of time the creatures have taken on a god like role in the tribes society. there are aspects of Hindu, African and Native American art in the mask. I don't seem to have a shot of the cloth hood covering the back of the mask that goes down over the neck/shoulders/back of the wearer. The feathers in the front are a sample of how the feathers were tied together and attached to the cloth. I found a book depicting methods of ornamentation of clothing in ancient Peru cultures and used that method as a guide.
Resin cast figures, the top one is by myself the rest are done by other artist in the show.
Titled "Power" idea of a bloodline of monarchs and the creatures eating the hearts of those before them to gain their ancestors power. Layout is inspired by the many B.P.R.D. and Hellboy comics laying around my bed room at all times. Helps provide a fuller story in one painting I think.
Titled "Knowledge" Same with power, eating the brains of the newly dead passes on their knowledge to younger generations.
Cannot remember title, I gave it to a professor who wanted it and don't have the title card. Deals with the idea of ancestors leaving crap for you to deal with. Expectations, reputations good or bad, promises, lies etc.
Titled "Portable Hope" By now you might have seen this flower a few times in the paintings. The flower for these creatures is the idea of achieving something great in your life. The flowers bloom being that one thing you live to produce and no other person can produce that one thing, your contribution to the world. This is exploring the concept of sod and how we carry nature to various places and force it to be there etc.
Ttitled "Teamwork: So You Never Have to Fight a Dragon Alone" corny inspirational poster title and this is a group of my little guys trying to save a friend and stop the dragon from attacking ever again. The two in the bottom just used a "cheerleader throw" to get the one guy in the air for the attack. Others look on in terror. The one in the mouth is dead, hence the spirit coming out. The "dragon" is just a giant bulky chameleon, i find that would be an awesome dragon. this particular dragon is named "Sky Biter" from the blue around his mouth. Spolier - this dragon doesn't die here, but does get hurt pretty bad.
Edited by redjarojam, 31 July 2011 - 06:14 AM.
