I love them all - so at least someone's benefitting from your aporia.
The first, ~who is my master~ , has so many layers of symbolism. In Britain we have a phrase, "It's the tail wagging the dog" - and this drawing reminded me of that a lot. The head is turned backwards towards the tail as though looking for guidance, when really it should be looking forwards and leading. The creature is sat down; no movement is possible except the pointless distraction of the frantically wagging tail. All the energy is being directed to this activity. Also the head is grotesquely large, suggesting perhaps that there is maybe too much thinking and overanalysis...
In the fifth, ~Off it! Am I there yet?~, there are again the themes of confusion & lack of control. The Karno is not merely looking in multiple directions, but in fact appears to be more than one Karno. There is no sense of self-control, with the body positioned almost as though a marionette, and indeed this seems to be reinforced by the remote control...
In the fourth, ~Directions?~, we have many-coloured hands pointing in various directions. Each coloured hand can be seen to represent a different influence. The combination of colours and directions points to a wealth of possibilities, which is further magnified by variations in hand gestures. Moreover there is a lack of a coherent pattern in the directions that the hands point (e.g. they don't all point outwards from the centre as could easily have been done). This adds to the confusion; it is as if by following one direction you'll hit another influence and end up going round in pointless circles...
In the second, ~any minute now~, we see some play on the fairly commonplace "birth" motif; understandable for someone on a journey of self-discovery. The specifics make it interesting though. There is a very big difference between the cold claustrophobia of an egg, and the wide-ranging freedom that a bird symbolises. It is a very lonely picture, there are no other eggs or mother about. Nothing beside the hatchling and its egg. And yet the bird seems to be calling out and desperate to take flight towards its perceived golden future. The bird itself is black, which could represent various things, but combined together may suggest a poetic, artistic nature...
The third, ~feel~, is very, very ambiguous. Indeed, in its own way it's both haunting and taunting. Whereas the other pictures try to communicate and depict various aspects of the confused struggle, this one instead manifests them...
This is an independent project that I am currently working on, and it centre's around a personal problem or query I have always have had; that of my identity as a designer or an artist, or whether i am both, or possibly neither. The topic has always remained a question in my head, and I felt it imperative to be able to 'define' myself.
The project will entail me in conversing with the topic from different perspectives and also approaching and exploring it in different forms. This, in turn will 'hopefully' enable me to bring forth a clear and focused output.
I love them all - so at least someone's benefitting from your aporia.
ReplyDeleteThe first, ~who is my master~ , has so many layers of symbolism. In Britain we have a phrase, "It's the tail wagging the dog" - and this drawing reminded me of that a lot. The head is turned backwards towards the tail as though looking for guidance, when really it should be looking forwards and leading. The creature is sat down; no movement is possible except the pointless distraction of the frantically wagging tail. All the energy is being directed to this activity. Also the head is grotesquely large, suggesting perhaps that there is maybe too much thinking and overanalysis...
In the fifth, ~Off it! Am I there yet?~, there are again the themes of confusion & lack of control. The Karno is not merely looking in multiple directions, but in fact appears to be more than one Karno. There is no sense of self-control, with the body positioned almost as though a marionette, and indeed this seems to be reinforced by the remote control...
ReplyDeleteIn the fourth, ~Directions?~, we have many-coloured hands pointing in various directions. Each coloured hand can be seen to represent a different influence. The combination of colours and directions points to a wealth of possibilities, which is further magnified by variations in hand gestures. Moreover there is a lack of a coherent pattern in the directions that the hands point (e.g. they don't all point outwards from the centre as could easily have been done). This adds to the confusion; it is as if by following one direction you'll hit another influence and end up going round in pointless circles...
ReplyDeleteIn the second, ~any minute now~, we see some play on the fairly commonplace "birth" motif; understandable for someone on a journey of self-discovery. The specifics make it interesting though. There is a very big difference between the cold claustrophobia of an egg, and the wide-ranging freedom that a bird symbolises. It is a very lonely picture, there are no other eggs or mother about. Nothing beside the hatchling and its egg. And yet the bird seems to be calling out and desperate to take flight towards its perceived golden future. The bird itself is black, which could represent various things, but combined together may suggest a poetic, artistic nature...
ReplyDeleteThe third, ~feel~, is very, very ambiguous. Indeed, in its own way it's both haunting and taunting. Whereas the other pictures try to communicate and depict various aspects of the confused struggle, this one instead manifests them...
ReplyDelete