FMP Evaluation

I began this project with the task of creating 63 squares (based off the famous 800 year old document; the Magna Carta).

For my 63 squares, I was asked to use them as a miniature sketchbook to showcase the evolution of my ideas of freedom up to my final piece. My squares mainly featured pieces of art that depicted mental health and how people suffering from poor mental health viewed themselves and the world around them, as well as quotes that could inspire people to change their life style for the better and take up new hobbies/ pursue their interests in an attempt to better themselves. For example, I  wanted to include images about travel because travelling and finding new hobbies are things that I enjoy and help me to relax mentally. I chose simplistic images/ quotes because giving a message doesn't always have to be complicated, and simplicity works better for some people.

 The topic of mental health is something that I personally find important, and is my ideal idea of freedom and what it means. Therefore, I chose to focus more on a topic that is more relevant to me as an artist and as a person. This made it easier for me to produce work based on it, as I understand it and felt comfortable researching and expressing myself through my art. I presented this idea through using different colour schemes to reflect the different sides of how people with varying degrees of mental health perceive the world and themselves. For example, I created squares with more colour to show that not everyone who is suffering is hollow and empty. And not everybody is suffering. To contrast this, I created squares with darker colour schemes to represent the darker side of mental health issues and how not everybody sees the bright side of themselves all the time or are unable to because their mind is holding them back and blinding them.
This topic is crucial to my final piece, as I designed it based upon the concept of how people suffering view themselves and what they see when they look at their surroundings. My final piece has evolved from being based on the image of anonymity (the white
figure without features) to a black silhouette against a colourful galaxy background full of stars. This image came from the idea of someone with poor mental health being unable to see the beauty in what is around them/ becoming uninterested in what they once loved as well as becoming uninterested in everything. They become blind to things that once made them happy. Thus, becoming hollow and blank. If you lose what makes you interesting and unique, then you are left as a blank canvas, therefore I chose a black silhouette because it contrasts with the colourful world that surrounds them as well as keeping the anonymity from one of my earlier final piece plans.

I experimented with different medias in the past (workshops) and from the start of this project, have known that I wanted to create it in Fine Art. After testing my ideas with my final piece plans, using acrylic and watercolours and different colour schemes, I decided upon acrylic paints for bolder colours and layering as well as deciding to combine both colour schemes (black and colour) to include the two contrasting mind sets in one piece. This also portrayed my ideas about how my past experience with poor mental health clearer.
As for research, I primarily used Pinterest to find ideas to inspire my own. (Link to my Mental Health board: https://www.pinterest.com/brontemoxon/mental-health/) (Link to my ‘Freedom’ board: https://www.pinterest.com/brontemoxon/freedom/)
I chose to use Pinterest mainly, due to the wide variety of alternatives artists and works uploaded on to the site from other web pages and artists. The pieces are also clearly sourced and easy to reference, it is however sometimes hard to find the name of the artists (other than screen names) but it is sometimes possible to find the artist’s own website containing more of their works, which is useful for wide stretched projects such as this.
I, however did not research any artist in particular. Mainly because I could not find an artist that created art that I felt was relevant enough to my aspect of mental health. I considered Van Gogh and Picasso but felt that they were too generic and also their art did not fall into the category of works that I was looking for. (Darker colour schemes as well as exploring the inner workings and views of the world from the perspective of someone suffering) Given more time to research at this stage, I would have liked to have found a reliable artist that created work that would have been a useful reference to my own, but that is something that I could attribute to poor time management on my part and is something that I should consider and prioritise next time.
Although, I do feel that Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Sky’ has vaguely influenced the patterns and style that I layered on the colours of the background on my final piece’s canvas.

As for my primary research, I needed a silhouette and a specific silhouette. Therefore, my brother (Oakley George) agreed to model for me and allowed me to position him in front of a window in various positions to get the shot that I wanted and envisioned would influence my final piece.

I did not have any problems with research, I knew what I wanted to do fairly early on into the project as well as the route I would go down with my idea of freedom. I knew who to get to model for me, where I would place them and what position I wanted their face in, the lighting etc.

My view of freedom has changed because before this project began, I had never really thought in detail about any concept of freedom or realised that my hobbies, ambitions, interests etc were considered to be forms of freedom. Therefore, for me to have weight lifted from my shoulders, be healthy physically and mentally and to be happy is my freedom and it was not until I began to create pieces of work and allowing it to materialise and for me to be able to physically see my thoughts come to be, that I was able to understand how important my freedom is to me and how I am able to achieve it.