1. IB Art Semester Final By: Margaret Dyachenko Testing: HLA Theme: Stories, Myths, and Folktales

2. Before I entered this art course, my knowledge on the aesthetics and purpose of art was limited. I only knew how to trace images off the internet or other sources, thinking of art as only “another skill”. I entered MYP Art with this mindset and continued to develop my creativity with this perspective. However, as the year progressed, I realized my emotional attachment to a couple of reproductions I had made. However, this observation did not fully lead me to understand the importance of art. In IB Art, I began to explore the purpose of art and worked with different types of media. I started to experiment with charcoal and watercolor regularly in my art pieces as well as acrylic. Also, by researching different artists from various time periods, I instantly increased my knowledge on the unlimited amount of inspiration one can receive for a piece. Along with the aesthetics and research, different cultures expanded my perception of the world. I began to see the influence of art in ancient civilizations and the modern countries of this decade. It is through this constant process of learning about the overwhelming presence of art throughout time that I realized the importance of art. IB Art led me to understand art is another form of expression. It is another form of communication in which the artist may exhibit their ideas, emotions, or observations on the world around them. From this point on, I developed my theme of work; stories, myths and folktales. By using cultural stories from around the world, I can demonstrate my ideas by relating these different stories to modern social problems. Through this process, I combine my research of an artist (Da Vinci, Gupta and Bender) culture, and social problem which have influenced me in order to ultimately enhance the story I wish to portray through my work of art. Candidate Statement

5. Size: 37 x 27 cm Media: monochromatic watercolor Created: March-April 2011 Inspiration: a mother’s kiss to their child Artist: N/A Culture: general society This series piece has taught me a lot about watercolor. However, despite the aesthetic growth, I noticed a lack in a focus for this series piece. Although they all portray a different kiss, they lack a general theme. SERIES PIECE (1) The Kiss

7. Media: E600 glue, bobbypins, beads painted gold Created: June 2011 Inspiration: “tree of knowledge of good and evil” + the forbidden fruit; Adam and Eve Artist influence: Subodh Gupta Culture: women in the U.S. In this project, the media was very different than usual. It was difficult to understand how to structure the tree but eventually it built on itself. I enjoy the unusual media and its purpose in emphasizing the story of Eve’s corruption. Size: 26x23.5x19.5 cm (2) Tree of Corrupt Beauty

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10. Size: 31x14 cm Media: woodburning on maple wood Created: August 2011 Inspiration: Thai elephants Artist Influence: Julie Bender Culture: Thai This piece was not so difficult since I used wood burners before. I feel like it turned out well. Also, the focus on the elephant introduces their story of mistreatment and suffering. (3) Can’t Go Home

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13. (4) Burden of Beauty Size: 41x 41 cm Media: mixed media (paper mache, paint, leaves, ink, wiring, glue gun) Created: August-September 2011 Inspiration: Persephone Artist Influence: Stephanie Corfee Culture: Greek This particular piece was difficult since I had to unify different types of media. However, I believe my finished piece demonstrates Persephone’s burden.

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16. (5) Epic Hero Size: 76x102.5 Media: charcoal on cardboard Created: October 2011 Inspiration: the Epic Knight Ilya Muromets (Slavic mythology) Artist Influence: Joshua Keyes Culture: Russian The proportions of the horse was extremely challenging in this piece. I still believe that the front leg needs to be redrawn to complement the rest of the work.

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20. IN PROGRESS (6) Just Do It Size:39x21x13 cm Media: mixed media (NIKE shoe, canvas, plaster, chalk, paint, needles, thread) Created: October-November 2011 Inspiration: NIKE sweatshops Artist Influence: Jethro Haynes Culture: NIKE sweatshop workers in Asian countries This sculpture is meant to express the physical pain and mistreatment NIKE workers experience in sweatshops. Although not finished, the realistic style brings out the harsh reality of the workers.

22. IN PROGRESS (7) The Rise of Humanity Size: 32 x 30.5 cm Media: ink on paper, chalk and tea Created: December 2011 Inspiration: March of Progress + Creation of Man Artist Influence: Leonardo Da Vinci Culture: Humanity Learning anatomy was the purpose of this project. Human anatomy has helped me understand proportions of the human body and made this piece possible.

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26. The End