Comparative Study Cassandra Oseni

Kehinde Wiley An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer, 2012 Culture: African-American Wangechi Mutu Preying Mantra, 2006 Culture: Kenyan Shahzia Sikander Prolonged Exposure to Agitation, 2009 Culture: Pakistani

Why I’ve Chosen to work with these artist Through this comparative study I’m exploring how my created work relates to the three artists I have selected. What inspires me greatly about these three artist is more concept based than technique-wise, they all share a common ground of creating art that relates to social problems in their society and while doing that they also explore the human form and their identity as a person and as an artist, which has helped me develop an understanding of my perception of what art is, what it can express and what I want my own art to be expressed concept wise. Art for me is a visual way of communicating an issue or concept that can be bring up discussion and debates, to create a personal experiences for the individual viewer. What I want to show through this study is how the three different artist show self-expression and their search for identity and understanding of their place in society links to my work of self-realisation.

Kehinde Wiley An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer First impression So the first impression that I got from the chosen piece from Kehinde Wiley is the Colour-scheme that he chose for his work, I really enjoy his way of contrasting colours, which gives a very eye-catching appeal to his viewer. The background is filled with these exotic warm colours greens, oranges and blues which creates this contained wild life effect. In the painting we see a woman placed on a couch, facing her body away from the viewer, while facing her gaze towards the audience creating this superior dominant feel that fits this exotic but clam feel of colours that he used for work. Cultural Context He created this piece in New York 2012. In his work he tries to slow down and see individuals. He says he is standing on the shoulders on the artists that came before him, but he made a new way of seeing black and brown bodies all over the world. He has always been fascinated by big portraits that are a part of art history, but have always been strange for him not to be able to see a reflection of himself in that world. So he sat out to create a paradime with men in colour painted in classical style often echoing masterworks Finding a mockshot in the streets of Harlem crystelized something for him that he had been in his mind for a long time which was that black men has been given so little in this world and that he as an artist could and have the power to do something about. So what is really important for Wiley is to create art which creates representation of him that people like him can recognize and see themselves in. function and purpose By placing the woman in that position on the couch, gives her this sort of goddess appeal and a royal flare. In this piece Kehinde really shows his audience the pride of being a black, he shows through the figure the pride of her history and heritage which he creates with her posture and facial expression. Not only does he show her pride through out her posture and expression but he shows her as an exotic being through the warm colour scheme which also expresses that she is in a way a contained exotic lower who doesn’t really get to show of this pride that she does in the painting. Media Oil on canvas Kehinde Wiley An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer

Elements Principle Composition In this piece kehinde Wiley uses a lot of elemnts of shape and space to create the sense of layering and texure we see this in his painting technique of the background and the detail of the dress. He uses a lot of small detailing which creates never ending perception to the background. The use of color is extremely important in his work due to it expresses his whole concept and sets the mood of the piece. He usess color contrast to create lines and value in the work. Principle The piece carries sharp contrast between cold and warm colours which gives this exotic feel to the piece. We see a lot of repetition in the background with the leaves, and flowers and the form of lines. Darker colours have been used on the figures skin complexion and dress which differs from the rest of the painted elements, the variety in colour creates empahasis on the figure. The painting carries a symetrical balance which achieves harmony in the piece as a whole. Composition In this painting we see a woman wearing a dark blue dress, placed on a light blue/orange-brown chair facing the audience. She has been placed in a repitional backround with flowers and leaves that creates a contrast and emphaiss on the woman.

Wangechi Mutu An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer First impression So the first impression that I got from this piece is the way Wangechi Mutu uses shape and form to create this abstract figure which gives this very eye-catching effect for the viewer. The figure is facing the viewer with this care-free attitude looking ironicly at the audience as if the figure knows more than she leads on. It sort of looks as if the figure is laying on the side of a tree trunk giving the piece a surrealistic feel. Cultural Context She created this piece in New York in 2006. While growing up in Nairobi, Kenya in the mid 70’s she had been watching a lot of the same tv programmes and movies that kids in the west had been watching, and what she noticed was that there was representation of people with African background, and people with afro-american people were shown they were acting different from her experience of what a black person was. She began to investigate different cultures and were she ”belonged” in that culture she had been obsessing with tv and movies. In her art she wants to talk about herself and women like her, women who has to manuvre the world in a body, skin colour, an accent or hair texture like hesrself due to that their stories aren’t told to the masses as much as others in a contempoary setting and when it is it usually doesn’t feel like the right representation. function and purpose By having the figure facing the audience creates this sense of authority and confidence, the function of having the figure resemble the nature in her background is to convey her confidence and how she is connected to nature how she is whole in the background and whole in herself . Media mixed media on mylar Wangechi Mutu An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer

Elements Principle Composition In this piece Wangechi Mutu focuses a lot on shape and form. The use of lines and shape creates dimension and a sense of space and texture. I really enjoy how shes She uses analogous colors to create value and form. It is intresting to see how she works with shapes and form because she creates these de-formed figures and elemtns that expresses a lot of emotions towards the viewer. Principle The artist plays with porportion in the figures form and the background elements and creates repetition in lines and shape which makes a pattern. She plays a lot with how different patterns can form a picture or movement. She shows in her work this unbalanced world but yet contained, which we see through her patterns and variety in shape and colour and the way her figure is being expressed which creates harmony in a strange way. Composition In this worl we see a woman facesing the the viewer. Shes laying on a tree trunk in between branches, with a snkae on her left arm, which could symbolise that she is more than she lets the audience know. We can also see this from the way shes is facing the audience with only half her body, as if she has a secret. The use of color creates a resemblance between the nature of the background with the figure in the collage.

Shahzia Sikander Prolonged Exposure to Agitation First impression When i saw this piece for the first time i was truly facinated of the way the artist had decided to layout the work. The artist created a sequence of small minimalistic illustrations which creates a story as a whole, that truly facinate its audience. What i s really intresting about the illustrations is the way each piece symbolises an aspect of the human identity who we are, how we search for ourselves and our effect on each other. Each illustration contains elements and symbols relationg to the human conscious, she does this by using musical and anatomical elements. Cultural Context So what Shahzia does with her art is to combine her cultural history, emotions, personal experiences, and contemporary art is to create an emotional connection between her work. Her work makes her audience respond to their desires, to think about politics and their placement/ stories. What shahzia wants for her work is to create a response, a connection an understanding of oneself and the world around us. Function and Purpose Prolonged Exposure to Agitation was created in 2009. The function for this piece is to create a link between the audience self conscious and the artist history creating a self-awareness/ realiseation between the artist and audience. Media Ink and gouache on prepared paper (20 drawings) Shahzia Sikander Prolonged Exposure to Agitation

Elements In this work the artist puts a lot of focus on the texture of colour due it creates dimension and shape for her work. The colours are very faded and blended which creates dimension and value and creates emphasis on the little details she has added in her work. What is really interesting about her work is that every little drawing has this big space of emptiness surrounding the small drawings creating a focus on concept in every illustration. Principle By having severeal drawings creates variety in her work and rythm because all the pieces are connected as one story. The way the artist has used colours in the different drawings creates contrast, harmony and balance within the piece as a whole. Shahzia Sikandar creates repetition of elements such as trumpets and small figures in the different illustrations. Composition Each piece has one or more figures exploring the ryhtm of life. The artist uses musical, weapons and anatomical elements to carry out her concept. What i really enjoy by her piece is every illustration symbolises a part of human behaviour, how we treat eachother and ourselves .

Cultural Significance Formal Qualities Function and Purpose The way these two pieces hold a similar way of comunicating their form and function is seen through the similar color scheme and purpose of trying to create something mysterious unkown, something their audience can find themselves in mirrior temselves in, in a form of subconsious state. Though both pieces are from two wildly different cultures and the techniques are different both pieces share the cultural signifigance of showing representation of a people or a subject that are not shown or spoken about in the masses. Shahzia Sikandar talks about the rythm of the life as human the process we go through experiences we have in our lives which we can inteperitated in different ways according to the viewers perspective. She adds weapons in some of elements which could relate to the wars that have been going on in Pakistan or it could relate to fights and conflicts we go through individually. Wangechi Mutu shows a different represntational aspect, her main focus is to create an image black woman can mirrior themselves in and where others can see a more “true” version of what a black woman is. What Preying Mantra and Prolonged Exposure to Agitation have in common in their function and purpose is the way both pieces are an exploration of the human form. Both pieces are trying to navigate the human body and mind by adding elements of symbols. We see the musical symbols in Shahzias piece which shows the flow/ rythm of life and then we have Wangechi’s piece the snake which symbolises power and growth.

Cultural Significance Formal Qualities Function and Purpose Cultural Significance Formal Qualities What An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer and Prolonged Exposure to Agitation have in common in their function and purpose is the way both pieces are an exploration of the human form. Both pieces are laying their figures away from the audience but stil having their face facing the audience creating a form of self-awarenss, confidence and authority. The nature elements implied in both pieces creates a natural feel- the figures are bound to nature, they are apart of a growth a constant process they are apart of a natural process. Both of these pieces are wildly similar in their struture and concept though they representing teo different forms of black culture Kehinde Wiley is representing the American- black culture whereby Wangechi Mutu creates representation for African woman. Both artists focus there art on creating a voice for their silenced ”people”, creating something thats relatable and conceptual that their people can reflect and view themselves in. Both pieces hold very different color schemes but the way that they positioned their figures and worked with the humn form creates similarity. Between the two works.. Even though both artist are adressing two different audience but are conveying the same message of creating an image, a voice for their adressed audience.

Cultural Significance Function and Purpose Formal Qualities What An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer and Praying Mantra have in common is the way they carry out their simplicity in thier piece, the clean layering of colors and message of creating self-identification, adressing their audience to relate or find a comparison to their culture or beliefs. An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer is mostly about african american people finding their place in thier society, creating a form of ”history”(mirroring a famous classical painting) whereby Praying Mantra is adressing the human mind, the conscious, the human instincts, thoughts and feelings that we deal with through out in life which the audience can relate to. Though both pieces are created by two different artist with different culture perspectives they both carry the concept of delivering a message of self-relisation and idetification whereby they can see themselves to create a voice for their people. Praying Mantra and An Economy Of Grace Juliette Recaimer use color differently one has used light textures which is layered on top another which creates dimension whereby the seconf one uses thick layers that creates deeper dimension and layering.

Art Process

Final Piece- A Grey Perspective Photography How it relates to the previous works shown My piece relates to the previous works shown due to it’s concept of wanting to create a comfort space a mirror whereby a culture/ a people isn’t being represented or spoken about in society, which in all pieces previous mentioned is the main point of the works . What is the concept The concept for my piece is creating representation of biracial people. By looking into these 3 artist I got really inspired of how they as artist use their power to deliver messages through their art which is difficult to set words on. As a person with both black and white decent I have struggled with my own perception of what race is. Is it the color of my skin, the way I behave and think or is it a culture? The american perception of blackness and whiteness or the african perception of blackness and whiteness. Do I have the option of choosing both or am I bound to choose the one I resemble the most? Through this piece I have explored further into what it means to me what a biracial person is. What I wished to convey through my art is that being biracial doesn’t make you forced to celebrate one culture over the other but to embrace both and maybe create a new perception of the rigid understanding of race and maybe create a grey area that can create a new open-mindness and which people of mixed race background can view themselves in and find comfort.

Bibliography http://www.artnews.com/2013/04/15/shahzia-sikander-maximalist-miniatures/ https://art21.org/watch/art-in-the-twenty-first-century/s1/shahzia-sikander-in-spirituality-segment/ https://www.iol.co.za/dailynews/opinion/solving-the-identity-crisis-of-mixed-race-1876760 http://www.elleuk.com/life-and-culture/news/a26855/more-than-an-other/ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/podcasts/still-processing-being-biracial.html?ref=oembed http://stevemccurry.com/galleries/portraits https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/05/podcasts/still-processing-being-biracial.html https://www.ubs.com/microsites/annie-leibovitz/en/exhibition.html http://kehindewiley.com