1 Dynasty

Evaluation of Influences and Identity

As I have lived and studied in three countries. I am going to investigate the influences I have encountered so far for each country; Hong Kong, Nepal and the United Kingdom. To begin with, I planted 3 seeds to emphasis the three countries in which I have planted my presence. Only a couple of days later I checked my pot of seeds, and they had grown and pushed themselves upwards to the light. This led me to believe that my identity is like plant seeds, the first step on the land of each country meant I had planted my presence. Later on as I began to see the world around me, I was influenced from my surroundings that have and will help me grow & stretch out to my freedom. I have decided to present my influences using three aspects; calligraphy, signs and symbols with portraiture.
I believe that our Identity is influenced by self-beliefs, characteristics, qualities, thoughts, opinions and dominating emotions that makes an individual who they are. I have primarily experimented my Influences and my Identity with Portraiture and Calligraphy as the four of human senses are in our "head" and the other one I have illustrated with creative texts, using my "hand".
I went on a trip to Oxford with my College, and by the end of the day I was inspired by having the idea that I could use materials such as bamboo sticks as a means of writing.
I was charged with influences from the Oxford art galleries, I have used the materials which I was drawn to explore, to experiment with, from being in the presence of the gallery's atmosphere. I have combined the idea of portrait and texts which similar to “Calligram” but my own interpretation of identity, I call it “Identism”. 
Screen Prince has influenced me the most as I can relate to some of his art works created such as a Calligram on Jay-Z and one of his songs which I have heard before. Prince’s use of Calligram is also very effective which he uses to present respective Musician and their song lyrics reflecting the colours and theme to the song.
I found another artist named Zhan Haun after I had decided to practise and create Identism.
He uses texts on his face to represent his past and family tree of his own. Whereas he does this in his own physical face using ink.
I met Stan Kaminski in Birmingham when I went to visit the German market with my three siblings. As we were exploring the market, just as we crossed the border line of the German market and the usual Birmingham market I spotted Kaminski and his stall. First I took a glance at several of his works of art and praised him. Then he explained to me about his three colour technique. As soon as he mentioned “the three colours” I had this feeling that we had a strong connection for Art as I have been focusing on my “three” countries experiences.
I researched Kaminski on the internet and found his painting of Kenilworth Castle. Astonishingly, I had taken a photo in the same Castle way before I met Kaminski or even known of him. Later, I have constructed the composition of two images; me standing in the Castle and Kaminski’s landscape painting of the Castle to create a surreal image. I learnt that even if the two images aren't in the exact position or even of the same direction, with the intention to create, the colours and shapes of the two images will blend in together almost perfectly.
Kaminski has influenced me to keep a firm target for achieving a planned piece like he uses only 3 colours for his artwork, and as I have been focusing on my “three” countries influences, I will stick to it.
I have discarded a few artists along my journey as I could not engage with them to full extent with my Identism. They are Leo Sewell, Musicians; Mark Hoppus and Nelly.

My personal theme is Influences and Identity. At the very beginning, I was thinking of my theme “Influences and Changes” which, after a couple weeks exploring, I figured that I was interested in combining Portraiture and Calligraphy. Influences and Identity both plays a huge role to define Identity, this led me to develop the name of my theme to Influences and Identity although I have still clearly presented my Influences and Changes throughout my journey. 
I have encountered some problems along the road, as I had made a decision to present my Influences and Identity from three countries. I had to trace back my early years and dig into my influences from age 5. The main problem with finding my influences was that I had to ask my parents and my siblings and I haven’t lived with them throughout my stay in each country. I was in a different country from my siblings for two years and parents for three years. It seemed as a problem to never be solved. After two weeks of investigation I figured out a way to find my influences: Photographs! Even though it took me some time to investigate I enjoyed the process as I had full flashbacks of my past…
The seeds which I had planted during the second week of September has unfortunately died due to the lack of sunlight and right influence; temperature. The same day I planted a new seed and nurtured it and its influences, today in January the seed has stretched itself into 18cm long plant and growing, which happens to resonate with my 18th birthday month.
My experience of my journey has led me to simplify my influences in three sections as I have gathered the information from my investigation, I have produced an outcome that reflects my lifestyle for each country I have lived in so far.

I would like to improve:
• Using more signs and symbols to create the piece more effective.
• Experimenting more on sketchbook to have a great result on final pieces.
• Producing on a several of different mediums for a presentable piece.

Targets I would like to achieve for my exam:
1. Effective use of computer software for presentable and valuable pieces.
2. Disciplined use of chosen mediums, techniques and referring to the starting point.
3. Operative use of colours to symbolise the pieces.

Personal Investigation

As I have lived and studied in 3 countries. I am going to investigate the influences I have encountered so far...

To begin with, I planted 3 seeds to emphasis the three countries in which I have planted my presence. Only a couple days later I checked my pot of seeds, they had grown and pushed themselves upwards to the light. This led me to believe that my identity is like plant seeds, the first step on the land of each country I had planted my presence. Later on as I began to see the world around me, I got influenced from my surroundings that have and will help me grow & stretch out to my freedom.

I strongly believe in the saying of "the creation of beauty is art" once said by the great Essayist/Poet Ralph Waldo Emerson. Even though Emerson is an essayist, I am truly influenced by his messages. Therefore, I have demonstrated "the creation of beauty".

Hong Kong





Nepal

United Kingdom

Interestingly the colours of these three countries are very similar to one another, in fact all three flags have white and red, blue on two of them. I then began to explore the shapes of the three flags by creating calligraphy-like texts reflecting on the signs and symbols of each flags.

I have used a normal writing pencil to demonstrate each country's style expressed on their respective flags (country's identity). As I was drawing up the marks, I began to notice that "Identity" is not only what I had always thought of; an image to represent one particular being or an object. But also a set of characteristics by which anything in the universe is definitively recognisable or known by their individuality. After two days I went back and reviewed the page, I perceived that the opposite side of this page had an effect on the appearance leaving a trace of ink behind on my first observational mark making lines.

I used a marker pen to cover up the light pencil mark and make my creation bolder so the trace of ink would dim down. Unfortunately the trace was sill quite strong and visible...

Therefore, I had to come up with a solution which I could solve this little problem. I also noticed that the composition of the black marker lines did not blend in well with the white paper. 

BAAM! 

As soon as I thought of the colour "white" one of my favourite medium poked my conciousness "the emulsion".

I have applied the same technique but slightly lighter wash of emulsion over the country's identity too. The purpose was to blend all three flags to the background, remarkably I noticed that I had subconsciously created the clouds over the countries that illustrates a view from space, another perspective from which I had started my investigation with, planting my seeds!

I am very interested in Calligram to express my works of Art which involve Calligraphy to spread the messages across to the world of which I have been influenced by.

A Calligram is a poem, phrase, or word in which the typeface, calligraphy or handwriting is arranged in a way that creates a visual image. "A calligram is thus a combination of poetry and visual art"

The image created by the words expresses visually what the words say.

Exploring calligram I came across a great Artist named Ben Duarri also known as Screen Prince. I really admire his style of work because he primarily uses texts to create an portrait image.

 I started off with charcoal to mark up the expressive lines of the face,then I smudged the lines slightly to  add tone to the face. I am really impressed with my very first attempt with Calligram. Although I have identified the improvements I need to encounter for the next attempt to enhance my performance.

1. Use lighter material to express marks to begin with

2. Consider the tones and contrasts to separate the text and the features

3. Produce the piece as personal and engage-able as I possibly can

I decided to comply Screen Prince's technique of using portrait and texts to interpret my idea of Influences and Identity. I find the concept of using texts written over face very fascinating as I have always loved to write my personal stories and present them in a very effective way, to the world.

Title: 5yearsoldWrite
Medium: Charcoal, Chalk, Paint and Fibre tip
Material: Paper

In this piece of work I have interpreted the atmosphere of the 5 year old boy in Hong Kong. As I wanted to be a story writer, to create the portrait effective I have written the story that went on the head of the boy at the age of 5. 
I studied my own piece after I put my chalk down. I compared with Prince's work, I noticed that on the journey of creating the piece, I have picked up my own way to express a short story which I had always desired to bring into Art.

I reviewed the piece with the intention to develop my skills and techniques. These are the betterment for my next piece:

1. Vary the sizes of texts according to the importance of each word for the clarity

2. Express the emotions I experienced during the time of the portrait and match the facial expression with the texts.

3. Explain the process and emphasis the piece.

Title: 8yearsoldDream

Here I have experimented my Influences with my Identity (Portrait) in an advanced and more effective technique using same Materials and Medium but adding a marker as I was obsessed to use marker at the age of 8. Even though this specific piece is of struggle, I believe I have successfully created a well investigated piece of art with the outcome of gaining new skills and techniques. 

Analysis: 8yearsoldDream 

Firstly I thought about the background which would be suitable both for black and white layer. I decided to use dark royal blue as used by my chosen artist Screen Prince. I applied a good amount of acrylic paint using a thick brush to make the colour opaque because the white paper would contrast with dark royal blue paint which would likely to draw an unintended attention. Thereafter, I used a 3b Hb pencil to create a continuous line drawing of my face when I was 8 years of age. I then started to fill more detail using charcoal (black) and chalk (white) on the eyes which for me is the best starting point for a portrait because by now I have learnt to scale the rest of the face depending on where the eyes are. For the darker sections I mostly used charcoal for a dark shadow effect and for the lighter segments I predominately used chalk. As both of these mediums turns into small dust particles I applied the chalk over the skin right after I created the eyes. Then I smudged the chalk particles over the skin area to create tones. I learnt that the no amount of chalk dust particles would completely cover the dark royal blue paint whereas putting more pressure on the page to rub the particles would help. Using a light pencil I added some texts and calligraphy in varying the sizes of the words to add more focus to certain words than others. Finally, I used a marker pen to create a bold effect on the texts as to balance out the whole piece.

"Hunger gave me the Wish but bottom is so important"

 "Seeds been planted"

"Dreams been granted"

These 3 quotes are from the song "Roots" by Flo- Rida

Title: change world
Medium: acrylic on newspaper : newspaper on plain paper.

Here I have explored the idea of portrait of previous art and created a new version to practise the colours and texts to begin experimenting with calligraphy art. I have only used black and white to keep it simple as I am primarily focusing on calligraphy art for a few days to study in depth.

I wanted to explore the writing techniques to appear more creative and stylish to attract peoples mind without having to personally present my works of Art to them. 

Therefore I came across Calligraphy which I believe I can take advantage of being able to write in my Mother Language "Nepalese" letters as they look unique and a mystery to many. 

I went to a trip to Oxford with my College and by the end of the day I was very inspired by having the idea that I could use materials such as bamboo sticks as a means of writing pen.

Here is a photograph I took in Pitts River Museum in Oxford

Influences from Oxford

One of the most practical, prevalent and beautiful art forms in the world, calligraphy has been used throughout human history as a form of expression. And until the mid- to late Nineteenth Century, most of this writing was done with a quill pen. Although today, much calligraphic art is done on a

computer, there is nothing more satisfying than creating written works of art by hand. 

Reed pens are a type of writing implement with a long history. They are made by cutting and

shaping a single reed straw or length of bamboo. Reed pens with regular features such as a split nib have been found in Ancient Egyptian sites dating from the 4th century BC. Reed pens were used for writing on papyrus.

Reed pens are stiffer than quill pens cut from feathers and do not retain a sharp point for as long. This led to their being replaced by quills. Nevertheless a reed pen can make bold strokes, and it remains an important tool in calligraphy.

Here I have played around with a bamboo stick 

Title: Mixture Art

Medium: Emulsion, newspaper, paper, acrylic, bamboo stick

Here I have mixed the idea of portrait and texts. As I was charged with influences from Oxford art galleries, I have used the materials which I was drawn to explore experimenting with, as being in presence of the gallery's atmosphere. I have used a bamboo stick to create the lines to construct the facial structure , and as you can see the newspaper text which I received from the modern art Oxford.

I have found a new way of presenting my works of art by experimenting with my tangible identity; finger prints and hand prints.

As I was producing portraits with calligraphy I present here my very important medium which I use to create my artwork. 

Abstract Calligraphy

The image on the left represents the marks created by the nature as the time and weather changes. 

The image on the right is the finger prints which has been traced onto the walls of the house.

Title: Initialogo

The same day I planted a new seed and nurtured it and its influences, today in January the seed has stretched itself into 18cm long plant and growing, which happens to resonate with my 18th birthday month.

 Artist: Gonkar Gyatso

Title: Excuse me while I kiss the sky 2011 (high view)
Meduim/ Material: Stickers, paper collage, and pencil on cast polyurethane sculpture

Size: 122 x 81 x 71 cm

Gonkar Gyatso is a contemporary artist, born in Tibet and living for over a decade in the West. He is the founder of Contemporary Tibetan Art gallery the Sweet Tea House in London.” 

Gyatso studied Chinese Brush Painting in Beijing, attaining a B.F.A. and Thangka (traditional Tibetan scroll painting) in Dharamsla. He has been living and working in the West ever since; and is the founder of the Sweet Tea House, a contemporary art gallery dedicated to showing Tibetan work, based in London. Gyatso was the recipient of a Leverhelm Fellowship in 2003 and was an artist in residence at Pitt Rivers Museum in Oxford.

Gyatso'swork has been exhibited in galleries and museums around the world, including the Boston Museum of Fine Arts (Boston, MA), Tel Aviv Museum of Art (Israel), The City Gallery (New Zealand), The Institute of Modern Art (Australia), the Rubin Museum of Art (New York) the Chinese National Art Gallery (Beijing), the Glasgow Gallery of Modern Art (Scotland), the Courtauld Institute of Art (London), Burger Collection (Switzerland)....Read more

“EXCUSE ME WHILE I KISS THE SKY” is one of Gonkar Gyatso’s most visually arresting and monumentally ambitious projects to date. It consists of seven works on paper, altogether spanning more than 15 meters across, which spell out the unforgettable lyrics from Jimi Hendrix’s song, Purple Haze. 
Under the artist’s hand, the lyrics are transformed into a visual kaleidoscope of colours and forms.
The stencil font used to form the letters is Braggadocio, a style created in the Art Deco era and revived during the psychedelic age of the 1960s, commonly used for advertisement copy, magazine headlines, and street signage. In each letter, in each word, the artist brings iconic pictures from popular culture taken from stickers, newspapers, magazines, and political cartoons, in conversation with each other, to map out the visual spectrum of our contemporary moment. Unified by ink dots and graphite drawings made by the artist, the obsessive display of found objects suggests the potential of new articulations.
Upon closer inspection, iconography from Gyatso’s own Tibetan heritage can also be discovered within: a golden wheel, a pair of fish, the Dalai Lama, and Tibetan script, even a yak and a Tibetan pilgrim. Employing techniques from traditional Buddhist painting as well as Tibetan motifs, the artist seeks to create a unique language that addresses the tension between cultural loss and the dynamic processes of globalization. Here and in so many of his works, pop culture collides with traditional and cultural references as Gyatso injects a solid dose of his native Tibet into the vernacular of the social and political milieu of our time.

EXCUSE ME WHILE I KISS THE SKY was made between New York and Australia, en route to Beijing, during the summer of 2011. 

As my subject is Influences and Identity Gyatso has enlightened me a remarkable idea which I can apply and explore while creating my arts. This has really inspired me to be under the influence of such product which will enhance and motivate me while I am creating my art work. For an example a cup of green tea, coffee.etc

Zhan Huan

Zhang Huan (Chinese, born Anyang, 1965)
Ink Art: Past as Present in Contemporary China
Family Tree
Date: 2001
Culture: China
Medium: Nine chromogenic prints
Dimensions: Image (each): 21 in. × 16 1/2 in. (53.3 × 41.9 cm)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Lent by The Walther Collection

Rights and Reproduction: Artwork © Zhang Huan. Photo: © Yale University Art Gallery


" 3006M3 is the total volume of the Watari Museum, while my weight is 65KG. I used hundreds of yellow medical tubes normally used for blood transfusions to tie my body to the building. I tried my best to pull down the museum--a symbol of modern civilization--but my body, in return, was pulled back by it.

The body is a proof of identity and also a kind of language.

Other forms of communication are too far removed. "

Sandra Chevrier

Sandra Chevrier is an artist and full time mother living in Montreal, QC, Canada.

Sandra explains her work by saying, “I often give human and animals the main roles in my paintings

www.artpeople.net

Michelle Rob

Artist: Michelle Robb Falmouth, United Kingdom

 I found an art blog on "hidden identity" by  Michelle Robb very inspirational therefore, here I have experimented with my identity. As I have always aspired to explore, I have created pieces of master-work using my very direct hand prints and finger prints to illustrate to the viewers that my Identity have to be traced and followed to be found.

Contact with Michelle Rob