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SI #10
No matter how much we tear at ourselves, alter our self appearances, change for other people - there will always be the true self at the core. In fact all of the changes we undergo in our lives contribute to the culmination of who we are - as we take the aspects we like and add it to our self concept. I cut apart two halves of my face in my reference image, and shaped it to resemble a locket. This is because lockets represent holding something dear to your heart - people wear lockets to hold the pictures of their loved ones. In this case, the true self will always be something we hold dear to us, no matter how much we try to push it away. Oil pastels were used to create a creamy textured look to the locket, to form a visceral look. However, the skeleton that represents the true self is drawn in color pencil to look more sharp and precise - to embody structure. When I think of structure, I think of strong scaffolding - it's angular and meticulously designed to hold up the building. The skeleton represents the true self because it never changes appearances despite all of the physical alterations we make to our bodies.
Experimentation
Notes 3/15/24
How this works in my SI:
My SI has been focused on the loss of identity and the processes of how it wears down over time. However as we are nearing the end of it, I decided to add a conclusion to what happens in this journey rather than leaving it gloomy. This required some self reflection from myself as Mrs. Mac told me that I'm not a shell of a person but very dynamic. I realized that through every time I've changed or done something about myself I don't stay a shell of a person but it instead becomes one aspect to the whole. It actually makes me become more of myself. In this piece, I am exploring on the belief that there's a true self inside of us no matter how hard we try to change ourselves - represented by the me inside the locket.
How I am pushing my skills:
I decided to use oil pastel for the rest of my pieces because that's what I still enjoy using the most. But, I want to use oil pastel for a very chaotic look here - I'm going to go for glitches on the locket. To do that, I'm going to use a lot of smearing with the oil pastel. I want to go for a chaotic, soft-ish look to show peaceful chaos. This is to show how I've made peace with the people I've been, and who I actually am - even though that's a journey I'm still going on.
How I have used Essential AP skills:
Again I'm using imagery and composition. I've decided to make the locket take up most of the page with me in the very middle in order to direct attention towards this. There is going to be a lack of background since the locket will take up most of it. This is going to engage the viewer's attention in what is happening. I'm being intentional with my imagery by using a twist on a basic item to demonstrate deeper meaning - the locket opening to show the true self inside.