Visual Arts Process Portfolio Sample
Visual Arts Process Portfolio Sample
Visual Arts Process Portfolio Sample
Shapes to Forms
The first step in this project was to take the picture I was going to edit. So, the
picture was taken by placing my subject, Elena, in front of a black cardboard to
maximize contrast with the subject, thence using a Photo Flood Lamp (500W) to
maximize contrast with the background. To take the actual picture the settings of the
camera were the following: Manual, 800 ISO, f. 4.0, 1/60. Tungsten WB
The second step to my project was to edit the picture on an online program called
Pixlr. On that program I was able to reduce the picture to black and white; I was able
to do so by adjusting the brightness & contrast, hue & saturation, color balance, and
the curves.
Subsequently I uploaded the picture to another program called
Inkskape. Through this program I converted the picture from bitmap to
a series of paths made up of vectors. This means that the picture has
become an extended mathematical function also implying that the
actual size of the picture can be enlarged without reducing its quality.
Ultimately, the last step to my project was to reduce
the amount of vectors the program had created
form the picture by using a tool on it
(from aprx.2000 vectors to aprx.750).
Then the final result can be seen
in the picture to the right:
Is it just a casual
beauty which is present. Through the manipulation of subject estrangement and subject
combination these works replicate some famous formal solutions by referring to Hirst works and
Dutch Golden Age still life compositions. Within the composition, subjects from different contexts
resemblance of are associated and related in an almost surrealistic way recalling associations that are similar to those
used by other famous artists such as René Magritte or Meret Oppenheim. Even though I think
composition or ideas? these kind of work can take to the development of a personal expressive imagery, what interest me
the most is not their meaning nor their communicative potential. The mere aesthetic connection
that let them recall some icons of contemporary art is what I actually would like to investigate with
my next works.
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height 7 cm, Moma, New York
1 2
The implications:
Conceptually there are no implications
that could lie with their project as the
Origamis techniques used to achieve it are very
straight forward as the idea behind it.
But, actually there is one large problem,
of life that regardless of the technical
qualities this project doesn’t connect
to the main driving force behind
all the other work I’ve created.
What I perceive from a
personal level is that
The project: The idea: it resembles a work on
My initial idea behind my choice of the verb social structures
This project stemmed from a very simple idea;
“to fold” actually spoke to me as something i rather than
our teacher presented us an artwork, Verblist
perceived from my surroundings. Just by esthetics.
by Richard Serra (1967) consisting of a broad
looking around me, analyzing my
list of verbs representing actions. At that point,
surroundings, i felt as if i was folded into
The i selected the verb “to fold”... Hence, this lead
being the person I am at this very moment in
me to the creation of a sequence of origamis
procedure: time.
Step 1: Step 2: Step 4: Step 3:
The initial step in my Cut A4 size papers in a way that they The most difficult part of the actual making Having everything ready for
project was to have a measured 21x21cm so that I could of the project was the making of the the making of the origamis;
brainstorming activity highlight that not only the same object origamis, even though the resources were I missed the essential part,
about what would be the could create different things, but that even numerous. Ultimately I also realized how the actual skills for making
best way to express folding. the same stressful it was to get origamis folded them. Therefore, by making
So, as I wrote it down on sized object would have been able to do exactly how they needed use of numerous videos
paper, i realised I was so; therefore, just a simple way to explicitly to which at times led me to trash ten found online I was able to
already writing on my state how varied the outcome of one exact minutes of work to start over... “build-up” the skills needed.
project. object could be.
RICHARD SERRA,
Why?
As stated by Richard
Serra himself “Drawing
VERB LIST,
is a verb”. What can be
inferred be such a 1967
simple statement,
which also stands as a The essentiality of this initial verb list
representation of this lead to creations of works just by
work, is that all of the following the action ruled by the verb;
works he made were to which is where the artist ‘submits’ to the
stemm off from a key sole process and activity of the making of
(essential) idea the work. To quote a blog of the MoMA
represented by a verb called INSIDE/OUT evaluating the
which could embody importance of this addition to their
actions in spatial or collection states: Beyond the strict purpose of displaying Richard Serra, Verb
natural terms. As a “One of these materials was rubber. In verbs, on the whole Serra is an artist List, 1968, pencil on
matter of fact the list is the 1967 sculpture To Lift</a>, Serra which explored ideas regarding two sheets of paper,
made up of the display performed that titular action on a piece minimalism and the Process Art current 25x22cm, Museum of
of 84 differing verbs, of vulcanized rubber recovered from a in macro through the creation of pieces Modern Art
applicable in 24 downtown warehouse. While some that have exorbitant sizes, yet relying in
different contexts combinations of verb and material the key feature of being ruled by
pointing towards the yielded uninteresting results, this minimalism and external forces such as
influence or thelink particular outcome fascinated the artist, gravity, perspective, and odd usage of
there is between his since the action of its making remained media. With reference to my work, there
works and the list itself. clearly visible in the product…” is a certain resemblance in terms of
Thus, how Serra’s intention did not go attempting to execute the action, still
beyond the simple execution of the verb failing to achieve just that.
The outcome: Variations: possible to then make an installation What makes them
The final outcome for my Throughout the planning and the making of composed of the origamis used by having real?
project can be seen here; this work there was a big question; How can I them hang down from the ceiling at different What was able to give these
- A dress present this? To me, the actual presentation levels. The problem with that idea though is origamis an actual presence
- A sailboat of this work composed almost all of its that that kind of presentation wasn’t able to and almost a physical
- A flower meaning, as it took an instant to let the entire give it its desired meaning and therefore volume that went beyond
- A crown idea fall. For example, the initial idea of this making it seem as banale in idea and the simplicity of a piece of
- A butterfly project was to create as many origamis as execution. paper was the addition of
- A crane three things:
- A heart 1. The pencil: through the
- A bug 1 usage of a simple object
- A bird such as a pencil the origami
- A bucket receives a purpose; the
- A hat folded paper itself
- A boat distances itself from the
Out of the original 37 idea of being a folded paper
origamis I had made (which supposed to resemble a
had a very large variety of bucket it actually becomes
subjects) I ultimately a pencil holder.
selected these ones due to 2
2. The moving eyes: its
the difference between the application enables the
shapes and different lengths work to change its purpose
of the process of creating from being a
them; as some of them like representation of
the sailboat took me one something to becoming
minute up to ten minutes The display of this work has had many origamis I came upon the simple display alive; by giving it this
for subjects like the flower. alterations as first it was intended to be a shown above. Having this large A2 black presence through the
After much thinking, the series of origamis hanging from the ceiling; sheet of paper with the twelve origamis interaction with the rest of
presentation can also which didn’t allow them to assume placed on it, besides clearly separating them the moving world.
appear very simple; but individuality, but the opposite, as if they were from each other a very strong contrast is 3. The display: through the
actually it is a way to create a unison. After other changes like the choice of created giving them spatial dimension. Also,, arrangement and the base
an augmented expression of origamis, and the actual they are placed in order to give each of them individuality was created...
the work itself installation/positioning of the their needed setting; to be an origami.
The work was born as an
The immediate and obvious connection that 2
exploration on texture. 5
can be made by looking at my work is to
Thinking at texture, my
Yves Saint
Laurent was
Primary Fazzoletto importance of spatial volume acting together with colors in order to
create lightness. To do so the initial plan for this work included a
geometric grid which would still be represented in rectilinear
terms onto the organic shape of this Fazzoletto. Why Fazzoletto?
The idea behind this work was developed by the Vetrerie Venini in
Murano, and up to now still stands as one of the most famous
examples of the Murano Art Glass production. What I attempted to
achieve was the replication of such a structure, which is supposed
to represent a falling handkerchief, and instead of making it out of
glass I made it out of ceramic. In addition, to be able to properly
handle and work ceramics I attended several workshops taught by
several ceramics teachers. Thence, I assumed the restricted color
palette used often by Mondrian and decided that I wanted to
present this work through a trichromatic color scheme made up of
red, white and black. The making of the vase itself is quite
straightforward as I flattened a ball of clay into a more or less
rectangular shape, thence placed a small ball in the middle and
made the clay hang from from the focal point being the ball. After
firing the structure in the oven though, a deformation of the
modelled clay took place; I still continued by glazing it with two of
the three colors (white and red), which unfortunately, just like in
the firing of the clay structure itself, turned out to have created
uneven and spotted areas all over the structure.
And at that point I then decided to stop with the making of the
artwork, and use it as a trial piece.
Primary Fazzoletto, Ceramic and glazes, 13x18x18 cm
What points to the failure of Primary Fazzoletto?
Because of the partial failure in the outcome of the work I decided not to finalize it due to being extremely challenging to actually allow me
to achieve my initial goal. Both the deformed structure, and the uneven coloring are just destructive for the meaning of the work:
Deformed Structure: The nature of a Impure colour: The role played by the
Fazzoletto like the ones designed by colour choice is vital towards the proper
Bianconi is to appear to be a deformed, but conceptual and esthetic outcome of the
rather fluctuating. Whilst the outcome of work. As an organic shape, the only method
Primary Fazzoletto, initially (when actually through which the definition of order and
modelling it) appeared to have such a shape, the fulfilment of Mondrian’s vision would
like Bianconi’s, but then in the firing process have been respected was through a
got deformed. And if it would still have been reduced colors, and as a matter of fact one
finalised it couldn’t express the lightness primary color with black and white. Yet the
created by a grid through combination of stained
geometric and organic structures. Fulvio Bianconi, Fazzoletto Bicolore, glass, 1948-2016
The work being shown is a work designed by the Italian architect Gio Ponti The vase itself can be retained as quite unique
(1891-1979) and has been produced by the italian ceramics factory Richard in its type; besides being able to make a visual
Ginori since its creation in 1925 up to now; transitioning from an actual singular link between the transition of artistic eras as
work (as a prototype) to becoming a product of mass production. it maintains the classicality of 19th century art
- “Blue Butterfly.” PngMix.com, www.pngmix.com/image/185. (4) - “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow - Piet Mondrian - Google Arts &
- “Composition with Red, Blue and Yellow - Piet Mondrian - Google Arts & Culture.” Google, Google,
Culture.” Google, Google, artsandculture.google.com/asset/composition-with-red-blue-and-yellow/x
artsandculture.google.com/asset/composition-with-red-blue-and-yellow/x wERWaqDyIcZ9w.
wERWaqDyIcZ9w. (14, 15) - Friedman, Samantha. “MoMA | To Collect.” InsideOut,
- “FAZZOLETTO BICOLORE -.” Venini, 18 Apr. 2016, www.moma.org/explore/inside_out/2011/10/20/to-collect/.
venini.com/it/art-glass/fazzoletto-bicolore-2/. (17) - “NY010314, Damien Hirst.” Phillips,
- Oppenheim, Meret. “Object, Paris, 1936” www.phillips.com/detail/DAMIEN-HIRST/NY010314/32.
https://www.moma.org/collection/works/80997 (8) - “Orcino Vase Gio Ponti, Prospettica.” Richard Ginori, 19 Apr. 2019,
- “Orcino Vase Gio Ponti, Prospettica.” Richard Ginori, 19 Apr. 2019, www.richardginori1735.com/uk/orcino-vase-gio-ponti-prospettica-arte-di-
www.richardginori1735.com/uk/orcino-vase-gio-ponti-prospettica-arte-di- gio-ponti-016rg02-fa5338010290g00115200.
gio-ponti-016rg02-fa5338010290g00115200. (18) - Serra, Richard. “Richard Serra. Verblist. 1967–68 | MoMA.” The Museum
- Redazione. “Redazione.” UrloWeb Notizie Da Roma, 29 Dec. 2016, of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/152793.
urloweb.com/municipi/municipio-ix/il-palazzo-della-civilta-italiana-sara-il- - “The Mondrian Collection | Saint Laurent, Yves.” V&A Search the
quartier-generale-di-fendi/.(19) Collections,
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damienhirst.com/summer-in-siam. (14, 18) s-saint-laurent-yves/.
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of Modern Art, www.moma.org/collection/works/152793. (4)
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