Surrealism: Sketching

Our very first assignment of Principles of Design is to:

• Research on an art movement that you feel represents you the best. √
• Design a self-portrait based on that particular art movement.
• You must be able to understand and capture the essence of the genre selected.

The first part is done and I've blogged about it on my previous post. Well as for reason, why among all the 15 art movements given I chose Surrealism, it's simply because Surrealism is ONE OF A KIND. Unlike other art movements for instance Realism, Rococo and Renaissance Art, Surrealism is not object-fixed, it defies all LOGIC. In other words, Surrealism is INFINITE ∞ .

So here comes the second part. These are the sketches I did to represent the art movement. :)

"Grown ups are complicated creatures, full of quirks and secrets." -Roald Dahl

This is a picture of a girl in her dreamland. Although I'm not a kid anymore, I miss and I really enjoy playing all the games in amusement park, especially the roller coaster. The girl's hair is lengthened to form a cliff, and the circus and roller coaster are built on the cliff. This symbolizes my hesitation and struggle as adults who like children's games are normally seen as pathetic and weird. But there's nothing wrong playing in fun fair, is there? Since life is full of reminders that can remind us of almost most of our unsolved problems which cause our mood swings often, fun fair usually reminds me of my good childhood days, it helps me to temporarily escape to my sweet past. Admit it, you just don't wanna grow up.

"We all wear masks, and the time comes when we cannot remove them without removing some of our own skin." -Andre Berthiaume

A persona, in the word's everyday usage, is a social role or a character played by an actor. The word is derived from Latin, where it originally referred to a theatrical MASK. We all behave fake because this is part of being human. We long to be a part of a community. We therefore modify our behaviour to conform with different social situations. Part of the deal we make with society is that in order to get the benefits of society. We act differently because certain people or situations make us have to act that way, you don't always get to do what you want to do. 

"Paris is the city of love, even for birds." -Samantha Schutz

Trust me, every girl longs to go to Paris, the city of love and lights, the most romantic place on earth. Paris is indeed the perfect setting for a romantic moment because its beauty strikes you at every corner, with its elegant yet impressive architecture as well as the subtle combination of art, history and nature. This is my portrait with the background of Paris's scenery. What girl actually wants is absolutely simple: having a great time with her beloved looking at the Eiffel Tower, drinking coffee at sidewalk cafes and perhaps just walking hand in hand.

"Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil." -Japanese proverb

Is hypocrisy the canker of our society? Unfortunately it is a yes. This picture symbolizes our hypocritical society. The background is set as the circus, an originally pure and innocent world for kids. However, instead of bringing happiness for people, the whole area is now penetrated with terror, sadness, fear, discomfort and great curiosity. A sweet-looking ballerina is cracking her whip on the poor deer. Beneath her cute exterior, she's very cruel and evil. On the other hand, the cute little bunny, trying to smile innocently but holding weapons on both hands, underneath its kindhearted manner, it's very dangerous as well. These are person who mask themselves enmity under an appearance of friendliness. The baby-faced monkey, looks extremely frightened while wirewalking on the tightrope represents young people who just stepped into the world, feeling helpless and afraid. The bird, which supposed to be a monkey as well, has fully displayed the meaning of this proverb. It closes its eyes, pretending the world is still lovely yet peaceful. And me, as a freshman, trying my best to enjoy myself in this dramatic world.

"We don't see things as they are, we see them as we are." -Anais Nin

This is ONE portrait seen in TWO angles. What I'm trying to tell is: things are often not as they first seem, and there's almost always a different perspective. We tend to view things not as they truly are, but in the  context of our own personal preconceived notions and prejudices. We look at situations and interpret what others say and do according to our own set of past experiences. The meaning we give events, the way we make sense of our world, is based on our set of core beliefs. In fact, not only this portrait, sometimes you need to look at life from a different perspective. :)