As for the last project, where we need to observe and analyze an artwork, then interpret it; Mr. Charles showed us a couple of examples to give us the whole idea on what to do for final project.
He showed us how to do observation, analysis, and interpretation using HR Ginger's artwork.
I am trying to find what drawing piece that I like. And I came across this artist called Mulan Fu.
Figure 1.2.1 Instagram page @mulan.fu
Figure 1.2.2 Instagram drawings
Then I check her official website and she has a lot of cool artwork. From her name and her artwork style and outcome, she probably had a strong inspiration from the Chinese culture. From the Chinese references and the color palette that she choose is very Chinese-y vibe. Red, Green, and Yellow. 3 of the most common color in China History and art.
Figure 1.2.3 The website
I then decided to remake and use this art. Because it is the 1st art, hehe. And also it catches my eye immediately whenever I open her website. The complexity yet welcoming aspect to it, intrigues me.
Lets start with the small girl , it is placed in the left corner of the space. The little girl giving us the viewers her back and is looking towards the big woman on the right side. She wore a green flowy dress. We can see her pigtails and dress looks like it is blown by a big wind from the right side. She seems to be on the woman's collar And she is wearing a white shoe
Figure 1.3.1 Little girl
Then we go to the big gigantic woman on the right side.
Figure 1.3.2 Big woman
It seems like the woman is looking at the little girl. She has a blushed cheek, small rounded lips, a small elegant eyes, and a slim eyebrow. As for her clothing and accessory. I see that that she wears a green or more like teal earrings and also a red clothing. From, this perspective I can not figure out what type of clothing is this. But it has a unique pattern. Some kind of cloud pattern.
Uniquely, inside the woman's hair there are somethings.. What's that?
Inside the woman's hair there are 2 figures.
Figure 1.3.3 A mysterious woman and A bird
The woman figure that exist inside the Big Woman's hair is wearing a traditional Chinese clothing.
Figure 1.3.4 Traditional Chinese clothing for woman
The woman figure facing towards the left with not much expression. It seems like it is charging towards the left, based on her body language that leaning to the left. Then there is a big bird beside her. The bird is extending its wings, looks very majestic indeed. Honestly, I am not quite sure what type of bird that she drew. Maybe a crane? since its the most commonly used birds in Chinese art. But after I compare this bird to other crane that were drawn by Chinese artist, it makes me doubt my guess. She used a bright color palette (red, green, yellow) for both the figure, to show contrast with the black hair.
Then there are clouds using Chinese style (strolling clouds) surrounding the woman and the bird. A running theme ey..
The big women and the small girl are placed in such angle and position, it has its own purpose to it, right?
With this positioning, my eyes are drawn from the left where the woman and the bird is, then the big woman, and lastly the small girl.
Its obvious that the color palette is red, yellow, green. Colors that are often use in Chinese culture. Red is the national color in China. Everywhere you go you see red lanterns, red clothing, etc. It means vitality, long life, happiness, success. This color is thought to bring luck, recognition and fame.
Yellow, is a royal color. It symbolize imperiality, the power of throne and prosperity. Yellow symbolizes empathy, wise and good faith. Temples and building's roofs are yellow.
Green is one of the colors that have a lucky meaning in China. It represents spring season, because spring is the season where everything came to life. In China, green symbolizes culture health, patience, sensitivity, harmony, wealth and fertility. Also purity and cleanliness.
The pattern of clouds and the usage of clouds were and until now very often appears in Chinese arts.
In China, drawing of clouds symbolize the celestial realms, because clouds are believed were created between earth and heaven. Clouds also produce rain and eventually give benefit to the world. Clouds became one of most important elements in Chinese traditional paintings. In paintings, clouds are present as celestial mobility, because many gods and immortals used the cloud as a vehicle. Scrolling clouds are associated with deities, foretelling their arrival.
Figure 1.4.1 Chang' E flying to the moon with clouds beside her
Some other source said that clouds are a symbol of lucky. The word cloud in Chinese also sounds the same as "luck, fortune, fate"; in which is very important in Chinese culture.
That is probably why she use the clouds pattern in the clothing, as it is a quite popular pattern in China's Art and history
The big woman is wearing a teal earring, probably a jade earring as jade us popular in China
In Chinese culture considers jade to be a lucky stone. It is known as "The Stone of Heaven." There is a saying that goes "gold valuable while jade is priceless." Jade symbolizes prosperity, success, and good luck. It is also symbolizes renewal, longevity, and even immortality.
Figure 1.4.2 Jade accessories
From the position the the big woman and how it occupies 80% of the white space. It gave a sense of power and overwhelming. I think the painter wanted to give off a powerful present to the woman. The woman almost taking over the whole space, as it is taking over the little girl's mind.
Figure 1.4.3 Recalling the artwork placement
Also by drawing the 2 beings in her hair, showing a back story to the woman. Maybe, it is the entity and "guide" her or is "inside" her. Giving off a powerful yet charming aura from the bird and the woman flying inside the hair.. I assume it is the deity; Why? Because the way that it is drawing in this piece is similar to the art piece in China history.
Figure 1.4.4 Magu
After digging into this, I discover there is a deity that has a quite similar characteristics to her drawing. Her name is Magu. Magu (Chinese: 麻姑;
pinyin: Mágū) is a legendary Taoist "xian" meaning immortal; transcendent associated with the elixir of life, and a symbolic
protector of women in Chinese mythology. Stories in Chinese literature describe
Magu as a beautiful young woman with long birdlike fingernails, while early
myths associate her with caves. Magu xian is a popular motif in Chinese art.
SO, The artist were inspired by this deity and this Chinese art and put it in her art.
Back to the piece, the wind that blows to the little girl in the picture, gives of a sense of big and tremendous power from the big woman that can control the nature; such as the wind. And the little girl is looking at the woman as if she is her hero or admiration. The person that she look up to.
The hero/the big woman looks very charming yet calm as if she is protecting the little girl.
From these factors, I conclude that this piece is all about women and women empowerment.
From this magnificent artwork, I decided to make a similar principle of hierarchy and create a big figure on the right and a smaller figure on the left. Using the same concept of woman protection and empowerment from Mulan's art. I start to search information regarding this. After seeing lots of girls, women, fight for their equals and improvement of women's well-being; for the justice of the women. Coming from different varieties of places, they all come together to support each other. (though lots of misuse of this empowerment.. but not the point)
Figure 1.5.1 Woman Empowerment in rural areas
That inspired me to make the Big figure a famous goddess; The goddess Justitia, The goddess of Justice.
Figure 1.5.2 The goddess Justitia, The goddess of Justice
Lady Justice (Latin: Iustitia) is an allegorical
personification of the moral force in judicial systems. Her distinct attributes
are a blindfold, scales, and a sword. She often appears as a pair with
Prudentia. Lady Justice originates from the personification of Justice
in Ancient Roman art known as Iustitia or Justitia.
The concept of Lady Justice is very old, dating back to
ancient Greek and Egyptian times.
Lady Justice is usually depicted as a woman can be standing or sitting. She is dressed in toga-like robe, maybe barefoot, and have her hair down or braided in a bun or around her
head. She holds a balance, or two-tray scale in one hand and a sword in the other;
usually the scales are in the left hand and the sword in the right Sometimes, she also wears a blindfold over her eyes.
What are the meaning behind those elements?
Balance Scales: These represent impartiality and the
obligation of the law (through its representatives) to weigh the evidence
presented to the court.
Sword: This item symbolizes enforcement and respect, and
means that justice stands by its decision and ruling, and is able to take
action. The fact that the sword is unsheathed and very visible is a sign that
justice is transparent and is not an implement of fear.
Blindfold: This first appeared on a Lady Justice statue in
the 16th century, and has been used since then. Apparently, its
original significance was that the judicial system was tolerating abuse or
ignorance of aspects of the law. However, in modern times, the blindfold
represents the impartiality and objectivity of the law and that it doesn’t let
outside factors, such as politics, wealth or fame, influence its decisions.
So I incorporate this idea with the initial inspiration from Mulan's artwork, using the hierarchy principle.
How it will be connected? The two of the idea into one artwork.. ? It is not a popular idea to use the goddess Justicia in women empowerment posters or movements; but what the people that supports women empowerment wanted is to eradicate the injustice treatment that the society has placed for women. So that point and Mulan's artwork connected. Mulan maybe using the Chinese side of it, and I try to find other perspective of it from different places and history.
So I did a general scaping on how I wanna place the characters, using oval.
Figure 1.5.3 Draft
Then I shaped the blobs that I have and make it into a humanoid shape. I wanted to make the big woman (the goddess) hold the girl. The girl is somewhat replacing the scale that the goddess of Justitia always hold in her arm. I wanna make the goddess looked more kind and nurturing, so that's why I choose pink as her overall color palette. Pink!
Figure 1.5.4 Sketch 1
Then I added the blindfold to the goddess. I drew the hair to the left because I thought that it would make a contrast between the hand and the small girl to the background which is the hair.
Figure 1.5.5 With the blindfold on (hair to the left)
This one, defy any law of physics... but this created a tension feeling between the girl and the goddess. Depicting the high power that's created when both of them meet.
Figure 1.5.6 With the blindfold on (hair to the right)
Then I added the sword on her right, indicating she is holding her sword using her other hand (usually left hand) .. Again, don't know the best placement for this sword so I made a couple of versions.
Figure 1.5.7 With sword ver.1
Placing the sword infront of her might be a bit blocking her body, so I don't really vibrate with this version.
Figure 1.5.8 With sword ver.2
Figure 1.5.9 With sword ver.3
Figure 1.5.10 With sword ver.4 (difference in hair position)
After a gruesome amount of confusion with the sword, I went with the 3rd version. Then I added this lighting effect to give of an intense and dynamic look...
This is a drawing titled "Empowerment", is a visualization of the goddess of Justicia and an ordinary girl. I want to make this drawing that symbolizes women empowerment. How this goddess actually brings justice to the world, to the mankind.. Maybe the goddess of justice being pictured as a woman, is one of the act of this empowerment! I remove the scales and replace it with a girl, symbolizing the justice that the goddess gave to the girl. The immense power that the goddess gave is pictured through the wind that occurs; the direction of the winds that the girl experiences are opposing the wind that the goddess experience. This symbolizes the great effect from the goddess that is meeting the little girl. It gave the girl empowerment to fight for the women and receive their rights.
I think I like this project so much, because I got to learn to see other people's work and actually referencing from them, as Mr. Charles said that from the analysis that we made we can respond to it and create a whole new piece. Based on what we learned from the artist that we analyze.
