Wesleyan College - Drawing (Art101) - Fall 2021
Project 4 - Semester Final
"A Monumental Project"
Assignment: [...] create a drawing (30x44 inches) that depicts a monument from an ordinary object placed in any given environment. This project will explore the power of drawing to create and communicate ideas. Consider this a concept drawing for a monumental public sculpture. Use & explore the range of drawing skills and techniques covered in the semester.
Tools: Graphite, Charcoal, Chalk, India Ink
Overall Grade: 98 / 100
Professor Comments: Very strong development of Form and Space through Value. You use mark making well to define different textures. The darker sky adds drama/mood, but also allows the white building to act as a stronger frame for the lipstick.
Foreground road could use a little more development.
Artist note: That road is what kept me from a perfect 100 - but it was 1am of the morning this was due, and I had been working on this beast for over 18 hours straight - I was done!
Artist Statement
Lipstick is a powerful cosmetic, used as "war paint" by some people. When applying lipstick, there is a sense of being complete and ready for whatever may come at you. Both men and women use lipstick to finish their look as they prepare to face the world. It is an armor, a weapon, a symbol. Nothing says confidence, sophistication, glamor, or pride like perfectly applied red lipstick.
My concept for this assignment is to place a large and bold, fully extended, classic-red lipstick without its lid in a political setting as a representation of the power differences within US politics. I chose the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. - the back side where the fountain normally sits.
This is all I'm going to say about this concept as I want viewers to think about the concept for themselves. However, I will pose some questions for throught based on class critique and comments from fellow students...
How does this concept affect your thoughts on the political atmosphere within the country? What does this say about the representation of sexual identity within the US government? Would this serve a different message if placed at Pentagon or the White House? What if it would replace the Washington Monument in size and scope - or stand opposite of it on the National Mall?
I leave it for the viewer to muse over my concept - and hopefully it will cause some serious thought ad pondering with regard to the direction and development of our nation's Congress and Senate during the next election cycle.
You have a voice - a mouth - use it; but don't forget the lipstick!
"The Beast" is what I called this one day - and the name stuck.
Progress of the Work
The decision to show the work in progress is a way for me to analyze my techniques and to judge how to improve on my time for the various aspects of working large. At first utterly intimidated by the size of the paper - I realize my idea would never have come forth without that space. I find I enjoy working large.
I intend to explore this more on my own outside of academia.
