‘08

International Baccalaureate

Marina Qaldas

[ART PORTFOLIO] This portfolio presents the theme of my Art Higher Level course in the IB and provides explanations of the works.

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Fists of Fury This work conveys the anger that arouses due to being held captive. The fists are defined and appear to be protruding from the surface, trying to break free in anger. Antonio Gaudi inspired me to create this work. I was impressed with his integration of nature in architectural design and structure. With this, he gave his stone structures a sense of vitality. My Fists of Fury are shaped in the form of a tree, the bark being the ropes which bind the hands and the fists emerging and growing from the bark. The fists then melt representing the lost cause of fury. No matter what someone might do to express anger, captivity will always keep him restrained. The anger is to no avail. I tried to achieve a sense of forceful rhythm through the pattern of the fists contrasted with a directional movement downwards through the melting of the fists.

IB candidate Statement: The International Baccalaureate requires of its Art candidates to establish a theme and work around it during the course of two years. My theme throughout this course was ‘Captivity and Restrictions.’ It aims to convey emotions of anger or helplessness. I use technique and medium to depict a mood of harshness and distastefulness. I have been inspired by my own personal life and artists like Kathë Kollwitz and Alberto Giacometti who convey similar expressionist messages of misery or human alienation. Kollwitz’s unique etching style expresses a somber mood which is most evident in my pyrographic works. Despite being renowned for his sculptures, Giacometti’s rough and loose painting style also inspired my creation of rough sketches like Fracas and Falling and my painting of The Scream II. I looked for media and works which would express bleakness and acrimony. My research varied from gallery visits to library searches and local artist interviews. I have learned to develop and perfect my skills when working with different media ranging from the use of plaster, clay, fire, smoke and wood, to acrylic paint and pencil sketches. This course has allowed me to discover my weaknesses, strengthen my abilities, and overall, has taught me how to convey a personal message through art.

IB Candidate Statement:

Dimensions: ht: 50 cm; width: 25 cm Medium: clay, plaster – mixed

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Decaying head This work is an expression of helplessness due to captivity. The subject is in distress and an air of melancholy surrounds her. The decaying head reflects the idea of watching life being wasted and decayed; made useless due to restrictions which prevent the subject from becoming useful and prosperous in life. The gory and horrific image of the decay aims to strengthen this message. The girl’s saddened eyes reflect her internal struggle and misery. The sculpture is cracking as she is breaking down because of her state. My main inspiration for this work is Otto Dix’s Skull which depicts a rotting skull. However, my work shows the rotting of something still living. The pain associated with this is therefore emphasized.

Dimensions: ht: 40 cm; width: 25 cm Medium: clay, plaster – mixed

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Straightjacket

'Straightjacket' also expresses the result of being held captive. The straightjacket is an obvious symbol of incarceration. The man in subject is helpless and exhausted. This is portrayed through the 'drop' of his head and the careless position of his legs. He has given up trying to escape. He is in a state of despair; his soul is dead. His situation in the corner of the room shows that he has been left neglected. This emphasizes his mistreatment. I also used pyrography and smoke to create this work. A dark value with tones of black and grey is created which conveyed a dark and depressing mood. The texture also conveys the message of pain. I achieved rhythm and directional movement through the vertical lines created on the wall behind the subject. This etches created emphasis on the subject and contributed to the mood of distress. In both ‘Straightjacket’ and ‘The Scream’ I was not concerned with the typical and complete process of etching. Rather, I was only concerned with the physical process of etching- the destructive method which conveyed the message of anger and distress.

The Scream

The Scream portrays extreme frustration due to being restrained. The face is in the ‘perfect’ state of fury. It is almost as if the viewer can hear the scream. It is trying to emerge from the deep blackness which surrounds it - trying to escape from the darkness. However, the subject is trapped and hence, the scream. I used pyrography and etching on wood as the two main techniques in this work. I have experienced the actual cathartic and physical pains of etching into wood to express anguish and fury. Etching allowed me to create a bitter, acrid mood due to the hoarseness of the etched lines. Kathe Kollwitz was my prime inspiration as she too, conveyed expressions of pain and distress in her works through etching. I have burnt the surface of the wood with a flame allowing the candle soot to rest on the wood. This is how I created the deep black color of the background. The texture of my work- etching into wood- helped convey the message of frustration. I created contrast between the pitch-black color of the background and the light tone in the face’s protruding features, like the cheeks and the nose. The overall value of my work is dark, portraying a range of black tones.

Dimensions: ht: 150 cm; width: 110 cm Medium: Pyrographic etching and

smoke on wood

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Straightjacket

Straightjacket is an obvious symbol of incarceration. The subject is helpless and exhausted. This is portrayed through the drop of his head and the careless position of his legs. He has given up trying to escape. He is in a state of despair; his soul is dead. His situation in the corner of the room shows that he has been left neglected. This emphasizes his mistreatment. Like The Scream I used pyrography and etching to express this pain. The dark values of black and grey aim to convey a sinister and depressing mood. I used the vertical lines to create downward movement in the work, almost as if the space was closing down on the figure.

Dimensions: ht: 130 cm; width: 105 cm Medium: Pyrographic etching and

smoke on wood

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The Scream 2

This work is another version of ‘The Scream’. It is done in acrylic and in a different technique. Alberto Giacometti paintings were inspired this technique. His extremely loose and sketchy painting technique attracted me as I saw it as a means to convey a harsh and acrid mood. I dint not use a brush for this painting to avoid having a smooth surface. Instead I used a palette knife to ‘cut’ through the paint applied on the canvas and to create a rough surface. There is contrast between the clashing colors used, green and maroon. There is rhythm in the technique used- the frantic and randomly running ‘lines’ of paint which accumulate to formulate the entire work. Unity is created through the rough texture of the entire face filling up the canvas.

The Scream II This work is another version of The Scream. It is done in acrylic and in a different technique. Alberto Giacometti’s painting technique inspired me to create this work. His extremely loose and sketchy painting technique attracted me as I saw it as a means to convey a harsh and acrid mood. I did not use a brush for this painting to avoid having a smooth surface. Instead I used a palette knife to ‘cut’ through the paint applied on the canvas and to create a rough surface. There is contrast between the clashing colors used, green and maroon. The textured lines of paint give both a sense of rhythm and unity to the work.

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Dimensions: ht: 120 cm; width: 90 cm Medium: Acrylic on canvass

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Fracas Fracas, is an expression of anger due to captivity. It portrays several figures in what seems to be a brawl. Anger is expressed through their movement, their positions, the tension in their bodies and the expressions on their faces. Each man is presented in a different position and is in conflict with every other figure in the drawing. This is why the men are in physical contact – attacking and assaulting each other. Each figure is fighting for space and thus, his freedom. The work represents an explosion of anger as a reaction to being held captive. The content of the work was inspired by Peter Rubens’ paintings. Several of his paintings present a chaotic atmosphere which he portrayed through the movement and action of figures. This is how I decided to draw the figures in my work. The main element through which anger is conveyed is the action poses of the men. This creates the mood of turmoil and rebellion. Again, Alberto Giacometti’s loose and sketchy drawing style inspired my technique. This style created a harsh and pungent mood of the work. The drafted lines are loose and random to portray the coarseness in the subject of the work and hence, emphasize the bitter and destructive effect of captivity. The lack of space between the figures emphasizes the conflict within the group and the failed attempt to escape captivity.

Dimensions: ht: 45 cm; width: 70 cm

Medium: Charcoal sketch

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Falling Falling expresses the helplessness and lack of hope that a subject may feel due to being captive and restrained. The subject feels like he is falling- an act of weakness- a symbol of inconsequential resistance. The figures are falling into the abyss below- watching their lives go to waste because of restrictions imposed on them. Their bodies are in motion- flinging, flailing limbs, twisted, distorted, and outstretched- all motions of desperation. The act of falling itself, a downward motion, represents their moral and motivational decline. Like with Fracas, I was inspired by Giacometti’s pencil sketches to convey a bitter mood. Ruben’s also inspired the creation of this chaotic and desolate scene. The texture of my work is rough and is created by the accumulation of randomly drafted lines. Directional movement is evident by the bodies falling downwards.

Dimensions: ht: 105 cm; width: 40 cm Medium: Charcoal sketch

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Boxed As the titled implies, Boxed conveys the message of captivity. The pain resulting is expressed in the lack of space and ‘tight packing’ of the individuals into boxes; the awkward and unnatural positions of their feet and bodies. This work, composed of five pieces conveys both the surrender to captivity and the fight to escape. A few individuals continue to push against the inside of the box while other lay motionless. The technique used is similar to etching; however I am etching into paint to create a rough surface texture further adding to the mood of pain.

Details

Dimensions (each varies between): ht: 50-80 cm; width: 40-60 cm

Medium: Acrylic paint and gel medium