18 April 2011

3rd Year Painting Final: Damsels in Ambivalence

So I'm at the end of my third year (only one year to go! I'm freaking out a little!) and I have a bunch of stuff to post in the next few weeks, including some stuff from last semester that I never got around to posting..

I chose the title "Damsels in Ambivalence" partially because I had to name the files on my computer in order to easily find them in the future, and partially because I am somewhat ambivalent towards these paintings at the moment. I like the way they turned out formally (I've been experimenting with Liquin and Galkyd mediums and i loooove them!) but I have mixed feelings about how I treated the subject matter. I was aiming for something that looked almost tacky in its overly saturated ornamentation and patterning; a kind of self-orientalist spectacle. But my class critique left me with the feeling that they don't read that way without knowing the context of my intent. I want my paintings to speak for themselves, but I think these ones are sending mixed messages.

I guess my main concern for next year is dealing with figurative content in my paintings, whether it's being less illustrative, using less loaded symbols, or just less figuration overall..


Sarah Tue-Fee
"Damsels in Ambivalence"
Three 19"x36" panels, oil on canvas, 2011


1st panel detail


also 1st panel detail

sarah xoxo

4 comments:

  1. I LOVE the self-orientalism. I think it's fantastic. I think the you portrayed the content effectively. I believe the class was lead by Martin's desire for an aesthetically and technically driven focus on ornamentation and paint/painting as the subject matter. I think you did better and captured that plus culture.

    It's your best work yet.

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  2. thanks paula! <3
    i do like them too. i think my post made it sound like i hated them or something, but i really don't! :P
    i just want to get to a more effective level of visual communication for next year.
    We can work it out in the studio this summer! :D

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  3. I really like your brush work in these. It's like they are emerging from a dreamlike state. They turned out really nice. :)

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