As I realise most the artists I have mentioned, and the majority of art that inspires me is graffiti art, I have realised that I am yet to mention one famous person in particular, Banksy.
I like his work, and how he has been one of the major people in contemporty graffiti, however he has become too well know as being anonymous, that it is a shame that a lot of people are making art and trying to pass it off as a ‘banksy’. it is almost as if they are trying just to get some sort of fame or cash rewards from using a name of someone who is anonymous.
However I do enjoy the ones that I know belong to him, if I am unsure then I don’t enjoy them as much and I’m not sure why, maybe it’s because I’m not sure if I’m just looking at something which someone is trying to pretend it is something else, which I see as being wrong. The ready made and using ready made objects I can see as being art, but just using a persons ‘identidy’ to get your art seen I disregard and hate.
Anyway the two pieces of Banksy, (that I know are his) and I enjoy are the two images posted here.
I enjoy the controversy that is created by his pieces, and hearing about how it has offended many, but at the same time appeared as a joke to many more. The locations are also something I like, as mentioned before I prefer to stumble across the art on the street, have it more as a surprise, something that will lighten up many peoples day instead of being in a gallery where you are in the mindset to see it, you expect it and sometimes it wont live up to a certain standard.
An idea that never came to be..
I had an idea, several months ago for a photoshoot. This was to get seven different people to stand infront of some wings which I had painted on the wall. I was going to get people of all different backgrounds, some looking nice and innocent, with others looking quite nasty and quite intimmidating.
In the end I wanted to do the idea with just having people who looked intimidating, as the angels which are described are there to hurt people, so if they were real, I would safely assume that they would be intimidating to everyone.
This idea had came from a music video I had watched on television a few years ago, called ‘dont go’ by wretch 32 ft Josh Kumra (video attached on bottom) the image of the girl sitting in front of the graffiti wings is at 1:02 to 1:04 of the video.
This idea never happened, although I may still do something similar in the degree show. I am thinking that the last angel spray paint stencil I did, I will cut out the figure and then place it on the wall. Before I place it however, I will spray some styled wings on the wall for the image to sit on. At the moment this is an idea, but I am thinking that this will probably be used in the show, bearing in mind I can design some wings that I am happy enough to use.
I will spray these wings white, as to contrast with the black wall, I was planning on using greys as well however I think that the grey won’t be seen as it is in a pitch black room. Instead I will just try and attempt a detailed one layer stencil, maybe using two layers if it is a difficult stencil to cut.
My ‘Angels’
Here attached I have put up an example of an angel who has been covered in the bible.
I like this effect it has, as when you see the angel to start with you cannot tell it is covered until you illuminate it closely with the lantern. the bible has smoothed the angels, and taken the imperfections which are seen in the ‘humans’. I will also taint these, the colour of tea to make them look a bit older, and also add something else to the figures. I like this colour as I have used it on my angel canvas that I have made in the past.
I have had to put these in the compost around the edges, this covers the feet a little bit but it keeps them safer from the audience as the compost works as a sort of barrier. Also I will able to move the soil about created an anchor for the angels to use to stand. Meaning that they will not fall over, something which happens when the soil is not there.
Another image by Alex Cherry that I have been looking at. I have chosen this one to look at closely as I have been drawing ideas about another canvas I am about to create from it. I wanted to do one last angel canvas but I am unsure what I am going to do paint yet, I am still thinking of possible ideas.
I like this print called ‘heaven in her arms’ due to it just being in the black and white style. However if I was even to attempt something similar, I would have to make big alterations as I think this image is a bit too soft for what I have been trying to get across. It uses the lightness to make the angel look more appealing, while I am trying to make mine look a bit darker.
The ‘humans’
Basically, with the angel dolls, I have made other dolls, which will not be covered in the bible. These will be the people who are being hunted by each angel and who may have limbs missing, be begging for mercy or even praying.
I have not sanded these down to make them completely smooth, the reasoning behind this is that the angels are hunting down the sinners, the people who are seen to them as being imperfect. Unlike the angels who will be smooth, these people has imperfections, which is the reason that they are being targeted in the first place.
I have included top images here, the first image being of a person who is praying for forgiveness. They have been hunted by an angel, which I will then place an angel behind this person, as they appear to be praying to god for forgiveness.
The second image is of a person who sat leaning against the wall, this person has had his lower arm cut off, showing the torture which has started already.
If i were to make these again, I would aim to make the figures stronger and less fragile as at the moment they are very fragile and break easily. Even walking up the stairs a slight tap caused one of the heads to fall off, this was a head I had already removed and attempted to stick back on at a different angle however….
