On Drawing and Neurosis

One of the nicer things I was told freshman year was that I looked like an engineer. Fresh off of high school where I was quite literally taken as a joke - recipient of 7th grade Stand Up Comic Award (should've won Best Hair) (still upset about it), being perceived as an engineer made me feel smart, dexterous, full of ingenuity. The reality however was that I was not an engineer, I couldn't even find e-quad. I was an artist - albeit, an insecure, fearful, and fully in denial artist.

Drawing at Duke has brought up a lot of these insecurities. I declared a Visual Arts minor my sophomore year haphazardly. Hadn't taken any classes, didn't really plan out when I'd take them, and wasn't sure that I was actually capable of making my creativity tangible. In spite of those hesitations, I declared the minor, focusing primarily in film classes. I took art in high school, where I concentrated my work in painting (primarily watercolor), but stopped after tenth grade to pursue more "legitimate" studies. I remember Ms. Mahan-Cox taking me out of class, convincing me that no one really needs AP US History and that I would be doing a great disservice to myself by discontinuing art. I never liked Ms. Mahan-Cox, so naturally, I completely rejected her advice.

It only took six years to come full circle, finding myself in an art studio. I took a step away from the policy classes and critical theory courses to evaluate what actually gave me delight. Pleasure. What actually makes me feel good, and not what I was supposed to do to be a *real* Duke student.

The first drawing classes were very therapeutic. I can't recall the last time I sat still and concentrated on one given task. The still observations were an exercise of my subjectivity - my hyperawareness of details, obsession with relativity, the tension between aesthetic illusions and *objective* realities. I felt more adept than I did in high school, more confident and more legitimate in my position as "artist." It was all happy and zen until...the landscapes. Staying focused and present wasn't hard in the studio; but in the real world, I lost. Pathetically. Unless I woke up at 3 or 4 am, I was assaulted by sensory overload. If I did get into what I was drawing, I'd spend hours meticulously creating shadows on a pole, only to realize that, shit, I have 95% of the rest of this landscape to draw. With each assignment, I could feel familiar fear boil under my skin. I wasn't content with mediocre, but I was afraid to create something I knew I was capable of. I knew that the time I spent on it would be directly correlated to the product, but I wasn't willing to put in all the time I knew was personally necessary to create a drawing that I was content with. I spent an average of 12 hours on an assignment, which really wasn't enough to capture the detail that I was looking for. Explaining to friends that I couldn't go out because I had a drawing to do made me feel...well, unjustified. How could a drawing possibly be that hard? Rephrasing the question adjusted my framework - How could using your eyes, as a camera, to capture the image in front of you, as it is, and transferring that information to your hands and to a pencil, and subsequently on paper, not be difficult?

The answer is - it's not difficult; it's downright unbearable. Consistently challenging your perception, and making you realize that your way of seeing may not always be consistent with what is actually there. That that line you thought was curved is actually straight and going at a negative 45 degree angle. In a melodramatic sense, it's a little destabilizing. But like all things, our perceptions could use a little deconstruction, and drawing became a tool to challenge my visual assumptions and a tool to acknowledge what was present.

In the time since my freshman year, I've worked through some of the fears that prevented me from pursuing creative acts. If I were to give some words of advice to freshman Yohana, I'd tell her, "the closest you'll ever get to an engineer is eating a Chicken Bacon Ranch wrap at Blue Express." I'd swiftly follow that with a light punch to the pre-Kickboxing bicep and whisper, "but you're an artist. An impatient, frantic, neurotic artist, but an artist nonetheless."

Thoughts on Drawing

            I was nervous about taking this class. I had not taken an art class in several years. In high school, I elected to take film classes instead and in middle school, art class was an opportunity to goof off with my buddies rather than sincerely express my creative spirit. I’ve always felt that I have an artistic eye. From a young age, I admired the works of impressionist painters, great cinematographers and photographers, architects, and even designers in fashion.

            My self-doubt was confirmed early on as I was clearly one of the least skilled and least experienced in my class. I struggled through our first few assignments and felt pretty uncomfortable drawing the stool and other structures during our class. I felt much more comfortable in my sketchbook. My comprehension of fundamental concepts such as shading and value were poor and it is apparent in my initial drawings. However, my skills eventually improved and I now understand how crucial it was for me to experience these difficulties. I am proud of my last three final drawings and am certain that they would not have been close to the same if I had not persevered through my early frustrations.

            As someone mentioned earlier, I am also relieved that I decided to wait until my senior year to take this course. Otherwise, I would not have been able to put the same amount of time and effort into my drawings and undoubtedly would not have grown as much as an artist. I plan on continuing to draw in a sketchbook and start exploring some more imaginative ideas. I hope to improve on drawing the human figure and plan to try my hand in painting. I’ve really appreciated the creative and meditative outlet that drawing provides.

            My drawing style took a more expressive form than others in my class. My lines were not quite as precise and I used more charcoal. I believe that this was a result of both my lesser skill and precision as well as my stylistic preference and personality. In painting, I could utilize my developing sense of content, form and proportion in drawing to structure a painting more effectively. My expressive style also seems to be more conducive to painting. I am eager to experiment in a new media and am confident that I will be able to blend the differing aspects of the pencil and brush to expand on this semester’s progress.

            Some of my favorite painters include Monet, Seurat, Van Gogh, and Dali. I’ve always appreciated the works of the Renaissance painters as well and really enjoyed the first blogging assignment because it lead me to explore the drawings of Michelangelo and confirmed that drawing is truly the basis of art, especially painting.

Drawing as it pertains to my life

Drawing for me has always been a fun activity. At a young age, I would spend spare time drawing random things, ranging from swords to stick figures to dragons. Basically any time I got bored at school I would start doodling to pass the time, and positive reinforcement from my parents kept me doing this for quite a while, probably through middle school.

In high school, however, I stopped doing this. Throughout my previous drawing career I had never compared myself to anyone else at all: my parents, brother, and classmates never drew anything at all. So the first person I compared myself to was my cousin, who is really really good at drawing and is currently enrolled at the art school at Washington University in St. Louis. Her drawings were so much better than mine that I thought that I was really bad at drawing, when in reality she was just really good. Because of this, I stopped drawing in general because I thought there was no point if they were all just horrible in comparison to the other drawings that I saw people make. Furthermore, when I switched my form of note taking from a notebook to a laptop and had reduced free time from having more work, sports, violin, and other more “mature” activities, I lost all of my opportunities to draw.

This changed for me when I went to Spain during summer after sophomore year. Here, I took notes on paper, and with daily 3-hour classes I would inevitably get bored (as Ernie can attest to). With no phone service or laptop, the only way to pass the time was to draw, so that’s what I did, as well as pretty much everyone else in the class. Although Ernie’s drawing were a lot better than mine, I realized that I wasn’t as bad as I had previously thought, both due to being more mature and having better perspective as well as receiving compliments from sources outside my family. Although their support is endless, I always take their opinions towards me with a grain of salt, since they sometimes refuse to see faults in things I do, as many parents do. The new support I got from this made me think to myself, “Hmm maybe I’m not actually so bad at drawing.”

Because of this, I was very intrigued with the prospect of taking drawing at Duke, and ended up taking it this my fall of senior year (Fall 2014). Although my drawings still aren’t top notch here (there are a lot of talented artists in the class), I have thoroughly enjoyed this class. Drawing, along with music theory, are the only two classes I’ve taken at Duke where I would do homework when I got bored to pass the time. Although I don’t necessarily love doing the projects, I have spent a lot of time in my sketchbook this semester, taking as long as 75 minutes to do a some sketchbook drawings. As a result of this, I have gotten a lot better at drawing, as some of my friends have pointed out to me. Although I may not be the best at it, I’m very glad I took this drawing class because it has made me realize that I really enjoy drawing to pass time and express myself.

 I likely will never take a drawing class again in my life, but I’m glad I seized the opportunity to take one when I got one. Looking back upon my life in a few years, it would have likely been be a big regret of mine if I hadn’t.

Thoughts on Drawing

Drawing was one of my favorite hobbies as a child, but I found myself drawing less often as I grew older. This was not due to a lack of interest, but simply a lack of time. As a student in the Pratt School of Engineering, my schedule was already laid out for me most semesters, since I had to fulfill my major's requirements and did not have much room for electives. Drawing is very time-consuming for me, since I am somewhat of a perfectionist and am very meticulous in my drawings. Thus, I could not afford to spend time drawing outside of my academics, clubs, and other commitments.

Ever since my first semester of freshman year, however, I had my eye on this course. My friend and hall-mate was in this course that semester, and I always envied her drawings, since they made me miss the hobby that I once loved. I knew that the only way I would make time in my schedule to draw was if I had to do so for a class, and so I intended to take this course during my time at Duke. Fortunately, from watching my friend's experience in this class, I was aware that it was going to be time-intensive. Thus, I made the wise decision to hold off on enrolling in this course until senior year when I had a fairly light course load.

I really enjoyed this class, and I clearly saw my drawings improve throughout the semester. The two most helpful concepts I learned this semester were the following:

1. Draw what you see, not what your brain is telling you. Draw shapes and lines, and don't think about what the object is that you are drawing.
2. Use negative space to help place the objects and make sure that the proportions are not being distorted.

Although I loved this course, I know that if my other classes had been more time intensive, this class would have been much more stressful. Drawing should be relaxing, and fortunately, it was for me. However, I can see how this course would be much less enjoyable for someone who didn't have enough time to dedicate to this class. Therefore, my advice for future students is to make sure you aren't overloading your schedule with this class--it will make it a much more worthwhile experience!

Thoughs on Drawing By Kay Zhang

I feel really lucky to be in this class this semester. I've always enjoyed drawing since I was a kid, but I never really got the chance to take any drawing class. This semester, however, I got to learn about lines, shades, negative spaces and such concepts that I always wanted to know about. I enjoyed how the class is structured so that each time we move on to a new unite we'd still be using skills we learned the week before.

However, I love drawing when I am under zero pressure and when drawing is the only thing in my mind when I do it. When I was at home, I'd paint for the entire afternoon without a good-looking, finished work, but I still enjoyed it so much. Here at Duke, I sometimes find myself drawing for the sake of finishing the assignment. Not saying it's a bad thing, it is simply because we are all entangled with too many other things in this campus, and it's hard to put that all behind and enjoy three-good-hours of drawing.

Other than that I really enjoyed this class. I would send my mom a picture every time I finish an assignment. She always gives me super positive comments and she's been talking about I should be a professional painter forever. One way I wish to incorporate drawing and other things I am passionate about is through fashion sketching. I am tremendously intrigued by fashion like many other girls, and I want to actively seek conversation with people in this field. Here are some of the sketches of my favorite brand Dolce & Gabbana.

As we can see, different designers adopt different styles. Their personal styles are tightly linked towards the branding, marketing of the company. Though what we learn this semester, I am more confident about drawing in terms of potion of different body parts. 

Drawing Blog Assignment – Pablo Picasso – by Sujata Mahtaney

Pablo Picasso, a Spanish artist and co-founder of the cubist movement, is a name that never goes unheard when discussing art, or the history of Spain. He was born on the 25^th of October 1881, and died on the 8^th of April 1973. He lived through the Spanish Civil War and Francisco Franco regime. Picasso worked in various different mediums of art, including painting, ceramics, sculpture, and also writing. As a co-founder of the avant-garde cubism movement, Picasso created an entirely new style that ended up becoming an extremely influential style of art in the 20^th century. Cubism is a style that involved representing three-dimensional forms in a more abstract manner. It is often seen as the first defined abstract style of art. It is also defined by the geometric forms used to create these abstract paintings. Picasso’s cubism in his work is seen to have been influenced by primitive African art. By challenging the conventions of perspective, Picasso created history. Below is an image of Picasso’s Les Demoiselles, which was painted in 1907 and influenced by African art. The style of cubism is distinctly visible in this image.

Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (1907)

I was first interested in Picasso’s work at the age of eleven, when my brother named my dog after Pablo Picasso. I began to research this famous Spanish artist, and was fascinated most by his use of color. Even today, when studying Picasso’s work, I think his use of color is extremely interesting, and something that is not analyzed in detail when often studying Picasso. Although his different styles of painting and sculpture are significant, his use of color adds significant character to his work. There are many paintings where he uses very little color, or dark colors, and many where he uses multiple bright colors. Below is an image of Picasso’s painting from 1932, Girl gone before a mirror. Along with the cubism style, his use of multiple colors makes the painting extremely appealing to a viewer. The use of the same pattern, but with different colors adds an interesting dimension to the two-dimensional piece. The drawing style of the figures is unique, and the color helps enhance this drawing style.

Girl before A mirror (1932)

I spent last summer in Madrid, Spain, and was fortunate to see Picasso’s Guernica (1937) live. The size of this painting in the Museum is huge, and the experience of actually seeing it in that scale is unreal. The painting depicts the harsh reality of war, which was a significant theme in some of Picasso’s work, and in his life, having lived through the Spanish civil war, and the cruel dictatorship of Francisco Franco. This piece, unlike many of Picasso’s works, has no color, and the use of black, white, and various shades of grey help convey the dark reality of war. This painting is also done with his cubism style, and it is an extremely interesting way of conveying the message, where the characters look cartoon like, but in contrast, he is depicting an extremely serious message.

Guernica (1937)

Ultimately, when looking at Picasso’s work, it is evident that his work transformed over time, and he developed unique styles that transformed the art world. It is also clear that a lot of his subject matter was influenced by the time period in which he lived, adding a different dimension to his work.

References:

"Before the Revolution." Smithsonian. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

"Cubism." - the First Abstract Style of Modern Art. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

"Guernica." Picasso, Pablo (Pablo Ruiz Picasso) -. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

"Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History." Cubism. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

"Pablo Picasso." 's Cubism Period. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Oct. 2014.

Gustav Klimt

Gustav Klimt - Painter between the Times

Overview

Gustav Klimt (July 14, 1862 - February 6, 1918) was an Austrian symbolist painter and one of the most prominent members of the Vienna Secession movement. Klimt is noted for his paintings, murals, sketches, and other objets d'art. Klimt's primary subject was the female body; his works are marked by a frank eroticism.

Klimt's origins and background placed him somewhere between the "ordinary citizens" and the bourgeoisie. His clients, without exception, were from the aristocracy and the haute bourgeoisie.

Though he was by no means handsome, he possessed an air of such assured masculinity that not even his famous painter's smock could make him seem unmanly or ridiculous. He wore a beard and his hair began to thin at a fairly young age. His heavy neck and highly colored complexion gave him the look of one who spent much of his time out of doors.

Gustav Klimt's work was and is such that one can lose oneself in it. His women, ladies and girls are mere forms of nature itself, flowers, as it were, that he drew and painted as they budded, blossomed and withered. His approach to women was elementary. He is Zeus approaching Danae, he is a breath expiring over poppy-strewn meadows and summer gardens, a breath of life that knows death and invites it in. Hi is the groom embracing the smiling, dreaming bride, the omnipresent seducer on the wedding night, the father of children and the helpmeet in old age and death. He is all these things, albeit with neither literary detachment nor with classification in such categories as "sweet young things" and "femmes fatales" although they also presented themselves to him in this way in outward life, and although he met the limits of his Zeus-like existence in Emilie Floge, his Hera, whom he never married, but who kept him earth-bound in what was, to all intents and purposes, the extension of a strong maternal bond, even though she was the one who inspired him to symbolic portrayals of an "unearthly" love.

Sample works

• Lady with Hat and Boa (c.1910)

A Parisian flair surrounds this female portrait, which seems to turn the subject into the likeness of a modern cocotte. The young woman's eyes are turned to the left, the lids lasciviously lowered. The unknown belle's cool face, which she is partly concealing, is framed by thick sandy hair. The huge hat with the blue-violet scarf has been pulled slightly aslant. 

• The Kiss (1907-08)

Klimt used a melancholy undertone in this painting. Klimt depicts the couple locked in intimacy, while the rest of the painting dissolves into shimmering, extravagant flat pattern.The two figures are situated at the edge of a patch of flowery meadow. The man wears a robe with black and white rectangles irregularly placed on gold leaf decorated with spirals. He wears a crown of vines while the woman is shown in a tight-fitting dress with flower-like round or oval motifs on a background of parallel wavy lines. Her hair is sprinkled with flowers and is worn in a fashionable upsweep; it forms a halo-like circle that highlights her face, and is continued under her chin by what seems to be a necklace of flowers.

Conclusion

By rendering visible the various manifestations of "woman", Gustav Klimt came tantalizingly close to defining the "modern women" as independent and in control of her own eroticism. The women's movement was to lead girls and women through the revolution of their daily lives, but it was artists like Gustav Klimt who led "sweet young things" and "femmes fatales" alike towards the "path to freedom" by recognizing the power of eroticism and lifting its taboo.

Bibliography

Natter, Tobias G., and Gerbert Frodl. 2000. Klimt's Women. New Haven: Yale Univeristy Press.