Ugly Societies
Title: Societies
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 60.96 cm x 91.44 cm November 2016 |
Exhibit Text:
Alicia Zepeda focuses on creating a triptych using acrylic on canvas based on an artist inspiration, and a variety of cultures. She was influenced by Mexican artist Luis Quiles, who is a controversial illustrator who shows the ugly side of society. The pieces she recreates are "Kid soldier," "Bomberman," and "I'm lovin' it." All aspects of this piece are self-made. |
Process
My ideas about artists/ inspirations, and intentions.
1. Artists/ Inspirations: I was interested in the theme of society and showing the ugly truths hidden within it. While researching, I found an illustrator who creates art solely on the ugly side of society. But besides the theme, I was inspired by Quiles's style , which I incorporated within my triptych.
2. Intentions: My intention was to create a triptych of children who are horrifically affected by society. I recreated Luis Quiles's "I'm lovin' it" to symbolize starvation and hunger across the world, "Bomberman" to symbolize the amount of attacks on Saudi Arabia, and all the children affected, and lastly "Kid soldier" to symbolize how kids are be taught to kill and use weapons in Israel.
1. Artists/ Inspirations: I was interested in the theme of society and showing the ugly truths hidden within it. While researching, I found an illustrator who creates art solely on the ugly side of society. But besides the theme, I was inspired by Quiles's style , which I incorporated within my triptych.
2. Intentions: My intention was to create a triptych of children who are horrifically affected by society. I recreated Luis Quiles's "I'm lovin' it" to symbolize starvation and hunger across the world, "Bomberman" to symbolize the amount of attacks on Saudi Arabia, and all the children affected, and lastly "Kid soldier" to symbolize how kids are be taught to kill and use weapons in Israel.
First, I created my canvases, using 4 stretcher bars that I stable-gunned together and wrapped in canvas.
|
Second, I used gesso to set the canvases. Then I applied a base coat using blue, red, and white paint. Afterward, I drew the images inspired by Quiles, onto the canvases. Then, I mixed skin tones and base colors for the clothes. Lastly, I added the details within each painting.
|
|
|
Meaning Behind Piece
This piece represents the ugly things in society. The first painting represents world hunger and poverty, according to the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization it is estimated that about 795 million people of the 7.3 billion people in the world, or one in nine, were suffering from chronic undernourishment in 2014-2016. http://www.worldhunger.org/2015-world-hunger-and-poverty-facts-and-statistics/ The second painting represents suicide bombings and war. The third represents kids being forced into violence.
Artist Inspiration
|
"Luis Quiles is known for his controversial artwork, which reveals the ugly side of society. Quiles is unafraid to pick up touchy topics like sexism, exploitation, violence, and homophobia; in fact it is one of his passions. Combining his art skills and in depth thoughts about society. Luis Quiles’s art is so controversial because he is so blunt, and often revolves around the type of truths people don’t like to discuss, let alone admit. For some people, Quiles’s images spark feelings of disgust or terror, but within each work there is a story being told, a fear being shared, and something for everyone to take away. Quiles artwork combines real-life events with current affairs, references to pop culture, technology, and more. Sometimes one of his images will appear innocent, until you look a little closer to see what is really going on."
Website: www.earthporm.com/spanish-artist-reveals-ugly-side-society-controversial-illustrations/ |
Reflection
The most difficult part of this project was finding an artist who perfected the theme of societies. I knew exactly what I wanted to create, but I struggled with executing it. When I came across Luis Quiles, I was so inspired by his work because it was exactly what I was trying to portray within my triptych of ugly societies. The most difficult part I experienced during this project, was creating a brown toned skin color. Since I did not have a brown, I had to mix red, yellow, and blue. Another thing that was difficult, was drawing the gun, if I were to paint this again I would spend more time drawing it and also making better color so it didn't blend as much with the brown used as the skin tone. Overall, I am satisfied with the outcome of this triptych.
ACT Reflection
1. My inspiration is Luis Quiles, an illustrator who shows the ugly sides of society very bluntly. I used his style and ideas to create a piece that brings attention to awful things in society children have to endure.
2. My overall approach was to create a piece of what society tries to hide, because of how unpleasant it is. I tried to make the painting very straightforward and blunt similar to how Quiles illustrates his pieces.
3. While researching the theme of society and Luis Quiles I discovered that the American culture tends to ignore extremely overwhelming aspects of society, instead of tries to bring attention to the problem and resolving it.
4. The overall theme of this piece is perfectly described within the title, this piece represents ugly so cities.
5. I made the inference that if more people bring attention to the ugly things in societies the more we can do to prevent and fix the situation.
2. My overall approach was to create a piece of what society tries to hide, because of how unpleasant it is. I tried to make the painting very straightforward and blunt similar to how Quiles illustrates his pieces.
3. While researching the theme of society and Luis Quiles I discovered that the American culture tends to ignore extremely overwhelming aspects of society, instead of tries to bring attention to the problem and resolving it.
4. The overall theme of this piece is perfectly described within the title, this piece represents ugly so cities.
5. I made the inference that if more people bring attention to the ugly things in societies the more we can do to prevent and fix the situation.