Tryptic
"People think one-point and two-point perspective is how the world actually looks, but of course, it isn't. It's a convention."
-Roy Lichtenstein
-Roy Lichtenstein
Hopeless
Acrylic on Canavas
91.44x182.88cm
2016
Acrylic on Canavas
91.44x182.88cm
2016
Using Roy Lichtenstein and On Kawa as my inspiration, I wanted to create a tryptic that would tell a story. Using the 3 given panels and the theme of “Artist in the City”, I created a story to represent one of my daily problems. I’m just another person trying to live my life, but it’s constantly interrupted by how society sees women. Catcalling is a very typical problem for me and my friends, so using a comic book style, I created a short story of these encounters and how they affect me.
Artistic Inspiration
Zwirner, David. "About This Artwork." Oct. 31, 1978 (Today Series, "Tuesday") | The Art Institute of Chicago. 2016. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/artwork/59646.
"Landscapes." The Art Institute of Chicago. 2013. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.artic.edu/aic/collections/exhibitions/Lichtenstein/themes/Landscapes.
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Lichtenstein, Roy. "In the Car (1963)." National Galleries Scotland. 2016. Accessed January 31, 2017. https://art.nationalgalleries.org/art-and-artists/664/car-1963.
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Acornell. "HOPELESS 1963." Roy Lichtenstein. March 17, 2015. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://blogs.uoregon.edu/roylichtenstein/2015/03/17/hopeless-1963/.
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Roy Lichtenstein was an American pop artist. Lichtenstein was significant in changing the art movement at the time from abstract expressionism, to pop art. Rather than trying to represent the tragic emotions and depression that came after the second World War, he showed little emotion of his own in the pieces. Pop artist wanted the ideas to be instantly conveyed, from easily recognizable sources. His style and works were directly derived from how comics were made. His works were made to show people the reality of how pop culture was affecting them. His signature use on Ben-Day dots is seen throughout his works. This is used to mock how the newspapers would print and publish these comics. Along with his signature dots, he would also mainly use primary colors to create these works. Other artists like Robert Rauschenberg and Jasper Johns had already used comics in their works to form collages, but Lichtenstein did something different. He made the comics into the art.
The start of Lichtenstein's art dealt with landscapes. One of the most popular works being Sunrise (1965). These works incorporated his famous use of Ben-Day dots, as well as sharp black outlines. These lines were made to define the differences in the mountains, sun, and clouds. In the Car (1963) was a work based off of the comic Girls’ Romances. This part was made to represent a woman who was regretting her decision to ride with this man. In many of his works, Lichtenstein used the stereotypical beautiful blonde women, and the handsome man. The image of a beautiful blonde women is also seen again in Hopeless (1963) took a comic book image and made something that would just be thrown away, into art.
I used Oct. 31, 1978 by On Kawara. He was a conceptual artist who made a series of dates. Each date was made to simply say that he was alive and present for this day in history. I used this because it fit in with the literal meaning behind pop art, while adding to the meaning of my tryptic.
These pieces all were made to show the meaning behind the piece in a quite literal sense. Lichtenstein and other pop artists were able to create works of art that looked like a comic book, while still being appreciated in the artistic world. I decided to use this as inspiration so that I could create a literal story of me (the artist), in the city, and my relationship with the city. I decided on Sunrise, In the Car and Hopeless as my inspiration pieces because I found them the best to integrate with my ideas. I knew that I wanted to deal with an issue that I commonly face when I have to leave my home. Ever since I’ve been in middle school I’ve had to deal with the issue of cat-calling. Using Lichtenstein as my inspiration, I would create a trio of paintings to convey my feelings during these occurrences.
The start of Lichtenstein's art dealt with landscapes. One of the most popular works being Sunrise (1965). These works incorporated his famous use of Ben-Day dots, as well as sharp black outlines. These lines were made to define the differences in the mountains, sun, and clouds. In the Car (1963) was a work based off of the comic Girls’ Romances. This part was made to represent a woman who was regretting her decision to ride with this man. In many of his works, Lichtenstein used the stereotypical beautiful blonde women, and the handsome man. The image of a beautiful blonde women is also seen again in Hopeless (1963) took a comic book image and made something that would just be thrown away, into art.
I used Oct. 31, 1978 by On Kawara. He was a conceptual artist who made a series of dates. Each date was made to simply say that he was alive and present for this day in history. I used this because it fit in with the literal meaning behind pop art, while adding to the meaning of my tryptic.
These pieces all were made to show the meaning behind the piece in a quite literal sense. Lichtenstein and other pop artists were able to create works of art that looked like a comic book, while still being appreciated in the artistic world. I decided to use this as inspiration so that I could create a literal story of me (the artist), in the city, and my relationship with the city. I decided on Sunrise, In the Car and Hopeless as my inspiration pieces because I found them the best to integrate with my ideas. I knew that I wanted to deal with an issue that I commonly face when I have to leave my home. Ever since I’ve been in middle school I’ve had to deal with the issue of cat-calling. Using Lichtenstein as my inspiration, I would create a trio of paintings to convey my feelings during these occurrences.
"Roy Lichtenstein (1923-1997)." Roy Lichtenstein: American Pop Artist, Comic-Strip Painter. 2016. Accessed January 31, 2017. http://www.visual-arts-cork.com/famous-artists/roy-lichtenstein.htm.
Sketching & Planning
When sketching I began drafting my ideas my planning the panels in order. Every sketch contains 3 ideas for a part of the story. In the first part I debated if I should show the car pulling up to me, or if I should do a close up. I decided a close up was the best choice because it was the most similar to In the Car. For the second panel I ended up not choosing any of my original ideas. I found Hopeless and realized it would be the best choice for this piece. For the last panel I settled on the last option to start my story. It was a simple enough message that could be translated into pop art.
Collecting Images and Tools
Tools Used:
- Acrylic Paint and Paint Brushes
- Sharpie Oil Based Paint Markers
- T-Square
- Sharpie Fine-Point Pen
Process
To begin my process, I started with the first panel inspired by Sunrise. I free-handed the outline for the detail of this piece. I then used artist tape to guide my lines and make sure the sun rays were in place. Afterwards I colored in the sun, and began to outline all of the details. To ensure straight and clean lines, I primarily used the oil-based sharpie marker. This helped greatly in recreating my interpretation of Lichtenstein's works. I then began to create all of the Ben-day dots. To do this I approximated how far each dot should be from each other, and used a t-square to make sure my dots would be in a straight line.
For the second panel I projected the chosen image onto the canvas. This was the hardest panel for me to create due to I wasn't quite sure how I would fit everything I wanted, in an aesthetically pleasing manner. I was constantly making adjustments to this piece, and changing the hues of every element. I originally began the piece with a much darker suit and hair, but looked more closely at In the Car, and decided that I needed to make these much brighter. I then had to decide where the best places to add all the other components were. While creating this panel especially, I had to keep reworking to refine edges. Once everything that needed to be there was present, I began to outline. I used the oil-based sharpie to outline all the figures. I also used the T-square here to create straight lines to shape the car, and the window. I used the sharpie fine-point pen here to create the thin lines to make the glass more realistic, as well as to fill in the speech bubble.
For the third and final panel, I projected my image onto the canvas. I traced the image and began to fill in the colors. I began with the skin tone (which had to be remade several times), and the figure. I then began to fill in the puddle of tears underneath, and the thought bubble. I added many layers of white to certain areas to make it look as clean and as close to Hopeless as possible. Once I was happy with the base colors I again outline with the oil-based sharpie. I made the Ben-Day dots using the t-square, and a white oil-based sharpie. To complete the panel I wrote with the fine-point sharpie pen.
For the second panel I projected the chosen image onto the canvas. This was the hardest panel for me to create due to I wasn't quite sure how I would fit everything I wanted, in an aesthetically pleasing manner. I was constantly making adjustments to this piece, and changing the hues of every element. I originally began the piece with a much darker suit and hair, but looked more closely at In the Car, and decided that I needed to make these much brighter. I then had to decide where the best places to add all the other components were. While creating this panel especially, I had to keep reworking to refine edges. Once everything that needed to be there was present, I began to outline. I used the oil-based sharpie to outline all the figures. I also used the T-square here to create straight lines to shape the car, and the window. I used the sharpie fine-point pen here to create the thin lines to make the glass more realistic, as well as to fill in the speech bubble.
For the third and final panel, I projected my image onto the canvas. I traced the image and began to fill in the colors. I began with the skin tone (which had to be remade several times), and the figure. I then began to fill in the puddle of tears underneath, and the thought bubble. I added many layers of white to certain areas to make it look as clean and as close to Hopeless as possible. Once I was happy with the base colors I again outline with the oil-based sharpie. I made the Ben-Day dots using the t-square, and a white oil-based sharpie. To complete the panel I wrote with the fine-point sharpie pen.
Experimentation
Most of the experimentation for creating this piece revolved around creating the best skin tone. It was easy for me to decide on the color scheme for every panel, because they mostly required the use of primary colors. When I did have to mix colors I created different hues of skin tone, eye color, and the puddle of tears. The second panel I was really unsure of what I was originally doing. I had to create an idea for what I wanted to do before actually doing it. In the picture displayed above, I was trying to figure out how to create the suit. I later realized that I had to change the color entirely, and create room the the tie.
Reflection & Analysis
I am pleased with the outcome of my final piece, together the three panels have a strong sense of unity. I knew that when originally creating this work I wanted to find a way to tell a story in a very literal sense. I enjoy looking at the final product, which truly looks like something out of a comic book. All three of my panels have a distinct and clear connection to a Lichtenstein piece. It's easy and clear to see which of his works inspired which panel. These clear connections help the viewer to see inspiration, as well as my translation of the meaning. It's clear to discover the meaning or scenario which is happening throughout every panel.
The first panel is more obvious to people who are closer to me, but it's still fairly obvious as to what it is. It's simply a date painted over the background inspired by Sunrise and Oct.31, 1978. It's safe for most viewers to assume that this is my date of birth. Everyone whom has commented on my work thus far has been able to distinguish that it is my birthday, or at least a date that is relevant to me. The second panel has an obvious inspiration base on In the Car. It clearly has a man in the car. The only difference between the content of my panel and In the Car being my removal of the women in the car (in the original piece) and adding sound effects. I knew that adding another figure on the canvas would cause it to be far too cluttered, but I knew it needed more. I added a speech bubble and the "Beep" effects to help convey the situation to viewers more clearly. Adding these did not take away from the inspiration, and it used the same style as the inspiration followed. Without adding these effect the piece lacked the context it needed to tell this story. The third panel has a very clear inspiration and connection to Hopeless. Both my work and Hopeless demonstrate a stereotypical crying blonde women claiming that something is "Hopeless." Both are similar in the sense that they are disappointed in the current situation. Combining each Lichtenstein work as inspiration helped me to develop a story that was clearly connected, and understandable.
The first panel is more obvious to people who are closer to me, but it's still fairly obvious as to what it is. It's simply a date painted over the background inspired by Sunrise and Oct.31, 1978. It's safe for most viewers to assume that this is my date of birth. Everyone whom has commented on my work thus far has been able to distinguish that it is my birthday, or at least a date that is relevant to me. The second panel has an obvious inspiration base on In the Car. It clearly has a man in the car. The only difference between the content of my panel and In the Car being my removal of the women in the car (in the original piece) and adding sound effects. I knew that adding another figure on the canvas would cause it to be far too cluttered, but I knew it needed more. I added a speech bubble and the "Beep" effects to help convey the situation to viewers more clearly. Adding these did not take away from the inspiration, and it used the same style as the inspiration followed. Without adding these effect the piece lacked the context it needed to tell this story. The third panel has a very clear inspiration and connection to Hopeless. Both my work and Hopeless demonstrate a stereotypical crying blonde women claiming that something is "Hopeless." Both are similar in the sense that they are disappointed in the current situation. Combining each Lichtenstein work as inspiration helped me to develop a story that was clearly connected, and understandable.
ACT Connection
1) The impact Lichtenstein and Kawa had on my art is very abundant. All 3 of my panels show a clear connection to the pop art style, and the first panel models the date as seen in Oct. 31, 1978.
2) Lichtenstein believed in creating works which had a clear meaning, and Kawa believed in creating something simply to say he was there for a date. Combined these artists wanted to make art that would simply exist and allow others to interpret what they think it means.
3) While researching my inspirations for creating this piece I reveled that these men were trying to create something simple yet meaningful. Lichtenstein was able to recreate a comic book style and make it his own, while Kawa made his own style with just a day in history.
4) While researching I wanted to find an inspiration which would allow me to demonstrate just a piece of my life in a quite literal manner. I wanted to find something that would help me show a part of my city and how it effects me.
5) My research allowed for me to conclude that both Lichtenstein and Kawa were fully capable of creating pieces of art that conveyed a literal meaning. Whether it be a stereotypical crying girl or a day in history, people are able to see and understand what the pieces meant.
2) Lichtenstein believed in creating works which had a clear meaning, and Kawa believed in creating something simply to say he was there for a date. Combined these artists wanted to make art that would simply exist and allow others to interpret what they think it means.
3) While researching my inspirations for creating this piece I reveled that these men were trying to create something simple yet meaningful. Lichtenstein was able to recreate a comic book style and make it his own, while Kawa made his own style with just a day in history.
4) While researching I wanted to find an inspiration which would allow me to demonstrate just a piece of my life in a quite literal manner. I wanted to find something that would help me show a part of my city and how it effects me.
5) My research allowed for me to conclude that both Lichtenstein and Kawa were fully capable of creating pieces of art that conveyed a literal meaning. Whether it be a stereotypical crying girl or a day in history, people are able to see and understand what the pieces meant.