My portfolio project explores the broad theme of ‘Emotional Expression’. Within the theme, I have chosen to focus on the way our facial expressions depict what we are feeling as it is something we face in our day-to-day lives. I believe that art allows us to explore our emotions and understand the emotions of others as well.  

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​The first artist that has influenced my work is Agnes Grouchulska, specifically her ’The Outline Series’. A common trend through Grouchulska’s work is that the detail is focused on the facial features of her subject rather than the background and clothing. She also has a bold, vivid outline surrounding her subject which further draws the viewers’ attention to the emotions being portrayed through the facial expressions of the subject. You can see this through my work as I have also created an outline around my subject and I have been inspired by her impasto brush stroke style. I believe that this creates an expressionistic element to my work, crucial when focusing on the emotions of individuals.  

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​Furthermore, another inspiration for my work is Juca Maximo. His work has inspired me to explore different ways individual expresses their emotions, this is exemplified in my work through the use of scribbles across my subject's faces. I added this aspect to my work as I feel that it highlights the confusing/negative thoughts an individual may have even though they appear to be happy i.e. it represents the hidden emotions of my subject. 

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​The third artist I have been inspired by is Carli Ihde. I am hugely influenced by her style of rotoscope as I like the movement it creates as it draws the viewer's attention, consequently allowing viewers to reflect on the subject’s emotions as well as their own. 

The fourth artist I have been influenced by is Sophie Calle. She explores how individuals see themselves, their feelings and their intimacy with others. You can see her influence in my work through the text which I have used to express the thoughts of my subject, through the poetry by Rupi Kaur, which sometimes conflicts with their facial expression. 

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When completing my developmental work I have been inspired by different aspects of all four of my artists. It merges the skills and ideas I have learnt from these artists as I have created rotoscopes incorporating Ihde’s form, Grochulska’s painting style, Calle’s textual concept and parts of Maximo’s technique. When I took my videos for my work I ensured that my subjects had clear, strong facial expressions so that my theme and ideas came through. As my work has developed I have also experimented with the work of Ruff Mercy as I enjoyed the way his words come in and out of his work adding excitement and movement. I also decided to include poetry by Rupi Kaur in my work in order to make connections between the words being displayed and my theme. The poems focus on the emotions of an individual and how your emotions should be expressed and the idea that it is okay to ask for help. 

 

My final piece is in the form of a rotoscope which has taken inspiration from different aspects of all four of my artists and has incorporated the new artists and ideas that have evolved through my developments. For my final piece, I have taken some videos of my subject - one where she is seemingly happy and another where she is screaming and purging her emotions. I edited the videos so that it appears as if the viewer is seeing into her mind, past the happy mask and witnessing her true emotions.