2017 Student #15
Ap Studio Art: Drawing PORTFOLIO
Concentration:
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What is the central idea of your concentration?
My concentration focuses on the use of animals as symbols in storytelling, especially in mythology. Instead of illustrating a complete myth or story, I explore the character(s) through symbolism and portraiture. By drawing these figures in great detail, I also address these stories with a degree of sophistication they do not usually receive. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea? You may refer to specific images as examples. My work tends to focus on a particular god or goddess in Greek or Egyptian mythology. In pieces 4, 5, 10, and 11, I focus on powerful and independent goddesses. In concentration piece 10, I focused on how the Egyptian myths surrounding the goddess Bastet evolved over time. Originally, Bastet was depicted as a lioness and Egyptians revered her for her ferocity. Over time, Bastet’s portrayal changed from powerful to docile. In order to illustrate this transition, I depicted Bastet in both her powerful and docile forms. The two orange circles radiating off the lioness are reminiscent of the sun’s ferocity, while the gray circles surrounding the cat reference the moon and its association with the feminine. I also tend to pair the god’s (or goddess’) animal symbols) with other symbols, such as scared flowers or constellations, in order to reference a particular myth. In concentration piece 4, I paired Taweret’s animal symbol, the hippopotamus, with the constellations of Ursa Minor and Draco in order to emphasize her status as protectress of the northern sky. This piece’s black background contrasts with the figure’s light coloring, giving the appearance that Taweret is glowing. |
