DP2 Visual Art Reflection: Maddy H.
Maddy is the first of four DP2 Visual Art students that we will be spotlighting this week. Her body of work focuses on raising awareness about protecting the environment. Read on to hear about her body of work and exhibition curatorial rationale in her own words. View the full DP2 Visual Art Virtual Exhibition here.
“Through my artwork, I am hoping to encourage others to be aware of the environment. All my pieces incorporate materials that are being reused and repurposed, instead of being thrown out. When the audience is looking at my body of work, they should realize that we as a society produce a lot of garbage. Most of this garbage is thrown into landfills, when really we can reuse it. My intentions are for the audience to realize the importance of reusing materials. I hope that those who view my body of work understand the importance of protecting our environment.
Our current environmental situation has influenced my body of work. I am really passionate about our environment and saw this course as an excellent opportunity to express my thoughts and feelings regarding the environment and to bring awareness to others of the importance of saving our environment. I have explored this concept of reusing materials through mixed media art. To emphasize the reuse of material, I decided it was best to fully incorporate it into my artworks. Using this technique allowed me to create pieces that draw the attention of the audience. Because I have used a variety of different materials, each piece of art tempts the audience in getting closer and exploring the art in itself. Each piece has physical qualities that tempt you into touching them. This was done on purpose to really capture the audience's attention.
The way a body of art is hung using a chronological approach establishes a sequential relationship between the works. My body of art consists of large and small pieces. I have decided to align my work in a landscape view with two rows. The placement of the art in rows represents time, and our ability to change our waste habits over time. Through the layout of my art I am showcasing the progress that we as a society can make, if we continue to reuse materials. I want to show my audience that we can do better, and that we can make a difference in our world to protect our environment. Each piece tempts the audience to get closer and touch the piece of art. This allows the audience to feel connected to the body of art and hopefully allows them to have a greater understanding of the meaning behind my art. The purpose of this body of work is to create awareness for our environment. With that in mind, I hope that my audience experiences a variety of feelings. When looking at certain pieces I hope they are frustrated, and disappointed in themselves because of the negative impact that humans have had on the environment. In other pieces I hope they feel empowered to change their habits and become a more environmentally aware citizen. I want them to have a moment of, ‘Wow, this is bad. Something needs to be done.’ Through my art, I want the audience to recognize that we as a society can improve our waste footprint, and to realize that everything has a second purpose. I want them to come away with a greater appreciation for the environment and to understand the importance of reusing materials.”
Styrofoam City
"This piece was created to symbolize our current environmental situation. I used packing peanuts to emphasize the reuse of materials. The dark toned sections represent the environmental footprint of many and the dying sections of our planet. The lighter toned areas are pockets of change, where people are being more conscious of their own environmental footprint."
Rocky Start
"This piece incorporates rocks from our natural environment to provide a harsh rough texture to emphasize the grit and effort it takes to improve your environmental footprint. The colours represent people who have worked hard and changed certain aspects of their lives to be more environmentally conscious."
Pulled Apart
"This piece uses a layering technique to shine a light on the layers of our society. This technique allowed me to represent that there is a foundation to all systems. The purpose of this piece was to remind us that we build upon past decisions, and with every new choice, our past decisions are lying just beneath the surface. This piece is to be analyzed one layer at a time and gaining an understanding for the layers present in one's life."
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