Project 4
Title: The Mysteries of (Hu)Man
Size: 12 in
Median: Embroidery
Date of Completion: December 2021
Exhibition Text
The Mysteries of (Hu)man is an embroidery piece and was created to show how everyone struggles and keeps those struggles to themselves but someone's words or actions are enough to give that person hope and light. The Mysteries of (Hu)man takes inspiration from Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone and Rene Magritte's The Mysteries of the Horizon.
Process, Experimentation, & Technique
Artist Inspiration
The Mysteries of the Horizon consists of three identical men in bowler hats. Men in bowler hats were commonly present in Magritte's paintings and were used to depict identical or undefined beings. A crescent moon is also above each of them and further illustrates that they are the same being. Each of the three men are facing a different direction with it being night in the background. This piece was created during the Surrealism period which means it included juxtaposition of some kind.
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Starry Night Over the Rhone was a scene which was painted as Van Gogh saw it from his window in the asylum he placed himself in. There are two forms which can be seen and is meant to impact the painting in a pleasant and peaceful way. The relationship between the two figures can be left up to the viewer’s interpretation such as friends, lovers, etc. The stars within this painting form the “Great Bear” Constellation and is an astrological aspect of the painting. He portrayed the sky in a realistic way and painted it as they were from his window. Repetition of his brushstrokes are apparent in creating the stars as well as the sky itself. The addition of these stars and a real constellation made the painting realistic as if you were seeing the setting yourself.
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Process
I first began with sketching my initial idea onto the stretched piece of fabric. I wasn't too worried about the pressure I was sketching with because I planned to cover the entire canvas with embroidery. It was a little hard recreating my sketch on this piece of fabric because of the material it was made out of and also because it was in the shape on a circle, not a square like my paper had been.
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I started with the hair of the two figures which were identical such as the men in bowler hats by my inspiration The Mysteries of the Horizon. I first started off with outlining the hair with the thread and then filling it in. I used vertical thread stitches as if to depict real hair flowing downwards.
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I filled in the shirts with thread next. I decided with a grey thread because I wanted it to symbolize the loss of color but still with a smiling face to show the façade the figure was putting up. I used horizontal stitching for this area because I wanted the shirt to be noticeable from the hair and not blend into one another. The differing thread directions created contrast among the hair and shirt because you could clearly tell where one ended and the other started.
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I did the skin tone after the clothing. At first, I was deciding whether or not to include the blue sad tone for the figure in hiding and a yellow hue for the "happy" figure but ultimately I decided against it because the sky and "words/actions" surrounding the figures might be hard to tell which is which. I went with a peach tone with horizontal stitching so that it would be easy to tell where the hair ended.
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I then moved onto the other figure's clothing. This figure lacked hair as well as any defining characteristics because I wanted this figure to symbolize anyone at all who gave their support through their words or their actions to the struggling figures. I chose a lavender hue for the shirt because lavender symbolizes love, devotion and purity which were the intentions of this figure so it was fitting to pick this color for the shirt.
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After that, I decided to do the area which was from the area coming off from the encouraging pure figure. Happiness is usually colored yellow so I made this area yellow as if to show them giving happiness to the 2 other figures. I used two different yellow hues for this. I embroidered in a circular direction but leaving many gaps and openings in the stitching. With those empty areas, I put the other yellow hue until the area was complete.
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The inclusion of the solar eclipse was a direct inspiration from The Mysteries of the Horizon because in Magritte's piece, they included three identical crescent moons above each of the men in bowler hats. I chose a solar eclipse to depict the sun being the happiness and the moon being sadness. This shows their sadness and agony engulf their happiness but they aren't showing that on their face. I used a pale yellow hue for the inside stitching and outlines it in a darker yellow. I used yellow to be a direct symbol for happiness.
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Then, I filled in the stars above the head of the encouraging figure. These stars were inspired by the constellation seen in Starry Night Over the Rhone but I positioned it to look somewhat like a halo to show that they are quite literally saving the struggling figures. I used a yellow and started from the outwards to the inwards which gave it a very jagged look somewhat like a star shape which I enjoyed.
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I moved on to the sky next which I created in an Impressionism style inspired by Van Gogh's Starry Night Over the Rhone. I used the same technique as I did with the area of yellow encouragement which meant created movements but leaving openings and gaps that I would fill in with a different hue than the one I was currently using. I made the stitches in wave-like patterns which added movement to the piece as well as created contrast between the different textures.
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Reflection
Overall, I am very happy and proud of the outcome of my final piece. This was my first time creating an embroidered design beyond just a couple of straightforward stitches. I am very proud of the sky within my piece and how it creates movement as well as how the stitches come together to add texture to the product. I learned many new methods while creating this piece such as the idea of pulling apart the thread which allowed a thinner area for smaller details. I also learned the type as well as the direction you stitch in affects the initial outcome. For example, the hair was stitched vertically which allowed it to look realistic as opposed to if it was done horizontally which might not make much sense visually. I believe the research I did for Starry Night Over the Rhone as well as The Mysteries of the Horizon contributed greatly to the overall final product. This is because after researching Magritte's piece, I realized the crescent moons were meant to emphasize that the men in bowler hats were the same person. This inspired me to include the solar eclipse above the two figures who were the same in my piece. The solar eclipse symbolized the happiness of someone being overcome by the sadness and stress but that person not showing it. The moon is the sadness covering the sun which is happiness. I believe my final piece is very connected to each of my inspirations. It is connected to Van Gogh's piece because I used a similar style as well as similar hues from his piece. I used his method of creating many repeated brushstrokes but in the form of stitching and embroidery. It is also connected to Magritte's piece because He inspired me to do create the same person but in different angles as well as include some astronomical symbol above them.
Critique
Similarities
-Starry Night Over the Rhone and my piece use multiple strokes of color to create the sky, background, etc (Impressionism Style) -Similar hues were used in each of the pieces, Starry Night Over the Rhone consisted of many blues and yellows as did my piece as well as The Mysteries of the Horizon included many blues and blacks. -In Mysteries of the Horizon, there were astronomical symbols such as the crescent moon above the figures while in my piece, a solar eclipse is used above the figure |
Differences
-The medians of each piece is different, mine is an embroidery design while the two inspirations are paintings. -Although astronomical symbols were included in The Mysteries Over the Horizon and my piece, the meaning behind them were different. In Mysteries of the Horizon, they are meant to show each of the figures is identical hence being given the same symbol while in my piece, the solar eclipse depicts sadness being in never happiness even if someone doesn't show it. |
ACT Questions
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
I am able to identify the cause effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the use of hues such as the blues and yellows as well as the symbols included such as the solar eclipse inspired by the crescent moon.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Vincent Van Gogh has a distinct style in the Impressionism style and uses many brushstrokes to fill an area with a color while Magritte had a surrealistic approach with things seeming normal until you look closer.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations and conclusions I made about Van Gogh while I was researching was that he used multiples hues of a color he wanted to fill in an area with for example, if he wanted something to be blue, he would use a wide variety of shades of blue to fill it in.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around Starry Night Over the Rhone is to depict a peaceful setting from his window while including two figures who's representation can be left to the viewer.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Inferences I made while researching regards Magritte's inclusion of the crescent moon, I inferred that it was due to them being the same figure but different angles that the all received the same phase of the moon.
I am able to identify the cause effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork through the use of hues such as the blues and yellows as well as the symbols included such as the solar eclipse inspired by the crescent moon.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
Vincent Van Gogh has a distinct style in the Impressionism style and uses many brushstrokes to fill an area with a color while Magritte had a surrealistic approach with things seeming normal until you look closer.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Generalizations and conclusions I made about Van Gogh while I was researching was that he used multiples hues of a color he wanted to fill in an area with for example, if he wanted something to be blue, he would use a wide variety of shades of blue to fill it in.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme around Starry Night Over the Rhone is to depict a peaceful setting from his window while including two figures who's representation can be left to the viewer.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
Inferences I made while researching regards Magritte's inclusion of the crescent moon, I inferred that it was due to them being the same figure but different angles that the all received the same phase of the moon.
Bibliography
The Mysteries of the Horizon, 1928 by Rene Magritte, https://www.renemagritte.org/the-mysteries-of-the-horizon.jsp.