2020-2021 AP 2D Studio Art and Design Portfolio
Briana Santos/ score: 3
Inquiry Question
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Character count: 1200/1200
ARTIST ONE:
Enrique Metinides
Enrique’s art was inspired by the environment he grew up in. Growing up in the streets of Mexico, loss and grief was always being displayed in front of him. While most people don’t experience these two things until later in their lives, it was brought to his attention early on. He constantly observed traumatic scenes and decided to capture raw moments and raw emotions at the young age of ten.
From car wrecks to murders to earthquakes, Enrique photographed violent and sorrowful scenes that told the stories of hundreds of different families and individuals.
By capturing real, unstaged scenarios, it’s clear that his intentions were to share what loss looks like.
Through his photographs, he tells the viewer about the mental struggles people face when they encounter tragedy. As he captured people’s initial responses to losing a loved one, a variety of emotions are revealed.
Enrique’s art is used to allow the viewer to feel as though they are apart of the moment. It opens up the world of loss and grief to those who haven’t experienced it.
The reaction he is trying to get out of the viewer is the exact same as those pictured, in hopes of opening up to a topic most people don’t discuss.
His art is displayed at Michael Hoppen Gallery in London. This is the best place for it as it is a place that exhibits many different types of art.
While looking at his photos, the message that I got was loss and death can be experienced in many different ways, but in the end, everyone goes through the same stages. I noticed this through the facial expressions the people shared in different photos.
His use of black and white photography adds to the rawness of emotions and simply focuses the art on the tragedy.
ARTIST TWO:
Amy Parrish
Amy’s art is inspired by her personal loss of her grandmother. Because of this, her own emotions are represented and resembled on her pieces through added detail. She uses her art to demonstrate what loss feels like to her. Her art explores the idea of hardships from loss through symbolism and old photographs.
In her art, she is trying to capture what grief causes her to feel when looking upon old memories. Through her mixed media, she shows that loss can be explored, demonstrated, and experienced in many different ways.
Initially, to the viewer, Amy’s art pieces wouldn’t make sense, however she provided explanations that go along with each creation. (Ex. the first picture explores eroding memory) which made it clear that she wanted to spread the message that loss comes with different stories that can lead to different mental illnesses.
The reaction Amy is trying to get from the viewer is a sense of sympathy. She wants the viewer to understand her pain and understand the meaning and purpose behind each symbol on her photographs.
Her art is displayed on her website. She’s not a big enough artist to be displayed in museums, however, her website is a good place to view her work since the rest of her portfolio provides background and more examples of other work she’s completed that represent loss and emotion.
When viewing Amy’s work the message I perceived was loss has a greater impact on our lives than we may think. Minor and major things being taken from someone adds a greater life lesson and allows one to realize the value of something. Loss also leaves questions unanswered which shows that everything has a purpose.
She uses gouache, an opaque watercolor paint, and wax pencil to alter the images by hiding faces, body parts, and other details. This invites the viewer to focus on specific gestures and details which opens them up to the bigger idea of loss.
Sustained Investigation 1
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI1
Ideas: Use different angles and expressions in portraits to demonstrate loss, use flame to show destruction (100/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, copy paper, lighter (50/100)
Process: Practice portraiture, revise photos, experiment with collages and physical elements (83/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 2
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI2
Ideas: Use editing and different forms of destruction to represent the pain that comes with loss (89/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, copy paper, tape (47/100)
Process: Practice portraiture, edit details, experiment with destruction of art to display emotions (90/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 3
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI3
Ideas: Use double exposure to manipulate portraits to reveal two different emotions that come with loss. (96/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, Spot healing tool (59/100)
Process: Synthesis using experiences and physical destruction to display emotion, practice portraiture, edit (99/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 4
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI4
Ideas: Manipulate an image to represent the feeling of being lost and isolation from loss (82/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, Paint brush, laptop (61/100)
Process: Practice digital drawing, edit photos, add filters, experiment with angles, revise final product (96/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 5
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
(Revisions of this idea made later on)
About SI5
Ideas: Create the sense of emptiness and falling into darkness through photo manipulation (82/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, laptop (48/100)
Process: Practice photo manipulation, edit photos, add flare in corner, experiment with shadows, revise final (100/100)
Sustained Investigation 6
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI6
Ideas: Edit an image and use past and present photos to portray looking in the past and life before loss (97/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, Spot healing tool, laptop (67/100)
Process: Synthesis using personal experiences, practice portraiture, manipulate an image digitally (89/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 7
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI7
Ideas: Edit an image to represent denial and various parts of the grieving process, use variety of colors (99/100)
Materials: Adobe Photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, Spot healing tool, laptop (67/100)
Process: Develop understanding of denial, practice portraiture, experiment with lighting a contrasting colors (100/100)
Final Image
Sustained Investigation 8
How can loss add to the world around us? What is loss and how can the emotions that come with it be explored?
Process Images
About SI8
Ideas: Revision of falling into dark and concealing true emotions, develop new ideas, digitally manipulate (99/100)
Materials: Adobe photoshop, DSLR camera, LightRoom, laptop, black and white adjustment filter, masking tool (96/100)
Process: Revise last image to effectively demonstrate idea, experiment with angles, practice masking (91/100)
Final Image
Selected Works
Idea(s): (100/100)
Material(s): (95/100)
Process(es): (96/100)
Idea(s): (100/100)
Material(s): (100/100)
Process(es): (97/100)
Idea(s): (92/100)
Material(s): (83/100)
Process(es): (99/100)
Idea(s): (100/100)
Material(s): (88/100)
Process(es): (98/100)
Idea(s): (95/100)
Material(s): (88/100)
Process(es): (97/100)
Community Presentation Reflection
I really enjoyed doing the community partner review. It really opened up my eyes and I received a lot of good feedback. For example, for my third SI I was told to clean up the lines in the back and I completely agree with this. I was also given more ideas on what I should do and complete in my future projects. Overall, I think presenting to others was very crucial and beneficial to the outcome of my projects.
Self Reflection
I discovered a lot about myself during the completion of my sustained investigations. I used this portfolio as a way to cope with my form of loss. I had a lot of fun with photoshoots, editing, and my final products. I faced creative block on nearly every project, however, I’m very happy with how everything turned out. Despite my lack of motivation and waiting until last minute for many of the projects, I’m very proud that I pulled through and put my full effort into every project.