Size: 22.86cm by 30.48cm Medium: Oil Pastel On Illustration Board Date: September 2022 Exhibition Text This piece was heavily inspired by Edvard Munch's The Scream and Anxiety. I was inspired not only by his styles but the meaning behind his piece. I found a way to connect the meaning of his pieces to mine. I used Edvard Munch’sThe Scream as a base and added some of my own additives to fitmy meaning behind it. I also used different colorscompared to Munch but in the same style and movement.
Inspiration
The Scream 1893, Edvard Munch
The focal inspiration for this piece is The Scream by Edvard Munch, he works in a very distinct style that was interesting to me. The other piece of his that I used is Anxiety. I used this one as inspiration because it was the most like The Scream and followed the same color values. In comparison to The Scream, the people were more zoomed in, so this painting allowed me to better analyze his style of people. AccordingtoMunch himself, The Scream was a painting that presents his soul in a momentofexistential crisis. The scream tells a real-lifeexperience of Munch. He was walking down a road like the one in the painting, during a sunset. His friends were walking with him but looking out in the sky he stoppedwhile his friends continued. He thensuddenly began to have some sort of panic attack. Thepanic attack could have been called by the continuoustrauma Munch experienced in his childhood and lifetime. Fortunately,Icannotexactly relate to the experience of trauma that caused panic attacks and crises. But there have been eventsthat I have been uncomfortable with as a child, but I neverrealizeduntil now. So,I want my piece to be centered around that in a similar style to Munch's. Being black has caused me to experience many microaggressions. Whether or not they are intended to be disrespectful it can still be harmful to have assumptions about people. The most common thing I experienced was my hair, people asking if it is real, staring, assumingit is not real, asking if I’m mixed, and evening touching it. This caused a lot of frustration when I was younger partly because I did not fully understand it. For this piece, I intend to playoffThe Scream but with this idea.
While creating these pieces it was an outlet for Edvard, he was able to express repressed feelings for his best mental health. When first viewing the scream, I thought of a person who is mentally stuck or just stressed with life. When first viewing the Anxiety, I felt uncomfortable, it felt judgmental. The color of these pieces is very sharp but not bright. The line through the piece creates movement that the eyes follow. In Anxiety the line movement is in the sky/scenery,the lines are not straight they are wavy which is where the movement is created. Like Anxiety, the line movement in The Scream is in the sunset but also on the bridge. On the bridge the line makes it appear more realistic like wood. Since the movement in both pieces are small waves instead of hectic zigzags. It gives the impression that the weather is very calm. This causes questions because if the weather is calm why do the people in the pieces look the opposite.
Anxiety 1894, Edvard Munch
Planning/Expermination
The first part of my planning process goal was to help me decidethemediumI wanted to do. I had theimage in my head, but I needed a way to execute it. To decide I listed the pros of each medium and cons as well. Oil pastel was the most like my inspiration so it would make it easier to adapt his style on my piece. Although it is possible to do that with block print it is something Ihave not tried. I have also never used color with block print and color plays a crucial role in this piece.
On my second planning page I tried different oil pastel techniques. This would help me figure out how to use the oil pastels to my advantage and the strengths and weaknesses of the pastel. Some colors worked better than others. I don't know if it's the brand or has something to do with the color but the red/orange colors didn't blend as well as the other colors. The other colors applied very smoothly. For this piece, in order to best represent Edvard Munch I don't think I will use the oil method. This is because letting the color blend on their own lets the color appear vibrant as possible. The oil method dulls the colors.
On this planning page I played around with different concepts for my piece. Since the hair is a big part I tried out different styles. I don't think I'm going to actually do those hairstyles, so it helped me rule them out. Instead of those I'm currently leaning toward too curly puffs.. As a child I wore one puff more than too but two puffs would be a more universal experience. I also played around with facial expressions and hand movements. When drawing the hand movement I started to like how it looked with multiple. I may do more than one.
Process/Expermination
For this piece I used an illustration board. It had measurements of 9in by 12in, so I split it into a 3in by 3in grid. Idecided to do a grid since I was creating my own version of the scream.
So, since I created a grid on the illustration board,I did the same to the original scream. This way Icould add in all the importantparts of the scream that make it the scream.
I started with the focal point, the ghost-likefigure, and worked my way around it. The grids made it super helpful. I was able to keep the same dimensions. I just added the lines that separatecolors or objects since most if not all the detail will be done with oil pastel. Color is a big player in EdvardMunch's scream and anxiety.
The only major difference in this picture is the additive of the hair. This is the style Idecidedon which was completelydifferent from any of the styles a did in my planning process. I decided on this because it is universal. I feel like almost any little girl has a had pigtail once in her lifetime regardless of ethnic background.
Here I added the hands as discusses in my planning portfolio. I decided on two. My original idea was just one but while sketching in my process and pondered the idea of multiple. I think two make a nice asymmetrical balance that is pleasing to the eye, which I appreciate. Since I decided to make my ghost-like figure lean to oneside, I played with the hands. The hand that is pulling/tugging is on the lower side while the hand that is petting/rubbing is on the higher side. This gives the impression that the hands are causing the movement which honestly can be up to the viewer depending on how they see it. To me it looks like Shes running away from the hand she is making eye contact just for there to be another right behind her.
Here I started to become more comfortable with the oil pastel. I was able to develop movement and dimension with this technique. The movement of the sky almost makes it appear chaotic rather than calming which is ironic because sunsets are known to be relaxing and calming.
The next step is starting with the hands. I wanted to keep the hand almost solid black but in order to add the fingers there was a need for dimension so I used white and a light gray in some areas. I did the same method with the cloak.
Here I started on the rails of the bridge using contrast with the black. I also blended the black slightly with the bridge rails, so it did not look so sharp.
For the color theme, I did not want to follow a traditional sunset like Edvard munch. I decided to do a pink/purple sunset. These are by far my favorite sunsets, so I wanted to replicate them. I followed a similar pattern with pinks and purples. I realized as I go I need to erase the grid lines because they show through the oil pastel.
I wanted the water or river to be the darkest rich blue. For this, I had to layer different shades of blue over black in some areas to get a deep appearance. I really was happy with how it was coming out and enjoyed using oil pastels over paint. The main reason is acrylic paint dries super fats making it harder to blend and paint brushes can sometimes create unwanted streaks which take away from the actual movement.
So here I started at the base of the bridge. I noticed the movement was going in the wrong direction, so I fixed that in the following picture. I used a variety of colors and layers. Some of the colors I used are brown, red, yellow, peach, white, etc. I also coloredthe face. I used the same method and colors that I used for the arms.
This is the final. The only thing I did after this was fix intricate details. I filled in the space in-between the rails. I used dark colors to add dimension to this.
Compare & Contrast
Similarities & Differences A big similarity is the ghostly figures used in the pieces. Munch used the dead-like people to represent his emotion of how he feels inside. In my work, I used a ghostly figure without the dead, because meaning doesn't have to do with feeling dead or empty inside. A difference between the pieces is the color chosen. Munch used a very traditional sunset to display while I use less tradition. This could be associated with the imagination of a younger child which would explain the pigtail. There also are instances where purple/pink sunsets do existence as well. Movement plays a huge role in all pieces and is used in similar ways. The cell movement is ironic to the chaotic feeling the ghost-like figures are having.
Reflection
I am actually pleased with the final outcome. I think I did well with keeping the structure of the scream but using my own ideas to differentiate the two. I really like the technique used and is something I would consider furthering into something more original. I developed as an artist by using a new medium that I have not used for any other of my pieces. I have worked with oil pastels before but never formally used them more than when I was younger to color. My inspiration for this piece is Edvard Munch's The Scream and the Anxiety. It connects not only on a visual level but also on the meaning. The biggest challenge I encountered while creating this piece was picking the colors. The colors play a significant role in the visual appeal of the work. I did not want to follow the same pallet that Edvard Munch did. I had to pick the colors thoughtfully and figure out what certain shades could be used for. Before tackling this project I tested different methods of using oil pastels and that helped me figure out what I didn't want to do. My Favorite part was seeing it gradually go together section by a section which you can see in the process. I hope when someone sees their work they can create their own unique interpretation of 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 clearly identify the relationship between Edvard Munch and my work because the construction of each painting can easily be seen between The Scream and my piece. He uses a variety of oil materials including oil pastels so the similarities are seen in the technique with similar mediums. What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration? The point of view that my research has about my inspiration Edvard Munch was mentally ill and suffered from childhood trauma. What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration? A generalization I was able to create was that people like to express their experiences through things that comfort them such as art, music, poems, etc. What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research? My central idea in my research revolved around expressionism and what influences the artist to take on that style. What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research? I inferred that Edvard Munch was possibly going through a difficult time and the sunset was ironic for the chaoticness in his mind.
Works Cited
Beams, Sophia. “The Scream: A Deeper Analysis of Edvard Munch’s Anxiety-Wrought Piece.” Medium, 11 Dec. 2021, medium.com/everything-art/the-scream-a-deeper-analysis-of-edvard-munchs-anxiety-wrought-piece-c36d9bbbb4cd.
Sooke, Alastair. “What Is the Meaning of the Scream?” BBC Culture, www.bbc.com/culture/article/20160303-what-is-the-meaning-of-the-scream#:%7E:text=It%20has%20been%20suggested%20that,died%20when%20he%20was%2013. Accessed 27 Sept. 2022.