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Perfection,Flaws, Ideals and Compromises

What is Perfection?

What is ‘Perfection’?

 

And what is it like to be ‘Perfect’? Excellence? Flawlessness? Completeness? 

 

What is ‘Perfection’ for you?

We all strive for perfection. But will this in turn only make us more boring, predictable?

Is trying to make my self look perfect defeating the point?

As humans, can we relate to perfection? or do we just reject this ununderstandable concept. 

Through makeup, plastic surgery, clothes, brands, fashions, hair styles we all try to hide up our insecurities and imperfections. 

We all strive for perfection. But is this really what we want? Are we getting socially trapped and thus causing the restriction to express who we really are and become reserved and lacking in confidence?

 

Throughout the history of Art there has been many different styles that intend to have a distinct emotional effect on the viewer. In my investigation I became interested in the difference between the rendition of truth vs abstraction in human portraiture. 

Does a face become more captivating and visually pleasing when only an idea or a concept is represented? If we leave out the solidity and the certainty that what we are trying to bring across to the viewer is a face, does this in turn stimulate the viewers imagination? Is this much more rewarding than merely skilfully copying the realities we see everyday?

 

Looking at the work of Marlene Dumas I realised she had come very close to defining the anxieties and uncertainties of modern human existence and I notices a subtlety in her work that inspired the concept of my final piece. Dumas’ expressions is a perfect rendition of the effects of ‘social perfection’ though the ideas of having someone actively observing you and all your features compared to when you observe someone. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My final piece is a tryptic inspired by Dumas, with my own original expressive brushstroke and complementary strong colours informed through the psychological properties of colours. I explored many new techniques of smudging and overlapping papers and I was pleased with the outcome.

 

Through this project, as being a self portrait tryptic, I have exposed myself and have shown my true colours and raw emotions. Through this, I have realised my own imperfections should be celebrated and those are the things that make me unique and interesting. 

 

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