Coursework - Example of First Year IB project

'Me, Myself and I' by Tessa Hall

Project Brief

"The self-portrait has consistently been one of the enduring traditions in the history of western art, and a medium through which a number of artists have produced some of their most revealing work. Rembrandt's recurrent use of the self-portrait throughout his career as a vehicle to question his persona, role and position in society was an expressive and liberating influence on him, and contributed to an understanding of self-portraiture as a fundamental means of self-scrutiny.

Extract from Sean Kelly's introduction to 'The Self-Porlrait. a Modern View' 1987.

During the next 6 weeks your project is to work on the theme of the self-portrait, with the aim of going beyond mere appearances.

Weeks One & Two - Achieving a 'likeness'

With a mirror, you are to produce life-size self-portraits using continuous tone. *

Adopt a three-quarter view*, and make every effort to position your head rejative to a light source in order that tone* reveals form* (there are strong shadows). For the first study use black & white pastel on grey sugar paper. For further studies experiment with white pastel on black paper, or use alternative materials such as collage, coloured pastels, paint etc.

Homework- weeks 1 & 2.

Work in your sketchbook. In a dark room, with a mirror, use an 'Anglepoise' lamp, or similar, to produce strong contrasting shadows on your face. Move the light and your head and observe the changes as features emerge from, then sink into, the shadows. Choose 4 dramatic views (two including 1 or 2 hands), and render them in strong contrasting materials such as pastels or soft pencil, e.g. 28, 38, 48 etc (this is a tonal drawing).

Week Three & Four - Beyond appearances.

Use these 6+ studies as the basis for your next piece of work. You are to try and go beyond mere appearances, and make a series of studies that express strong personal qualities. Try to convey how you really feel about yourself, or, if you feel that this would be too revealing, then try to project an ideal* image of yourself. Consider:

the relationship between your portrait and the 'ground'*;
do you wish to include objects or locations which say something about yourself?
In these studies you must introduce colour. Consider whether the colour should be 'descriptive'*, or whether you wish to use cojour more 'expressively'.

*These terms will be explained in class.

Homework - Weeks Three & Four

For contextual studies, research the work of two of the artists listed below. We will have looked at the work of some of these artists' self-portraits together in class, and reproductions of their work will be displayed in the studio. Choose artists whose work interests you. Make at least 4 analytical sketches from their work in your sketchbook, write a description of the qualities of the work, which you admire, and say something about the artist and the circumstances in which the work was produced. What qualities does the work exhibit, what does it say about the artist, and what effect does the work have on you? In particular focus on your chosen artists' exploration of materials, processes and techniques. Use the 'Looking at Paintings' prompt sheet to help you appraise your chosen works.

Weeks Five & Six

Using the explorative studies that you made in weeks 3 & 4, and adopting some qualities of the work by the artists which you have studied and recorded, make a final piece of work. This could be a painting, a collage, or in mixed media.

Homework - Weeks Five & Six

Use free periods and time at home to complete all of this work to the best of your ability.

Your work will be: -

Personal,
Exciting
Expressive
Explorative
Experimental and Adventurous.

Suggested artists for homework weeks 3 & 4.

Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) Stanley Spencer (1891-1959)
Rembrandt van Rijn (1606 -1669) - see below Frida Kahlo (1907-1954)
Vincent van Gogh (1883 -1890) Peter Blake (b. 1932)
Edvard Munch (1863 -1944) Andy Warhol (1930 -1987)
Kathe Kollwitz (1867 -1945) - see above David Hockney (b. 1937)- see below
Pablo Picasso (1881 -1973) Maggi Hambling (b,1945)
Max Beckmann (1884 -1950) - see above Peter Howson (b.1948)
Egon Schiele (1890 -1918) Helen Chadwick (c.1950 -1996)
Francis Bacon (1909 - 19??) Lucien Freud (b.1922)
Jenny Saville (b,1970) Tracey Emin (b. ?)

(You can choose any other relevant artists whose work interests you).