Translating a concept into a visual language

It’s a piece of cake - by Shelanna Sturgess
Youth Voices Exhibition June 2014

“They can talk the talk, but are they walking the walk?”, was one of Bren Brophy’s continuous one liners surrounding various artworks’ exhibition selection discussions.  Translating a concept into a visual language is one of the most challenging journeys in art. Many of the artists had submitted insightful artists’ statements but the resulting work was too literal and other artists had submitted technically skilled artworks with vague or insignificant messages.  

Image by Chris Lutuyk from: http://unskewtheview.com/tag/instagram/

The invention of the camera has profoundly changed the role of the artist. 

Documenting daily life can now be done in a split second on a cell-phone and the advent of social media and apps like Instagram allow us to instantaneously share our visions with the world. Capturing an image is a significant resource in terms of collecting strong references for an artwork, Thus artists are no longer forced to endure the elements whilst painting a landscape.  However an artist’s reference still needs to be transformed into an artwork for us to be able to create a lasting experience for the viewer.

For example: A still-life or portrait can be highly skilled but the fact that we can document the same image with a camera in 2 seconds, often causes the viewer to lose interest as the message of the artwork is insignificant.  

Still Life, by Louise Moillon, 
a 17th century French Painter from the Baroque era.  
Image from: http://stilllifequickheart.tumblr.com/page/689

Sarah Browne has dubbed our current state of society as the 'visual revolution'. She states that our brains process visual information 60, 000 times faster than text. Which leads us to the following questions: What U say ‘bout what?

And in a world where Facebook users post 300 million images a day  (Browne, 2014), how does one sustain the viewer’s interest in an artwork?

I am an incessant baker, so I like to compare creating an artwork to baking a cake.  First of all you need to have an occasion to bake for and this is like developing your concept. I like to ask the question - what would I like my artwork to be about (i.e. what is my concept)?

Great British Bake Off winner, John Whaite, completing his Heaven and Hell Chiffon Cake. Images from:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2218692/Great-British-Bake-Off-winner-John-Whaites-amazing-stopping-confection.html

Generally I find that personalising the concept leads to a more authentic expression and this allows the viewer to think about their own experiences in relation to the artwork. For example Anna Ballantine, a South African ice skater has created a stunning diptych about her experiences of fame and childhood.

Artist: Anna Ballentine

Medium: Graphite on paper

Durban Girls High School

The second thing that I look for is what ingredients I have in my cupboard. In other words what elements of art can I use to express my concept?  Thus I can alter the meaning of my image by changing the colours or textures to express a certain emotion. For example Sizwe Cele’s woodcut print’s bright colours creates a sense of the vibrancy of public transport.

From home to home

Artist: Sizwe Cele

Medium: Woodcut on paper

I can start looking for a recipe once I have my concept and basic ingredients/elements selected.  Thus I could begin by experimenting with various art principles that I can use to create my picture. For example Cele has created balance in his work by having homes on either side of the bus as the focal area. Cele’s use of warm red and cool blues also illustrate the principle of contrast.

The next step is to select an art medium that will best express my concept and this relates to how long I have to bake my cake and whether I will use an oven or a microwave. For example acrylics is a much quicker medium than oils or adding a pencil crayon layer to watercolours is sometimes faster than building up 5 or 6 layers of pencil crayon.  However each of these mediums will create a different mood and I need to consider how my medium will add impact and meaning to the final product.

For example Mthobisi Maphumulo selected pastels to create his portrait of a schoolgirl, as the bright colours reminded him of the playfulness of childhood.

Mthobisi Maphumulo, Untitled, 2013.

The final presentation of your cake is the composition.  A good composition is integral to creating a striking first impression.  You see, when you bake a cake you want people to be totally surprised by making something new that looks amazing and tastes delicious.  Thus your artwork needs to have an element of mystery and innovation - people need to be asking the question - how did they do that? (i.e. innovation).  Other compliments on a great cake (i.e. a great artwork) are - it looks incredible (i.e. technical skill) and it tastes so delicious that I want to keep eating it (i.e. the message is not too obvious and can sustain the viewer’s interest for a long time.)

Some examples of innovative techniques on the What U say ‘bout what? show are Ryan Oliver’s Untitled portrait made out of bricks and plaster and Stephanie Trevethan’s portrait made out of broken glass bottles. In both these works the artists have used scale and unusual materials to create meanings that extend beyond the standard portrait subject matter.  For example Trevethan uses the broken bottles as a metaphor for the emotional effects of alcohol.  The sharpness of the edges and the play of light on the glass certainly captures and sustains our interest.

Ryan Oliver, Untitled, bricks and plaster on board,

Crawford North Coast

Stephanie Trevethan, Alcoholic, broken glass and cork on board, Durban Girls College

Another innovative work is Construction II, an installation by Jess Bothma, who is creating a form of explosive art.

Artist: Jessica Bothma

Durban University of Technology

Another example of ‘explosive’ art is CAi Guo-Qiang’s drawings from gunpowder.

Cai Guo-Qiang, Exploding House: Project for Deutsche Guggenheim Berlin, Gunpowder Drawing, 2006, Collection of the artist, © Cai Guo-Qiang Image from; http://www.db-artmag.com/en/58/on-view/hanging-out-at-a-museum-cai-guo-qiang-in-taipei/

Mhlo Chiliza’s charcoal drawing also creates a sense of mystery, as I find myself wondering who the speaker is? What are such modern microphones doing placed on such an ornate table? What forms of power is Chiliza alluding to?

Mhlo Chiliza, Leaders Corruption, Charcoal

Or look at the untitled work by Malandla Nomonde Zona below:

Home

Artist: Malandla Nomonde

Medium: Acrylic on paper

Grosvenor High School

I keep asking who this man is with such sore feet?

So to all you budding artists out there let’s get ‘baking’ and remind the world that the artistic vision is more than a 2 second happy snappy or a technically sound copy of an object in paint.  And whilst creating good art might not always be as easy as piece of cake, it certainly is worth more than fleeting images being posted by the millions on social media.

Bibliography: Browne, S. (2014). Market Researchers: Do You Speak Visual?. [online] Linkedin.com. Available at: http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20140318023417-1333827-do-you-speak-visual  [Accessed 4 Jun. 2014].