Juan Castillo
Junior Tutorial Proposal for SP 2012
Junior Tutorial Proposal for SP 2012
I’ve been very scattered with my artwork up until this point. In a college environment (or maybe just at SMU), the simple joy I feel when making a very technically motivated piece feels very out-of-style. Where I come from, when one makes a painting of, say, a bird, or a face, no one asks what it means. In class, I find myself having to justify my reasons for painting such things, as if I could have only painted these things having first been intellectually inspired to do so. I explain this context simply to contrast a different sort of inspiration I’ve been feeling lately. It may be that watching all of the Republican candidate debates has finally made me a little more politically aware, or perhaps everyone complaining about the same thing on Facebook has made me give things a second look, or just maybe, my “higher education” is finally kicking in; but whatever the reason, I find myself actually thinking about something intellectually, and then wanting to set out and create a work of art that responds to it. In other words, my work is going to actually be trying to say something.
Specifically, I plan on making work centered around two ideas: social & political commentary, and the frame as a container. The latter is sort of my miscellaneous category, but I’ll mostly be drawing from personal experiences for it. However, I should first explain what I mean by the “the frame as a container”. When I write that, I’m writing about the idea of a drawing, painting, print, (or anything with a border, really) and its capacity to not only imitate something, (the way an observational drawing does), but also, to capture something too. When conceiving of the painting as a way to capture something, I find myself wanting, not to replicate a scene (and focus on realism), but rather, capture the feeling of a particular moment. When thinking about the idea and its implications for size, I think it’ll be fairly unlimited, because containers come in all sizes. Anything from wallet-size, to house-size, because after all, they’re all containers, aren’t they?
Alright, down to business, I want to work mostly with paint, at fairly large sizes (depending on its costliness). I already have two commentary pieces in mind about world hunger and Christmas (motivated by street artist like Banksy), and I also have another piece in mind for my “container” idea. The “container” idea I have in mind is a piece composed of multiple frames, depicting a past experience. Although the media will mostly be paint, I will have to make sculptures and drawings (as models) for some, in order to prepare for the final piece. I’m very much looking forward to it.
Hi, Juan--
ReplyDeleteThroughout Junior tutorial last semester, I was always so impressed by the strength of your conversational voice in your writing. I could always pick out your essay among the classes, on the basis of this voice alone. Have you considered using text and writing as a part of your body of work, even as something ancillary? I think that would be interesting.
Savannah Niles.
Juan I completely agree with your feelings that sometimes artwork becomes over
ReplyDeleteintellectualized. At times for me, especially in nature, I like to shoot
pictures that are just for the sake of that object, be it beautiful or not. I want the viewer to identify with it and have a reaction, be it positive or negative but I don't want that object
over analyzed for hidden meanings. Let it stand on it's own.
I agree there is a place when we need to use symbolism, have more complex
motives, etc...but sometimes, the simple is refreshing.
I was wondering if you have decided on what sort of materials you will use in your
paintings?
Juan
ReplyDeleteAs I mentioned in our discussion after class, I suggest starting with small drawings that sketch out a range of possibilities for either painted or sculptural imagery. You could start with one image and make multiple possibilities that reflect different emotional or political tones or you could address different formal concerns, focussing on line, shape, color or value for instance. This process allows you to use the act of making as a responsive form of interpretation.
You say that you find attention to the meaning of a thing more foreign and uncomfortable to you than the simplicity of experience. That is certainly a position worth staking out but it is untenable in a university where you expect to earn a degree based on the evaluation of your intelectual and cultural sophistication. You may choose to be an outsider artist who is adamantly anti-intellectual but this position is a logical impossibility within the context of higher education.
Despite the fact that you mention this aversion to interpretation, you say that you are more recently interested in pursuing political content. My suggestion of using the act of making as a way to interpret the meaning of the visual and material thing that you are reacting to is meant to be a middle ground. We can talk about this more in your next critique.