Process: A dodecahedron is a polyhedron which when drawn in it's planar graph form looks like the picture above. If drawn regularly, the distance between diagonal points on both sides intersects to produce the Golden Ratio, 1.618, denoted by phi. I played around with this idea and wondered if I could incorporate circles. Much to my dismay, I could not. Before starting this project I had to draw the planar graph at least once before starting on canvas. With a small compass-ruler tool I began measuring out angles and lines. The middle pentagon was going to be regular 1 inch. The rest of the adjacent pentagons I could not regulate. At first I was able to continue creating the first 2 lines of the adjacent pentagons 1 inch in length. However, when finished with the end result looked odd and I had to erase some lines, elongate others to make ends meet. This could not be correct. With numerous re measurements, I was sure I had done it correctly but there was an error I could not pinpoint. Therefore, I picked the intersection point and reduced the lines touching the 1 inch base of the central pentagon to 1/2 inch. This allowed a star shape to form and then the last ring of pentagons allowed a regular pentagon with 4 1/2 inch sides. Now I was presented with the problem on how I will actually transfer the planar graph onto the canvas. I tried attaching several pentagons adjacently and found it difficult and very prone to error so I could not just follow the same procedure. Therefore, I decided to use Adobe Illustrator to create the necessary stencils. These stencils allowed me to accurate trace the shapes onto the canvas which I still gridded out beforehand albeit unnecessary...
I knew that since I had 4 areas that were repeated, I had to have 4 different colors. I wanted to choose colors similar to those on the floor of the temple but opted for Christmas colors for the cheer. Whilst painting I looked forward to Christmas break, when this long stressing semester would finally come to an end. Anyways, I used a small 3/16 in brush to paint each shape. I picked a small brush to ensure proper coating and accuracy when the colors came into contact. As I painted I noticed my layer of gesso was extremely thin (the canvas was the same color before I applied gesso on it). This was displeasing as I was already almost done. As I finished I used a 1/2 inch brush to apply a thin red coat over the pre-existing one for a smoother texture. ACT Questions:
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork. -My intention in this piece was create a smooth painting with the help of careful and meticulous brushstrokes. Since Dutch Interior II has straight lines and explicit boundaries where one color ends and the other begins, I desired my work to have such a quality as well. 2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration? -Joan Miro's work was a great contributor to the avant-garde art of the early 20th century. His style which included forms from this world juxtaposed with forms from imagination allowed the two world to merge into one. 3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration? -In regard to the floor design at the Golden Temple, I have learned that people all throughout the world value aesthetic and often adorn the items that are of importance to them. Art has always been prominent due to its powerful visual effects. 4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research? -Integrating research and information from the two inspirations, I believe that aesthetic can be achieved through various ways. There is no set guide to what will make something look visually pleasing . 5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research? -Focusing on the Surrealist movement and Joan Miro, it is very important for an artist to look beyond the material world for inspiration. Joan Miro often got his subjects from dreams and painting them in a cool, composed demeanor despite the fire in his heart from the passion concerning his work. |
Title: Dodecahedron: Planar Graph
Medium: Acrylic on Canvas Size: 30x30cm Date: October 2016 Exhibition Text: Inspired by Math Topics HL and ancient geometric patterns, this is an attempt at aesthetic with the help of math. Patterns and shapes are often seen adorning places of worship. Smooth texture and solid color allow the piece to display geometric shapes. If aesthetically pleasing, this piece could be recreated on numerous different mediums and places given that the math is not altered.
Artistic Inspiration: Joan Miro was a Spanish artist during the Surrealism art movement. The painting is home to eccentric and evocative form with several subjects. In Dutch Interior II there are objects which can be made out and named but in its entirety it is a cacophony of animated objects. Such vibrant energy is captured and is absolutely still with smooth paint and straight lines. I tried to imitate the smooth painting technique but to no avail.
The Golden Temple is located in Amritsar, India. I have been there a few times and have always wondered at why the floors were adorned with geometric patterns. They looked very nice added a grace and beauty to the floors and the temple. With further investigation, I learned that such patterns are found in other religions as well (The Book of Kells). Intrigued by the design I decided to replicate a geometric pattern on canvas. Experience: The countless mess-ups with the materials and software was exasperating. It was my 2nd time using Illustrator and the first time I had not touched the line tool. Therefore learning how to angle the lines was a challenge. Prior to working on Illustrator, I found sketching to be annoying. There was an error that I could not locate and it had be ruminating in circles for a good amount of time. However I moved on by deserting the idea that all the pentagons could have the Golden ratio somewhere in them.
Critique: My goal with this piece was to get as close to perfection as possible and I do not think I met that goal. My lines are not completely straight. The area where the paint meets there are some areas where the thin layer of gesso is apparent. The areas of dark green were done first and perhaps as a consequence they are the least smooth. The tone of green is not uniform all throughout the shape which ruins the effect of stillness. It seems the more I paint in acrylic, the more I tend to dislike it. Mathematically, the geometric pattern is done well with very little deviation from congruency between all the shapes. The design is interesting and I would've loved to find out how it would look on a larger scale. If I were to redo this piece with all the insight I am equipped with now, I would definitely change the colors to emulate the temple floor designs. Light and earthy hues would be easier on the eyes and pleasing to look at.
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Word Count: 863