Ethan Lee – Fine Art Portfolio
UCAS Number: 186-667-9605
Work up to December 2024
Seeking Familiarity through portraiture
For this outcome, I created a set of acrylic paintings, focusing on composition through collage and layers to explore familiarity through multiplicity. Inspired by the use of colour in the portraiture of Jenny Saville, I used my mum’s favourite colours to create a personal link beyond the physical depiction of her likeness and to evoke an atmosphere of warmth and comfort.
In preparation for this outcome, I experimented with using expressive colour in portraiture over the summer holidays. I was influenced by artists such as Jenny Saville and Vincent Van Gogh and also explored colour temperature to connote different atmospheres.
During my course, I attended a visit to Yorkshire Sculpture Park to seek influence and consolidate my ideas. I also visited Graves Gallery in Sheffield to view their portraiture and human figure exhibition. During both of these visits, I created various expressive drawings to capture not only the likeness of the artwork but also the environment and atmosphere of the location.
For this photoshoot, I explored the concepts of familiarity and unfamiliarity, inspired by the works of Erwin Wurm that I saw at Yorkshire Sculpture Park. I used a mirror to capture reflections of my brother’s face and also used wooden tiles as props, that I had painted with his facial features from other photographs to alter his physical likeness.
From this photoshoot, I experimented with cyanotype printing using techniques such as chine collé and layering different acetates to further explore familiarity through the concealment of prominent facial features. I also painted on top of finished cyanotype prints to enhance features.
Strengthening painting skills and technique through personal projects
Outside of my college coursework, I enjoy creating my own art projects, which allow me to further grow my confidence and refine my skills in portraiture. This also allows me to combine my art with my other interests and passions, such as musical theatre.
Exploring the connection between isolation and anxiety
In this project, I wanted to explore my personal struggles with anxiety, which I depicted through the symbolism of various objects. In my first outcome, I wanted to capture isolation through composition as my subject is shown alone in an empty playground. The use of relevant lyrics from a musical I resonate with was added to surround the figure and represent the overwhelming thoughts that consume someone when dealing with anxiety.
Initially in this project, I wanted to focus on still life, specifically using eggs to symbolise the feeling of fragility in terms of anxiety and isolation. I created a series of intaglio prints, experimenting with colour symbolism, layering and techniques such as explosion prints.
The intaglio print above started with a green base to represent the feeling of alienation that anxiety evokes. I added a brown exploded print layer atop to represent the expected ordinary colour of an eggshell, enveloping the base print and further expressing the feeling of disconnection.
Although the base blue layer of this intaglio print was initially a misprint due to the paper being too wet, leading to a washed-out appearance, I exploded a bright contrasting yellow layer and further painted the main eggshell onto the print. This effectively conveyed my concept as the detail of the painting contrasts the background, expressing the idea of alienation through visual opposition.
In preparation for this project’s final outcome, I used my photoshoot to experiment with a range of different materials and techniques.
Central to my final outcome was the development of the symbolisation of objects from eggs to pomegranates. I chose pomegranate because they have a similar ability to break and spill.
Complimentary to my final outcome photoshoot, I sculpted a pomegranate out of clay, portraying the idea of alienation and how anxiety can make you feel inherently different by creating a number of setups featuring the sculpted pomegranate alongside real ones. The visual difference between the sculpted and real pomegranates was further emphasised when I cracked the pomegranates to reveal the perceived inner difference.
My final outcome for my first project was a collaged composition of still life and portraiture painted onto a blackout curtain, to symbolise the darkness that isolation can bring.
Fine Art Portfolio – Ethan Lee – UCAS Number: 186-667-9605