Assignment 5: independent proj (post 1)

For our independent project, I set out to make a painting that would be a reaction/commentary on the effect that the screen/digital image has on our perception of images. I began 4 self-portraits using photos taken on the camera on my laptop in ambiguous expressions. I wanted to combine each of these images somehow to show what a painting can do that a typical screen can't.
This first post shows some of the early stages.

I would paint in each portrait very roughly

Then scrape it away with a squigee (inspired by Gerhard Richter)

Then paint the next portrait over-top

The scrape it away hoping some of the previous image would show through

The plane starts to get cluttered very fast so the issue of figure-ground  started to become a problem

I had to "cheat" a little with my process and build up some of the  portraits from earlier stages

I thought maybe the fourth portrait would stand out more than the rest

But scraping it back brought it onto the same plane as the rest of the painting

This lead me to discover that the painting could be about creating a field of self-portraits. (next post . . . stay tuned)