Sustained Investigation Series
In my sustained investigation, I created a story about a character who had found the fountain of youth and became immortal. I explored ways to reflect on how this immortality affected the character and the world around her. How does her perception of herself change? How do her perceptions of others and the world around her change? She begins to believe that she is above others, more important than the rest of humankind. However, she slowly realizes that she is a monster and forever alone.
“Sustained #1” | 10” x 8” x 2.5” | Clay and acrylic paint mounted on illustration board | The artwork is represented by desperation which was caused by the fear of death. I used neutral and dull colors on the side with the main character, to show contrast in the side with the fountain of youth, which is bright and colorful. The symbolism of the snake is in the story of Adam and Eve, inferring the Fountain’s darker, unintentional intent. There is also symmetry with how both sides are centered in their halves and repeat each other.
“The Inciting Incident - The Fountain of Youth” | 6” x 6” x 5” | Cardboard, hand-made wireframes, plaster, air-dry clay, acrylic, and saran wrap. | This artwork shows how overwhelming the fountain’s true and full power is. It is visual foreshadowing to the story I want to tell in these artworks as the power of being immortal will soon overwhelm the character, herself, as he deals with her inability to die.
"Realization" | 4" x 6" x 4" | Cardboard, modeling paste, acrylic paint, and mirror shards | The main character is not present as her reflection is, this is to show how she has begun to lose herself and is starting to forget her humanity, leading into the next pieces, where she begins to think of herself as above others.
"Above All Else" | 3" x 3" x 3"| Air-dry clay and acrylic | The main character begins to think she is higher, almost God-like in comparison to normal people. She is shown reaching above the rest of them while the others claw at her and fall into the obscurity.
"Death Shall Not Taketh Thee" | 3" x 4" x 5" | Air-dry clay and acrylic | The character began her journey because she was afraid of death. She believes she has more than overcome this fear by a long shot, now believing that she is not only above mortals, but death itself.
"Under" | 5" x 6" x 4.25" | Cardboard box, mixed media paper, watercolors, and micron pens | After her revised self-reflection, the main character begins to think she is a monster and should be lesser than humans. She has taken her immortality for granted and is beginning to lose her sanity. She is alone.
"How Time Passes Ever So..." | 3.5"x 2.5" 2.5" | Twine, gold tool, cardboard tube, and acrylic | As time treks on, the main character begins to use it as a chore. She grows tired quickly, and this is shown on the inside as a staircase.
Process Development for Sustained Investigation
Additional Artworks
“Untitled” | 1536px x 2048px | Procreate on an iPad | I wanted to play with the idea of opposites, with dark and light, and an angel and a demon.
“Untitled” | 9" x 12" | Pencil on paper
“Reflection” | 9" x 12" | Colored pencils | All the clocks are set to 11:11, the time upon you wish. In the center is a butterfly in a case that symbolizes beauty in death. The piece is showing the clash of beauty and death versus time and wishes.
“Architecture” | 24" x 18” | Acrylic on canvas | I took this picture of Fountain’s Abbey in England. It is one of the oldest Abbeys in England at approximately 889 years old. My goal was to show the beauty in decay and the passage of time.
“Untitled” | 15" x 12" | Micron pens and watercolor on drawing paper | My idea was to show decay, death, and the passage of time. The reef is covered in plastic, slowly killing the coral.
“Dreamscape” | 12" x 12" | Mixed-media collage
“Untitled” | 938px x 1133px | Digital art
“Untitled” | 14" x 11” | Colored pencils on watercolor paper
“Untitled” | 2.5” x 7” | Clay and acrylic
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Artist website: https://wingatemck.weebly.com/