INVESTIGATION:
Art holds much more value than just being appealing to our eyes. Art can scream in pain or joy, with power to shape one’s emotions, changing thought and understanding. Art is used to express opinions on society, philosophies, or beliefs of all time periods. And in today’s modern age, there are many issues with societal ideologies. Markets are built on theories that involve drawing in members of the public and transforming them into raging consumers. Starting from a very young age, we all begin the subtle transformation into life-long consumption, without even realising. The market dwells on our minds, attempting to convince us to invest in products that are mostly unnecessary, convincing us that they are necessities. Most of us tend to abide without realising what the mass corporations are doing. Through my personal project, I want to use art to convey the negativity of this constant cycle of consumerism.
My goal is to produce a mural in public in downtown Istanbul. My chosen global context is Culture and Expression, since I am exploring the expression of a certain idea and ideology, consumerism. I believe that consumerism is a growing problem in society. I want to express this through a mural, reflecting my emotions, beliefs, and values on the subject. The process of designing and creating the mural also allows me to “reflect on, extend, and enjoy” creativity and the appreciation of the aesthetic (Global Context). I will do this by reflecting on the different designs that I produce and reflect on the piece in general. I will also aim to grow my skills as an artist in relation to “extending creativity”. I will do this by experimenting with a variety of different designs, and I will ask for feedback and areas of improvement throughout, aiming to grow my skills as an artist. I will enjoy working on the mural since it is a subject that is interesting to me, and have a lot of fun creating it, and going through every stage of the creation. My entire mural revolved around aesthetics and design; I am building this mural to try and attract the public’s attention using the mural’s aesthetic, and I am to build on my skills throughout the project to make sure that the mural is of very high quality and up to standard.
This goal is highly challenging due to the fact that the process has to be legal. Since I am not Turkish and I do not have a lot of connections to Turkish officials, it will be very difficult for me as a foreigner to have legal permission for this. Most street art does tend to be illegal, and it will be a challenge to find an area in central Istanbul where the mural is legal. I will also face many challenges in terms of raising money to buy all of the supplies needed, finding students who are willing to help me paint the mural, and finding an efficient way to put up the mural. It is also highly challenging because I have never created a mural before, the entire art form is very new to me, and therefore I will need to practice and grow my skills. Achieving the goal will also be challenging to me as an artist, since it will be the first time I ever display any of my work to a larger audience, though I know that criticism will help me grow.
I had limited knowledge about mural making when I first began this process. Michelangelo and Diego Rivera were two of the first names that came to mind when thinking about muralists. Michelangelo, the famous renaissance painter and sculptor, is known for his murals on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which include The Creation of Adam taking around 4 years to complete, from 1508 to 1512 (Vatican City State). Later, he was commissioned to paint The Last Judgement on the altar wall of the chapel, from 1534 to 1541 (Michelangelo). Michelangelo used fresco technique to paint this, which is a mural technique where the artist paints on wet plaster, and as it dries, the painting is bound to the wall. Fresco was very common during Renaissance and Roman murals (MOMA). Contrary to popular beliefs, Michelangelo stood while painting the ceiling; on a scaffold he designed himself. The conditions were very poor throughout the process. Featured in the Sistine Chapel are also other murals by artists such as Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. Diego Rivera aimed to create murals that reflected the lives of the working class and natives of Mexico, getting inspirations from the Renaissance frescos in Italy (Diego Rivera). Many of his murals depicted scenes of Mexican heritage and history. He also had strong beliefs in relation to socialism and capitalism, as he was a Marxist (Rivera). Rivera was credited to bring back the frescos to modern day architecture and street art. His pieces include The Man at the Crossroads, and the works in Palacio Nacional. Another muralists I encountered included Keith Haring, who was characterised by this cartoon figures. Haring used spray paint to create his murals. He began drawing murals that reflected urban America in the 1980s, moving on to incorporating social and political themes throughout his art (Gruen, John).
Although I will be focusing on painted murals, there are also Ceramic and Tile murals. Ceramic murals are made up of mirrors, mosaic, and ceramic pieces. Tile murals are a collection of tiles to create a piece or a pattern.
Below is a slideshow of murals I encountered as part of my researching. Each utilises a different style.
My goal is to produce a mural in public in downtown Istanbul. My chosen global context is Culture and Expression, since I am exploring the expression of a certain idea and ideology, consumerism. I believe that consumerism is a growing problem in society. I want to express this through a mural, reflecting my emotions, beliefs, and values on the subject. The process of designing and creating the mural also allows me to “reflect on, extend, and enjoy” creativity and the appreciation of the aesthetic (Global Context). I will do this by reflecting on the different designs that I produce and reflect on the piece in general. I will also aim to grow my skills as an artist in relation to “extending creativity”. I will do this by experimenting with a variety of different designs, and I will ask for feedback and areas of improvement throughout, aiming to grow my skills as an artist. I will enjoy working on the mural since it is a subject that is interesting to me, and have a lot of fun creating it, and going through every stage of the creation. My entire mural revolved around aesthetics and design; I am building this mural to try and attract the public’s attention using the mural’s aesthetic, and I am to build on my skills throughout the project to make sure that the mural is of very high quality and up to standard.
This goal is highly challenging due to the fact that the process has to be legal. Since I am not Turkish and I do not have a lot of connections to Turkish officials, it will be very difficult for me as a foreigner to have legal permission for this. Most street art does tend to be illegal, and it will be a challenge to find an area in central Istanbul where the mural is legal. I will also face many challenges in terms of raising money to buy all of the supplies needed, finding students who are willing to help me paint the mural, and finding an efficient way to put up the mural. It is also highly challenging because I have never created a mural before, the entire art form is very new to me, and therefore I will need to practice and grow my skills. Achieving the goal will also be challenging to me as an artist, since it will be the first time I ever display any of my work to a larger audience, though I know that criticism will help me grow.
I had limited knowledge about mural making when I first began this process. Michelangelo and Diego Rivera were two of the first names that came to mind when thinking about muralists. Michelangelo, the famous renaissance painter and sculptor, is known for his murals on the Sistine Chapel ceiling, which include The Creation of Adam taking around 4 years to complete, from 1508 to 1512 (Vatican City State). Later, he was commissioned to paint The Last Judgement on the altar wall of the chapel, from 1534 to 1541 (Michelangelo). Michelangelo used fresco technique to paint this, which is a mural technique where the artist paints on wet plaster, and as it dries, the painting is bound to the wall. Fresco was very common during Renaissance and Roman murals (MOMA). Contrary to popular beliefs, Michelangelo stood while painting the ceiling; on a scaffold he designed himself. The conditions were very poor throughout the process. Featured in the Sistine Chapel are also other murals by artists such as Botticelli and Ghirlandaio. Diego Rivera aimed to create murals that reflected the lives of the working class and natives of Mexico, getting inspirations from the Renaissance frescos in Italy (Diego Rivera). Many of his murals depicted scenes of Mexican heritage and history. He also had strong beliefs in relation to socialism and capitalism, as he was a Marxist (Rivera). Rivera was credited to bring back the frescos to modern day architecture and street art. His pieces include The Man at the Crossroads, and the works in Palacio Nacional. Another muralists I encountered included Keith Haring, who was characterised by this cartoon figures. Haring used spray paint to create his murals. He began drawing murals that reflected urban America in the 1980s, moving on to incorporating social and political themes throughout his art (Gruen, John).
Although I will be focusing on painted murals, there are also Ceramic and Tile murals. Ceramic murals are made up of mirrors, mosaic, and ceramic pieces. Tile murals are a collection of tiles to create a piece or a pattern.
Below is a slideshow of murals I encountered as part of my researching. Each utilises a different style.
There are many key questions that need to be answered throughout the process of creating the whole project.
For the resource reflections and evaluations, see Process Journal entry one.
- What makes a piece a ‘mural’?
- How will I get legal permission to create the mural?
- Where will I put up the mural?
- How large will the mural be?
- What kind of paint/supplies would be needed to create a mural?
- What style do I want my mural to be?
- How will I document the process of creating the mural?
- How will I present my mural to the public at IICS?
- How will I determine the quality of the mural?
- How will I create the mural?
- Should I involve the IICS community in the creation process?
For the resource reflections and evaluations, see Process Journal entry one.