The Seven Deadly Sins, Also known as Pride, Greed, Anger, Sloth, Envy and Lust. Each on holding a unique and different depth with a specific idea but for this piece I chose to depict the sin “Anger”due to a more personal style and meaning to this piece. Anger is one of the most common emotions dealt with each and every day within each and every person. Being someone who has dealt with anger during my due to unexpected experiences and trauma that turned my world upside down, I chose a piece with the intention the allows the viewer to emotionally connect with in their own unique way. The initial idea for this piece was a matchbox and a lit match stick which causes a flam and within the flame is a person screaming representing the idea of being consumed by ones own pain and anger. To go about completing the piece I would have used my own style and techniques with the use of majority warmer tones and detailed cooler tones and colour.
Research and Investigation
The cardinal sins known as the seven deadly sins, or capital views is a grouping and classification of views within Christian teachings. Behaviours or habits are classified under this category as if they directly give birth to other immortalities.
The seven deadly sins are contrary to the seven deadly heavenly virtues. These sins are often thought to be abusive or inhuman versions of ones natural facilities of passion. The concept is used by Catholic Churches in order to help people curb their their inclination towards evil before dire consequences and misleads could occur, however they focused mainly on pride and greed, underlying the other sins to be prevented to inspire people to be focused on each sin. The vices are discussed in treaties and depicted in paintings, sculptures and decorations in the church.
The status sins in which humanity has existed since the fall of man, stemming from Adam and Eves rebellion in Eden, namely the sin of disobedience in consuming the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge of good and bad.
James Hoff uses many different techniques and has a lot of emotion portrayed in his pieces, using subtle and plain tones such as greys, light browns, creams, orange and black - dull colours to create an emotion and tone for the entire piece which I’ve used and applied within the final product of this.
Experiments
The change in the process of this piece from the sin ‘Anger’ to ‘Pride’ was due to the idea that I came across the representation of each sin with animals, anger - dragon, pride lion, greed - fox, gluttony- pig, etc… And after a few more experiments of trying to complete ideas and create using anger, which is ironic due to the fact that it became frustrating bc I wasn’t able to achieve the ideas originally planned for this piece so in order to achieve the best results and produce something that portrayed my skills as an artist I decided to choose a peacock as my representative of the sin Pride.
This piece would then require an entirely new set of ideas and colour palette, using a lot more cold tones, blues, greens, purples with little to no warm tones colour pallet. However after given both options a fair chance with the experiments done, I jumped back to my original choice ‘anger’ even though it was more out of my comfort zone, the main aim when I approached this piece in the beginning was to create something relatable and with intense emotion and I couldn’t achieve that with the peacock.
After experiments more and deciding on a process experiment for the final compositional with the flame, the idea wasn’t sitting well with me and the flame was drawing too much focus out from the person expressing pain and anger within it so impulsively I made the decision to chance my final design still staying with the sin of anger after doing a bit more research and finding other references designs, I changed the idea and I with out a doubt I’m glad I did it, the final product produces and achieves al, the ideas that I had in the beginning or this piece.
Reflective
Anger
The thing about anger is everyone has it.
Some more than others.
Expression, difficulty to express but generally expressed in colour.
Example, black is associated with darkness. The aim of my work is to find a way to describe and express my emotion after my accident and other life changing events.
In doing so I wanted to find a way of getting rid of some of my own anger with the intention of creating the best possible experience and mood for the viewer in order to completely engage with that emotion.
The figure in the painting is a portrait of sorts - depicting myself - and the emotion during and after the accident and other events.
The use of colour is used to express dark moments in life - a tragedy.
The intention of using this colour palette is to express the emotion while stroking against the canvas in free yet intentional movements. The use of the brushwork and colour is deliberate to stir on emotion.
The figure is case accentuates emotion, which can only express anger!
