Bestiarum Vocabulum
Cicero, De Natura Deorum 2. 2 (trans. Rackham) (Roman rhetorician C1st B.C.) :
"Who [in this day and age] believes that the Hippocentaurus or the Chimaera ever existed? . . . The years obliterate the inventions of the imagination, but confirm the judgements of nature."
"Who [in this day and age] believes that the Hippocentaurus or the Chimaera ever existed? . . . The years obliterate the inventions of the imagination, but confirm the judgements of nature."
Thehuman form as a subject of celebration and beauty has withstood the passage oftime, whether in literature, dance, sculptures, paintings or other visual arts.Even as humans continue to discover new life and matter or conjure newaesthetics, celebration of the human form remains uncontested. From thehumanoid portrayals of Egyptian gods to the peak of portraiture in Renaissanceto modern day’s continuous artworks based on exploration of the human form, onemay start to question why most humans throughout the ages never seemed to wantto step out of this tradition. Perhaps it is the proud conscious in humans thatneeds to proclaim itself the epitome of beauty or perhaps it is something thathad been decided through evolution and nature.
However, the human form is not the subject of celebrationin this project. Rather, we want to question and bend the rules of this tradition.This project celebrates the free form and the grotesque, seeking beauty informs that are not human. There is much exquisiteness to be found among thecurves, shapes, volume, texture, and etc. in the free form and there is acertain attraction in the grotesque we call twisted, yet only because theconvention is the human form. It is possible that there may be a need torethink how people look at forms and claim which is true beauty or simply doaway with just having one subject that ranks highest on the ladder of beauty. Theworks are isolated and de-contextualized as the aim is not to create narrativesbut focus on the forms. Then, probably, there can be much more enjoyment inappreciating things that have never been noticed as “beautiful” before andvisually view everything else in this world with less prejudice.
However, the human form is not the subject of celebrationin this project. Rather, we want to question and bend the rules of this tradition.This project celebrates the free form and the grotesque, seeking beauty informs that are not human. There is much exquisiteness to be found among thecurves, shapes, volume, texture, and etc. in the free form and there is acertain attraction in the grotesque we call twisted, yet only because theconvention is the human form. It is possible that there may be a need torethink how people look at forms and claim which is true beauty or simply doaway with just having one subject that ranks highest on the ladder of beauty. Theworks are isolated and de-contextualized as the aim is not to create narrativesbut focus on the forms. Then, probably, there can be much more enjoyment inappreciating things that have never been noticed as “beautiful” before andvisually view everything else in this world with less prejudice.
The final work is a grey walled space where the 3 final drawings are hung, submerging the audience in this world I created.
All drawings have been done with Createcolor Graphite Pencil B throughout.
Thank you Behance for the feature and everyone's kind words and compliments! They are all very much appreciated!
I am selling the large piece. Do contact me via PM if interested! Thanks! ;)
Actual canvas: 100cm x 140cm
With frame: 115cm x 155cm
With frame: 115cm x 155cm
Actual canvas: 50cm x 70cm
Actual canvas: 50cm x 70cm
Work in progress for the main large piece.
