100 Ideas | Week Eighteen

This week I chose the idea: Work with a medium that is subtractive.
I don't share much of the work I make at art school on my blog but this week I've been using the subtractive medium of paper cutting. I have been making paper cut silhouettes for my Drawing The Body class. 40% of our assessment for this class for the semester is a self directed project pertaining to the body. I wanted to do something I'd never done before so I chose silhouettes - it was something I always thought would be too challenging but after having a play around (first drawing them on paper, then moving to my computer), I found a method I found easy (albeit a little time consuming). I draw the silhouettes with my graphics tablet and Photoshop, based on photographs I've taken, then print and cut them out with a craft knife. I wanted to try to subvert the genre of silhouettes and make some body silhouettes of things that might make you look twice - perhaps a little weird or a little controversial. It is interesting that so much information and meaning can be conveyed through just a little body language. I aim to make at least ten of these silhouettes and photograph them against different contrasting backdrops (eg. pages from magazines, outside). I'm also going to make a set that will be placed on oval shaped pieces of cardboard with collaged backgrounds. I'm having a lot of fun with it as you can probably tell. By the way - I'm all for suggestions of different body silhouettes to make!

If you can't already tell, one of my favourite artists is Kara Walker.