An Investigation into the Juxtaposition of Minimalism, Realism and Fading through the Exploration of My Artworks and the Works of Ileana Hunter
Realistic Minimalism is a theme used by the artist Ileana Hunter and my own works. This theme of Realistic Minimalism is centred on the art of drawing or illustrating what isn’t there more than what is there. It focuses on exposing the essence or identity of a subject through eliminating all non-essential forms, features or concepts. Realistic Minimalism is a juxtaposition of intricate detailed realism and minimalistic composition. There are important aspects that are needed to be able to create Realistic Minimalistic art pieces such as shadows, intricate detailed work, fading and symbolism, which
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Realism in art is the idea of representing subject matter truthfully without any artificial elements, exotic or supernatural elements. Shadows in art and in general is a space where light from a light source is blocked by an object. This light source that has been blocked by the object projects a dark two-dimensional shape of the object directly behind where the light source is coming from. Both my works and the works of Ileana Hunter combine Minimalism and Realism to create the theme of Realistic Minimalism. To be able to perfectly explain Realistic Minimalism is simple: for example, drawing a hand by not drawing a hand but by drawing the shadows the hand casts in its contours and the elements around it. Realistic Minimalism is all about the use of shadows. In my work “Minimalism meets Realism” (image 1) I make use of shadows as the base of the entire piece. The use of minimalism in Ileana Hunter’s works are unique due to the fact that minimalism traditionally referred to the minimalism of mediums, materials and the elements within a composition, not the minimalism of a realistic face. She uses the technique of minimalism in a unique way which I also incorporated into my …show more content…
Firstly, the human figure is minimalistic because it is simple and not detailed. This is the traditional type of minimalism where forms were simplified. Although it is minimalistic, it portrays a realistic element i.e. a person, which comprises the realistic aspect. It is minimalistic due to the colours used, as they are primary colours, and are not more complicated colours. The umbrella, the main aspect of Realistic Minimalism, is similar to Ileana Hunter’s work entitled “Angelina Jolie” (image 4) due firstly its subject matter being human beings, more specifically portraits. Secondly, my work makes use of the same lighting technique as in Ileana Hunter’s work, and lastly my work makes use of the same intricate detail work like in Ileana Hunters. The correct amount of shadows and highlights are needed to be able to make the works look realistic but at the same time minimalistic. In this work, opposite to my other work, there is no distinct realistic aspect and no distinct minimalistic aspect because they have both been combined to create something that is realistic and