From my idea generation for alternative postcards, I decided to focus on the concept of talking to God. In the peer review, it was suggested I try using collage to build on my ideas, and possibly printmaking as an alternative outcome.
I thought about how people talk to God and looked at places of worship, because that's where people feel closest to spirituality. I made collages of various buildings including a Church, Mosque and Synagogue. I thought I could make pop-up cards so people could write messages to God on the back. However, I feel like I could make my ideas more culturally relevant by adding more context.
From looking at churches, I sketched ideas of cards with iconic elements of the building. I used charcoal, soft pastel and gouache to experiment with mark-making and colours. I liked the distorted use of colour, which was more eye-catching but still needs a deeper meaning.
I decided to further experiment with the paper folding in my idea generation. I made a paper plane and a boat to make the cards more functional. It could be almost therapeutic to send a postcard with a message to God or a loved one in heaven. The act of flying the plane or releasing the boat symbolised letting go. I sketched some ways I could draw the instructions onto the back of the card, so the writer can fold it themselves.
In a tutor review, Lynne suggested I listened to a podcast [22] about sacred objects that people use as a link to their deceased relatives. These included a woman's mobile phone that her daughter kept so she could hear the answer phone message and the possessions of Maori ancestors, which are believed to hold some of the 'life-force' of their previous owner. They also discussed Tibetan prayer flags, which are hung up in the Himalayas and the elements are said to spread the messages of hope into the universe. I thought these flags were similar to postcards because they are used to communicate messages, but on a more spiritual level, which means they link to my mantra. I used soft pastel to create a study of these flags, and I liked how the colours brought a vibrancy into the landscape. I also looked at Chinese lanterns, which have traditionally celebrated peace [23]. I used gouache to make some studies of the lanterns and I liked the way light is distorted by the paper, and how the messages are illuminated.
I thought about how I could make the concepts of prayers flags more relevant to my own life and current news stories. During the coronavirus pandemic, people have thought more about their own mortality and vulnerability much more, so in some cases have turned to spirituality to reassure themselves. I made collages to experiment with composition and thought I could incorporate images of flats/houses to show the places where people have been trapped in the lockdown. I could used more deprived areas as they have been much more affected in terms of both the economy and death rate [24]. The trees could be used to show the wind and natural elements that spread the messages. I preferred the second collage because there is so many windows that give an insight into different lives.
To experiment with these concepts, I decided to do an intervention and hung up prayer flags outside my house. I did it at night because I wanted to contrast the usual setting of the flags. The dark garden and the closed blinds makes the house look uninviting, which is the opposite feeling they are supposed to invoke.
I then used watercolours and fineliner to sketch out my collages as actual pieces. I wanted the colours of the flags to spread across the page to show the messages being released. I want to use contrasting, vibrant colours and detail in important areas.
I looked at Marius Bercea's paintings [25] and was drawn to his use of colour and eclectic detail. I would like to incorporate this into my own work because the expressiveness will allow me to show the prayers going into the universe.
I created a mock-up painting to work out what my final piece will look like. I used vibrant colours inspired by Bercea's work, but I think this might distract from the prayer flags. I want there to be a greater contrast of colours to show the divide between the monotonous scene and the spiritual flags.
Sue suggested I looked at Narbi Price's realistic paintings [26] to work out how to make my flags stand out. I like Price's use of vertical and horizontal lines across his paintings, and the different textures he has created. Price uses more neutral colours in the background, with bolder tones for the focal points and I would like to try this in my final piece.
I decided to portray my ideas in my final painting I would have to change the composition, so I made a new collage. I used terraced houses, which I have used in previous work because I like how close everyone lives but they can have completely separate lives (especially in the lockdown). The flags will be attached to a tree and windows, which is unexpected for traditional prayer flags and makes them more relevant closer to home, especially because people can't leave home in the pandemic.
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