-Curatorial Rationale-

          My conceptual investigation focused on the theme of fantasy and the unknown, designed for viewers to create their own interpretations of the pieces. I emphasized certain formal qualities and elements of art in order to best visually convey this. While I initially began creating works based on concepts related to the unknown such as space, I gradually began incorporating more fantastical and interpretive elements to make the exhibition interactive with viewers. This was done to explore the complexities of one’s thought process, evoking a conversation between others based on the questions posed by each piece.

          My artworks commonly have an ominous undertone, leading others to question the subsequent events of the scene. By including a darker mood, I intended to establish a menacing presence for the audience to speculate about. In this sense, the exhibition is based on storytelling as well, providing viewers with a prompt to continue the story using their own imagination. The pieces only illustrate a portion of a series of events, leaving an aspect of mystery instead of directly depicting the point of conflict.

          Tone is primarily used to convey the fantastical element of my theme. Most of the works include strong contrast between black and white to emphasize certain aspects of the composition. Value is also often used in the backgrounds to highlight abstract details or undefined shapes, further creating a disorienting environment within the pieces. This is most heavily seen in ‘Conquered’ where white outlines the focal point while also resulting in a dizzying motion against the darkness. The contrast between black and white is also notable in ‘Puppet Master’ in which shadows allow for the subtle appearance of a hoving figure while additionally carving a three-dimensional path in the background to yield more depth in the photograph. The unique settings consequently cause others to question where and why the main subjects are in their respective situations. 

          Furthermore, vibrant colors used in combination with texture play a significant role in producing the illusion of a mystical setting while still maintaining a sense of danger throughout the works. As seen in ‘Apocalypse’, a stippling technique was used to transfer acrylic paint onto the paper. The mix of varying colors resulted in a hazy texture resembling unusual clouds. While the bright colors might cause one to initially feel a sense of awe, there is an underlying sense of unfamiliarity that leads to confusion at the unknown. Moreover, the background depicts vastness in the painting, which ultimately causes disorientation rather than a sense of freedom. The unpredictability of the environment, therefore, forces viewers to ponder over the true context of the piece. 

          For the curatorial of my exhibition, I chose to order the pieces to gradually become more open-ended. Looking from left to right, the subjects additionally grow darker in tone. Some depicted subject matters were more on the literal side, inspiring me to order the works so viewers could have more varying interpretations as they looked through the exhibition. For instance, the first presented piece was ‘The Great Void’, depicting an astronaut in space. This artwork had a clearer concept regarding the extent of human knowledge outside our planet. While it is more on the literal side, the black holes in the background leave room to wonder what would happen following the single frame of the composition. ‘Lost’ followed this artwork, which contained a similar contrast of light and dark to keep the exhibition visually sound as well. The piece added a deeper aspect of interpretation as to what the illustrated monster was. The following two paintings lacked the physical presence or source of danger, giving more freedom of imagination while also relating in the color palette. However, the three works in the second row were separated for unity as a series. The three could be looked at alone to establish events of a story, one that viewers could form based on the general images demonstrated. Lastly, the two photographs completed my exhibition, as they had less variation in content within the composition. Rather, the titles gave a prompt as to what viewers might imagine the photographs to be about. This left both more open-ended in terms of what assumptions could be made. In ordering my body of work this way, I wanted audiences to gradually have deeper interactions with my art.