Escapism
The theme of my exhibition focuses on the act of escapism and the effects it has on the mind. Escapism is something that I have personal experience with, especially throughout the pandemic and quarantine. Therefore, the concepts which I wanted to explore and convey with this exhibition are the methods of escapism that are used in society and personally. The purpose of my work is to alert people to their feelings and experiences.
For the exhibition, the medium I mainly chose to represent my thoughts is digital painting. While I started my IB Art experience working with watercolour and paper mache, digital art is something I have thorough experience in from both my childhood and present time. Therefore, to convey my ideas better, I chose to stick to a medium I can manipulate well and easily instead of overextending my capabilities. In some cases, I also used the medium, digital art, to represent escapism through technology for an ironic value, due to my own experiences using humour to lighten a darker theme or topic.
I took inspiration from the world around me, others’ experiences, and most importantly, my personal history in dealing with escapism throughout the past few years during quarantine and the pandemic. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found that online and in person, many of my peers, including myself at times, turned to self-destructive coping mechanisms, escapism being a common occurrence. Therefore, I touched upon topics in my exhibition that represented my thoughts on the matter.
The usage of colours, saturation, and values in my artworks represent the emotional state of the figures within the works. There are many different perspectives regarding mental health and to portray that each work slightly contrasts the other concerning the emotions that are expressed. I wanted to present escapism through differing viewpoints and at different stages. For example, while some may see escapism in a positive light, others may view it as something that encompasses their life and is an unwanted vice.
The pieces in the exhibition are arranged in a way that portrays, from left to right, the decline of one’s mental state and progressively more self-destructive habits as time passes. Heavy usage of escapism as a coping mechanism or a retreat from reality can lead to more severe mental health issues which is seen in the timeline-esque presentation of my work. For example, the first few works that the audience sees are: “Between the Lines” and “Another World” which present a milder form of escapism, commonly found within society.
To make deeper connections with the audience, I often used a central focus point that draws in the viewer at first glance along with a less busy background. The topics of my pieces often center around the issues that the world, or my generation, faces due to the rapid development of technology. Due to this, I hope for the audience to reflect and consider these issues and patterns not only for themselves but also for those around them. As we move into a more technologically immersive time, I find it easy to slip into destructive or escapism-like habits without notice. While my pieces are more directed toward my generation, due to the similar effect the pandemic had along with the development of technology, I want the audience to make connections and notice patterns from my work to the world around them and perhaps even themselves.
For the exhibition, the medium I mainly chose to represent my thoughts is digital painting. While I started my IB Art experience working with watercolour and paper mache, digital art is something I have thorough experience in from both my childhood and present time. Therefore, to convey my ideas better, I chose to stick to a medium I can manipulate well and easily instead of overextending my capabilities. In some cases, I also used the medium, digital art, to represent escapism through technology for an ironic value, due to my own experiences using humour to lighten a darker theme or topic.
I took inspiration from the world around me, others’ experiences, and most importantly, my personal history in dealing with escapism throughout the past few years during quarantine and the pandemic. In the course of the COVID-19 pandemic, I found that online and in person, many of my peers, including myself at times, turned to self-destructive coping mechanisms, escapism being a common occurrence. Therefore, I touched upon topics in my exhibition that represented my thoughts on the matter.
The usage of colours, saturation, and values in my artworks represent the emotional state of the figures within the works. There are many different perspectives regarding mental health and to portray that each work slightly contrasts the other concerning the emotions that are expressed. I wanted to present escapism through differing viewpoints and at different stages. For example, while some may see escapism in a positive light, others may view it as something that encompasses their life and is an unwanted vice.
The pieces in the exhibition are arranged in a way that portrays, from left to right, the decline of one’s mental state and progressively more self-destructive habits as time passes. Heavy usage of escapism as a coping mechanism or a retreat from reality can lead to more severe mental health issues which is seen in the timeline-esque presentation of my work. For example, the first few works that the audience sees are: “Between the Lines” and “Another World” which present a milder form of escapism, commonly found within society.
To make deeper connections with the audience, I often used a central focus point that draws in the viewer at first glance along with a less busy background. The topics of my pieces often center around the issues that the world, or my generation, faces due to the rapid development of technology. Due to this, I hope for the audience to reflect and consider these issues and patterns not only for themselves but also for those around them. As we move into a more technologically immersive time, I find it easy to slip into destructive or escapism-like habits without notice. While my pieces are more directed toward my generation, due to the similar effect the pandemic had along with the development of technology, I want the audience to make connections and notice patterns from my work to the world around them and perhaps even themselves.
