This next set of visual studies was to focus on the function of the horn, which was for protection, social dominance and also for eating in some cases.
I took inspiration from Edvard van Munch and his unique style of painting that looks like thousands of small strokes. I also enjoyed the smudging effect which is why I chose to use chalk and hollowed charcoal for this study.
I used these monochrome colours to symbolise what this horn was mainly used as; a weapon. It represents strength and aggressiveness but also power and dignity. I increased the scale of the life-size object to show this and so the viewer has all of their attention to this large object.
I think this material shows off the texture very well so I think this study was successful in showing the core values and symbolism behind the function of the horns.
I wanted to further isolate the function which is why I was inspired by Georg Baselitz work. He draws objects or people upside down to give the viewer an alternative perspective on the subject. It forces you to look at the item in a different light to how you usually would and inspires meaning you never would have thought about.
I liked the idea of a plain smudged background with a bold design, which as you can see in my work, didn’t quite work out as planned.
Like Baselitz I wanted to offer an alternate meaning which is why I surrounded the object in black (a shade associated with death) instead of making the actual object black. I added thick streaks of paint on top to create the horn to show the texture well, however it blends into the background slightly.
Overall, I prefer the first study to the second because the concept was more solidified in the first one, so if I take anything away from this, it’s that before I create a study, I need to carefully think about why am I doing this and how does it add to my theme.
Viktoria Collins UAL FMP 