Final Reflection:

Looking back at my essential question (how do I use historical pieces of art with newer forms of art/pop culture in order to reflect a more culturally relevant set of ideas?) I think that I did answer it. Though I didn’t get to work on as many topics and paintings as I was hoping, I think the work that I completed demonstrates how I answered my question.  Though I didn’t get to experiment with all of the ideas I initially had, my exploration during my project allowed me to answer my question in multiple ways. While I did use the context and image of historical pieces of art in order to reflect a more culturally relevant set of ideas, I later came up with the idea to demonstrate those same kinds of ideas by changing the material with which I am working with. I think that my question was straightforward, but no so straightforward where it would feel limiting to what I could learn or do. I have found that there are multiple ways in which to answer my question and that I have not found all the answers (there are many ways for me to use historical pieces of art to demonstrate a more relevant set of ideas – that looking at materials, artworks, and artists. Unfortunately, I cannot cover each and every single artist, material, and art, but I do believe that I have found an answer with the works that I’ve created). During the 6 weeks of my senior project, I have learned a lot and got to find some of the many ways to satisfy my essential question. I used and studied 6 famous pieces of work (Nighthawks, At the Seaside, A Sunday Afternoon on La Grande Jatte, Three Graces, Mona Lisa, and…). Though there were many artists and paintings that I did not get to research or learn about, the few that I studied were part of my expectations for the project. I hoped to learn more about the history of these kinds of paintings and their artists. During the beginning of my senior project, I expected to complete more paintings but later realized that my painting process was a little bit slow. I decided during my project that I wanted to focus on idea and quality, rather than quantity. Despite not producing the number of paintings that I hoped to, I am satisfied with what I created and learned.

The overall experience of my senior project was really nice. I found that I can work on a piece of art for a long amount of time and really get into a zone where I cannot stop. Despite sometimes getting into a “zone,” there were times where it was difficult to work on pieces for hours straight.

Overall, I am happy with how the paintings look, as well as what they demonstrate.

I plan to demonstrate my work through a website. I have not completed the website, but it is in progress. There is part of me that wishes people could see my work in person because sometimes photographs of art can look a little bit weird. Hopefully, the photos are clear on the website.