student work
FINAL PROJECT, DRAWING I
Create a triptych.
What’s that, you ask? Informally, a triptych is three separate drawings that belong together. They are not necessarily connected literally but they are connected in content.
Art historically, a triptych is associated with three-piece altarpieces that began in the Catholic tradition. Triptychs were created for making larger works of art, which weren’t possible at the time unless the ground of the work was a wall. Often connected with
hinges to open and close these large works, the primary intention was to use art as a means of storytelling. Before most people could read words they had only stories in the form of auditory exchange and the fine arts.
SO WHAT DO I DO?
What is your altarpiece? What story do you have to share? What would you like to show us? What is the drawing you’ve always wanted to make?
Your triptych may be strictly rendered from live observation or classical study; it may include historical, fantastical, fictional, poetic references, etc. It’s often a good idea to dream up something you care about—this can be from your life or a more formal investigation, such as an investigation of texture or repetition.
PROMPTS TO GET YOU GOING:
• imaginary landscapes that are partly true/partly fiction
• investigations of texture (snakeskin, leaves, your pillow, etc.)
• a collection of bones, rocks, acorns, canned goods, minerals, baseball caps, sippy cups, everything on your bathroom shelf, etc.)
• invented creatures that are partly true/partly fiction; believable
• history, memory, & invented memory: your family, someone else’s, the land, asocial concern, transportation, the family you wish you’d known, folklore
• everything you threw away in one day; everything you ate in one day
• your bookshelf, your desk, your windowsill, wherever you work
• a room that you spend a lot of time in (without cleaning it up)
• a true landscape that you have safe access to with physical/social distancing