Lyric Jeanneret
John Therry Catholic College
BEYOND THE LINES
Drawing
Graphite pencil and oil pastel on paper
My body of work, Beyond the Lines, examines the intrinsic relationship between identity and experience in its most evident form, within older generations. I drew a pair of portraits representing each of my grandparents, contrasting their serious exteriority with their expressive inner selves to deliberately transcend the singularity of portraiture. The background consists of text taken from anecdotes, phrases and wisdom my grandparents have shared, conveying the transformative effect of these words upon us. My intention in exhibiting the stories we tell and everyday diction is to open the window to our truest selves.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Lee Jeffries, Jenny Saville, Alphonso Dunn.
Marker's Commentary
Beyond the lines are a series of confident portrait drawings, using line materially and conceptually as a metaphor. Layered graphite lines capably create unique features in each of the grandparents faces, capturing their individual character beautifully. Words of wisdom are carefully applied in the background, read as text, representing wisdom from life’s journeys, as well as, becoming textural grounds for the portraits. The varied tones of graphite and oil pastel, smudgy greys to crisp blacks demonstrate an adept understanding of mark marking. The details of the clothing are rendered with care, the floral patterns are pale and fragile while fabric creases are soft. A loving, personal relationship with the artist is suggested through the gaze of each person, captured, drawn in conversation.
The intimacy of the portraits deepens with the remembered words of wisdom surrounding each portrait, reinforcing the concept of lineage. These sophisticated, realistic portraits are expressive in the intricate details captured of each grandparent, the composition and gaze of the subject inviting the audience to consider the richness of generational relationships.