Body and Politics

At the start of the project I began by doing quick gesture drawings of people, it helped create a sense of stance, position and movement in the body. These reminded me of the little wooden artist models you buy in art shops. So located  few images of them to see the positions and stances that could be achieved with them. I borrowed a friends one and began to sketch a few of their positions.

After looking at these sketches it kept reminding me of puppets on strings. With the idea of politics in this project, i began to think about how replaceable heads of states, countries, counties etc. are, how in a sense they are puppets. Used as the front image of their government, used to speak how the country will change or new laws or bans wil be coming in. But it is a collect of people that decide these things before being put to the vote. So i began to collect images of well known leaders, images of them in the prime of the media, i.e. rallies, speeches etc. 

 I had the idea to photoshop them with the artist models, replace their heads and hands with the dolls head and hands.

A few more done including some of our beloved Enda Kenny

After those I decided to turn them into graphics, a more animated feel to them.

With these images im going to re-paint them on a larger scale. im going to select my favourite ones. The  ones with the most media appeal in it, the ones that give more of a figure head feel to it.

 A great source of of information and inspiration came from watching the movie "Zeitgeist"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OrHeg77LF4Y


 Particularly at 1:14:00 where it begins to talk about the links between the government and its links with  the federal reserve and how these are the tue holders of power in the US.

"The world is governed by very different personages from what is imagined by those who are not behind the scenes."

- Benjamin Disraeli, English Statesman 1844

"The real truth of the matter is that a financial element in the large centers has owned the government since the days of Andrew Jackson."
- Franklin D Roosevelt, US President 1933

Here is a few pictures taken of people in the comforts of their usual surroundings, the pictures were taken during the new Wexford library open. I wanted natural poses rather than set up ones. Some are of local politicians and higher up figures.

I've decided to progress on orm ink tests made to accompany the piece. It was remarked as more painterly, which in some ways I do agree with. Looking at them i decided to work on close up shots of their faces using water colours, inks, watered down acrylic. But only painting the shadows on the face. This is a great way for displaying tones and the features of the face without blatantly painting them in.