What Makes a Man?
This body of work is a statement on personal identification. Specifically, how men identify with the work they do. Both pieces contrast in style, imagery, and the idea presented while supporting each other’s theme and motif. By removing recognizable faces from the figures in the pieces, I was working to push the concept of identification through work rather than something so common like a face or a name.
In the first piece I worked on, I focused on blue-collar ideals and the working class man. Displayed in the figure are train tracks, factory smoke stacks, industrial overlays and dirt roads. Using industrial imagery to assist in defining the human form while utilizing gentle hints of the body like the hair allowed for the unification of the motif into the work. In addition, the landscape worked rather well to support the figure in an environment not distracting from the overall idea. I chose to add the outline of the face of the figure in the piece to emphasize the lack of the face while still defining it because the emptiness did not support the balance I was working to achieve. It is my belief that this was the more successful of the two pieces.
The second piece is much busier than the first. But, that was part of the plan. In a way, the figure is a reflection of his environment. Again, I removed recognizable facial features while emphasizing the suit, a common identifier for a businessman, but one that displays no real identity. In this piece, there is a good balance and contrast despite its busyness.