"SIMPLE OR COMPLEX"
DATE(S): march 2023 - may 2023​
art project, final piece
For my A-Level art project, I explored the theme "Simple or Complex." I began by examining both the literal and metaphorical connotations of the phrase. Through this project, I explored how simple processes or beginnings can develop into highly complex outcomes, not only in their final form but also in the meanings we attach to them. By combining both literal and metaphorical interpretations, I expanded my understanding of the theme and incorporated these ideas into my artistic development.
section 1: the Literal and Metaphorical Perspectives
To begin my project, I conducted a broad exploration of the theme "Simple or Complex," examining both its literal and metaphorical meanings. From a literal perspective, I looked at subjects like geometry, architecture, science, and nature—fields that often seem straightforward but reveal incredible complexity upon deeper analysis. For example, the golden ratio and Mondrian’s use of geometric shapes highlight how mathematical simplicity can produce intricate designs. Still life studies, including Paul Cézanne’s work, and the intricate patterns of trees also served as inspiration, as did experimenting with ink techniques, slide projectors, and collages to showcase how simple forms can evolve into detailed compositions.
On the metaphorical side, I delved into human emotions, comparing instinctive reactions like anger or fear with complex emotions such as shame, guilt, or pride, which require self-reflection. Artists like Kara Walker, with her silhouette activism art, inspired me to explore how bold, seemingly simple visuals can communicate profound ideas. Similarly, David Bailey’s emotive photography and editing techniques, as well as Olafur Eliasson’s ice-themed works, showed how simplicity in medium can reflect the depth of human experience.
This broad overview of the theme laid the groundwork for my own interpretation, allowing me to refine my focus and develop my final project concept, drawing on elements from both perspectives.
SECTION 2: Beneath the Surface
In the second part of my project, I chose to narrow my focus on people—their thoughts, feelings, and emotions. While people may appear simple on the surface, their inner lives are often deeply complex. We only see what they choose to present to the world, but beneath this lies a longing for deeper connections, untold stories, and intricate emotional experiences. I explored these ideas by studying artists who capture human essence and interaction, drawing inspiration from their approaches to create my own work. These artists helped me explore the duality of simplicity and complexity within the human condition.
Geloy Concepcion
Inspired by Concepcion’s technique of removing people from images and filling the space with reflective text, I created my own version. By ‘etching’ quotes into these empty spaces, I highlighted how people’s unspoken thoughts and emotions are integral to their stories, even when they’re not physically present.
Marina Grechanik,Isabella
Cotier & Jennifer Orkin Lewis
These artists illustrate everyday moments, such as people at cafes or markets, and objects like tables or chairs. While these interactions seem mundane, they carry deeper meanings for those involved, forming part of their routines and memories. Inspired by this, I explored the hidden significance of ordinary moments in my own work.
Paul Butler, John Stezaker
& Merve Ozaslan
These collage artists combine landscapes and people, often removing human figures and replacing them with nature or abstract elements. I drew from this approach to suggest that places, like people, hold layers of meaning and emotional weight.
★ Top Left: A mother pushing a pram, smiling at her children, with the children replaced by a crystal. The crystal represents purity and fragility, symbolising the preciousness of childhood memories and parental connections.
★ Bottom Left: Two women pose for a camera, with the silhouette of the man holding the camera removed. This suggests the fleeting nature of moments captured on film, emphasising how the observer’s presence can alter a memory. It also introduces alternative connotations, highlighting how society often perceives women as mere objects of spectacle.
★ Top Right: A multilayered piece featuring two boys sitting on a car, with an open door revealing a lush, green landscape inside. Above them, two adult silhouettes hover, suggesting the passage of time and the connection between childhood innocence and the complexity of adulthood.
SECTION 3: Personal Interpretation [Building My Final Concept]
For the third stage of my project, I sought to personalise the theme "Simple or Complex" by incorporating my own experiences and surroundings. I began by photographing and studying locations that hold personal significance, such as my local market, my classroom, and Victoria Park, where I grew up playing. I also explored Kew Gardens, a place I often visit for inspiration. Alongside these places, I took portraits of my friends and interviewed them, asking questions such as, "What in your life do you feel most grateful for?" and "What makes you feel nostalgic?" Their responses helped me transform them into "characters" for my final piece, blending the objects, places, and emotions that define their identities with my own shared experiences.
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Studies and Artistic Development
I also created studies inspired by the artists I researched. Nadine Gerber’s fine-line illustrations of household objects, like toilet paper or receipts, influenced my own work. Similarly, Grace Miceli’s vibrant reinterpretations of everyday items, often replacing text with deeper messages like "I don’t know who I am anymore" on a cereal box, pushed me to explore emotional storytelling through objects. I photographed meaningful items from my life and recreated them with illustrations, embedding personal messages to imply that even simple objects carry complex emotional weight.
sECTION 4: Final Piece – A Visual Exploration of Simple or Complex
For my final piece, I created a visual "board," resembling a brainstorm, using the "characters" I developed during my project.
Mapped Background: The backdrop was a hand-drawn map on translucent tracing paper, featuring locations I explored, such as Victoria Park, Kew Gardens, Canary Wharf, and Margate. Each section of the map was drawn separately and pieced together, positioned accurately to mimic their real-world locations. I used string to connect these elements, imitating the style of a brainstorm board and symbolising interconnectedness.
Layered Imagery: The map was overlapped with both recent images of these places and archival photographs from the 1960s, exploring the evolution of these locations. This juxtaposition reflects the theme "Simple or Complex," showing how places can hold layers of history and meaning.​
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Small illustrations of photographed objects, places, and buildings, adding another layer of detail and individuality to the piece.
Collaged Figures: Combining primary photos of friends and places with secondary archival images, I created layered collages. For instance, one piece features friends hugging, overlaid with silhouettes of two women from a 1960s photograph. This technique, inspired by John Stezaker, contrasts past and present relationships, revealing the complexity within seemingly simple interactions.
close-up:
- A black-and-white portrait of a friend, paired with a color image of her looking away, woven together against a wall.
- A digital collage of a building and nature scene (black and white), with the building cut out to reveal the figure of a friend in a 3D/exhibition-like setting, surrounded by dark purples and night tones.
- A photo of a friend in a dimly lit room, with red and purple lighting, leaning against a surface, accompanied by the quote: "Lately, I haven’t been able to enjoy my own company."
Narrative Film: I incorporated quotes from my interviews into a short film. The narration, edited to feel like a story, features clips of the explored locations, with subtitles for accessibility. A silhouette of a friend was cut out, with the text "I feel like the world has moved on and I haven’t" placed inside the white space, surrounded by light blue embroidery.​​