You must cultivate either your own ruling faculty or externals, and apply yourself either to things within or without you; that is, be either a philosopher, or one of the vulgar
-Epictetus (Enchiridion)
What is the main theme?
The theme itself, of my investigation, took inspiration from the teachings and messages within Epictetus’s Enchiridon. Both the writings of the book and my Sustained Investigation are based around the internal and external sides of the individual and the relationship between those two sides. This includes the conflicts between the internal and external, and the outside stimuli that affects them together or individually. This is a general overview of the states, conflicts, and outside stimuli between the external person, which is represented by action and the body, and the internal, which is thought and mind, being explored through fifteen pieces of digital art.
Sunrise Shine
Investigation 1
13x10in - IbisPaintx
Write up
It's meant to be a representation of how at times, people may become pemience even when times are good, finding the negative even when an experience which is good is right in there grasp, but there so focused on the bad that they don’t allow themselves to see the good.
The Living Lobe
Investigation 2
18x20in - IbisPaintx
Write up
The power of thought and thinking taking over the body itself, like overthinking to the point of which your actions are stalled thanks to your thoughts, you can’t act because your stuck in your own head.
Why Are We Lost?
Investigation 3
24x12in - IbisPaintx
Write up
Thought and how a person can lose their way when thinking about to much, like going through a newly formed forest. Trains of thought can pass then die, leaving you forgetting where you started with an idea or passing notion only left with some remiance of where your thoughts started.
Ancient Caves
Investigation 4
14x13in - IbisPaintx
Write up
It's meant to represent the past and, how at time, it might be fragmented and not in the way which we remember, like a fossil of a creature long forgotten. It's also dying, the past grows further away with everyday making it more difficult to look back on and recollect faithfully to how it was.
Present Pest
Investigation 5
21x21in - Procreate
Write up
The present is a changing form which is a hybrid of multiple pathways intersecting, it's made up of interactions. The present is unpredictable until it's already here.
Symbiotic Developments
Investigation 6
15x16in - Procreate
Write up
The future is a completely unpredictable world. Someone's future can be completely different from their past through either their looks, experiences, or newly formed relationshionships which can affect more than one party. A future can be strange or unusual to the present self because it's something we can’t predict or see coming at times
Mariana’s Raincoat
Investigation 7
16x10in - Procreate
Write up
This piece is meant to explore fear and how it can overtake a person developing into something beyond its origin. Basically fear developing into phobia and all around paranoia to an extent.
Due Follower
Investigation 8
18x12in - Procreate
Write up
The concept this piece explores is the way which we can block off certain aspects of life, almost like this things are ghost. It can be good or small things, but at times we’re so boggled by life we can miss things. The piece represents a point of clarity or realization, noticing what was left behind and stay strong even though you missed an aspect of life, like a panther a usual symbol of strength and a strong animal none for persistence. Also, the ghost is meant to show how the things you missed in life which passed by can be regained like life itself, you can never interact with it again, but it always feels like it persists, sticking with you.
Projecting probability
Investigation 9
13x17in - Procreate
Write up
Imagination and is suppose to be a limitless space. It can be sometimes hard to muster it however, leaving your ideas unsorted and piled together, or without extra support so it just doesn’t just drift in your mind, not resembling a truly stable mass, just an idea thats unidentifiable
Friend in a Tin
Investigation 10
15x20in - Procreate
Write up
On the bases of comfort, it feels like a desert or a well done meat, but it can leave you feeling stranded, without legs or mobility to go on and evolve. It makes us feel good right where we are, but the allure and feeling of comfort can stop people from moving forward in life because they have achieved some sort of happiness, even though there is something beyond it
Gumby
Investigation 11
19x12in - Procreate
Write up
Society feels like it washes someone of a part of themselves, causing people to pull themselves apart trying to remove what makes them different. The creature being strung up is suppose to represent becoming one with the surroundings, another part of loosing identity is blending in and conforming. The mind and body stretch out trying to reform in a way that satisfies others, trying to mold into an identity that the things around them allow them to be.
Ulna Cross
Investigation 12
16x12in - Procreate
Write up
The bases of life with enthesis on religion, self-actualization, and wisdom. What people live by is what I call there base, it’s like their strongest drive to live on, something that guides them. That bases can be general wisdom from an elder or religious values guiding and building, at moments they don’t even realize it like a bird passing over, an individual. Like a bird flying over, that bases which ones live by can be an influence in another life no matter what.
Layered Sight
Investigation 13
13x12in - Procreate
Write up
Individual perceptions, social perspective, we move through life, sometimes thinking were being watched, this art piece is meant to show the reality, everyone’s doing there own thing, no one’s focusing on the other because we got places to be and a lot of people are just focused on themselves
Sunset Mine
Investigation 14
17x14in - Procreate
Write-up
The idea is based around my very first piece and evolving it’s ideas when it came to how we can sometimes get lost in such a negative world view we don’t see the positive or brighter parts of life. This piece updates that to comfortability within the negative, letting it consume you in a sort of endless night. The cotton dandelion tree is meant to represent the overwhelming power negativity can hold, making you feel stuck like your sitting on a motionless wall.
Never Rest
Investigation 15
21x21in - Procreate
This is a recolor of my fifth piece with a blue shell, patterns and color more based off a blue jay, and blue lobsters. This new shade is meant to show off how the present feels ever lasting, life in general as well, like an ocean.