Experiment 1
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This artist statement is meant to supplement a set of three paintings depicting
1) a man using a guitar as an ax,
2) a woman mopping a spill with a ball gown, and 3) a woman using a delicate flower to stir soup.
The irony is meant to bring out the brokenness of the world and the idea that people choose things out of convenience rather than what is truly good.
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Oblivious Injustice
The world is often blind to the harm it inflicts. Think about it: does anyone inflict pain for the mere purpose of inflicting pain? Then why is everyone imperfect? People are flawed and make mistakes because they attempt to obtain a higher good through less-than-perfect means.
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This truth was shown to me when I read The Power and the Glory by Grahm Green. In this novel, the author displays the wounds of Original Sin. The truth revealed by this novel points to the faults of people but also points to their virtues. Reading this, I was inspired to share this with the world.
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My deepest identity as a daughter of Christ shows itself in my art. These paintings come from a place of confusion and pain. “Oblivious Injustice” is my take on making literal the brokenness of the world. The tone and colors reflect my experience with and disposition toward this brokenness. I wanted to make each piece as realistic as possible to demonstrate the normality of the misuse of beauty. I created neutral expressions to accentuate the divide between our reactions and those of the characters. The way the picture is fuzzy in comparison to the misused object is to bring more attention to the beautiful.
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Everyone knows that a guitar is better used to make music, and not to split logs. What happens when the guitar is more convenient? What do you think the man in the painting thinks? What is the intention?
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-Lizzy Haag
What I enjoyed the most about writing this statement was that I didn’t feel confined to formal writing. Not only did I feel like I could be myself, but I felt almost obligated to. I was free to share about my experiences from my honest point of view, because that is the point. Getting my perspective across comes much easier when I am free to do so in my own words. I don’t know if this was the most effective move, but I liked the way the questions fit at the end. I want my work to make people ask questions and seek the Truth.
A challenge I had was taking this freedom and using it in a way that was still orderly and sensical.
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Another challenge was making everything clear to my intended audience. My inclination was to include only what was necessary for people with m experience to understand. However, my intended audience is not people with the same outlook as me. It was a challenge to try to balance what to say that may not make sense to others.
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Overall, this experiment was fun because it took me out of my comfort zone and brought me into a new genre of art. There was more freedom than I was expecting, but my models helped me navigate the structure.
Experiment 2
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For my second experiment, I attempted to write a song based on a book report. This was my first time writing music, and my first draft (right) looks far different than my fully realized song.
This project took me through different stages of research. The above sketch is a first attempt at combining a harmonic progression with lyrics and a melody line. I thought I could go for a counterpoint-type approach and whip up a harmonic progression that way.However, starting from scratch with no experience in songwriting was not an efficient plan. After this draft, I switched instruments from piano to guitar, changed the P.O.V. of the lyrics, and based the chord progression on related genre research.
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In my research for this experiment, I went to Spotify and found songs that give a feeling similar to what I was envisioning for my piece. I started to analyze how the elements of the song combine to create the effect of a mood. I mainly looked at the artistic melodic choices and chord progressions/strumming patterns. It was interesting to see the function of the chords work to move the song forward when I have only applied this type of analysis to "classical" pieces.
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The "final" draft in the MUSIC section is the evolution of Experiment 2. My perspective and approach to music composition have grown immensely. With continued work and experimentation, I am sure my future projects with reflect the growth as well. I am extremely excited to continue in this mode of writing.
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Genre Research and References:
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“Havelin - Coffee (Chords).” Ultimate-Guitar.Com, 22 July 2018, https://tabs.ultimate-guitar.com/tab/havelin/coffee-chords-2431503.
Havelin. “Coffee.” Spotify, 23 Sept. 2016, https://open.spotify.com/track/3c8xhXqf9oPeOYJSU9krlr?si=a8f2bdc8ac724185.
Passenger. “Things That Stop You Dreaming.” Spotify, 17 Feb. 2013, https://open.spotify.com/track/6QeSCvsJj4g112mxfrMmYk?si=d8cf9f0973724397.