Artist Statement – Lindsay Iredale

My concentration focuses on femininity and masculinity. In my twelve pieces of artwork, I explore this concept in people’s physical appearance and in their actions. For example, I use the structure of the body, such as curves and muscles, to express a feeling of whether the piece is feminine or masculine. Another way I express whether a piece fits into my concentration is through features. A subject in one of my pieces of artwork may have long hair or long eyelashes to express a womanly feel, and another may have a beard to express someone manly. Color is another method I used to express what the piece represents. If the piece or subject is comprised mostly of cool colors, then it is a masculine piece; warm colors would be a feminine piece. If neither warm nor cool colors stand out most the subject in the piece is contradicting the stereotypes of feminine or masculine. Some of my pieces are contradictions of the stereotypes of who is feminine and who is masculine, such as a woman body builder. Muscles are usually thought of as a male trait, but there are instances where females have muscles, etc. The same goes for males having feminine traits.

One of the hardest classes, and the most enjoyable classes, I have ever taken is AP 2-D art. Creating a series of twelve pieces of art that have to work together as a whole body of work really pushed my creative skills and ultimately made me learn new methods of thinking when approaching large projects. Art is the one thing that challenges me mentally in a way that lets me grow from it. Subjects like math, science, and English have always been, for me, subjects where I put the time in and I automatically understand the subject matter and obtain a good grade. Art class is creating and expressing a piece of yourself using your medium, and I think it is the hardest thing I have ever had to do in my entire life. That is why I enjoy it.