MATTEA SKLUT

ARTIST STATEMENTS

“Sex and Censorship”

Acrylic

16x20 in.

My passion for history has often led me to explore the correlations between past events and movements and their lasting effects on modern society and culture. For this piece, I utilized vintage and modern artistic styles to connect the subject of the feminist movement to its roots in the past and the current impact in contemporary culture.

The 1960s and 1970s came to be known as the birth of female liberation and power. The shift in morals, culture, and expression in this era continues to impact modern culture. I chose to use this era as a model for my piece due to its pivotal role in reshaping society and the parallels between the two time periods’: socially, politically, and legally, as in the past and contemporary court cases surrounding women’s rights.

            The piece itself is based on vintage art from the 1960s and 1970s which employed simple linework drawings and vibrant and contrasting color schemes. These artworks usually included nudity or the natural body, as well as nature, or specifically flowers, to convey the liberation of self and the connection of people to nature. These ideas went against societal views of modesty and purity, as they still do today.

While women are heavily sexualized from an early age, censorship of the female breasts, such as restrictions against breastfeeding in public, remains rigid. Women are held to contradictory standards every day that ensure females are always at fault. Slut versus prude. Too much makeup versus not enough makeup. A tease versus frigid and unfriendly. I could go on, but I’m sure these phrases are all too familiar to any female.

The figure in my piece represents the hypocrisy of society. The provocative body position and censored breasts and genitalia are the essences of  “Sex and Censorship.” Sex sells, but censorship prevents the acceptance of the natural human body. Additionally, the color scheme and specific choices made while painting subtly represent contrast and contradiction in society and in a woman’s life and expectations. Bright, neon colors are used to convey the abrasive force of societal expectations and standards for women, while the more muted, calm colors are women’s own ideas, aspirations, and morals. The struggle between bright, abrasive and soft, muted colors for dominance mirrors the everyday struggle for women to live how they wish or follow the predestined expectations.

My intentions while laboring over the colors of the flowers on the hat were not for the viewer to immediately recognize my association of these colors, but rather to create color schemes and combinations that would enthrall the audience and invoke some association or meaning in the viewer’s interpretation.

The feminist movement initiated the beginning of rebellion, protest, and change. While legally women have made some progress, societally, the continuation of sexualization, censorship, and shaming of the human body threatens to undermine the progress of the feminist movement.

“Three Kings Tremors”

Acrylic

16x20 in.

            As artists have often responded to the real-world events around them throughout history, I chose to respond to a current event while paying homage to an artist who often utilized their surroundings and environment as inspiration for their work.

            In late December of 2019 and early January of 2020, Puerto Rico was devastated by a series of earthquakes. The earthquakes ranged from minor tremors to 6.0 magnitude quakes. The damaged buildings and infrastructure have left thousands displaced or without power and other basic needs.

This destruction and anger at government inaction are reminiscent of 2017’s Hurricane Maria, from which Puerto Rico still has not recovered. This is due to a lack of aid and action from the local Puerto Rican government, as well as US intervention. As Puerto Rico is an American commonwealth, the US should be in part aiding the country as they seek to rebuild and recover. However, the global community has come to view the US treatment of Puerto Rico as cold and uncaring.

            While addressing the Puerto Rican earthquakes, I also employed techniques used by Keith Haring, an American street and pop artist. Haring first grew popular following his street and graffiti art in New York City Subways and streets. Haring often included political and societal messages in his artwork. He is most famous for his works driven towards AIDS awareness, but he was also known for his messages related to capitalism, consumerism, and apartheid in South Africa.

            I chose Haring’s style because of the similarities his work shares with traditional Puerto Rican folk art. Both often employ bright colors, thick black outlines, and simplistic styles. For this work, I will use the aforementioned styles while combining Haring’s iconic simplistic figures with dynamic movement and Puerto Rican art’s portrayal of buildings and culture.

            The work is done in acrylic, like much of Puerto Rican folk art, due to its cheap price and availability. The piece has a very simplistic horizon line, as Haring’s artwork often included, with simplistic Puerto Rican buildings to bring an element of Puerto Rican tradition to the work. In addition to the buildings, there are also power lines with damaged cables, symbolizing the debilitated infrastructure and loss of power across Puerto Rico. There is a single rooster in the foreground. This is a reference to the prevailing symbol of the rooster throughout Puerto Rican culture. The rooster symbolizes masculinity, as well as traditional rural and agricultural life.

            The three figures are composed in a simplistic representation of Haring’s style. Specifically, the three men wearing crowns represent the three wise men, or kings, in the Biblical telling of Jesus Christ’s birth. The three kings are employed here to represent Three Kings Day, a significant holiday in Puerto Rico, and many other Caribbean islands. The holiday was on January 6, 2020, coinciding with one of the large earthquakes in Puerto Rico. The earthquake toppled a famous rock formation and landmark on the island. I included a reference to this event in my piece as a representation of the utter destruction to all facets of Puerto Rican society and infrastructure.

            This artistic response to the events in Puerto Rico is a study of Puerto Rican art and culture, Keith Haring, and the power of current event-inspired art.

            While the earthquakes in Puerto Rico are an unfortunate natural disaster, the lack of aid and support from the governments of Puerto Rico and the US is a social issue that with awareness and action can be ratified.

“Still Life Number 1”

Marker

            As a study of basic skill and technique in depicting forms, I did a series of still lifes. While the subject remained the same, I did each piece in the series with a different medium. I used mediums that were familiar, as well as mediums that I was not as comfortable with, so I could better develop my style and artistic abilities.

            Still lifes have been utilized to better artists’ technique and compositional skills for thousands of years, dating back to ancient Greece and Egypt. It exercises and refines artists’ observation skills. Furthermore, it trains artists to notice light, shadow, and proportions. These small details all culminate in a more skilled artist.

            This project presented a challenge for me, as I rarely ever work in realism or observational art. So, I set about to accomplish this feat, expecting a finished product that I would be dissatisfied with because it didn’t look like the subject. However, it took forcing myself to take up this challenge in order for me to gain a new appreciation for myself and my art.

            During this project, I realized that still life did not necessarily have to mean realistic. I had a preconceived notion that I brought into this project, but I chose to overcome it and render my version of a still life.

            For the first piece in the series, I used markers. I am the most comfortable with markers, so this piece is the closest to my natural style. I often employ an unrealistic, exaggerated style that came through in the rendering of the bust’s head.

            I utilized vibrant colors that emphasized and complemented each other. This is another element of my personal style. I often put a lot of thought and planning into my color choices, in order to create an engaging and aesthetically pleasing piece. Also, I did not use very much shading, as my own art rarely incorporates lighting, but I did experiment with blending markers to create the illusion of shadow, especially regarding the bust.

            I was satisfied with my final product and it gave me insight into my abilities, preferences, and possible avenues for exploration as an artist in the near future. This learning experience has contributed to my artistic learning process.

“Textured on Yellow”

Acrylic

6x6 in.

            Like many high school students, I experience anxiety and stress nearly every day. The demands of school, extracurriculars, and other commitments often lead to teenagers being forced to deal with overwhelming feelings of panic and stress. Additionally, teenagers are usually unequipped with the skills to properly and healthfully deal with these feelings.

            I am no exception to this condition. As I have grown older and school has grown more demanding and difficult, my relationship with stress has only become more unhealthy. Due to the stress of high school, I have experienced less sleep, developed an energy drink problem, and found myself unable to concentrate on things as well as I used to. However, during my junior year, I realized that I respond positively to touch. After conducting research, I found out that this was more common than I thought. Sensory experiences can calm anxiety by grounding a person in the present.

            I used this principle as inspiration for a series of pieces I created which are meant to be interactive. I painted a canvas a solid color, quickly drew a simple, single-lined face with a marker that blended into the canvas color, then experimented with applying acrylic paint to the canvas directly from the tube. I experimented with the type of acrylic used, the color, and the texture created. These variations are meant to be observed and experienced by the viewer, as I intend for them to gently touch the canvases as they view them.

            I chose to work in acrylic because it is a stiff paint that holds its shape very well. Therefore, acrylic was the best option when intending to create a piece that focuses on the actual texture of the paint.

            For this particular piece, I wanted to use a more calm, neutral, earthy color scheme. After painting the canvas yellow, I used a yellow-orange marker to quickly sketch a face. I then adhered to the borders and sections created by the intersecting lines of the face, using a multitude of colors to create a dynamic, engaging piece. There are both smooth, rough, and pointy textures throughout the piece to further engage the viewer.

            My own feelings and associations often influence my work. Incorporating texture as a means to express the importance of sensory experiences was yet another extension of myself in my work.

            Ultimately, I wanted to create a piece that was not only visually pleasing but appealed to the senses, too. I value sensory experiences as vital for some people to cope with stress and anxiety, myself included, so I created a piece that would convey the importance of touch.

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“Textured on Green”

Acrylic

6x6 in.

            In a continuation of my work in textures, I chose to further explore my own relationship with touch. This, of course, means confronting my anxiety. After analyzing myself, I realized that when I am anxious or panicking, I begin to experience what is known as “nervous energy.” Nervous energy is a hyperactive mood in which the individual feels nervous, edgy, and that they must be active in some way. In class when you have to be in your seat, this can present itself as small movements. So, what looks like fidgeting or a physical tic can actually be an individual with an elevated or anxious mood. The physical movement is an attempt to lower this high energy and calm down. For me, it is a bouncing leg, twitching hand, or I play with something in my hands. Often I bring sewing into class with me because having something to do with my hands makes me feel grounded and calm. When an individual is experiencing high levels of anxiety, it often feels like they are not in their bodies and are detached from everything, so holding or feeling something tangible and real in their hands can bring them back to reality and be a tool to assist in calming down.

            In this piece, I altered my technique in creating both the textures and the actual image. To begin, I painted the canvas a solid green. This time, however, I did not sketch a face as a guideline. Instead, I chose to take a more abstract approach. Additionally, unlike “Textured on Yellow,” I used the entirety of the canvas to apply paint.

            Like “Textured on Yellow,” this piece has varying textures and is meant to be interactive. While in my first piece I had used different types of acrylic to vary the appearances of the paint, I chose to use the same acrylics with similar vibrancies for this piece, in order to create a more uniform, cohesive piece. I also focused on patterns more, in addition to texture application, because I wanted this piece to convey more brilliant, whimsical feelings.

            I hope that in creating these works, people can realize that anxiety has many different coping methods and outlets. While these works are aesthetically pleasing, they convey a more important message. A message of awareness and understanding.

“An Artist’s Process”

Acrylic

7.75x11.5 in.

            As an artist who never typically works in three-dimensional art, I particularly struggle with conceptualizing sculptural pieces. However, while brainstorming, I looked towards the very heart of an artist’s purpose for inspiration. Through this reflection of my own artistic processes, as well as that of others’ art, I developed a piece and a message.

            When I reflect on my past of taking private art classes and lessons in elementary school through high school up until my present of being in the IB art program, what has always struck me most is the monetary cost. It seems as though art has become a luxury, thus robbing people of a therapeutic and beneficial activity because they cannot afford it. I was lucky enough to have parents who were supportive of my passion for art and were willing and able to provide me the resources to grow and develop as an artist, but I am very aware that others are not as fortunate and are unable to afford supplies or private instruction. While this does not hinder one’s natural talent, it does limit their ability to develop and create to their full potential.

I believe that art should be accessible to anyone, and it is relatively available for all. Nevertheless, there are certain amenities that many are unable to attain, such as high-quality supplies. There are ways to overcome this obstacle, but the division between artists who can and cannot afford certain supplies has become more evident as contemporary artists struggle to stand out and be recognized in a society already overwhelmed with technology, responsibilities, and constant innovations in all facets of life.

In reflecting on my own art, I began to consider the materials used and the cost involved in many pieces. Of particular interest, I evaluated my two pieces “Textured on Yellow” and “Textured on Green.” In both pieces, I applied tube acrylics in lines, dollops, or filled sections to the canvas and allowed it to dry for a tangible texture. This created my intended effect, but it also wasted large amounts of expensive paints.

This process of liberal paint use and application inspired this sculptural piece in which I applied mounds of paint to an artist palette and brush to represent the money and supplies that go into an artist’s work. It is easy for viewers to dismiss an artist’s work because it looks simple and easy, but viewers neglect to acknowledge the artist’s process. Art is more than the presented piece. It is also the conceptualization, process, planning, execution, and effort put in by the artist to create meaningful work with a message and intent. This applies to far more than visual art because art is not only visual. Art is literary, auditory, culinary, or any other presentation of one’s skills put into the creation of a product.

While this sculptural piece may look like a used artist palette, I assure you that it is a piece of art created with intent and purpose. Through this work, I hope to raise awareness of the struggles of many artists and why it is so essential to support art in all forms.

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“Dylan” (1-7)

Mixed Media

4x4.875”

            In school, I often struggle to fully pay attention to my teacher. This is because of my anxiety. When I feel especially anxious, I become very fidgety with what is known as “nervous energy,” or a feeling of hyperactivity when one feels on edge or panicked. To deal with this, I often need something to do with my hands. It is not uncommon for me to draw in a sketchbook, mindlessly mess around with Play-Doh, or work on art projects.

When I began a new exploration into my process of embroidering photographs, I chose to focus my study on seven identical prints of a friend of mine who I had photographed for a project. The significant thing about these prints is their size. Unlike my previous series of three eight by ten-inch prints, these prints were much smaller and could fit inside of the circular tin container in which I store my embroidery needles and thread. Thus, this series was much more convenient to transport, and I could then bring it with me to class. So, in class when I felt fidgety, I would embroider these small photos to calm down, and I found it to an extremely helpful tactic to combat my anxiety.

Throughout these seven pieces, I experimented with every element of embroidery and art. I would carefully select thread colors to create an aesthetically pleasing color scheme. Also, I used embroidery thread, a six-stand thread used for primarily decorative sewing, and sewing thread, a single stand thread used for discrete stitching and mending in different pieces to diversify my work and skills. Additionally, I experimented with the stitching of each piece, ranging from simple outlines to the more complex filling in of the space with the use of various stitching techniques, sectioning, and careful selection of what I would and would not embroider.

In each piece, I had different intentions and plans for how I would use my space in regards to color, stitching, and the selection of areas to stitch. While many of the techniques I used were repeated in other pieces, I ensured that each piece remained unique but still contained elements of past works to show the progress and development of my work.

Working on the same image seven times was sickening at points. I became tired of looking at it. Additionally, my continued experimentation with various techniques created several problems, from torn paper to incorrect stitching, which I then had to work to correct. However, I still viewed, and continue to view, this activity as stress-relieving. Working on this small piece of paper and being able to correct my mistakes allows me to have a sense of control which can ground an anxious person who, like me, may feel like nothing is right and they have no control over their life or surroundings. What began as an art project became a therapeutic activity for me in which I could occupy my hands when I felt anxious and fidgety and gain a sense of control. I feel that while working on these pieces I gained an artistic style and grew as a person, capable of dealing with mistakes and imperfections and being more confident in my abilities to fix these mistakes and create art that I can be proud of.

“Dylan Wrapped”

Mixed Media

8x10 in.

            After two series, totaling 10 pieces overall, I had planned one final piece to finish my work in embroidery for my first year in IB art. This piece would be the final resolution of my struggles and triumphs in embroidery.

While I had previously done seven small identical images, I had not included this piece in that series, despite it being the same image. This is because this final image was not the same size and it contained the image mirrored across the middle of the photopaper which had been the assignment the proof-sheets were used for in my photography class.

It was the mirrored image that inspired my intentions for this piece. I wanted it to ultimately represent my progression in embroidery, so I decided the left would be simplistic to show my earlier work which was the beginning of my exploration and the right would completely cover the image to represent my fuller understanding and skill in embroidery. Additionally, I wanted to include the two opposing elements that I utilized throughout my work, in the sense of colors and stitching in particular.

For the simplistic left image, I worked exclusively in outlining, the first technique I had ever tried. I also used bold, unrealistic colors to convey the almost childish, innocent approach I had had when beginning my study of embroidery. I say this because I had no idea of the problems I would encounter or the difficulties that present themselves. However, it was my ability to adapt and solve problems that allowed me to reach the right of this piece.

The right side was created with the intention of sophistication, as it is the culmination of my development in embroidery. That is why I worked in realistic colors and completely covered that half of the paper to show that this subject and study was complete, so to speak. As for the stitching, I used horizontal and vertical for the background and tree. For the sky, I drew on a previous work in which I worked exclusively with the thread overlapping across the space to cover the area with color. And for the body, I tried a new technique in which I used a point or points as focal which rotated circularly to cover the area. I included old techniques, as well as a new idea, to connect my past works and progress with my present abilities and skills.

I found this piece to be very reflective for me. I reevaluated my past works: the mistakes made and the discoveries that furthered my development. I came to be extremely proud of what I had accomplished. Embroidering photographs and other paper media is something I have since come across through art education and research, but I am still proud of this relatively unique idea I had and my ability to evolve as an embroiderer, artist, person. I feel I was able to convey a sense of development and accomplishment through this piece and properly finish my embroidery of “Dylan.”

George (1,2,3)

Mixed Media

8x10 in.

            Often struggling to find my individual artistic style, I was unconfident in my work and myself. I felt that my work in acrylic and watercolor was not good enough, that is until I realized that what I thought was my mediocre talent was really me struggling to copy others’ works and styles.

In order to discover my own artistic interests and styles, I went back to my past. When I was a child, my grandmother felt that it was important I learned what she considered necessary domestic skills. So, my grandmother taught me to iron, cook, bake, and, most importantly, she taught me sewing and embroidery. Every day after elementary school, I would sit with her and she would teach me to embroider pillowcases and tea towels with patterns stamped on them. It was a time just for us to watch “Jeopardy” or soap operas, talk, and embroider.

I had not thought about those days until I was in my introductory photography class. Working with film, it is necessary to do “proof sheets,” of test prints to experiment with the exposure, magnification, filters, etc. Unfortunately, these proof sheets are thrown away because they serve no purpose beyond the process of acquiring the finished photo. I saw this wasteful use of rather expensive photography paper and wondered how I could possibly repurpose these proof sheets into an art project. And, that is when I remembered my grandmother and her embroidery lessons. So, I began a project in which I collected my used proof sheets and then embroidered them as if they were fabric.

This series of three was my first experimentation with embroidering paper. I began with the simple outlining, then progressed to a fully covered image of horizontally embroidered lines. Covering large areas of a single color with a long horizontal line presented a challenge, as the tautness of the thread would cause the paper to bow. I took the imperfections of the second piece as a learning experience for the third and final piece. For the third piece, I used both horizontal and vertical embroidery in rectangular, geometric sectioning to create an almost woven appearance.

I view these pieces as a progression in skill and confidence in my abilities. I transitioned from realistic colors in the first two pieces to vibrant, bold colors in the final piece. Additionally, I progressed in the difficulty of stitching which brought about many problems. The necessary closeness of the stitching to achieve a fully covered image often led to the tearing of paper between holes. I had to experiment and solve these problems as they came to the best of my ability. While accomplishing these three pieces, I developed a newfound sense of patience, problem-solving, and respect for intricate craftwork.

My grandmother died in 2018 at the age of 92, but rediscovering this craft makes me feel close to her and remember the special time we spent together when she taught me to embroider. When she insisted embroidery was a skill I should learn, I thought she was an old lady stuck in the past, but I now see that embroider was her outlet, and it has now become mine, as well.