Steven Lin
Bridge 1: Self-Portrait / Break Through
Class of: 2022
Major: Architectural Design BFA
Medium: Cardboard, foam core, sharpie marker
Faculty: Lauren Krauze, Tamar Samir
Prompt: Create your self-portrait, inspired by the famous portrait you chose and based on the self-exploration you have been doing in Studio and Seminar. Consider what are some "truths" and "lies" about yourself that you are integrating into this project. What can we learn about you from this portrait?
This piece is an extension of the “Portrait of a German Officer” by Marsden Hartley. I applied the idea of placing fragments that represent my attributes in different positions to construct a complete and abstract portrait of myself. However, instead of using the “old fashion” materials such as oil on canvas, I have decided to approach this concept by using three-dimensional materials such as cardboard and foam board. I started with a simple portrait of myself then separated them into fragments. After adjusting the composition of the fragments I attached them to the stands made by foam board. The artwork represents me as a disconnected person as well as a stranger to the outside world. Since I usually immersed myself in multiple subjects at the same time while ignoring the outside world. Therefore I decided to use the techniques of “separation and combination” to materialize the concept of me looking complete and concentrate from the outside, while my inside is actually complex and disorder.