This picture is part of my 12 concentration pieces that I did for AP Art.

This is the write up that I turned in with my work:

1. What is the central idea of your concentration?

My concentration is about schizophrenia. My interest with this psychological disorder started when my mom told me that her grandmother (my great-grandmother) was schizophrenic. My interest was further fueled by the trimester psychology courses I have taken and books that I have read, such as Echo by Kate Morgenroth. My concentration focuses on my fascination with the undefined border between what is real and what is just in one’s head.

2. How does the work in your concentration demonstrate the exploration of your idea?

Initially, I conveyed the confusion and conflicting emotions of those with schizophrenia in my work by using color. In most of my work I used color for emotional effect. As I progressed, I started to pay more attention to line quality and brushwork. I studied the expressive brushwork and the use of color in Chaim Soutine’s work. I became more interested in texture and manipulating the surface of my pieces. I eventually began using layers and collage to show the different mental layers in the mind of one with schizophrenia.