Sketch 1

Sketch 2

Sketch 3

Sketch 4

LUIZ RODOLFO ANNES - Série Mergulho (2003 - 2006)
TMedium: Ink on paper | Dimensions: 14 x 19 cm | Year: 2003-2006

 

DESCRIPCIÓN FORMAL DEL OBJETO
Sketch 1: composed of black lines on a rectangular horizontal medium. Centered on the paper is a human figure with its arms down along the body and the belly scratched in black. The head is not entirely visible since it has it cut off by the frame’s top edge. The legs are jumbled – and therefore get lost of sight – with sharped shapes that point upwards, resembling waves.

Sketch 2: made with black lines, horizontally. Lines follow the edges of the paper on both sides and at the top. The lines join at the upper edges, where another diagonal line connects them to the bottom of the medium. At the bottom, there is a simplified human figure lying down, with the head partially hidden behind the right line and the legs extended towards the left side. At the same level as the lying character, an area has its content filled with black strokes that run from the left margin to the figure’s legs.

Sketch 3: straight diagonal lines connect to a square in the background, indicating the perspective of a room where a human figure is in the center of the composition. From the corners of the bottom of the paper, two cylindrical shapes – reminiscent of fingers – rise towards the character. Inside the shapes, there are semicircles. The room, which corresponds to the horizontal dimension (floor), has its area filled with black scratches.

Sketch 4: made with black lines, only the lower half of the paper filled. In the foreground, on the bottom right side, is the figure of a man. The lines are simple; it is only possible to identify the face and the torso up to the waist; the arms stretch on each side of the body. Surrounding the figure are sinuous lines unfurling themselves from the body; they are lines that follow the length of the man’s body, one after the other – reminiscent of a “mountainous mesh or a succession of waves”.

 

THE ARTWORK
The series of sketches “Diving” seems to deal with the conflicts of the self. They are the conflicts of the man who sees himself alone and dives into him in an attempt to find any significant meaning. From the images, which refer to a disturbing narrative, it is possible to see a person in constant self-reflection. The artist’s lines emphasize the character’s anguish and introspection scenario even more.

 

FOR REFLECTION

The “Diving” series reflects the introspection of the inner and subjective world of the artist by bringing through his expressive strokes the feeling of loneliness and diving into oneself. Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and the social isolation that keeps us apart, reflections on who we are and our relationships with people we love come to the fore. How do we experience the feeling of "diving" through our introspections? Would the idea of diving be the act of turning to oneself through reflection and self-knowledge? How has the pandemic driven us away from others at the same time it has expanded our approach to ourselves?

 

TECHNIQUE – INK ON PAPER

Indian ink is one of the most popular inks on the planet. It was created in China more than 4500 years ago, and it has an intense black color, very fluid, and is absorbed quickly by its most common medium, paper. In its traditional form, it is composed of carbon soot or carbon black and shellac. The soot is the pigment, while the shellac is its binder. In ancient China, the first nankins were collected from the ink glands of mollusks such as octopus and squid, which use ink as a form of defense. The most common way for obtaining Indian ink is liquid, but we also find it solid for artists who prefer to produce their materials manually. It is a type of ink that presents strong adhesion, hence difficult to be removed after its application. Besides penetrating considerably into the fiber of the paper, the ink has strong resistance to light and the weather.