1. Quote:
“My work has taken on a form of truly moving through and from the body, and language for me is embedded in the body.”
LeSeur reports that her art begins in the body which is to say her creative choices are from out of physical experience, emotion, and memory. She sees language not from without, but from within, something lived, felt, and processed through the body. This organic relationship between the physical and the meaningful is what influences how she creates across different media (video, performance, painting, etc.. For her each artistic decision from choice of material to movement is not only aesthetic but also somatic.
In many cases my creative choices are out of my lived experiences and feelings even if the end product is not strictly based on my life. Like LeSeur I try to let my internal world out into which I put my visual elements (composition, color, typography etc. which in turn makes the work feel authentic and free of forced elements.
2. Quote:
“I use color as an invite and then leave the decision to the viewer if they will actually stay and be with the content or if they’ll avoid interacting.”
LeSeur talks about color especially blue and red not as a formal choice but as a emotional and conceptual tool which sets the tone of a space before the viewer even gets into the deeper content. The color becomes a “gateway” that either draws a viewer in or prompts them to slow down. Her choice of which hue is deliberate which in turn reinforces how she wants people to feel before they interpret her work.
Color and also visual style don’t usually stand out for their own sake. They are in fact the first to present what the work is about, which in turn forms the emotional base for how a person will receive the piece. I choose to use bold colors or sharp contrasts in my design or art as a way to provoke curiosity, tension, or connection much like how LeSeur used blue and red to invite thought.
1. What inspired LeSeur? Compare what motivates you to create meaning in your work.
LeSeur is into the body and lived experience which is a large part of her use of language, emotion, identity and the physical self. Her work is a study of complex emotional states joy, grief, vulnerability as they play out in relation to what it is like to be her as a Black and queer woman. Also she looks at the gaze (how others see you) and what that does to your sense of self and visibility. Her decision to use her own body as a medium and surface in which to present her art is founded in the idea that personal experience is integral to what her art means.
Like I do, LeSeur finds value in work which is out of one’s lived experience both the emotion and the concept. I am motivated by the goal to put forth what is true to me instead of what is simply decorative. My creative choices -- whether that is in style, content or process are framed by what I am trying to put across (an idea, a feeling, a point of view). I aim for the viewer to have a response which goes beyond the surface, as LeSeur does with her materials which she uses to bring forward presence and introspection.
2. How does your choice of material, process, aesthetic, content, etc. reinforce your message?
For my practice, the choice of materials and design language is always intentional, they are my way to express. As a designer and artist I am preoccupied with the affect something has before people parse out what is being said. I work with color, texture, composition, and level of detail that has emotion at the core. If I am working on a piece that is personal or related to identity issues, I will go for bold, dramatic visuals and high contrast as I want it to have no reservations, to fully present. When it is a more reflective message instead, I will go with a cleaner layout, more pastel colors, or plenty of white space which in turn makes the audience move at a different pace.
My process is also a way to get my point across. At times I will do very loose and intuitive sketches which is to present a raw and honest feel. At other times I will create digital pieces with very clean lines and structured grids which the message requires to be clear and in control. Also the choice to go with a cartoony or simplified style -- which I am to that of which is very attractive to me -- is not for the purpose of cuteness but for access and raw emotion. Simplicity in design can in fact make a message hit home more.
In the end what I do is see to it that the look of the work and the method of its creation support what it is which the work is trying to put forth. If the form and the idea aren’t in agreement the message comes off as out of place. When they do support each other the work is that much more intentional and meaningful.
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