Isabella Pex
Tuggerah Lakes Secondary College The Entrance Campus
THE PILLARS OF MASCULINITY
Graphic Design
Digital artwork printed on photo paper
My intention in The Pillars of Masculinity is to present a commentary on the flaws of romanticised masculinity, using the lens of the hyper-macho Western genre. The masculine allure of the Western genre with its rugged, adventurous and spirited aesthetics frequently excludes strong women. In my body of work, female figures assume the genre’s common representations of masculinity, male roles and archetypes: independence, authority, charisma, strength and confidence. My work provides an opportunity to subvert these tropes to include a feminine perspective and convey narratives that highlight the tenacity and grit of a world where women hold the reins.
My artmaking practice has been influenced by the study and interpretation of the following artists: Mark Maggiori, Aleksander Rostov.
Marker's Commentary
This outstanding body of work presents a series of figurative narratives. The digital drawing skills of each character within its contextual setting are exceptionally well rendered and underline the exemplary material practice of this submission. The dynamic, gestural and expressive qualities of the work, including the warm colour palette, enhances the mood of each image. These scenes are composed as part of a classic storyboard or images from the film release, each cleverly representing the scripting of a movie scene.
The distinctive cinematic viewpoints, cropped compositions and action-packed scenes reiterate a firm understanding of storytelling through digital drawing. The subject matter, through the lens of the historic Western movie genre, is thought provoking and takes audiences back to the “wild-west” narrative but expertly subverts masculinity, replacing the traditional male dominated stereotype for the inclusion and liberation of the female perspective. She takes on life, independence and the struggles, confronting the world with vigour and determination.