Expressive mandatory question

Question 1

Social and cultural influences

Answer 1

Family and relationships
Exposure to different cultures - Nigeria, country of birth
Artists American culture
Contemporary art - Painter Alex Katz

Question 2

Crosby was inspired by her family and relationships

Answer 2

Crosbys sister is at the table, a photo of her mum is on the back wall, and her gran is in a frame on the right.

Crosby was very close to her family and her mum and gran were no longer alive when she created this painting. She looked back on her fond memories and love for them, as these were all strong women she looked up to and adored.

Question 3

Crosby was also inspired by her exposure to different cultures. Nigeria, her country of birth, heavily influenced her.

Answer 3

This can be seen in the photographs of traditional Nigerian life and images from popular Nigerian culture and magazines on the left wall.

Crosby sourced these images herself when she returned to Nigeria, Crosby expresses that she is proud of her Nigerian heritage.

Question 4

Crosby was also influenced by her American culture.

Answer 4

This can be seen in the picture of a popular Nigerian singer in a red and yellow jacket that is similar to the jacket Michael Jackson wore in Thriller.

Michael Jackson was American; the jacket represents American culture and the singer represents Nigeria. The combination of both represents Crosbys multicultural identity.

Question 5

Crosby was inspired by contemporary art, such as the painter Alex Katz. Katz is known for her painted portraits of family members in bright, bold, block colours with exaggerated texture created by line.

Answer 5

This influence is seen in the painting of Crosbys sister as she features a pink shirt that appears to have been created in blocks of different tones of pink, with curvy lines to create the illusion of a bumpy texture.

This vibrant and bold style, helps Crosby’s sister to stand out from the background which is less vibrant and bold.

Question 5

Artists use of scale

Answer 5

Made on an extremely large scale for a billboard
Extremely large scale make it difficult to process the whole artwork in a close proximity
The imagery within the artwork is in proportion

Question 5

This painting was made on an extremely large scale as it was made specifically for a billboard.

Answer 5

This can be seen as the artwork was 17 foot by 29 foot.

This creates a bold visual impact in the street it was displayed in as the size of the board, bold, pink colours and large shapes demand attention from viewers.

Question 6

The extremely large scale of the painting made it difficult to understand and process the whole artwork when in close proximity to it.

Answer 6

Viewers would have to stand back from the billboard in order to see more of the artwork, such as the objects on the table they’d be at eye level with.

If the viewer stood directly below the table, the imagery would be obscured, due to looking up at the large imagery at an angle.

Question 7

The imagery within the artwork is in proportion.

Answer 7

The imagery, such as Crosby’s sister, the objects on the table and the photo frames have all been created on a large scale.

This makes the objects balance each other out and appear realistic, which helps the viewer to relate to the painting.

Question 8

Artist’s use of one visual element (colour)

Answer 8

Colour is used symbolically in Crosby’s work
Complementary colours have been used
Deep, saturated colours have been used

Question 9

Colour is used symbolically in Crosby’s work

Answer 9

The colour pink features throughout the artwork, in Crosby’s sisters shirt and the walls in the background.

Pink symbolises love, compassion and warmth, which is how Crosby expresses her fond memories of her family and the love she had for them.

Question 10

Complementary colours have been used to create bold and vibrant artwork

Answer 10

This can be seen in the orange pot and teal bowl on the table.

These colours make each other stand out as the orange and teal contrast with each other, therefore making the painting more interesting to look at and leading the viewers eyes to the table with photos of the artists family.

Question 11

Deep, saturated colours have been used.

Answer 11

This is seen particularly within the still life objects on the table.
The darkness and lightness within these objects have been exaggerated, which makes them stand out even more. This also creates a rustic and patchy effect, making the objects appear old and worn out.

Question 12

Style

Answer 12

The work of Kerry James Marshall
Part of Crosby’s style is highly realistic
Crosby has a signature, contemporary style which combines painting, collage and printmaking.

Question 13

Crosby was influenced by the work of Kerry James Marshall who explores the life of African Americans.

Answer 13

Marshall’s work features African Americans in ordinary settings, with figures as focal points.

This influence can be seen as Crosby’s sister is the focal point and is in a homely setting which emphasises that she looks relaxed and feels at home in the interior.

Question 14

Part of Crosby’s style is highly realistic, which can be seen in Crosby’s sister sitting at the table.

Answer 14

Crosby has included a wide range of accurate skin colours and a range of highlights, shadows and mid-tones that are well blended.

This makes her sister appear life-like and creates an accurate form. As Crosby’s sister includes the highest-level of detail in the painting, she stands out against the other imagery and background.

Question 15

Crosby has a signature, contemporary style which combines painting, collage and printmaking.

Answer 15

This is evident in Crosby’s sister which is created in paint, and the photos on the left which were collaged together and printed.

Mixed-media approaches are not traditional ways of making art, and have been more prevalent in the 21st century, which Crosby uses to express her two identities and her current, modern experience of being an African American.

Question 16

Mood and atmosphere

Answer 16

Calming at first glance
There is also a more melancholic mood
A warm and nurturing atmosphere

Question 17

The atmosphere within the artwork is calming at first glance.

Answer 17

Crosby’s sister appears to be relaxed, and sits confidently at the table as she is slouched with one arm on the table.

As she looks deep in thought, she seems to be celebrating the power of being truly at home and with the links of her Nigerian roots.

Question 18

When analysed more deeply, there is also a more melancholic mood.

Answer 18

Crosby’s sisters face appears to be looking down and her eyes are shying away, rather than looking directly at the viewer.

This may be because she is reminiscing about her mother and grandmother who are both featured in photographs in the painting, as they have passed away.

Question 19

A warm and nurturing atmosphere is also created in this work.

Answer 19

The colour pink features within Crosby’s sister’s shirt and in the walls in the background.

Pink symbolises love, compassion and kindness which is how Crosby expresses her fond memories of her family and the love she had for them.

Question 20

Subject matter

Answer 20

The interior of the room is subtly Nigerian
The subject matter within this artwork explores family and relationships
Crosby reflects upon her memories within her choice of subject matter

Question 21

The interior of the room is subtly Nigerian.

Answer 21

This can be seen in the bright pink coloured walls, as Nigerian interiors tend to be painted brighter than Western interiors. This can also be seen in the Nigerian pop culture photos on the left wall.

This provides the viewer with some context into the heritage of Crosby’s sister who is sitting at the table.

Question 22

The subject matter within this artwork explores family and relationships.

Answer 22

Crosby’s sister is at the table, her mum is seen in the frame on the pink wall, and her gran’s photo is in the frame on the right.

This explores the theme of generations, love and connection, and as Crosby created the painting, this adds another relational connection.

Question 23

Crosby reflects upon her memories within her choice of subject matter.

Answer 23

Crosby includes still life objects on the table that includes pots and plates. These were her grans which were locked up after her death.

These are included in the work as Crosby used to spend the summers with her when she was younger, which reflect the warm memories she has of her grandmother’s house.

Question 24

Materials/technology

Answer 24

Differing materials to represent the two worlds which define her life
A range of mixed-media techniques, acting as a metaphor for different layers of her identity
Applies the pink acrylic paint in two opposing ways

Question 25

Crosby has used differing materials within her work to represent the two worlds which define her life.

Answer 25

Arcylic is used to create Crosby’s sister and transfer printing is used to create the photos on the left wall.

Crosby was originally from Nigeria, which the images of popular Nigerian culture on the wall represent. She then moved to America, which the painting of Crosby’s sister represents as she is painted in a realistic, western style.

Question 26

Crosby used a range of mixed-media techniques within this painting, which acted as a metaphor for the different layers of her identity

Answer 26

Crosby used transfer printing to create accurate photographs, acrylic paint in Crosby’s sister, and coloured pencil to add texture to the table.

These all make the painting look realistic and Crosby is expressing that she is proud of both her American and Nigerian identity through the combination of these materials and techniques.

Question 27

Crosby applies the pink acrylic paint in two opposing ways in this work.

Answer 27

In Crosby’s sister’s shirt, she blends the acrylic paint smoothly to create a realistic smooth texture with bumpy creases, in the wall, she applies the paint flatly and blends roughly.

The high-level of detail within Crosby’s sister commands the viewer’s attention, making her a focal point.

Question 28

Working methods

Answer 28

Preperatory work - spent lots of time planning and creating
Scale- a larger and extended remake of Crosby’s original painting ‘Mama, mummy and mama’
Techniques used- Crosby worked with a photoshop expert to create the left and right slides of her artwork.

Question 29

Crosby spent a long period of time planning and creating this artwork.

Answer 29

Crosby travelled back to Nigeria to collect images from Nigerian culture magazines, bought images from her family’s photographer, and spent days looking for specific images online. This is evident on the left wall.

These photographs connect Crosby’s sister, gran and mother who are seen in the painting back to their Nigerian culture.

Question 30

This artwork was a larger and extended remake of Crosby’s original painting ‘Mama, mummy and mama’.

Answer 30

To make the painting fit the billboard, Crosby extended each side of the artwork, meaning more of the photomontage wall and frames photos can be seen.

This provided a clearer context to the painting for the viewer, as they could see more of the relations to her Nigerian culture and family.

Question 31

Crosby worked with a photoshop expert to create the left and right sides of her artwork.

Answer 31

This is seen in the photomontage wall and photo frames. Crosby tried to use photoshop, but found this difficult.

The expert digitally grafted the sides of the artwork and worked closely with Crosby, who organised the photos layout and helped the expert to create the same tactility and paint quality as herself.