Geisha Project - Main Piece

This was my main piece for the Geisha project and also was the one I chose to enter into the Gallery Exhibition. I was very proud of this piece as it seemed to solve all the problems I have previously encountered with my prep. During the project I had experimented with collage and how it was able to portray certain messages and meaning. 

In this piece the collage included:
- coloured paper to create an interesting background and provide contrast to the whiteness of the paper extracts and the painted faces of the Geisha's.
- extracts from the book 'Memoirs of a Geisha' to reference the personal experience of Geisha's and their historical importance in Japan. 

- photocopies of brochures from Kyoto that I brought back from my trip there in Summer. These were to link back to my initial inspiration for this piece whilst also showing how Kyoto and the Geisha are fading into more of a tourist attraction rather than a current tradition

From my prep, I decided that paint would be the best medium to use over my collage as it provided the detail of the biro and felt pens, whilst also maintaining some of the fluency of brusho. Using my own photos, I decided to only use a limited palette for the faces as the make-up of a Geisha is often referred to as 'her mask'. Therefore, although, I didn't achieve perfect photo-realism I feel that the faces portrayed a that mask-like feeling.

Finally I included a few other images alongside my faces. 

- The Japanese writing at the bottom of the piece says 'Iconography' to link back to my prep and re-search into the changing icons of Japan. 

- The red circle on the left is referencing the Japanese flag as I felt it was necessary to

establish which country this was relevant to. A lot of people I first talked to believed

Geisha were originally a Chinese idea. 

- The other red, slightly more detailed circle, at the top right of the piece is a link to

some Japanese art: in particular, Hokusai and his "Amida Waterfall on the Kiso Road"

scene.