The focus of my artwork in unit 3 was power demonstrated through goddesses in Ancient Greek mythology. In unit 4, I refined my ideas by focusing in on two specific stories of goddesses, Artemis and Athena. I then further refined my ideas to focus on the story of Artemis, in which a hunter named Actaeon is caught spying on Artemis and her nymphs whilst bathing. Artemis makes him vow to stay silent as punishment, however he breaks the vow and Artemis then turns him into a deer. In the form of a deer, Actaeon is chased down by his own hunting dogs and killed. Through this story, I was able to explore women standing up against sexual abuse and violence and the importance of holding perpetrators accountable. I have also incorporated a quote from Brittany Higgins’ 2021 March for Justice Rally, which demonstrates the relevance these stories still hold to this day.

I chose Potential Direction number 1 because it most strongly communicated my ideas of strength, mythology and power. I used coloured pencil for the figure and soft pastels and ink in the background. The pencil is quite strong in order to convey her strength, which is contrasted by the softer toned pastels in the background, intended to evoke a mythical feeling. I also used ink in the silhouettes of trees behind the figure, as I was better able to create fine branches. This provided a darker background, allowing the figure to stand out. I felt this potential direction reflected female power and strength through the figure’s composure and also through the symbol of power in the spear. In my final artwork, I changed the subject matter to depict Artemis instead of Athena as her story resonates more strongly with me and holds relevance in today’s society.

I chose Potential Direction number 2 as I felt it conveyed my ideas of strength, allegory and mythology most effectively. I added an extra section to the linocut, in which a portrait of Artemis is front facing and on a larger scale to the rest of the linocut. I think this really focuses the composition on Artemis as the central figure (and character) and anchors her as the focal point, and the lens through which the story is viewed. I feel as though the medium of linocut works well for conveying Artemis’ story, which ties into notions of allegory and the style is reminiscent of ancient Greek pottery art.

My final artworks effectively communicate my interest in Ancient Greek stories and their ability to convey current issues and ideas of feminism and holding perpetrators accountable. The final artworks cohesively demonstrate the story of Artemis, its symbolic significance and relevance today. By using different artforms in both artworks, one being linocut and the other a mixture of pencil, soft pastels and ink, the artworks portray the same story in vastly different ways, emphasising different aspects of the tale. The linocut is an allegorical portrayal of the story, emphasising the necessity of holding perpetrators accountable and calls into question the fragility of women’s reputations. Whilst the story is the same, the second artwork demonstrates the relevance of this story today in the case of Brittany Higgins and the March for Justice Rally.

I believe that my final artworks have realised my ideas highly effectively. My work communicates ideas of female power and strength through the story of Artemis. The narrative of the linocut demonstrates the notion of perpetrators being held accountable. The portrait drawing of Artemis conveys the rage and frustration of being victimised by men and illustrates Higgins’ statement, that we are “still having to fight this same stale, tired fight”. Her bow also symbolises her power. Artemis is depicted wearing a white toga dress, which symbolises the white shirt that Brittany Higgins wore at the March for Justice Rally. The choice to wear a white shirt references Hilary Clinton and other female political leaders who have worn white at important events, and its significance lies in its affiliation with the Suffragettes movement, as white was the colour they often wore. 

The artworks I have made are linked through the story they convey, the issues and themes behind them and to an extent, the subject matter. Despite different mediums, the two artworks portray the story of Artemis, her rage, and justice being served to victims of sexual violence, abuse and violation. The similarities in subject matter lie in the front facing, forward gazing imagery of Artemis, however the forms that demonstrate this are vastly different.

In artwork 1, I began by drawing the subject matter onto the lino in grey lead before using carving tools of varying size to carve out the image. Once I had carved a significant amount, I made a trial print to see what imagery and details still needed to be added. The printing process involved covering the table in old newspapers, rolling out black printing ink onto a plastic sheet and then using the roller to cover the lino with the ink. I then placed the lino onto the printing press and placed the paper on top. Next, I pushed the lino through the printing press which transferred the ink onto the paper, then removed the paper and placed it on a rack to dry. After it had dried, to trial what I would next carve, I drew or painted in white onto the proof prints to see how certain elements would appear before carving and re printing. Once I had printed the final prints, I hand coloured one of them with watercolour paints.

For artwork 2, the process involved drawing in grey lead pencil, a draft of the figure to achieve the correct proportions before beginning with the coloured wax based pencils. I used a highly textured Mi-Teintes paper in a warm brown that assisted in developing the warm skin tones and cool tones of the white toga. I worked my way from the head down the figure, and once completed I began the background pastels. To ensure I didn’t smudge the pastels over the figure, I placed a sheet of tracing paper of the body. Once the pastel was on, I used ink to finish the tree silhouettes.

Aesthetically, I wanted my artworks to be strong, powerful and mythical.  In artwork number 1, the strong lines create movement, guiding the viewer across the image from left to right, instilling the narrative of female power. In artwork number 2, the soft, misty background evokes a mythical aesthetic quality contrasted by the stronger ink lines of the tree silhouettes, suggesting there is something more sinister at play here. The subtle variations in tone, and the contrast of highlights and shadows on the figure culminate in a strong representation of Artemis in the foreground of the image, focusing the viewer on the angered expression of her face.

I decided to present my final artworks side by side on a dark grey wall, which best enables the artworks to stand out against the darker background. I envisage them hanging side by side, with artwork 1 to the left of artwork 2. Brittany Higgins’ quote will be placed centrally underneath artwork 2. I see the lighting being slightly dimmed to create a more moody atmosphere, reflecting the strong emotions of anger evident in the artworks.