Makayla Tapp ART399 Portfolio

Author/Artist Name

Makayla TappFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Junior

Date of Creation

Spring 2021

Artist Statement

My artwork is spurred from past experiences and memories, ocean life, and family, often combining several different influences into one work. I am drawn to concepts such as childhood/nostalgia, memories, misplacement, and the unknown, in both my own works and others’. I have a deep connection to the ocean and like to incorporate it into my work as well. My process usually includes looking at other peoples’ work in order to spur my thinking. This means looking at their processes and techniques, which often gives me ideas and encourages my own thinking for a piece. I then begin looking at various reference images to get an exact idea for how I want my composition to look, and finally sketch. I generally want my art to evoke curiosity in the viewer. I want the viewer to question what it is exactly that they’re looking at or why it’s something I decided to focus on. I don’t always want my chosen concept to be clear.

At this point in time I don’t have a specific subject that I want to focus on in my work. There isn’t one single concept that speaks to me more than the others, and I am enjoying making art about what I like or am interested in at that moment in time. I usually enjoy working with drawing, painting, and most recently printmaking. I am currently interested in many different mediums. I tend to make work in a more stylized fashion, leaning away from realism most often. I enjoy a stylized approach more in my own artwork because I don’t like feeling the specific constraints of making a work that is naturalistic. Instead of having to focus on making a piece look recognizable, I can focus on my own processes and make it look how I believe it should. I find that the more realistic I try to make a work, the less enjoyable it becomes. The work begins to lose meaning because I focus too much on trying to perfect it. My work often takes on a more cartoon-like effect, with bolder outlines and playful qualities.

I don’t draw inspiration from very many outside artists, as I’m still trying to figure out what I want to create art about. However, one artist that I draw influence from is Margaret Wertheim, who creates crocheted coral reefs. Although her medium is far different from my own, I draw inspiration from her concepts as her work has a deep connection to the ocean. Another artist I look to is Cindy Sherman, or more particularly her series of self portraits where she portrays herself as various family members. This concept is interesting to me because I enjoy making art about my own family as well.

Advisor/Mentor

Rebecca Williams; Mike Martin

Description

Within this selection of works I have chosen there are several different mediums, along with differing concepts. Most of these works discuss the relationships that I have with several members of my family. I have included both drawings and prints on this concept, and have approached this concept in both direct and indirect ways. The other works in this collection touch on other topics I enjoy making work about, such as plant life, mental and physical health, and ocean life.

Photo Credit

All photos by Makayla Tapp

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Tapp, Makayla, "Makayla Tapp ART399 Portfolio" (2021). Professional Practices (ART 399). 114.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art399/114