Art Essay : Lucy Martyn

IDENTITY DISORDERS

Introduction

The concept for my project is identity, mainly focusing on disorders within identity and how they can
shape you and the way you view the world. Within this essay I will look at different artists whose
work is representative of identity disorders, such as Simon Birch, Henrietta Harris and David Theron.
These artists mainly focus on distorting their images and creating multiple faces and layers within
their work which I think is particularly appropriate for this subject.

I will also be looking at my own work and how it relates, in regards to identity disorders and this
concept. Finally I will be briefly looking at the 2016 thriller film ‘Split’ which explores Dissociative
Identity Disorder in a very clear way and clearly conveys the consequences of DID.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

The disorder looked into was Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), also known as Multiple Personality
Disorder (MPD). DID is a mental disorder that is simply a survival mechanism for someone dealing
with overwhelming trauma. Someone with DID will experiences various changes to their identity;
different aspects of someone’s identity will be in control of their behaviour and thoughts at different
times and this experience will be different for all who experience this disorder.

There are various ways in which this can happen, for example the different parts of your identity
may have memories or experiences that conflict with each other and you may not be in control
when different parts of your identity take over. DID may also be experienced by others as different
‘parts’ becoming at times
quite autonomous and
they may identify
themselves with different
ages, names and genders
etc.

The following section will

focus on individual artists,
and their presentation and
interpretation of DID.

Artist Analysis

The first artist I will be

looking at within my essay
is Simon Birch, a British artist mainly known for his figurative work. Birch’s work stood out for me
immediately; the concept and execution of the work is something that really interested me and is
something that I wanted to explore in more depth. Birch’s work is of particular relevance to the work
I am doing and this is one of the reasons I have chosen to look at it further within my essay. The use
of multiple perspective and faces within the image link closely with Dissociative Identity Disorder,
the idea of having a multi-faceted personally and identity is very present to me within this piece.

Birch has clearly used a range of elements to achieve as very intricate and dramatic piece. The
element that is most prominent within the work is both line and tone. Birch has mainly used these
two elements to create the work and so bring overall atmosphere and meaning to the piece. Birch
uses line to help build up tone and further create depth to the image which eventually adds to
atmosphere created within the work. The line is used in a variety of ways, gestural line as well as use
of mark making, this helps to add a sense of diversity and depth to the image. The use of mark
making is principal within this work as it also helps to highlight areas within the image, directing the
focus of the audience and clearly highlighting focal points. The mark making used also brings an
almost frantic energy to the piece, especially mixed with the gestural line, it creates a very busy and
panic- struck atmosphere, so further reinforcing the idea of multiple personalities and displaying
stress within.

Another important element within the piece is the lack of colour, which heightens the sense of
tension and drama as a result. The use of monotone heightens the drama and also creates a ghost
like and deathly atmosphere. The use of colour would potentially detract here, as it may very quickly
liven up the piece and create a warmer and calmer atmosphere. It’s clear that the facial expression
displays stress and panic and the use of monotone depicts this with impact.

I believe that Birch’s work will help me further develop my project and will allow me to explore the
drama and tension within multiple personalities. I think not only will this allow room for
experimentation and interpretation within my project but will help enable me to readily portray DID.

The next artist I want to look at incorporates colour into her work, as such I think it will be
interesting to see how this can change
and manipulate the meaning. The next
artist I am going to look at is Henrietta
Harris, an artist and illustrator known
mainly for her series of distorted
watercolour and gouache paintings and
drawings. Harris’ work, although similar
in concept is different to Birch’s work.
As I said, although the concepts are
similar the way in which the images are
created and presented are different
albeit similarities can be made. Harris
focuses on creating work that looks
fragmented and almost as if it has been
reflected through a broken mirror. Whereas Birch’s work looks very dramatic and creates a very
tense atmosphere.

Harris also uses a variety of elements within her work to create her striking and high quality images,
the main element being colour. Unlike Birch, Harris uses colour to convey the idea of fragmentation
and distortion, this is clearly displayed through the areas where the face has been smudged, and the
colour has also been affected, so creating an almost dream- like and utopian atmosphere. The
distorted line and colour within the piece creates multiple faces and therefore builds a strong link
with my project topic of identity, and further so – DID. This is due to the fact that there are many
faces which can be extended to be seen as multiple identities by the audience; an atmosphere that
can sometimes be interpreted as uncomfortable or jarring.

The final artist I will be looking at within my essay is David Theron, an artist interested and working
with a variety of different art forms. He works primarily in oils as well as other mediums. His work
deals with the principal that
space/time and the human form
are intimately linked in the dance
of life. Both are dynamic and fluid
and he represents them in this
way by layering multiple images
and folding space/time into a
single frame.

There are a variety of formal

elements used within this piece
to help it stand out to the
audience, the most prominent
formal element would be line.

Line is very consistent within this

piece; Theron uses layered lines
to further create a variation in
tone within the piece, this is
further accomplished by the use
of mark making techniques such
as cross hatching. This technique
works well here as it creates an
almost ghostly image without the
use of hard lines. This I think
would deconstruct this ghost like
atmosphere and make the piece
feel very blocky and 2D.

Tone is also very key element of this work and is further created through the use of mark making.
The tone within this piece is very effective and moves through the piece, the top of the subject’s
head is the lightest in regards to tone whereas the bottom of the subjects neck is the darkest in tone.
The image shows the subject looking down which can be perceived for sadness. The leading lines of
the tone from the top to bottom creates the idea that sadness is moving through the subject, looking
down from mind to heart.
Theron also creates impact through the use of monochrome as well; I feel if colour had been added
to this work, it would almost create a lighter and more active atmosphere within the piece which I
think would then take away from the intentions and concept of the resulting drawing.

The faded background also helps to further enhance this atmosphere, as it brings an almost
dreamlike and nostalgic feel to the piece. The use of a plain background also helps to direct the
audience eye to a certain focus point within the drawing, in this case the focus point being the
subject matter.

Final Analysis

On review, I think the most relevant and influential artists I have looked at within my essay are
Simon Birch and David Theron, mainly due to the fact that their work is particularly pertinent and
has influenced a lot of
my own ideas and
interpretations. In
addition, their work
links closely with my
theme of DID. I do
think that Harris’ work
is equally effective but
I don’t feel it has
influenced my project
to the same degree as
Birch and Theron.

I want to continue to
experiment with ideas
influenced by them
and their work to help me widen my research, as part of this project. I feel Birch has been the most
influential artist I have considered, as I find his work is very striking but at the same time it portrays a
very heavy message and meaning, which links closely with my project and what I aim to demonstrate
and achieve here.

My Own Work

For the piece above, I have taken my sister as the model. This drawing is inspired by Birch and
Carnovsky’s RGB, an exhibition that focuses on colour and light. When I started to look at Birch’s
work, one of the main things that caught my eye was the overlapping faces to create a dramatic and
stressful atmosphere. I wanted to look at this within my own work and experiment with how I could
use this overlapping technique to create a similar tension and poignance. However, in my own work
I have used colour (inspired by Carnovsky’s RGB) to experiment with creating a more lively and
active atmosphere, albeit the use of colour is limited, to retain the dramatic and serious effect.

My aim was to adapt the tension and concept of identity that is apparent in Birch’s work and to
experiment with such presentation for my own piece. I am pleased with the outcome, in that my
work combines a dramatic impact, with a lightness of touch, due to the random lines and limited use
of colour.

Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD)

With this next piece, I have tried to explore further

and consider Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD),
as this is one of the main elements of Dissociative
Identity Disorder. To explore this I experimented
with drawing different faces and I tried to create
different expressions.

I wanted the piece to look very messy and almost

unorganised to convey the idea of the unknown and
uncertain. When doing research into DID, I found
out that there are not really any triggers that cause
a switch – this meaning a change in alters or
personalities. This meaning that a switch could
happen at any point in time and you can’t really
prepare or expect it. Within this work I wanted to
try and capture the messiness and uncertainty of
DID. I feel the use of continuous line within this
work helps to create a more stressful atmosphere
as it create the idea that this is almost never
ending. I chose to work on this piece in charcoal as
work in this medium is stereotypical messier and lacks details sometimes. I wanted this piece to not
feel precise of forced and I feel this helps to convey the concept of DID.
Finally, within this essay; I will be looking at an American psychological horror thriller film entitled
Split. The 2016 film is a horror thriller written, directed and produced by M. Night Shyamalan staring
James McAvoy, Anya Taylor-Joy and Betty Buckley. The thriller follows a man with 23 different
personalities who kidnaps and imprisons three teenage girls in an isolated underground facility.
Bibliography

- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dissociative_identity_disorder
- https://information.pods-online.org.uk/what-is-dissociative-identity-disorder-did/
- https://the14thfactory.com/artists/simon-birch/
- https://www.widewalls.ch/artist/henrietta-harris/
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There are a variety of different disorders