Big Idea/Subject: Individual identity

Major Theme: Expression, Growth, Emotion

Medium/ Presentation: Mixed Media 

Visual Components: Color, Balance, Texture, Movement

Category: Fine Arts

Authorship: Michel Keck

Title: Who I Am Isn’t Who I Used To Be

Original Location: Home Studio

Discription/Interpretation: 

What you see here is simply abstract art, with almost a young child touch. The little abstract doodles on top of an abstract background compete with each other. A lot of color was used and complement each other. Michel likes to show her emotions based on life experiences. Here I see that she is showing the transformation from her childhood to her adult life as an artist. In the foreground I see a lot of child like strokes and renderings of figures. In the background, I feel really separates itself. Unlike the innocents of the child-like strokes, the background look to me as if, it was by a child who understood and could controlled their technique and successfully present skill and experience with her viewers. The title Who I Am Isn’t Who I Used To Be, gives me insurance that she was a person that became a Woman artist.

Use in Teaching:

Michel is a self taught, independent, female artist. Her artwork has been featured in almost every type of media there is. Film, animations, even certain bar chains. “A lot of my works I think depict a bit of a struggle between light and dark, good and evil, the positive and negative. My works are simply my thoughts, my feelings, my emotions, and my life experiences shared visually”, (Personal Communication, Keck, 2015).

Questions teachers can ask their students are?

With her expression in this piece of art what can we feel from what we see of her piece of artwork?

Why is the artwork abstract and not realistic?

How can one person’s emotions be visually different from another person?

How do people express their emotions through art? Does Keck skillfully, depict her emotions, feelings, and thoughts, visually? Is the struggle between light and dark, good and evil, the positive and negative clearly identifiable? If you don’t think she does, why? If yes, how?