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inkloose — Aphasia.
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Published: 2012-08-27 16:27:42 +0000 UTC; Views: 700; Favourites: 21; Downloads: 0
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Description
For when you can't aptly express your more complex thoughts.This is that frustration.
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2880x4320px @ 240dpi
pencil, Photoshop CS4
©*inkloose
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Comments: 21
Aaahhhh! These are great. I love the fact that you kept them as pencil instead of inking them. Even better that you have a series of them. I love the colors and the textures and all the symbolism behind them.
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Thanks so much! I'm starting to really, finally explore what comes naturally with these, and it feels so great to not be burdened by a series and use it as a creative outlet instead, wanting to draw similar things again and again. Oh mannnnn it's so freeinggggg
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I def hear you on that - I'm sort of dealing with that with the new stickers I'm doing. And it is so nice to be able to experiment without laboring over 4 corner full illustrations.
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aww, what a cute little guy. I love the detail on his poor little tummy and mouth. I like him. I wish I could give him a hug.
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I'm baaaack~Oh man, I knew I had to comment on this one! I've loved all the little guys you've made thus far, but this one really hits me in a good way, and I've just got to try my hand at interpreting it. Ready your mind for some mind-blowing nonsense XD
Aphasia is often caused by head injury (judging by what I read on Wikipedia) and renders patients unable to speak or memorize words. The back of its head does look damaged, what with its crater-looking formations. Paired with the roundness of its head, it reminded me a lot of the moon - full of dents (injuries), unable to support life. Unable to support the complex structure of a sentence, or manage to get the words from the brain to the mouth. Without words, there's no communication, like an empty void, a curiosity at best (like the Grand Canyon, right? A tourist attraction or a news story XD). That circle in the background reminds me a lot of the moon, too, which is probably why I associated the two. A circle should be complete, right, and perfect, but there's more to that silence of the moon. There's a gray, sad infertility surrounding it.
Anyway, I ramble. The even more interesting part for me has to be that mark on the abdomen. That's what makes me think of the female connection, even more than the moon's infertility - and you know, the moon also has a female association. Artemis and the like. It looks like something was removed, judging by that black "x". I immediately thought of hysterectomy. When a woman loses the ability to reproduce, she loses a part of herself that can never be restored. It's an integral part of who she is (whether she wants to think so or not ... I'm all for women's rights, but there is always the reality of the womb, you know? It's something you're simply born with as a female, what with its entire identity and history thrust upon you even before birth). Like a mother, the artist also gives birth, and for the artist to express something to his or her audience, there must be communication.
Which brings me to the last of the interesting things about this drawing, the mouth and the fact that it (she?) is looking at her hands. Instant connection to the use of the artist's hands to create their work. With the wide, blank stare and the tensely curled fingers, it seems like she's looking in disbelief that they no longer function to communicate what's inside. Just like the craters on the surface of the moon or a woman who cannot give birth - they're still there, inside their own minds, but something is missing. The link between one generation and the next is broken; the connection from the artist to the audience has ceased to exist; the patient with aphasia can no longer speak. And it is frustrating (I imagine!) like you say.
Lastly, that dark liquid dripping from the mouth seems to be one of the key compositional points in this drawing. It drips down its face, poised to hit the ground, but it's simply a symptom that the previous state of fertility is gone, replaced by an emptiness. The loss of a vital fluid seems fitting here, as a representation of what was lost. It falls like tears, though of course the eyes don't cry tears to express those internal emotions. That reminds me of why no one cries for the barrenness of the moon, and society doesn't pay much attention to the barrenness of a womb anymore (abortion is a much larger issue these days it seems rather than adoption issues, and it's really too bad that it's not the other way around. So many children without homes ... but I digress!).
And hey - that came out a lot more united than I thought! A little thinking to myself, wondering about what it is that makes this artwork so compelling - I think I found it in my ramblings. I hope it makes sense/is somewhat satisfying for you as an artist ... it's so fun to interpret others' artwork that sometimes I can't help but turn it into an essay (well, not quite so well-written or organized, but close enough) XD And I hope you stay inspired to keep producing these little people; I do love to see them!
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Oh wow, that was an amazing interpretation and ergo, an amazing glimpse into how the crap I put on this site is understood~
Thank you so much for that opportunity!
One of my favorite quotes by Keith Tyson goes something like "Unlike gold and diamonds, art has this other value, and that's what makes it fascinating. Everything else is trying to sell you something else. Art is trying to sell you yourself.".
Fundamentally, people like art that helps them understand who they are and brings dimension to their experience as a person, and I'm glad that the personal crap I make could resonate with you strongly enough to write those glorious paragraphs above this text box. I'm straight up honored. So thank you.
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You're welcome, inkloose; I'm glad you enjoyed it! 
And that is true - the coolest thing about studying art history was seeing how even the most political art, the art firmly fixed within its own time, could still echo today's problems and today's human struggles. And it could connect with individuals at the same time! It makes you start to see humanity more collectively, and for me that's incredibly liberating, that no one has had to face struggles someone else hasn't faced (or isn't facing) over time. Good art (well, I take this from studies of good literature), I think, is able to reach through history and through many different human minds without destroying the individual. A tough balance, but it seems like you really have that ability as an artist 
and glorious? Hmm, I quite like the sound of that! Now, I just need to get a prof to tell me that and we'll be set ... why are they so hard to please? D':
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Pff, you know me. Call me Ian. 
Haha, I see! Literature is a pretty fantastic major, though. Seems to be severely undervalued, like art. I can't stand it when businesses and the general populace publish incorrectly worded or misleading material, and I've been noticing more and more of it as time goes on. Even the most mundane things can be worded beautifully if given a bit of thought, and lots of companies in my area choose to bore rather than to inspire attention and interest.
Oh yeah, I love seeing topics repeat themselves throughout history, and it becomes strikingly more real when you see it in genuine period art instead of in a textbook. It's kinda scary too; it's an archaic question, but are we fated to repeat that mess? Prescriptive history bores the piss out of me, but history theory is something I can actually get behind.
Thanks for that final comment, although I doubt it. I feel like what I make is pretty unique to me, but it also aligns itself with illustration trends and in postmodern society, everything has been done. Done, but maybe not seen. I'm counting on that last bit
They're hard to please cause they want the best from you! Or they're dicks. Hopefully the former.
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The theme in this piece seems to pop up quite a bit in your work, doesn't it? At least once a year since college, I'd say. Beautiful as usual, interesting to see you break out from the symmetry to boot.
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Y'know. Not like it's important to me or anything. :]
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Ugh yes. His tummy kind of freaks me out, but in the good way. This is fantastic. This series... is the best series. Love the uh... the uh... well shit now I'm just seeing a Venn diagram. YO THOSE TWO CIRCLES HAVE REAL NICE PLACEMENT AIGHT, good job *applauds*
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Lol, poor guy. I don't even know what the tummy thing is about. It just kinda seemed right. *le shrug*
But thank you, I'm glad you like the series so far. Good to know I'm not wasting my time, cause I really like it.
Hehehehe I was trying to figure out where to stick that circle for so looooong ><
Nowhere seemed to work. I'm still not happy with it, but thanks. It totally is a venn diagram and I can't unsee that.
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Well it doesn't really matter what anything else thinks about the series, haha! It only matters what you think. But um... yeah, regardless I am super enjoying this.
No no the circle is perfectly placed! It's the same size as his head which is awesome and it's kinda like tucked into the curve of his little body which is pretty nice and also his little arms follow the bottom curve of the circle, soooooo. Damn nice placement
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This... is true.
But. There's always a little fulfillment in knowing that other people can enjoy it. I'll shush now.
Lol, but it comes up over his eye in an awkward way..?
I didn't notice the arm thing, though! That much is reassuring P:
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I don't think there's anything awkward about that. IAN IT'S PERFECT, STFU
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This series (is it a series?) is just so interesting. You have such an awesome ability to make things both beautiful and kinda gross at the same time.
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Thank you very much~
I don't go for gross, but that's a nice by-product, I guess :>
And yes, it is a series. I'm surprised I'm able to stick to one visual style for so long, but these little guys mean a lot to me for some reason and I can't get over makin' em. :'D
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Aww...this picture makes me feel sad. :c I can definitely understand the emotions going on behind this piece. Interesting artwork as usual.
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Baww, don't be sad! That's not what it's about~
Thanks much, but cheer up!
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Hahaha, don't worry. I'm not the kind of person that stays sad for too long.
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