ROYALS_
4th year illustration year project.
This project is a post-production reflecting on the study about the influence of the chosen portraits and represetations of nobility in my, Ronel Swanepoel’s, illustration year project, The Royals (2014). Prevouisly mentioned is done on the basis of a practice-based research approah.
Practice-based research is an originial investigation undertaken to acquire new knowledge on a subject in part by the practice, in this case the project and the outcomes of the practice (Candy, 2006). This reflection takes place through cross-referencing between The Royals and the selected works of art, namely, Napoleon I, King of Italy (1805), Her Masjesty Queen Elizabeth, the Queen Mother (1986) and The Black President (2009).
The latter works separately depicts a person who occupies a specific position. My artwork was created in 2014 during a study of the degree in BA Graphic Design at Potchefstroom, North West University. The nobility was created as a personal project in which the student must conceptualize the project and export itself. The latter is done for the year project in the illustration module for GRFI 412. I then decided to select five people who I feel deserve more recognition for their deeds that they do on a daily basis. With the conceptualization of the project, it culminted that I have accounted the choosen people as nobles, regardless of their actual financial status and positions.
Through my project I give recognition to the five people for their everyday actions and unknown achievements. This recognition is done through the research and appliance of portraiture. The portrait of a noble indicates their importance or status. Latter indcates that these people are so famous for what they did, that a portrait of them are assigned to themselves. Some even requested more portraits of themselves, such as Napoleon Bonaparte.
The motivation behind the nobles is the fact that more people should be recognized for the everyday things they do. Most of these actions make a difference in people's lives and sometimes even go unseen. This project allows me to identify these people's everyday and humble actions and expose it to the public, thereby creating awareness amongst people.
