Theme Selected

Passengers
Title of Project
Farewell, and thanks for all the Calamansi.
Summary
The work will be an oil painting on canvas of approximately 100 x 75 cm. The artistic style will be
realism, with a slight tinge of surrealism because of the subject matter. This piece is experimental
and seeks to affect reality in its making and exhibition. In subject, it is a dynamic, symbolic group
portrait.
The painting is of a gathering of friends in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express, a scarlet steam
train that holds significance in the Harry Potter series (by J K Rowling) as the connection between a
magical world and the normal (Muggle) society- a fictional London.
Background: The Hogwarts Express, Hogwarts, and MWPP
The Hogwarts Express ferries students between the non-magical London and their school of
witchcraft and wizardry, which of course is named Hogwarts.
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, is responsible for the education of young witches and
wizards throughout Britain, and probably in other parts of Europe, though two other schools are
known to exist. It has the appearance of a scary-looking castle and was built a thousand years or
more ago. Under the supervision of Headmaster Albus Dumbledore, the school was known to be
the safest place on earth.
MWPP: Moony, Wormtail, Padfoot and Prongs, otherwise known by their given names as Remus
Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Sirius Black and James Potter. From year 1971 to 1978 they were students
at Hogwarts, where they had established their strong friendship and partook in various forms of
misbehavior. After their graduation from Hogwarts, their relationship changed drastically within
three years. Moony, Padfoot and Prongs joined the Order, a force against the Dark wizard
Voldemort. Wormtail secretly allied with Voldemort. In 1981, Wormtail betrayed Prongs to Lord
Voldemort, leading to the famous deaths of James and Lily Potter and the even more famous
survival of their son, Harry Potter. Moony (along with the rest of the wizarding world) suspected
Padfoot of this betrayal due to a ruse by Wormtail. For the subsequent twelve years, Padfoot was
imprisoned and Wormtail hid himself in the form of a rat. After the misunderstanding was cleared,
Padfoot lived for two years before he was killed by a member of Voldemorts supporters. Moony
and Wormtail each lived two more years before their respective deaths in the war.
Background: The Seven
The Seven was not established at any particular time; nor was it actually called The Seven. In fact,
the name most associated with it was the Harry Potter Freaks.
The group consisted of seven girls who had met in Raffles Girls Primary School from 2005 to 2007,
and were brought together by their initial interest in the Harry Potter series. Similarly, they had
engaged in inappropriate but harmless behavior. After graduation from the school, however, the ties
between these people have come to be in various states of disintegration (though, admittedly,
some ties have become stronger.)
As of today, in 2011, four of these people are studying in Raffles Girls Secondary, one in NUS High
School of Math and Science, one in Singapore Chinese Girls School, and one in the Singapore
American School.
There are many similarities between the two groups above. For example, as evident, both groups
were not exactly rule-abiding. The ties between members of both groups suffered dramatic
changes within a few years of their graduation. In addition to that, the fact that the The Seven, to
some extent, looked up to and emulated MWPP ties them together even more closely.
Drawing on the parallels between MWPP and The Seven, my piece will link these two cliques and
through this link tell part of a story of relationships.
On the train back to London from MWPPs last year in Hogwarts, there would have been farewells
said- both to the school and to each other- but also, in their case, foreshadows of the effect of the
war. Hogwarts was a sanctuary, but now that their time at the school had ended the war that had
been at the peripheral of every adults mind would begin to invade theirs as well. Amongst the
mutual suspicion that took most adult wizards in those days (and would begin, almost
imperceptibly, to take them), there would also be insinuations of Wormtails questionable loyalty.

My painting would be of the Seven, sitting in a compartment of the Hogwarts Express. Placement
of significant items (such as gold wizard watches, received by individuals on ones seventeenth
birthday) indicate that the train ride is the one at the end of their Seventh year at Hogwarts. Other
significant items (such as a rare Invisibility Cloak owned by Prongs) will hint at the character
references. Interactions between individuals reveal the relationships we had at the end of Primary
6, but subtler messages suggest the states of future relationships. The view outside the window is
darkened because of trees or a tunnel, as the return trip takes place in the day time. Consequently,
the window turns reflective, and the compartment door is visible in the reflection. Outside the
compartment door one is able to see the silhouette of an unknown person. Amongst other things,
this silhouette represents other individuals to enter my life in the future.
The Seven will be painted as they are now, in year 2011, age 16. However, their attire will be of the
RGPS pinafore and blouse and bear the school crest. The depiction of the Sevens realistic ages
indicate the passage of time, and the old uniform suggests nostalgia and uniformity at the same
time.
Objective
1. Investigation/ Exploration
The creation of this piece coincides with an imminent second parting of ways. The piece takes the
opportunity to reflect upon a previous parting four years before. It attempts to temporarily recreate a
fragment of the past in order to rediscover the ties between friends then, as well as to explore the
ties between these same friends now, in a bid to understand why they have, for the most part,
unravelled. This recreation extends beyond representation on canvas. The process of gathering
materials, for one, requires reestablishing contact with these friends, reviving, imperfectly, some of
these old ties. For another, some of the meanings in this piece come as attachments to memories
of the nature of the clique of friends. People who have known this group will experience the
painting differently from those who have not. This creates a difference amongst the viewers,
reconstructing the unintentional exclusiveness and uniqueness of the group.
2. Expression
This piece also seeks to express nostalgia and a vague sense of loss in connection to the
questionable loss of identity of the clique. Does the Seven still exist if we are not seven anymore?
3. Celebration/ Documentation
The photo-realistic nature of the painting captures, like a snapshot, and preserves these ties
amongst a queer, memorable little clique that has become a thing of the past.
4. Comment
In the end, the piece makes a comment and expresses sentiments on the rapid rate of change in
modern society. Everything has become more temporal than ever, and one may never be certain of
lasting relationships. The opportunities available today have increased exponentially compared to
those in past eras. While the plethora of opportunities appear to allow men to choose more freely
than ever, there is always the dark little question of whether the choices made- for success, for
experience, for knowledge and wisdom- are bringing us further away from each other. In a way,
men today are passengers- swept along by time and space to one novel future after another, with
nothing but nostalgia as companion.
Rationale
I believe that the purpose of fine art to the artist is a revenue for expression. I believe that every piece of
art contains an imprint of the artists character and personality. Consequently I believe that it is imperative
for a good piece of art to contain the artist within. More concisely, a masterpiece is a summary of the
artist. This summary is not to be taken as the little dead thing we attempt to write for English exams,
where we cram so many things into 150 words that the paragraph loses all coherent meaning.
An artist cannot possibly contain all of himself inside a piece of art. At least, I have not seen an artist who
is capable of doing that, but definitely look forward to the birth of one. Therefore, in a limited dimension,
an artist must decide on one aspect of the self to express or to exhibit, and put all the best and the worst
of this aspect into the work. The result would be a piece of the artist, torn away and nailed to a wall in a
museum. It survives, like Lord Voldemorts Horcruxes, past the time of the physical body.
My intention in taking on a largely experimental and sentimental project is for self expression and self
enrichment. By painting my friends and myself, by putting our past relationships onto a canvas and
sharing our ties with the viewers, by expressing my sentiments towards this group, I am giving physical
form to a piece of my thoughts. I am not yet able to put even the whole of one fragment of myself into an
artwork, but this painting is a major step towards that end.

My second, even more selfish purpose is to use this piece as a measurement against myself. I have
never before seriously attempted drawing or painting human figures, having preferred animals. I have
also never come into contact with oil painting techniques before this project, and am intending to use
exactly this medium in my painting. Also, I have never attempted serious realism. I feel that by holding
this challenge against myself, I will be able to gauge the amount of learning I have done in the past four
years of (almost) formal art education, and push myself to greater heights.
In the realization of a project like this, I will be able to exemplify my believes in art, helping others to
understand art as I understand it.
Outcome
By the end of this project, I will have completed one medium sized oil painting in the realistic style, as well as
at least eight A3 sheets of research.
In the process of doing this, I will have, in chronological order, reflected upon and come to a better
understanding of the way I interact with other people, become more practiced in the execution of various
elements of art- making, ranging from pencil sketching skills to composition manipulation. I will also have
gained invaluable experience in oil painting and the realistic style.
Methods and Timeline
Coursework Schedule 2011
Term Week Event
2
1
Artist Reference
2
Composition, Symbolisms
3
Medium Exploration
4
5
Reference Photos
6
Finalise Composition
7
Buffer
8
Sketching
9
Sketching on Canvas
10
1
Painting
2
3
4
3
1
2
Buffer
3

Hunting down the Seven

Component
Research

Execution

1. Hunting down the Seven; Reference Photos

Methodology: Interview; photography; interaction; research
Materials: Digital Camera
Reestablish contact with members of the Seven. Obtain posed photographs. Recall relationships
between members of the group in 2005-2007. Obtain other related photographs.
2. Artist Reference
Methodology: Research
Materials: The Internet; Books
Research for artists who use the narrative style, who have made group portraits (e.g. Henri FantinLatour, A Studio at Les Batiguelles), as well as who use the photorealism style. Also, research on
photorealism and symbolism.
3. Composition, Symbolisms
Methodology: Pencil sketching; photo manipulation; research
Materials: Pencil; Paper; Photo manipulation software; The Internet; Books

Finalise composition (arrangement of figures, placement of significant objects, setting) of final

product.
4. Medium Exploration
Methodology: Research; material manipulation
Materials: Oil paints; acrylic paints; watercolor paints; pencil; pen; paper; canvas
Explore different mediums. Familiarise self with oil medium and realism.

References
List the artists and writers who are important influences in the development of your work. State clearly which
aspects of the artists works influence your own work, e.g. visuals, work processes, philosophy etc.
Bibliography
List the readings, videos, films and any other resources that help to inform your work.