From history to her story
‘WITCH is an all-woman Everything. It's theater, revolution, magic, terror, joy, garlic flowers, spells […] Witches have always been women who dared to be: groovy, courageous, aggressive, intelligent, nonconformist, explorative, curious, independent, sexually liberated, revolutionary.’
—WITCH Manifesto (Adler, 2006, p.181)
The witch is generally depicted as a hideous and evil woman who has malignant supernatural powers. Thus, the notorious and long-lasting witch hunts that killed countless women happened in history, in the name of high ideals. Despite religious reasons, the witch hunts were based on subconscious fear of female power. As WITCH Manifesto pointed out, the witch represents women who rebel against patriarchal stereotypes somehow. It is an excellent starting point for me.
Throughout the witch hunts worldwide, those who are accused of using witchcraft tend to be unmarried, widowed, poor or aged women. But in my definition, one word concludes all—female. Under patriarchy, every female can be seen as a witch. If you do not under the traditional role of women, there is always a sin to you. Thus, I was thinking painted a series of wanted posters of witches in different appearances, ages, races. They look like anyone we may have known.
In unit 1, I started with digital painting since I graduated from illustration and am most familiar with it. I painted a girl wearing a witchy hat on a wanted poster. By choosing a little girl as the protagonist, I tried to convey that witch hunts could happen to any female. The pixel-like background made it modern. I think it is visually attractive for using highly saturated colours and a bright pixel texture in the background. But it cannot express my ideas or convince others because it is confusing. It is more like a character in a storybook or video game. What's more, the narrative is inappropriate, female was depicted as a victim by using male gaze unconsciously even though I meant well.
With my thoughts deepened, I realised that depicting how miserable women are under patriarchy might be an act of misogyny as well, since it keeps women sunk into negative emotions, revealing our wounds repeatedly. It might be essential at the first stage to understand the context, but I should move on. By emphasising women's power and sisterhood, depicting their glorious story is more beneficial to strengthen our confidence.
Therefore, an idea to redefine the witch and create a sisterhood story comes to my mind. By redefining witches as positive roles and narrating their own legends, I transformed them from villains in history (also 'his story' since history is recorded by men) to the protagonist of 'herstory', where they are dominant. The initiative and power relationship has reversed.
Making heroines
Sofia Mitsola inspired me in her artworks Aquamarina: Crocodilian tears, where she created a myth of warrior sisters Aqua and Marina united together to kill the crocodile through successive paintings. Yvonne Feng recommended her artwork to me in a tutorial. I think her narrative in these series enlightens me greatly. Since every heroic story has a villain to justify the hero, it could be a useful way to redefine witches as heroines, misogyny as the monster. It seems cliché, but effective undoubtedly. How can be great if there is no evil?
Ling Huang, Wanted, Digital painting, 29.8cmx 21cm, 2021
Sofia Mitsola, section of Aquamarina: Crocodilian tears, Oil on linen, 230 x 200 cm, 2021
My story started with three tribes of witches-The water, forest and desert. They lived in peace in one land. Suddenly, a monster came, they had to defend themselves by sending heroine in each tribe to fight with monster together. The three heroines are the protagonists. They fought with the monster in the sky and eventually beat him
The sense of surrealism, big scenes and crowds of people reminds me of Hieronymus Bosch. In his artwork The Garden of Earthly Delights, it is occupied with the nude of strange behaviours in the landscape with peculiar architecture, which is mysterious and interesting. Thus, A scroll appeared in my head, where have a scene of three witch tribes, witches and a fight.
Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, oil on oak panels, 205.5 cm × 384.9 cm (81 in × 152 in), Museo del Prado, Madrid
Ling Huang, The Fight, Digital painting, 29.7cmx 7.5cm, 2021
Ling Huang, The Fight, Digital painting, 29.7cmx 7.5cm, 2021
In The Fight, the three heroines are goddess-like for their giant heads floating above the sky, compared to the tiny landscape of the habitats of witches. Their facial features are obscure, even transparent. Only the shape of human heads implied their identities. These made them abstract and mysterious. Red lines that connect them are their witchcraft against the monster, its connections are the proof of their sisterhood.
Unlike Mitsola depicting her monster in real animal, I chose abstract shapes because misogyny tends to be conceptual, which is the reason women might have misogyny act as well. The thorns of monsters are a sign of danger. The blue colour of the monster represents patriarchy since blue connects with masculinity in gender stereotypes. Under this context, the heroines are using feminine red to fight back.
One of the most interesting things about the creation of art is unpredictability. It changed gradually when I painted, turned out more abstract and less figured than I imagined. If I depicted so many people like Bosch in my work, it might distract the audience, the big protagonists are appropriate.
As my first attempt at abstract and free strokes, I was not confident about it at first, afraid that it is too abstract to narrate a story. In a critique, the tutor Larry Amponsah guided me in another direction that made me stop abstraction. However, it appeals to me now after my long journey. It is true that The Fight lacks tension of fight, the transparent figures are clueless to us, but the brushstrokes and transparency show a sense of fluidity, intriguing us to figure out what is going on. The central heroine’s floating long hair and wide opened strong arms that cross the whole painting show her strength, power and freedom. The colours are vibrant by using highly saturated yellow, red and blue. What's more, I was relaxed when I painted it. These is what I want to explore in my future paintings.
Root in real ground
The setting of protagonists troubled me. I cannot make up my mind about appearance and character. The abstraction in The Fight indicates that somehow. Larry Amponsah noticed it in critique, where he suggested rooting in real ground, research about witches worldwide. He mentioned that modern witch hunts still exist in many countries. In his homeland Ghana, they exiled those women who were accused of witches to witch camp. After I did some research, I was touched by the stories of Ghana witch camp, Akua Dentah and other witches worldwide. It led me in a new direction. Based on my research, I modified my witch story--The Legends of Witches, redefined the witches worldwide as heroines who escaped from prison, killed the monster misogyny and had a witch party.
Ling Huang, In Prison, Digital painting, 29.7cmx 21cm, 2021
Screenshot of a video of 90 year old Ghana woman Akua Dentah being tortured
In prison is the initiation of the story, depicting those witches twisted together, trapped in a bubble without consciousness. Most characters were based on the true victim of witch hunts worldwide, which made it more vivid than The Fight. Trapped in a bubble and closing their eyes made it become a metaphor that misogyny in real life surrounded us when we were unaware of it. Red background is a hint of danger. The inverted figure was as if she was hanging. Symbolic black robes and pointed hats of witches did not appear in my painting because they are stereotypical to me.
Step out of comfort zone
Material is what I intended to explore as a postgraduate. Being familiar with digital painting for a long time, it is a challenge to step out of my comfort zone. But it seems necessary to make a difference since I am majoring in Painting instead of Illustration now.
My attempts started with acrylic and watercolours. Acrylic is a quick drying material with good coverage while watercolours have fluidity and transparency. What's more, I explored more possibilities of acrylic by adding water to make it transparent since acrylic is water-based, but still easier to overlie colours than watercolour. After some sketches in both materials, I decided to paint with acrylic on canvas, it is more colourful and not as transparent as watercolour.
Compared with physical painting, Digital painting is more accessible. It presents better on screen than the photo of physical painting since it is based on computer science. Social media made it spread faster.
Nevertheless, physical painting has a strong sense of texture, material and scale. It is dimensional. What's more, it has more uncertainty when you use real material, they cannot be changed or deleted as easily as digital painting. It resulted in more possibilities, no matter positive or negative.
After some sketches in both materials, I decided to paint with acrylic on canvas, it is more colourful and not as transparent as watercolour.
Less is more
When I painted, I was attempting to master acrylic, developing my technique to transmit the colour from shadow to light well. Nevertheless, the transitions and brushstrokes could be improved. Moreover, some problems emerged.
Ling Huang, AD sketch 1 , Acrylic on paper, 29.7cmx 21cm, 2021
Ling Huang, AD sketch 2, Acrylic on canvas, 29.7cmx 21cm, 2021
Ling Huang, Witch Sketch , Acrylic on paper, 29.7cmx 21cm, 2021
Ling Huang, In Prison Sketch , Watercolour on paper, 29.7cmx 21cm, 2021
Ling Huang, In Prison, Acrylic on canvas, 75cmx 50cm, 2021
It seems crowded. Some figures seem irrelevant and unnecessary as if they are not in the mood. Also, it is tricky for me to deal with many characters. The more I painted, the more I felt this way. It turns out I have to spend many days completing it. The photos of the painting process made it clear. (图)
Geraint sensed alike. He advised that reduced figure and create a strong sense of fantasy like the inverted figure did. He appreciated the sketch Revenge I painted for further scene, by simplifying character to three representatives in close-up.
In Revenge I depicted the scene of three witches using magic through their mouths to fight with the monster. The colours, elements and composition show fantasy. My acrylic technique is enhanced, its transition and brushstroke are natural and vivid.
Yet I felt it resembles In prison, it did not become better or complete along with I painted. I am losing confidence during the process. Yvonne pointed out that it lacked tension in the fight. Their expression is serene instead of furious, which made them more like being controlled by the monster through magic instead of killing the monster.
Gains and struggles
I am delighted to reflect my thoughts about misogyny. Meanwhile stepping out of my comfort zone, attempting different materials and improving my technique in acrylic. Broaden my horizon with research of many spectacular artworks related to the witch. Many excellent advice from others.
On the other hand, it is a mystery somehow for the audience especially observing it without successive paintings. while I discard symbolic witch outfits in my painting for they are stereotypical to me, it became harder to identify them relatively. Although there are differences between illustrating a story and painting a story, I may not have to make the audience understand it immediately, they could figure it out themselves with their imaginations and explanations. Still, I need a balance between narrative and visually interesting.
Moreover, I cannot deny that I felt pain and struggled with materials, narrative and visual language. Escaping it through procrastination sometimes leads to more suffering when I see others development. Maybe dealing with emotions is also part of art.
Sensation and confidence
After all these attempts and struggles, I realised I should be more sensational and confident when I paint. I remember the relaxation in The Fight now, it did look more interesting. That is not saying rationality is unnecessary, but I need to be intuitive during creation. Maybe I cared too much about it if my audience could understand the story.
My teachers gave me excellent advice, many of it are useful and helpful undoubtedly. But art is subjective, their points of view sometimes vary greatly. Larry suggested based on real witches worldwide instead of abstraction. Geraint appreciated fantasy. Yvonne preferred scenery. Leora and Henrietta adore mystery. I was lost before. I should be more confident and judge myself.
Now I have decided to keep up with The Fight visually, using more fluid strokes and soft edges. Maybe narrating the story I created before, or just letting my imagination fly, painted the life of these witches. Their dreams, love, feasts and adventures.
Reference:
Wikipedia Contributors (2021). Women’s International Terrorist Conspiracy from Hell. [online] Wikipedia. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women%27s_International_Terrorist_Conspiracy_from_Hell#CITEREFAdler2006 [Accessed 26 Jan. 2022].
Margot Adler and Internet Archive (2006). Drawing Down the Moon. [online] Internet Archive. Penguin Books. Available at: https://archive.org/details/drawingdownmoonw00adle_2 [Accessed 26 Jan. 2022].
