AP Art of the Week

Spotlight on Artist Avery Jacobson

Welcome to The Elective’s digital art museum, dedicated to the incredible work of AP Arts students. This week we feature a pencil drawing on tagboard paper made by Avery Jacobson from Brighton High School in Brighton, Colorado.

Welcome to The Elective’s digital art museum, dedicated to the incredible work of AP Arts students. Each week we highlight a work or series created in one of the AP Arts concentrationsAP 2-D Art and Design, 3-D Art and Design, and AP Drawing (the AP Program also offers Art History and Music Theory)—as well as a statement from the artist (and, occasionally, their teacher).

In the past, we’ve spotlighted artists who had their work included in AP Art online exhibitions. But starting this week, we’re doing something a bit different. While the AP Art team finalizes the next presentation, The Elective will share some of the most engaging pieces created by AP Art students this year—because the art is as urgent as our times.

From the first cave paintings to contemporary breakthroughs in virtually reality, art, in all its forms, has been a crucial way for people to process, make sense of, comment on, and grapple with the world around them. In 2020, there is a lot to process and grapple with—and AP Art students have risen to the challenge. The work many of them submitted in their final portfolios is explicitly of the moment, from commentary on the covid-19 pandemic to the celebration of people of color to the nature of heroism in perilous times.

The work is often challenging and provocative but always insightful, inspiring, and expansive.

This week, we feature a Prismacolor pencil drawing on tagboard paper made by Avery Jacobson from Brighton High School in Brighton, Colorado.

a drawing of a black hand holding a white hand

Here’s Avery’s statement on the work:

"The main idea of my sustained investigation surrounds the question: 'What visuals would capture and narrate iconic Beatles songs?' I listened closely to interpret the intricacies and artistic ideas of the abundant variety of songs. This piece was inspired by 'I Want to Hold Your Hand.'

"The work was challenging at times because some songs are very clear while others need a more in-depth analyzation. If the song was more straightforward, I tried to add an additional layer of interpretation to challenge myself and the viewer. As I listened to songs with no identifiable subject, I practiced finding emotions so I could create the visual in my head, then experimented with finding the emotional story that would aid the song best. I would also interpret songs through the intensity of the music by associating the feelings with specific colors and textures. These interpretations almost always included revisions because my ideas would often change with each listen.

a collage of three process drawings showing how the drawing of the black hand holding the white hand was created

"This investigation allowed me to visualize and add dimension to a preexisting art form. The art of music allowed for an endless amount of interpretation while still providing guidance."

Here are a few other pieces from Avery’s portfolio submission:

drawing of a young child in a red tank top gripping a door frame

"I did a rough pencil sketch then multiple layers of Prismacolor pencil, increasing value. (Song: 'Yesterday')"

a portrait of a young white person on a yellow and red background

"I added random paint strokes then drew the face on top creating depth and texture. (Song: 'Hey Jude')"

drawing of a young black woman with blue and yellow light on her face against a black background

"First a rough sketch, then contrasting colors are used to make it more dynamic. (Song: 'Let It Be')"

drawing of a young hispanic woman in braids against a green and yellow background

"First layered with paint, then added a rough sketch and colored with pencils. (Song: 'Golden Slumbers')"

portrait of a young white woman positioned in an orange and blue sky above a sunset over an ocean

"First a rough sketch, then adding chunks of color, then blending gradually. (Song: 'Here Comes the Sun')"

Student statements are lightly edited for clarity.