Journal Entry #5: INSPIRATIONAL ARTISTS

1. How has this artist contributed to the field of study, which you plan to enter?
Man Ray who was an artist in the early 1900’s achieved much throughout his lifetime. He gave much to the dada and Surrealist movements but he was most known for his avant-garde photography. Like his photograph Dada Portrait (1921).
2. What achievements or developments make this person stand out in that field?
Some of his achievements are his helping the creation of the Rotary Glass Plate, which is an example of kinetic art. He also created a technique he called rayographs. He also helped collect art, which helped found the first museum of modern art in the U.S. He was also an extraordinary photographer who broke ground on many discoveries in the photographic field. For example reintroducing the photographic use of solarization.
3. What impressed you most about this artist?
I was really impressed by his photographs. I enjoyed seeing how much time and effort he put into capturing the human body. He really seemed to appreciate the human form. I was surprised though that I did not see many paintings of humans as I did photographs. I was also surprised at how much Man Ray enjoyed photographing a female nude, like in the photograph Le Violon d’Ingres (1924). Or even Kiki in Odalisque (1925).
4. How have they used dominance to organize or structure their work?
How he addressed dominance in his paintings was by putting most of the figures in the foreground like in Departure of Summer (1914). Also in his image of Apples (1948), the red apple is the largest piece of fruit in the painting. Or in the photographs the woman are usually in the very center of the piece commanding all the attention. Like in Kiki de Montfarnessa (1922). In all of his works he uses some kind of dominant structure.
5. How do they address the human form?
In many Man Ray’s photographs he mainly addresses woman in the nude and men fully clothed. The same also seems to be for his paintings. He seems to appreciate the human form so much that it is all he wants to capture.
6. In what ways have you been influenced after seeing their work?
I do appreciate his work. He has a unique gift that I have never seen in anyone else. But for me personally I do not really enjoy his work, and I don’t really feel that I have been influenced by it.
7. How does this artist use color? What color schemes or other mechanisms, such as emphasis or temperature, do they employ?
Man Ray does not use color in his photographs but in his paintings he seems to use more dull colors. He definitely uses a variety but none seem to be vibrant. He mainly uses complimentary color schemes with blue and red but occasionally he’ll add a green or yellow.

Image Essay 15: Symmetry

Las Dos Fridas by Frida Kahlo do0es an excellent job at symmetry. When looking at this picture if one was to divide it straight down the center, each side would jest be a mirror image of each other. Their hands coming together signifies the center of the piece. The background story behind this piece is really an interesting one. The piece pertains to Frida’s divorce to her husband and on the left portrays the divorced Frida in her modern dress and on the right is Frida in her native garments. The only thing that connects the two is the heart and in one woman it is empty and broken and the other if full and colorful just like the dress. It can almost be interpreted that her modern life style sucked the color and life out of her and her clothes. But also in neither woman’s face does either look happy, not even the one on the right, which is Frida in her native garments. Both faces look calm or even shocked at what has happened. Also with the woman on the left she cut the vein so it almost seems as if she wants to cut off all ties to her modern life and go back to the life she always knew.

Image Essay 14: Analogous color

An analogous color scheme pertains to colors that are adjacent on the color system. The painting done by Paul Cézanne “House in Provence (vicinity of L’Estaque) uses the colors blue, green, and yellow. The painting by Cézanne is classified in the impressionist period of art. Cézanne has a distinct way of painting. He outlines most of his images in a black outline compared to Claude Monet another impressionist artist who just lets all of the colors mesh together to create his images. With Cézanne using an analogous color scheme it makes all of the images look alike and unified. But if he had used more of a variety of colors the piece would contain more diversity. But with the use of the analogous colors in this piece the objects complement each other. I think that by using only a variation of the 3 colors adds more depth to the piece than if he had used a variety of colors. The perspective of this piece also helps the analogous color scheme. Cézanne seemed to use a darker variation of the colors in the foreground of the piece and then lighter colors in the background to help further the perspective of a full landscape painting.

Image Essay 13: Texture

Texture can be made in all different ways. First if the objects have their own texture. Second if a bunch of objects are put together to create a texture or lastly if the artist creates a texture on a surface. The piece by Douglas Smith “No turning” does an excellent job at portraying different textures. The first thing that I noticed when I looked at this piece was the detail of the bricks. The bricks actually look real. They have the lines in between them they are all spaced the same and as the picture goes back in space the bricks merge together to give it that three-dimensional look. The second texture that I notice is the wood on the truck. When looking at it one can even see the detail of the wood grain on the truck. The other thing that stands out is the texture of the granite on the ground. It actually has that grainy look to make it look real. There are also other minor details like the lines on the trashcans or reflections from the windows. All of these textures put together help make the piece look so real that it almost looks like an actual photograph instead of a painting.

Image Essay 12: color

For week 12 we were studying the use of color. With the use of color in a composition one can create a dominant structure just be utilizing a color’s symbolic meaning. In Jan Van Eyck’s the Ghent Altarpiece (closed) he mainly uses earth tones and reds for his main colors. The earth tones that are present in this piece are light browns, white, black, gold/yellow and a little bit of green. I find this odd for a religious painting because for me earth tones seem more humble than other colors. Unlike how most “kings” are portrayed in purple for the representation of a holy figure. And around the time the painting was made people of the cloth were not seen as humble but more as godly and powerful. Although, that may be the reason why Van Eyck clothed the two people in the bottom corners in red. It is not said who exactly those two people are but with the use of the color red they take on the connotation of power because of the colors meaning. They however are not seen as all powerful because they are still seen knelling with their hands together representing prayer. But just with the use of a little red it shows that these two people possible had more power than the rest in just plain earth toned clothes.

Image Essay 11: Narrative

Narratives tell a story. Some are more self-explanatory while others need background information to be understood. During week 11 we were working on our narrative paintings. Some were simple and needed little explanation while others needed to be explained. A piece that needs no explanation is Jerome Witkin’s “Division Street” [A story told in 3 panels]. He does a n excellent job at showing how the woman feels in the painting by her actions and the expressions on her face. In the first panel the woman is scowling as her husband puts on his hat and heads for the door. With the use of color in this first image it can also be construed that the woman is jealous because of her entirely green face. Then in the second panel we see the plates with food hit the wall that were intended for the man. In the first panel one sees that she is just holding the plates and her anger, then in the second panel it show how she let her anger go. Then in the third panel again her skin tone is back to normal and she seems calm and is just cleaning up the mess alone. This piece does an excellent job telling the story of the woman. It needs little explanation and little interpretation. One is able to see the action and consequences all at once.

Image Essay 10: Perspective

During week 10 we were doing a narrative piece that dealt with perspective. There are three different types of perspective. One-point, two point, and three point. One-point perspective is when the lines going back in space appear to meet at one point. Two-point perspective is when two lines go back in space appearing to meet at two different points. Three-point perspective is when the lines going back in space seem to meet at two different pints plus a third line that is above or under the eye level. Comic book artists as in the piece by Ely Itara Jr. “Pen and Ink” mostly use three-point perspective. Three-point perspective happens when one is looking at the side of an object instead of just straight on. In this piece three-point perspective allows the viewer to see from two sides at the same time what is happening to the building. This artist also decides to use a perspective as if the viewer was above the buildings looking down. This allows the artist to express more and the viewer to get a better idea of what is happening in the piece. Three-point perspective makes this piece very dynamic with the use of diagonal lines. Perspective allows the artist to express more and the viewer to see things from a different angle.

Image Essay 9: Figure ground reversal

Figure ground reversal is an arrangement in which positive and negative shapes alternatively command attention. When shapes change from black to white continually they draw the viewers eye around the composition. As in David McNutt’s “Master Harold’…and the boys” he uses figure ground to represent a servant, a master and the continent of Africa. For our composition we were to incorporate words into our narrative pieces using figure ground reversal. In this piece with the use of figure ground reversal the first thing that one’s eye is drawn to is the black head on top of the white surface. Then when one looks closer they notice the master’s head in white, which also happens to be in the shape of the continent of Africa. As the servant’s head merges into the master’s head it changes to all black so that it is not completely lost within the master’s head, which is pure white. The use of figure ground is so important in this piece because it also helps represent the relationship between the servant and the master. For example how the servant is depicted in complete black while the master’s head is complete white and it is what surrounds the servants head. It shows that the master has the power in Africa. The use of pure white value for the outline of the master also further increases his role of dominance in this composition.

Image Essay 8: Images with Text

Many of the projects that we have done this semester have had text incorporated within them. For my first project that I incorporated text into was my three shapes three times but it didn’t work so well. Then in the paintings project we were to incorporate text along with using figure ground reversal, and instead of using my own handwriting I chose an actual font and it helped my piece. A person that does a good job at incorporating text into her pieces is Barbara Kruger. In her piece “ you are a captive audience” she uses an individualized text to convey her ideas. Her text for this picture somewhat already says what the meaning of the picture conveys on it own. With the picture alone it is the type when you look at it and you see that the man is in pain and one wants to look away but they can’t help but stare. This is what her text conveys. She knows that people are drawn to it so she decided to blatantly put he idea in her piece. It also helps that the words are restricted by a black box because it further illustrates the idea that the words are also a captive.

Image Essay 7: Sally Mann

Sally Mann is an American photographer who was born in 1951. She takes photographs of landscapes and other things but she is most known for her works with her children. When her children were growing up they were always walking around naked so she just took photographs of them. She says that it was not because she was interested in children but just because they were there. These photographs by Sally Mann of her children really display what innocence in a child should look like. These photographs show a child’s innocence and curiosity. In the first image Naptime, the girl almost looks angelic. She looks like a perfect doll just lying there; like she has no care in the world and that she has the perfect life. The second photograph of the girl in the water really displays the idea of what is unknown. She is crouched in the water completely oblivious that she is naked just staring at the water and she seems to be wondering what lies beneath the surface. I absolutely love that all of Sally Mann’s photographs are in black and white. I think that they give them more depth that way. It gives it a more classical old style feel to them that adds character.

Image Essay 6: value

Value is determined by the relative lightness and darkness of a surface. When the complete scale of value is used shapes start to look three-dimensional. The use of value also helps one perceive that there is more space than is actually there. Many artists use value in their paintings to give their piece more definition and tension. With the use of value it increases the space perceived in a composition or it can help accentuate an object even more. In Thomas Moran’s piece “Noon day rest in Marble Canyon” he utilizes the full range of value. In this landscape piece Moran depicts the boat in the foreground with his darker use of value. The rocks in the extreme foreground are in an even darker shade of black than the boat. Along with the cliff in the middle ground to give it the impression that it is in the middle to foreground, it is as depicted in a much darker shade than the other items in the piece. How Moran gives the illusion hat the water, cliffs, and rocks seem to be going back in space is by using a whiter value on the value scale. With the use of a lighter gray the images look as if they are blurry and thus receding in space. In this composition Moran does an excellent job at utilizing the entire value scale.

Image essay 5: Principles of Gestalt

During week 5 we were researching the principles of gestalt to incorporate into our art pieces dealing with texture and symmetry. Gestalt is a complete configuration that is perceived through psychological closure, which is perceived to be larger than the sum of its parts. In a composition, each element must be related to each other in some kind of way or the viewer will see the composition as incomplete. The principle of gestalt that was just described is known as unity or grouping. The other principles of gestalt are containment, repetition, proximity, continuity and closure. This piece Rheo by Nancy Graves does an excellent job in demonstrating proximity. Proximity is the distance between objects. With the use of proximity opposite objects can be grouped together. In this piece the large yellow square in the middle is what brings all the objects together to create a complete composition. Without the large yellow square the other squares would look as though they don’t belong and thus make the piece incomplete. Also with the use of proximity it can create energy within a piece. The energy is created when the little squares within the piece almost touch and the energy is then contained between the two objects. Separate, the objects retain their own shapes creating tension but when the objects touch and overlap as shown at the bottom the energy is broken creating a completely new shape out of common shapes. As shown in this piece just by using one principle of gestalt it unifies the objects creating a complete composition.

Image Essay 4: Meaning

During week 4 we were researching the idea of meaning. Meaning is not just a dictionary definition. Objects do not have meaning on their own, but people create meaning for objects. Meaning takes into account language, Iconography, Audience, immediacy, stereotypes, clichés, and surprise. This piece by Shepard Fairy relies on psychological meaning. He uses Andre the Giant with an obey sign to influence people’s mind and emotions. This piece uses the idea of phenomenology which is the process of letting things manifest themselves. This piece mainly plays on people’s emotions and reactions. At first I thought this piece was supposed to make people fear that they are in a society with all of these rules and one must obey. But I also think this piece is just supposed to make people think and question their surroundings. Shepard Fairey started making this icon a first only as a sketch that was for fun and then it caught on and he started to put them everywhere. He stuck them on street poles, billboards, and he would even spray paint them on the sides of walls. Fairey has even gotten arrested fro putting these icons up but that has not seemed to stop him. He is relentless to get the message out there for people to see.

Image Essay 3: Synesthesia

During week 3 we were working on the project 3 shapes 3 times. In this project we were working with the idea of synesthesia. Synesthesia is a neurological condition in which two or more bodily senses are coupled. In this piece by Beth Gilmore it clearly demonstrates the idea of synesthesia. When looking at this woman you can almost hear what she is playing. She is so focused on the keys that it looks as if she knows the piece by heart. This piece triggers a distant memory of mine from when I was little. When I was little my cousin was learning how to play the piano. So at any family get together he would play the piece that he was learning at the time. After a while it would get annoying and he would stop but now looking back he was actually quite good. When looking at this piece it reminds me of my cousin and the pieces that he used to play for us while at my Aunts house. This piece mainly focuses on the woman and how she is sitting rather than the fact that she is playing the piano. Bu I think that the fact that she is playing the piano plays a very significant role because it is what makes the piece a complete composition.

Image Essay 2: Juxtapostion

For week 2 we were researching how meaning changes when one juxtaposes an object near something else. In this piece by Filippo Ioco he decides to put 2 of the same images next to each other but change their composition slightly to obtain a different effect. He wanted to show their comparison and contrast. When looking at just the left side it seems very dark except for the very center of the flower. But when he puts the same exact flower next to it only surrounding it in white it creates a whole new meaning for the piece. One then starts to contrast the 2 and see how they are different and also the same. For our project we were required to juxtapose a circle, line and rectangle. The project seemed easy when there were only three elements spread far apart on a page but when more elements were added and they had to be placed right next to each other it was a little more difficult. When placing a black circle next to a black rectangle you could not just look at the shapes you are laying down in black but once they were glued down one also had to look at the shape the white negative space made as well. The same is also with this piece. When one looks at all the black they also have to consider the shape that is being made by the white and when you interchange the colors the piece brings on a whole new meaning just by juxtaposition.

Image Essay #1: dominant, subordinate, accentual

This piece created by Rik clearly does an excellent job at demonstrating a clear dominant, subordinate, and accentual object. This piece shows a very clear foreground, middle ground, and background. To further strengthen the hierarchy of the dominant object the artist put the dominant object in the foreground. What also makes the boots the most dominant structure is the use of colors he used. When it is printed off into black and white the boots are the darkest object in the piece. And in color they are still the darkest colors used in the piece. Keeping true to the idea of hierarchy the next darkest object that resembles a light gray so happens to be the subordinate object, which is the body of the man. And in color the body of the man is also in earth tones but they are lighter than the boots. And to complete the hierarchy the whitest object that happens to be on this piece is also the accentual object, which is the bird on top of the man’s head. All of those objects of this piece are the positive objects. In this piece the artist shows that there is a fight for dominance between the negative and positive objects. The negative object seems to be just as big as the boots are and seem to draw the viewer in just as well. But what I think makes the boots the most dominant is that they are in the foreground right in your face and the fact that they are the darkest object on this piece. This artist seems to show a clear knowledge of how to juxtapose objects to show a dominant structure and get his point across to the viewer.