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.