Saturday 29 September 2012

Lee Fredlander

The composition of this piece makes it look crowded and busy. It gives me a sense of the crowds of the city despite the lack of anything living. I think this could represents both the claustrophobia and desolation that can occur by being a faceless individual in a heavily urban area. The addition of a chain link fence imprisons the image. Obscured by the fence the scene behind looks chaotic and decayed.

Hiroshi Sugomoto - Bass Strait, Table Cape

This forms part of a series of seascapes. The image is made up of large areas of light and shade and is divided perfectly in half which gives it effortless (looking)balance. It is devoid of detail which gives it a eerie, unnatural feeling.

Friday 28 September 2012

Tony Ray Jones

The juxtaposition of the cartoon fantasy image in the background and the real life couple beneath makes this image. The contrast is as obvious as possible with the cartoon in each others arms and the real couple facing away from each other with unenthusiastic expressions on both their faces. The sign behind appears to represent the long forgotten hoped and dreams of two people just getting on with life.

Composition in the style of Torsten Brinkman

This is my work in the style of Torsten Brinkman, It transforms a human subject into a abstract object by covering the face. I like the haphazard way the elements of the photo come together, a lot like a collage. the finished image has quite an oppressive quality due to the widespread use of black and white. I think the garden shears and rock give it a violent edge alongside the metal clips holding the fabric around the model.

Light Pictures - Long exposure Photography

 This started as a group activity using different coloured torches over a long exposure time to draw around the siluette of the subjects.

Here I tried drawing a spiral around two separate poses . I think the overlapped images gives the picture depth .The long spiralling lines are smooth and soft. Although I hoped the two figures would appear silhouetted together, I like the depth and separation o the two figures.

This was 'drawn' using a torch while facing a posing model. Even though the final image is very abstracted it is surprisingly realistic in the sense that I can still make out arms legs a head and even the pose.

Thursday 27 September 2012

Imogen Cunningham - Arujia Seed Pod

The composition of this photograph strikes a pleasing balance between the solidity of the seed pod and the softness and transparency of the seeds spilling out. The shapes in this work bears a resemblance to the work of Georgia O'Keeffe (Black Iris 1926), and are abstractly anatomical which strengthens the themes of new life and 'mother nature'.

Idris Khan - A Memory of Kate

I think the unusually shadowy nature of this picture gives it a beautiful delicate look. The images layered over each other make it impossible to make out a clear face but this makes it far more personal. Its like looking at a visual representation of the impact someone has had on the photographers life including all her smiles etc.

The fluidity of the edges also highlights an acute awareness of time and movement which could represent the precious fragility of human relationships. The photographs are layered so that key features, especially the eyes, are in the right place so the photo is not completely abstracted which helps the viewer connect on a human level with the subject.

Paulo Roversi - Simon

With a simple background that matches the blue of the subjects eyes this image perfectly captures the intensity of his gaze as a single tear runs down his cheek. I like this photo because it depicts a raw emotional state in a simple clean way.

Simon Norfolk - Abandoned mortar shells in a date grove


The deep shadows lend drama to an already poignant image of a large quantity of weaponry in a war zone. The lit area in the middle of the image, surrounded by darkness, acts like a spotlight making this an excellent documentary photograph "shining a light" on the issues involved.

Sandy Skoglund

Alongside the surreal nature of this image and the bold colours this image captures a strong intimate connection between the subjects. Focus is drawn to the couple as they are the only components of the scene that are realistic.

Sarah Moon - Adriana pour Watanabe 1998



I like this photo because its soft style and lighting reflects the soft pleated garment it depicts. the blurred edges and unnatural skin tone gives the image a surreal look that mimics that of a painting. I also like the strong relationship between the figure and the background, I think it captures the effect of the dress as a whole as opposed to specific details much like an illustration.

Photography - Chesterfield town centre


 

Photographs taken in Chesterfield town centre during my photography taster.

Chris McEwan's Robots - Illustration Magazine

This article is interesting because it shows how different but similar influences have inspired this illustrators work over a large period of time. There is lots of variation in the style he has developed even though the subject is similar.




Wednesday 26 September 2012

Illustration Theory


Everyman - Ronald Searle, Lithograph

This image combines an intricate drawing style with quite a simple composition to produce a focused image. The eye is immediately drawn to the figure despite the fact it is quite small. the pallet of muted shades and grey makes the image seem dark sinister.


Graphics Theory - Article

I found this article interesting because it highlighted some of the things designers are doing to increase their cash flow and get themselves noticed. Selling t-shirts is something I have been curious about before and its interesting to read about how this works in reality. For example, the brands they have chosen here to highlight as successful businesses are still a sideline alongside working for clients.








Graphics Evaluation

I started the taster with an idea of what the graphics discipline was about it was interesting to explore some of the skills involved. Despite being absent for the majority of the graphics taster, I managed to develop four outcomes. These are not as strong overall as they could have been because of their rushed development.


My first word was 'isolation'. I chose to base my idea around the letter 'i' because it can stand for the individual. I gave it space around it and made it different from the surrounding letters, I also gave it its own background. I kept the colour palette blue and white to give the image a clinical feel. I made the 'i' out of eyes to add humanity. The final piece was OK but could have been stronger with more time and digital development.



Next I did 'fuse', my idea was to merge all the component letters together into one form. I tried two different fonts before creating my image using different colours and scales. I used bright blue and yellow to introduce an electrical theme. I thought the final image was quite effective but the layout detracted from the word too much.



I created 'balance' quickly and spontaneously. My first idea involved balancing the spacing of the letters in the word around the central point. I used collaged circles to strengthen this idea and to represent planets and the balance of the universe. Although the simplicity of my design is effective I again would like to develop this digitally, if for no other reason but to explore the possibilities.


This piece was created when I was very short on time. I am not happy with the outcome. the idea wasn't that strong to start off with and I executed it poorly. If I have time I am especially keen to revisit this.

Overall I am somewhat satisfied with this work however I will revisit it before its assesed if I get time.