Monday, December 3, 2012
Wednesday, November 14, 2012
TriangleTriangle
Sannah Kvist
Sannah Kvist, a Swedish photographer from Gothenburg, has a very simplistic, crisp, and clear artistic style that she uses in composing photographs of people, things, and landscapes. I am very drawn to her photography because it is so simple, yet aesthetically pleasing and thoughtful - something I am excited to develop in my own photography as well.
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Art21 Article Review
Art21 Blog
Written by Caroline Picard, Nov. 2, 2012
The article's subject category, "How are stories and art intertwined?" initially caught my interest because it is something I want to develop in my own photography; learning to create layers of meaning and context in images is not an easy task, but finally creating a finished product that has both depth and narrative is always satisfying. In this article, Picard explained the process that Charles Ray underwent to create a wooden replica of a rotting redwood which he titled Hinoki. From a cast Ray made of the tree, the replica was carved from Japanese cypress - essentially a tree transformed into the form of another tree. Ray's work is given additional context from the informational placards on the museum wall which explain the process, allowing the viewer to understand how its story intertwines with the art. Then, with the knowledge of the work's past, the viewer is able to make connections to the essential question which Picard asks, "What does it mean to say the work is an imitation of nature? What is nature?" Both the original tree and replica were living organisms; yet one died, the new tree took on its rotting form, and "has taken multiple tree-lives to make this single representation of one." In addition to creating aesthetically pleasing images, I am also interested in exploring other techniques like challenging myself to create meaningful pieces that beg the deeper questions, making onlookers see things from a different perspective.
Wednesday, October 31, 2012
Conscientious Article Review
Conscientious
Written by Joerg Colberg, Oct. 21, 2012
I initially chose this article because the title caught my attention; one of the things I would like to develop in my photography is the ability to tell stories or evoke emotion through the images I create. In the article Colberg explained that the best way to tell stories through photographs is to visually guide the viewer through either a sequence of events or by displaying a coherence of ideas through both literal and contextual pictures. I also found it interesting that Colberg pointed out that not all the pictures should convey the exact same idea; rather, there should be "images that only function as a breathing space for the viewer." This gives the viewer the flexibility to both follow your story or idea and also form their own connections. I am excited to work on creating more meaningful images as I grow as a photographer and hopefully apply this same idea to my current project.
Monday, October 29, 2012
Wednesday, October 24, 2012
Monday, October 22, 2012
Lenscratch Article Review
Lenscratch
Written by Eleonora Ronconi, October 22, 2012
This article highlights the work of Paccarik Orue, a photographer raised in Peru and now living in San Francisco, California. His work mainly focuses on finding beauty in struggling communities, reflective both of his experiences growing up in a turbulent Peruvian social climate as well as the hardships of an immigrant living in the U.S. Soon to be published, his book There is nothing beautiful here compares the difficulties in Richmond, California and Cerro de Pasco, Peru; through this project he has created a collection of images that blend both hardship and hope through the endurance of people and culture. Orue's photographs initially caught my interest because they juxtapose a happy color tone with themes of hardship and plight, challenging the viewer to see that there really is beauty in places that we usually categorize as unappealing. I love this kind of work and would like to pursue an avenue of this idea in my final project: capturing the iconic, often overlooked, and unique elements of small towns and representing them in a way that really is beautiful.
Monday, October 8, 2012
Glasstire Article Review
Glasstire
Written by Hesse Caplinger, September 30, 2012
Written by Hesse Caplinger, this article explores and explains the work displayed in the new Houston exhibit called "In Plain Sight" which contains paintings from forty local artists. The intent of the exhibition is to combat the idea that "'painting is dead'" and instead display its liveliness. Most of the paintings follow the style of contemporary art, portraying ideas through the use of shapes, colors, rhythm and pattern. Although my initial attraction to the article was due to the vibrant images, after further reading I had a difficult time connecting with the abstract paintings. If anything, reading through this article was helpful in creating my appreciation of contemporary art - but more so, I know that abstract painting is not the art form that best speaks to me.
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Monday, October 1, 2012
Art:21 Blog Article Review
Art:21 Blog
Written by: Michael Neault, August 30, 2012
There is something beautiful and satisfactory in the blending of art and stories; creating something tangible based on a history, memory, story. This is the main idea that Neault explores in his article "The Museum as Memory Palace." In the past, people have attempted to create places where information is stored in a way that enhances memory by creating an environment that visually organizes it. Through the use of several historical examples, Neault described the power of the mind to retain information when paired with its placement in visual spaces (either mentally or physically) because "the mind is much keener at remembering physical spaces and tactile objects than flat, homogenous media, like books or screens." Neault continued to explain how museums capitalize on this concept because they tell stories through the art they contain. I was first drawn to choose this article because the title spoke to me. I love museums and how they contain both factual information and art that convey a message in a space that guides the viewer through a unique experience. I appreciated how Neault articulated those ideas that I have felt before and was particularly inspired by the concluding example he cited: Orhan Pamuk, an author and museum curator in Istanbul created an exhibit that was corresponded with a book he had written. I love the interactive and personal aspect of this idea; I imagine how reading his story and then walking through the same storyline in a physical, artistic representation would truly be like walking through a "memory palace." I am very interested in this type of multimedia project and would love to look into other exhibits like this one.
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Design Observer Article Review
Design Observer
Written by Louise Fili, September 5, 2012
This article is an excerpt from Louise Fili's book Elegantissima which explains how she came to fall in love with typography, graphic design, and all things Italian. I was initially drawn to this article after glancing at the image; I too am drawn to and fascinated by graphic design and typography. Louise's story led the reader through the process of her development as a designer, through multiple job changes, challenges, and the development of design elements that molded her into the artist she is today. For example, as a graphic designer interested specifically in creating book covers, Fili often went against the mainstream as she developed a more simplistic, impactful approach to design through the use of open space, minimalism, and letter-spacing. As she sought to find her unique voice and style, Fili immersed herself in the things that inspired her: "travel[ing] to Italy and France at least twice a year to seek new inspiration, combing flea markets and bookstores, photographing restaurant and shop signage, and collecting food packaging." Fili's description of her search to create herself as an artist inspires me to do the same because I want to be able to intentionally pursue those things that interest me most. After reading the article and listening to the excitement that Fili finds in her work, I was left inspired to find that something that inspires me to create beautiful things that speak to me and others.
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Conscientious Article Review
Conscientious
Written by Joerg Colberg
September 16, 2012
According
to Joerg Colberg, photography is not necessarily the most democratic medium compared
to others, like writing, music, or drawing.
Dictionary.com defines “democracy” as “the common people of a
community as distinguished from any privileged class; the common people with
respect to their political power.” Other mediums, he explained, are much
cheaper, quicker, and readily available to anyone who wanted to utilize
it. However, Colberg went on to explain
that the main thing that does make photography so democratic is the fact that
so many people use it as their primary medium.
The central issue then is that there are technical "barriers that still exist between photography done by 'the masses' and by that small elite." Ultimately, Colberg argued that "visual literacy" is what can bridge that gap between the ordinary photographers and the extraordinary photographers. I chose this article thinking it would criticize the overabundance of subpar photography that is produced by the millions on a daily basis--instead, I appreciated the positive tone of the article in that it was more solution based. Colberg didn't minimize the efforts of amateur photographers, but simply explained that a better understanding of photography and design could drastically change the photographic world and enhance the quality of images we produce. Overall, the article was a little difficult to follow because the writing was somewhat abstract, but the main idea of visual literacy was clear by the end of the article.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
NY Times Art & Design Article Review
NY Times Art & Design
Written by Michael Graves, September 1, 2012
This article by Michael Graves is a brief analysis about the
architectural design process and its transition from hand drawn sketches to
computerized drawings. What prompted me
to look into this article was the topic of architecture; I have always been
interested in types of structural design and love the idea of creating spaces
where people live, work, and play. Graves
argues in this article that drawing architectural ideas on paper is a crucial
step in creating a work because it tangibly connects the designer to the
design. Graves articulates, “Drawings express the interaction of our
minds, eyes and hands.” Although computer programs have efficiency and
value in architectural design, there is also an emotional, creative element
that only comes from drawing. The way
that Graves wrote the article was intriguing and eloquent, and kept me
interested until the end. His depictions
of the way he connects with drawing were so clear and well written. For example, he compared drawing sketches to “the way a musician might intone a note or
how a riff in jazz would be understood subliminally and put a smile on your
face.” I couldn’t help but be
re-inspired to look into architecture again and remember why I love it so much
after reading this article.
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