Select one artist from the Sculptural List we have been working with in our course together.
You will create a 5-7 minute multi media presentation that introduces the work of the sculptor's work to our course. You may have index cards to assist you.
You need to need to produce one slide presenting their back ground information and the following:
Name
Nationality
birth/death date
Style of their work / materials of their work
Influences of the work they created
Did they attend higher education, where?
Are they affiliated with a gallery?
Have they had museum exhibitions?
Followed by two examples of the sculptor's work, either on one slide or in two separate slides.
Give an image to both examples with complete details
Title (in italics)
Date
Materials
Dimensions
How was the work made?
Where is it now?
Make sure you search to see if they have a website as it will give a great deal of information! Or in other essays written about their works.
Check for any artist statements, published writings on their work, etc.
In each slide of the sculptor's work, analyze four areas of the work speaking thoroughly about the ELEMENTS of DESIGN.
Check for any artist statements, published writings on their work, etc.
In each slide of the sculptor's work, analyze four areas of the work speaking thoroughly about the ELEMENTS of DESIGN.
Specifically about how:
- Line is operating
- Space is operating
- Volume and mass is operating
- Texture / Color / Value (select only one) is operating
You need to speak about the materials that the artist is using, how you might think the sculpture was created.
If the materials are unusual, you need to include information on them. Are the materials used to signify or symbolic of something, are they a metaphor for something?
Dig deep into your ideas about this process!!
Dig deep into your ideas about this process!!
Keep track of all your bibliographic sources including any interviews you may watch on YouTube. Include a Works Cited slide > MLA style
Thus, your presentation should either have 3 slides total or 4:
1st Slide = Artist's biography +
2nd Slide = 2 images on one slide OR
3rd Slide = 2 separated images
4th Slide = Works Cited page
Present during the FINAL EXAM block:
Thus, your presentation should either have 3 slides total or 4:
1st Slide = Artist's biography +
2nd Slide = 2 images on one slide OR
3rd Slide = 2 separated images
4th Slide = Works Cited page
Present during the FINAL EXAM block:
T TH Structuring Human Space SA 132.02
2:00 > 4:50 PM JCA #207 & 3D Studios
Final Exam: WED DEC 11 2:45 - 4:45
ELEMENTS of DESIGN
Line
Shape
Color
Volume + mass
Space
Texture
Value
PRINCIPLES of DESIGN
Unity - Variety / harmony
Balance - symmetry / asymmetrical / radial / occult
Emphasis - Focal Point
Pattern
Scale
Rhythm & repetition
Contrast
Visual Movement - direction / visual weight & speed
Here are some excellent student slide examples from a previous drawing class. Please note, they are making a comparison between two drawings, whereas, in your presentation your research should be directed to two works by the same sculptor.
Student Research Paper Samples...
Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (1828) – Thomas Cole
Thomas Cole was born in Bolton, Lancashire in Northwestern England 1801. Cole’s family emigrated to the United States in 1818 where Cole would begin his painting journey. Not only is a primarily self-taught artist, but he also worked as an itinerant portrait artist with members of the Philadelphia Academy. In 1825 was when Cole’s real career began. Thomas Cole has a love for nature and all its pieces as a whole, so he established his first rural studio at Cedar Grove within the Catskill mountains. The Catskills ended up being Cole’s first major success. His multiple landscapes of the stunning mountains grabbed the attention of known artists in New York City such as Asher Durand. Shortly after, Cole returned to his homeland of Britain for further studies and traveling around Europe. Whilst in Europe, Thomas met numerous wealthy Americans and completed another set of paintings. These paintings were exhibited in an exhibition within New York City and highly raised public interest. Only a few years later, Cole produced his best known and most popular series, “The Course of Empire.” In 1836, it was an emotional year. Cole’s father and patron, Luman Reed, had past sending him downward. However, only months later everything turned right side up when Cole married the love of his life, Maria Bartow, at their home in Cedar Grove. Through the days to come, many artists had come to visit the newlyweds seeking artistic inspiration and connection. On January 1, 1838, Maria’s and Thomas’s first son Theodore would be born. “The Voyage of Life,” painted for Samuel Ward, would be Cole’s next biggest accomplishment. Unfortunately, Ward did not live long enough to see the finished pieces of artwork. Later in his life, he became a member of Saint Luke’s Episcopal Church and started teaching art students; Frederic Church and Benjamin McConkey being the lucky two. Cole managed to create one more series, “The Cross and the World,” before his health set on a downfall. Thomas Cole later died within his home in 1848. Today, his home at Cedar Grove is now the Thomas Cole National Historic Site.
The Expulsion from the Garden of Eden represents the consequences of Adam and Eve. The Garden of Eden was said to be a biblical paradise that had been created by God for Adam and Eve. This story is within the Biblical Book of Genesis. However, this painting does not focus on the happiness of Adam and Eve, but the consequence. The expulsion of Adam and Eve occurred at the end of the story due to God’s concerns. Adam and Eve had eaten from the Tree of Knowledge leading to the fear that they would learn about the immortal fruit from the Tree of Life. This fear lead God to kicking both Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden which is what Thomas Cole chose to present.
The use of line creates the base for every artistic feature in an art piece, whether the line is actually seen, or it is implied. Within this piece, there is a strong sense of horizontal and vertical lines working together. This helps to create an area and separate it from its features. The horizontal lines are mainly used within the ground of the painting, whereas the vertical lines are left to create features such as the trees and mountains. This technique also helps to develop a sense of space. There is a very limited amount of diagonal lines, but the ones present are used to create a sense of atmosphere and movement. For example, the light coming out of the mountain and the foggy lines within the sky. Overall, the line creates the basics of the painting and the starting point of the forms helping to add to the special production. William Kentridge’s Invention of Africa 1 is similar in the use of line as it also has a horizontal ground and a vertical feature of the tree. Once again, small amounts of diagonal lines are incorporated to add some diversity to the tree. However, Kentridge’s piece has unique horizontal background lines of words on the substrate of the paper creating a unique look.
Space is what helps to create a more realistic art piece and to help create the world of the piece. Most of the space within this painting is creating with the values. The space in the foreground is almost entirely dark values depicting the sense of space. This creates an illusion of distance going into the painting. Atmospheric perspective, a technique of making darker areas to show what is closer to help create a sense of space, is also highly used. In the lower left corner, the use of darker values around the roots and branches of the tree help to give an illusion of its realistic form. The select use of color has been applied within the upper right corner to show the bright sky is further within the distance behind all of the mountains and trees which were kept in darker, dreary colors. Overall, space gives the piece the end result of depth and different sections that are compared. However, Kentridge’s piece is different when viewing space. This piece has a lot more open white space, letting the rest of the piece be the focal point. Atmospheric perspective is once again used, darkening areas of the ground and select tree branches to bring them forward.
Value, the shades, and tones within a composition, is the main element used to help give this painting its look and emotion. The foreground consists of a majority of dark values of browns, greens, and blacks helping to bring the frontal features forward, but also while creating distance. The lighter values that are spread sporadically throughout the piece help to create focal points and give specific pieces a bit more distant. The light of the cave is used to bring a focal point, whereas the light values of the sky are used to create more depth. The dark value on the left side of the piece and the lighter values on the right side of the piece create a dynamic contrast from each other. Atmospheric perspective is another major part of the values. The use of the extremely dark values underneath certain areas and objects help to separate the overall darker areas and create more depth and dimension. Overall, value creates the forms of the objects and adds to the distance and special recognition. Kentridge chose to stick to a black and white art piece where the values are not as drastic. The darker values represent most of the scenery within the art piece creating noticeable contrast from the white background. Some lighter values of the background paper are left blank to create highlights within the ground.
The focal point and emphasis of this painting are very unique compared to other art pieces involving Adam and Eve. Normally, Adam and Eve are almost always made as the focal point of the art. However, Thomas Cole chose to not focus on them, but the surroundings. The sky and the light rays are the more prominent features that Cole chose to put into focus. Adam and Eve are basically hidden within the dark values in the rest of the painting. Someone could easily miss the two tiny figures within the world, making this painting highly contrasted to others involving Adam and Eve. Kentridge chose a simpler focal point that is more noticeable. The tree is illustrated as the major focal point. However, the words on the dictionary pages within the background as the substrate are left to create a unique, creative background behind the focal point. This gives the illusion that there is something else within the background and that it is not just an empty white space.
Work Cited:
“Biography of Thomas Cole.” Thomas Cole National Historic Site, thomascole.org/biography-of-thomas-cole/.
“Expulsion from the Garden of Eden (Cole).” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 27 May 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Expulsion_from_the_Garden_of_Eden_(Cole).
“Thomas Cole.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, 17 Sept. 2018, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Cole.
“Why Were Adam and Eve Banished from the Garden of Eden in the Bible?” The Muslim Debate Initiative, 7 June 2014, thedebateinitiative.com/2012/03/29/why-were-adam-and-eve-banished-from-the-garden-of-eden/.
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Drawing: Composition & Perception
Pregnant Pause by Anthony Goicolea The Major Organs and Vessels by Leonardo da Vinci
Collection: Pathetic Fallacy 2011 Pen and ink with brown and greenish wash, 30 X 16.5 Inches Graphite on Mylar over black chalk | 27.8 x 19.7 cm (sheet of paper)
Anthony Goicolea is a contemporary artist that I have seen quite active in recent years. His work is different from any other I have seen before. However, there is a slight feeling of familiarity in each of his works. Anthony Goicolea is a Cuban-American artist who is famous for his talented work in many areas, one of which is drawing. He comes from a family of immigrants who moved from Cuba to the United States in 1961, shortly after Castro rose to power. Ten years later, Anthony Goicolea was born in Atlanta, Georgia. After enjoying the arts in his younger days, Goicolea earned a B.A. in art history in 1992, and a B.F.A. in drawing and painting in 1994, both from the University of Georgia, Athens. He then continued to receive an M.F.A. in sculpture and photography, in 1997, from Pratt Institute of Art, in New York. Needless to say, Goicolea is a highly trained artist. Goicolea now lives in Brooklyn, NY where he continues to produce unique works of art (Goicolea).
Anthony Goicolea has been recognized in exhibitions throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia leading to his success as a contemporary artist. Goicolea’s late 90’s debut was a series of multiple provocative self-portrait images. Now working in a variety of media, including sculpture and video installations, black-and-white and color photography, and multi-layered drawings on Mylar, Goicolea creates intriguing works of art that grasp the attention of its viewers (Goicolea).
One piece of his, that caught my attention, is Pregnant Pause. Pregnant Pause is a high key graphite drawing on mylar depicting some sort of an animal, which I believe to be a dog, within a human figure. There is an internal cord that appears to resemble an umbilical cord that runs from the human's tongue and throat to a sack that holds the animal. A large portion of the drawing is a simple contour edge that implies the basic organic shape of the person’s body. There is very little detail within that section, the details come into effect at the person’s head and the animal within the body. This could be because the artist wanted to emphasize the importance of those features. The umbilical cord like feature in the drawing creates a curved line pulling the viewers’ eyes downward from to head of the human to the animal within the human’s body. The variation of line weight, texture, and direction of the lines keep the viewer’s eyes traveling throughout the piece. For example, the viewers’ attention is first focused on the busy linework of the hair but the vertical lines within the mouth begin to pull the attention of the viewer downward.
The drawing comes across as quite simple because there is a minimal composition in terms of space. The figure is placed in the center of the page. Foreshortening or any use of perspective is not used to create any depth within the environment of the drawing. However, this is a strong illusion of form when it comes to the human’s head. Highlights and shadows within the figure’s face and hair, created with a full value range, give the impression of a three-dimensional form. In addition, the overlapping of shapes in the throat creates a sense of going back into space. The use of shading in the drawing makes me think of a reverse chiaroscuro effect. The use of chiaroscuro was popular in paintings from the Italian Baroque Period where only parts of a figure were illuminated in highlights and the rest would fade into the darkness of the background. Here, Goicolea uses a similar effect, where only parts of the drawing are shaded in detail, and the rest fades into the lightness of the background, activating the negative space. Even though the figure is centered on the page, it is still a strong composition because of the way it activates the negative space and plays with the presence of shape.
The proper use of value adds the depiction of a light source in a drawing. The artist uses a full value range to create the illusion of light shining onto the human’s head of Goicolea’s drawing. By adding highlights and shadows, it becomes easier to see the form within the light. This piece is quite surreal, and by creating the illusion of multiple light sources adds to the sense of Surrealism. There seems to be a different light source shining directly on the front of the animal inside of the human. The use of value makes the drawing feel like two separate pieces, but the dark cord connects the two pieces. The dark values, or shades, draw the viewer's’ attention because it stands out in contrast to the bright mylar background.
Each of the previously mentioned elements of art adds to the overall balance and visual weight of the drawing as a whole. Balance, being one of the principles of art, focuses on the general composition of the drawing. The balance within this work is quite symmetric, meaning the visual weight is the same on either side, and there is also a formal balance if the drawing was to be split horizontally. The size of the shaded areas, the head, and animal is roughly the same scale which helps create the feeling of balance, however, the head is shaded much darker than the animal which makes it feel a little heavier, visually. Goicolea seems to be playing around with the idea of balance which, again, engages the viewer to continuously evaluate the drawing.
Contemporary artists consider many, if not all, of the formal elements of art that even classical and Renaissance artists took into consideration. For example, this drawing by Goicolea reminded me of one of Leonardo Da Vinci’s anatomy study drawings. Born April 15th, 1452, Leonardo Da Vinci was an artist in the Italian and High Renaissance. He mostly focused on drawing and painting, however, he was “one of the first men to adopt a scientific approach towards understanding the world and how we see it”(Artble). Da Vinci worked on a number of anatomical studies, before his death on May 2nd, 1519, to which a collection of sketching belongs to. Though his observations were not completely accurate, they are essential to the understanding of the human body.
One of his drawings, The Major Organs, and Vessels, showed a very similar use of the elements and principles of art, to that of Pregnant Pause, as well as similar compositions that made it easy to compare initially. For example, the line use of Da Vinci’s drawing creates more of a contour edge of the figure, making the drawing seem a little flat. In addition to the contour edge, there is a system of lines running throughout the body as vessels and veins. These lines take the viewer's eyes throughout the entire subject, engaging the viewer. The two pieces have similar, minimal compositions emphasizing the importance of the figure itself. These compositions leave a large portion of negative space, which is important in showing the shape of the figure. Da Vinci's drawing does not show any depth or perspective especially with the organs and vessels drawn on top of the human figure. However, the use of shading and darker values help the organs and vessels contrast from the human body. And finally, Da Vinci’s drawing has a similar sense of visual weight. The overall composition and use of value make the drawing feel very symmetrical and centered on the page. Much like Goicolea’s piece, if an imaginary line were to be drawn vertically through da Vinci’s drawing the two sides would have the same visual weight to them, meaning this drawing also has a formal balance to it. (Royal Collection Trust).
One of his drawings, The Major Organs, and Vessels, showed a very similar use of the elements and principles of art, to that of Pregnant Pause, as well as similar compositions that made it easy to compare initially. For example, the line use of Da Vinci’s drawing creates more of a contour edge of the figure, making the drawing seem a little flat. In addition to the contour edge, there is a system of lines running throughout the body as vessels and veins. These lines take the viewer's eyes throughout the entire subject, engaging the viewer. The two pieces have similar, minimal compositions emphasizing the importance of the figure itself. These compositions leave a large portion of negative space, which is important in showing the shape of the figure. Da Vinci's drawing does not show any depth or perspective especially with the organs and vessels drawn on top of the human figure. However, the use of shading and darker values help the organs and vessels contrast from the human body. And finally, Da Vinci’s drawing has a similar sense of visual weight. The overall composition and use of value make the drawing feel very symmetrical and centered on the page. Much like Goicolea’s piece, if an imaginary line were to be drawn vertically through da Vinci’s drawing the two sides would have the same visual weight to them, meaning this drawing also has a formal balance to it. (Royal Collection Trust).
After considering and understanding each of the formal elements of art it becomes easier to make connections and comparisons between the works, and any work for that matter. In each work of art, you can see, and understand the use of each element and how they impact the overall drawing.
Works Cited
Goicolea, Anthony. “PREGNANT PAUSE.” Anthony Goicolea, www.anthonygoicolea.com/albums/pathetic-fallacey-2011/content/pregnant-pause/.
Goicolea, Anthony. “BIOGRAPHY.” Anthony Goicolea, www.anthonygoicolea.com/pages/short-bio/.
“RCIN 912597 - The Major Organs and Vessels.” Royal Collection Trust, www.rct.uk/collection/themes/exhibitions/leonardo-da-vinci/the-queens-gallery-palace-of-holyroodhouse/the-major-organs-and-vessels.
“Leonardo Da Vinci.” Artble, 19 July 2017, www.artble.com/artists/leonardo_da_vinci.
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Crosby currently lives in California with her husband, Justin Crosby and their son, Jideora born in December 2017. Justin was born in Texas. He’s also an artist. She doesn’t like attention from others. She’s a shy and quiet person and doesn’t like the spotlight. One of Njideka Akunyili Crosby paintings is 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu, it was first shown in 2012. The painting consists of acrylic paint, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil and transfer on paper. The size is 84” × 105”. In it, She’s trying to show the challenges between the United States of America and Nigeria. She layered small photographic images into a collage. They are images from Nigerian magazines and she took some photographs herself. She also photocopied pictures of family wedding albums and magazines.
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Art is a way to express your feelings and it opens a door for your imagination. Njideka Akunyili Crosby was born in Nigeria in 1983. She was 16 years old when she left Nigeria to come to study biology at Swarthmore College in Pennsylvania. She also attended Yale and Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts to complete her MFA degree. In 2017 she was awarded a McArthur Genius Grant which is a $625,000 award that is given to those that have exceptional talent to be used for an investment in their future career. She was the recipient of the Canson Prize, The Studio Museum in Harlem’s Wein prize, The New Museum's Next Generation prize, and The Smithsonian American Art Museum's Contemporary Artist award. Her first solo gallery show was in Europe in 2016 at Victoria Miro Gallery in London. Her work is collected in private and public collections worldwide. Her paintings are becoming more expensive as the years go by. She combines paint, fabrics, acrylic and photographic images in her mixed media art.
Crosby currently lives in California with her husband, Justin Crosby and their son, Jideora born in December 2017. Justin was born in Texas. He’s also an artist. She doesn’t like attention from others. She’s a shy and quiet person and doesn’t like the spotlight. One of Njideka Akunyili Crosby paintings is 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu, it was first shown in 2012. The painting consists of acrylic paint, charcoal, pastel, colored pencil and transfer on paper. The size is 84” × 105”. In it, She’s trying to show the challenges between the United States of America and Nigeria. She layered small photographic images into a collage. They are images from Nigerian magazines and she took some photographs herself. She also photocopied pictures of family wedding albums and magazines.
Henri Rousseau was French. He was born on May 21, 1844, and died on September 2, 1910. He taught himself how to paint by copying paintings in art museums in Paris. Many of his paintings have human figures or wild animals in a jungle setting. He painted more than twenty-five jungle scenes. His portraits and landscapes look “childlike” because he wanted their style to be read. He got inspiration from museums, images in books or magazines. He would then take these inspirations and incorporate them into his own creative works.
The Dream is one of Henri Rousseau’s paintings. It was shown in 1910. It is made of oil paint on a canvas and measures 6′ 8½” x 9′ 9½”. This art piece was the last major work he completed before he died. It was exhibited at Salon des Independent's just a few months before his death. The Dream is one of the largest jungle paintings he created. It contains flowers, animals, a moon and a naked woman. Space is a very important element in art, and it helps to make an artist's talent stand out from other artists.
In both works, the negative space was used in a very creative way. The Dream doesn’t have much negative space compared to 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu but it does have a lot of positive figures. She fills the space up with her family members. Njideka family members seem to be comfortable and their posture seems to be relaxed. She filled the empty space with a collage of different photographs. Rouisseau’s The Dream has a lot of plants that are overlapping creating the illusion of space. 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu doesn’t seem as crowded. It seems like Crosby’s painting has an even amount of negative space and positive space. Both paintings use overlap by making an object or person seem closer or farther by their placement and size.
The value of both paintings is very different. The Dream uses a lot of dark value and the 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu uses dark and light values. The use of collage in her painting shows value by repetition. The use of the color in the man’s bright orange pants in the center of the painting and the boy’s shirt in the background brings focal points and make them stand out the most. This indicates that the man in the center of the painting seems to be the most important because of the color as we see him first. The man’s shirt appears to be darker at the top and light at the bottom creating a high contrast in value. The top half of the man’s shirt seems to be blending in with the collage outside of the window. In the foreground of The Dream, the artist uses lighter shades of green which slowly recede to darker shades of green in the background. He uses light colors on the flowers in order to make them advance spatially forward. He also uses a light color for the naked woman which grabs the viewers' attention due to the high contrast created by her light flesh on the red couch.
The lines on both paintings are moving in different directions. In The Dream, the lines are wider, and they appear to be going upward. When you start looking at the background the lines get smaller which also adds to the spatial depth atmospheric perspective. The lines in The Dream appear to be visually heavier. Rousseau used a different line color to outline the plants and objects which makes it advance forward for the person who is examining it. In 5 Umezebi St, New Haven, Enugu, the lines appear to be curved and in The Dream, the lines on the plants appear to be higher in contrast with pointed tips. Crosby’s lines on the wall collage show where one photograph starts and where other photographs end by the contrast of color.
The paintings by both Crosby and Rousseau’s have lots of textural differences. In Crosby’s painting, the texture is represented through layers of color. The collage on the wall and floor are overlapping. Also, the individuals in the crowded room are overlapping. The clothing colors on the individuals are smooth except for the blue jeans that the boy is wearing and the green curtains in the background. In Rousseau’s painting, the texture is represented by the thickness of the lines. The plant on the right corner seems to be sharp and rough and then the painting transition moves to a smooth texture. The texture on the woman’s hair makes the hair look like it’s braided. The lion's hair seems to be dotted to make its fur appear fuller and to give it actual texture as well.
Rousseau’s and Crosby’s painting each represent their own personal style. They both have their own unique techniques which make them stand out from each other. Their use of texture, space, value, and lines are used in various methods in their paintings. Their paintings represent the things that are meaningful to them.
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The 20th century is known as one of the most eventful periods for the history of art. It was the century of birth for abstraction and many radical movements that changed the art world. Some important and influential movements were Fauvism, Cubism, Surrealism, Dada, Abstract Impressionism, Minimalism, Conceptual Art, Pop Art and Neo-Expressionism. The Dada movement began during the first World War in February of 1916. Dada formed in Zurich, Switzerland in negative reaction to the horrors of the war (tate.org). The art is satire and nonsensical. The founder of Dada was Hugo Ball. Dada became an international movement that swept the earth with satirical art. After the war, Dada became the basis of surrealism in Paris.
Emmanuel Radnitzky was a prominent member of Dada in the 1920s. Radnitzky was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1890. He grew up with parents who were Russian-Jewish immigrants. Seven years later, his family settled in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NY where his family planned to stay. In school, Emmanuel would get picked on for being Jewish so their family decided to change their surname to Ray so they wouldn’t have to deal with the ethnic discrimination and anti-Semitism that their former last name gave them. Many people called Emmanuel “Manny,” which he would soon change to “Man,” making his signature name “Man Ray.” Man Ray grew up with a family of tailors, but he planned to reside and become an artist instead. He attended Brooklyn’s Boys’ High School for drafting and basic art techniques. He let down many scholarships to go to drafting school to become an architect and instead became a professional, full-time artist. In his art, he included mediums of tailoring in all of his work such as mannequins, flat irons, needles, pins, and fabric.
Man Ray’s early paintings were the start of Cubism. In 1921, Ray moved to Paris to pursue his art career since art wasn’t super popular in the United States. His painting, The Departure of Summer, was one of his first famous works that included Cubism. First, let’s talk about the linework. The linework is very two dimensional and the lines are implied. The shape of the piece is flat and doesn’t have very much dimension, depth is only shown through things that are supposed to be appearing further away, made smaller. The colors in this piece are dark hues of various colors. Color is made up of hue, value, and intensity. The value scale is mainly dark hues and limited because not much white is added to any of the colors. The intensity is faint and dull. There seems to be a lot going on in this piece, as the three figures are all in different positions with their arms intertwined. It has a sense of depth as the thing that appears to be further back are smaller than the figures, which are the focus.
Ian Ingram was born in Atlanta, Georgia in 1974. As I was researching him, I came across his page and realized he didn’t have much of a biography on there. It was around midnight and I figured, “Hm, maybe I’ll email him and ask him some questions.” I didn’t think much of it and I honestly didn’t think he would respond. I was contemplating using another artist, but I didn’t want to because I was instantly blown away by his artwork. The next morning, I received an email back from him and we kept in touch for a few days while I gathered together some questions, I wanted to ask him. He told me that he had always liked drawing, but he started taking it seriously at the end of high school and looked at what a college might be able to offer him, in the fine Arts department. He attended Massachusetts Institute of Design where he received his master's degree in Fine Arts. After college, he kept his life simple enough that he could keep his art at the center of his world. He told me that that was when he’d say he “became an artist.” He was sure that he wanted to make art his career because if he didn’t, he wouldn’t be able to grow as an artist as much as he felt he wanted to.
“A close friend chose to make his money elsewhere and keep his art untouched by money considerations, but I felt that I would lose my mind if I didn't get to bear down on art daily. I took my portfolio to gallery's in Atlanta and then in Santa Fe, and got laughed at and rejected like everyone does, so I decided to put on my own show in a building that used to be a clothing store but didn't have a current renter. I promoted my show with ugly little flyers and one collector came in and said it was all too expensive and he would buy two of the drawings if I would knock off 75 percent. I said "great" shook his hand and delivered the work to his house. Some gallerists saw the work in his house and took me on as a new artist” (Ingram, email, Nov. 11, 2018) .
Ingram mostly paints with oils on wooden panel; his work can be found in Austin, Texas. We talked about how art is magic. He told me, “There are times when I get to see great art that I have a mysterious unlocking and become flooded with emotions. It is magic. A bunch of colors smeared on a canvas that had been there 400 years reached out and smacked me around and left me woozy.” No smoke and mirrors, he was staring right at it, nothing to hide, and you have no idea how that happened. I want to know how that came to be. What happens backstage to make that possible. How do you bottle a miracle? His final message to me was, “Please don’t make art that’s “neato” and train your eyes not to be seduced so easily.” He really inspired me and ever since then, I feel like I’ve really improved in my artwork inside and outside of the classroom. I’m starting to train my eyes to see and not be so particular about things because that’s what makes art so beautiful.
Ingram’s piece, “Minotaur” is hyper-realistic, which is nothing like Man Ray’s Cubism. You can see every little detail...every pour, every line. Hyperrealism is a newer art movement that began in the early ‘70s. It got its name in 1973 when Belgian art dealer Isy Brachot made L’hyperréalisme. These artists were able—and continue—to achieve the illusion of sharp, high-definition photographs thanks to advancements in computers, digital imaging, and software, or they have an even more special skill, using their hands and mind to create these impressive paintings. The lines in Ingram’s piece are produced to imply three dimensions. The lines are ornate and implied. The shape of this piece is also three dimensional by allowing you to see what you would see if you were standing right in front of a person, as you’d be able to see their pours. The texture allows you to see the skin ‘moving’ as in it were a real person and not a sculpture. This piece is so realistic you can even see the reflection of himself in his eyes. The colors in this are cool tones, which are highly saturated purples, blues and greens.
The two artists, as you can tell are totally different and extremely talented in their own ways. Cubism and Hyperrealism are complete opposites. Cubism was popular in the early 20th century and was like an early form of abstract, while Hyperrealism is fairly new and it looks like you’re looking at a photograph. These two artists have greatly impacted me and have changed my perspective on the art world.
Sources
“Evidence.” Ian Ingram, www.ianingram.com/.
Tate. “Dada – Art Term.” Tate, Tate, www.tate.org.uk/art/art-terms/d/dada.
Britannica, The Editors of Encyclopaedia. “Man Ray.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 14 Nov. 2018, www.britannica.com/biography/Man-Ray.
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Man-Ray
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Color is also an important aspect of Crnjak’s piece in that it also creates contrast. Crnjak uses a complementary color scheme (orange and blue) to help do that. The difference of tone and in value of both colors is why the contrast between them work so well. The complementary color scheme helps add more interest and boldness to the overall piece. The two different values of the orange in the “pathway” also adds a lot of interest and depth to the piece. If the pathway was one shade of orange it would appear to be a bit flatter and a bit less interesting.
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Robin Rhode was born in Cape Town, South Africa, in 1976. He was and continues to be inspired by youth street culture and art history. Rhode does not only create drawings but also paintings, sculptures, photography, as well as films. In Rhode’s work, his “canvases” are often city walls. He creates uniform images and puts motion into them, and he then performs on his own artwork also taking photos with himself interacting with it. The creation of optical chronicles that he brings to existence by giving it meaning and purpose using day-to-day materials such as paint, charcoal, chalk, and soap. As Rhodes grew up in South Africa, he was open to the new elements of ‘creative expression’ which was influenced by ‘...the spirit of the individual rather than dictated by a political or social agenda’. Influences include movies, hip-hop and some of the most popular sports. Rhode’s art shows illusion, past and present references.
Some of his greatest achievements include graduating from the South African School of Film, Television, and Dramatic Art in 2000 and the Technikon Witwatersrand in 1998. His awards include the Zurich Art Prize in 2018; A.T. Kearney Young Artist Award in 2011; Illy Prize, at Art Brussels in 2007. He has had major exhibitions at Tel Aviv Museum of Art in 2017; Performa in 2015; National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia in 2013; Sydney Biennale in 2012; Los Angeles County Museum of Art in 2010; Hayward Gallery, London in 2008 etc. Robin Rhodes lives and works in both Berlin as well as Johannesburg, South Africa.
The piece I have chosen is, Piano Chair, 2011. In the drawing/ photograph titled, Piano Chair, by Robin Rhodes, he hits all the elements of art in many ways. All the lines in this drawing are intentional. Rhodes uses line to create the illusion of a simple but 3D (3 Dimensional) figure/ piano and chair. He uses thin lines for simple shapes to compose the overall piano and chair and uses thicker lines to show the direction in which the lines are moving in. There are lines where each object lines up and marks made by the artist create lines. This drawing mostly consists of flat shapes and though they are simple geometric shapes the viewer could still get the message. Although the shapes are flat, they also blend together to create a visual illusion. Rhodes left a lot of space in this piece because he typically interacts with his artwork after he completes one stage of it. The illusion of the drawing is 3D put the piece itself isn’t, but you can still interact with it in limited ways. Rhodes gives us an example of how we can interact with this specific piece. Pretending the drawing itself is 3D and giving the impression that he is interacting with real objects. Any texture that is part of Rhode’s piece is both visual and physical.
There is visual texture because the pieces falling from the piano. There is physical texture due to the canvas Rhode’s decided to work on. His canvas is an urban wall and these walls usually have a lot of physical texture. In this particular piece the physical texture around it works with his drawing. There are charcoal marks and smudging which looks smooth but could feel grainy. The colors that make up the piece are white, black with lighter shades to create gray and a red-orange tone. Some of the dark values are more pigmented than some of the marks. That is so to show intensity in the flames and to give it an ash mirage. Rhodes uses the light color of the wall to ‘paint’ the empty shapes that make up the piano. The red-orange tones are effective when trying to portray the idea of flames. Rhodes made this piece specifically slightly bigger compared to an actual chair and piano, but it doesn’t take up all the urban wall. Materials involved charcoal and Rhode’s can be a piece part of his drawing due to his interaction with his work. The chair seems visually heavier than most of the piano. Personally, the thickness of the lines show’s more visual weight than thinner and light-colored lines. The piano has a lot of lighter lines and so it seems visually lighter than the chair that sits next to it.
The focal point is the piano that is burning up into flames which I could assume is symbolic to the contemporary music taking over the youth so there is no use or appreciation for classical music. I believe the focal point is clear, but maybe the message isn’t as clear as it should be, but the piano on fire can have many messages and mean multiple things to other individuals. I do not notice an obvious repetition in Rhode’s drawing. But I see vertical/ diagonal lines on the top of piano, but there are not any other noticeable repetitions. Texture, line and space do work well next to each other. The texture of the wall helps the message of the drawing because of the cracks in the walls. The cracks in the wall helps with foreground and background because of how light or dark they are. Darker lines are closer than lighter crazy and that adds more of a dramatic tone to the piece all together. Also, the light and dark lines working with charcoal marks creates visual speed. For example, in the flames and the lines behind it gives an illusion that the piano is going up in flames quickly. I do not see many opposites; everything seems pretty much that same.
The image is especially important to our visual culture. The contemporary artist, Robin Rhode’s, speaks on important socioeconomics through many forms of expressionism making the subject more meaningful and heartfelt. It is significant because every problem that arises in our society impacts us all. I like Rhode’s drawing because he I love music and I love playing the piano, guitar etc. And to see a piano in flames speaks to me. Questions come up for me which is, why set a piano on fire? Is it a good or bad reason? The interaction with his piece makes this drawing/ photograph sincere.
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Throughout time, technology has been changing the ways we view certain aspects of our lives. However, I feel for most individuals there is a desire to step back and move away from the technology side of life and focus on natures side of life. Ann Diener is an artist who steps back and alters the way we view nature and how that perception can be changed in order to enhance a person’s experience with nature. All of her artwork is truly inspirational and helps the audience see everything in a new light. Ann Diener has been a professional artist for over 20 years now. She attended the University of California for all of her education all the way up to her Master’s. She has spent her career as an artist in California. This place has not only served as a spot for her artwork to thrive, but also where she gains a lot of inspiration. Using the world around her for inspiration Ann Diener has been “drawing the effects of water on land, depicting it in its many ramifications” (“Ann Diener”). This is important to understand when looking at Ann Diener’s artwork. She is not pulling certain scenes that she sees outside; however, she is viewing the world in a way that reflects the world around her. Her artwork has a nature-filled essence to it that she manages to depict in a way that is almost at a loss for words.
Ann Diener has been featured over 50 times in the last 19 years. Some galleries being at University of California, Bank Gallery in Los Angeles, and even Beta Main Museum. Her artwork is mainly drawing with lots of other techniques roped into it. Ann Diener will take a drawing and add water color or cut up pieces of paper to place over top of certain aspects of what she has already done. This is a technique that I find truly admirable because of the way she incorporates many aspects of art, while making beautiful masterpieces. Another admirable feature of Ann Diener is that she keeps her personal life separate from her work life. Even though lots of people would love to know their favorite artist on a personal level, when it comes to talking about who is she and what she does Ann Diener keeps herself professional at all cost. I believe that she does this, so her audience enjoys her artwork for what it is and not for who the person is.
This is where her artwork stands on its own. Her collection of Bourne is one of the many collections she has that focuses on the way in which different elements of life change the way we view the world around us. The collection sthowed up in 2011 and was worked on for over several years all depicting many various nature scenes that have been altered. “Bourne #1” was released in 2010 and is only 14 in. by 16 in., and the entire space is used wisely. Personally, every time I look at the drawing, I see a different scene taking place, or a different possible interpretation of what it could mean. I feel that this all comes down to the line of the drawing. In this drawing the line is never straight but always curved. There are parts of the drawing where the line seems as though it should be straight but there is a slight curve. This constant curve in the lines keeps the audience’s eyes constantly moving. Everything seems to be overlapping and connected using the lines and so your view is constantly pulled from one part of the drawing to the other. The line in this drawing seems to be free-flowing. The line being curved in a nature-filled scene gives the idea of a presence of wind. It feels as if the leaves are blowing in the wind and also that the entire image is being pulled to the center. The lines seem to curve into themselves and follow a pattern straight to the center of the image. Ann Diener even states that she “…depict changes to land through cultivation, industrialization, and natural forces” (“Ann Diener”). This leads the audience to believe that “Bourne #1” is being curved because of the way the wind is pushing the items around in the drawing. I believe that the constant curved lines keep the audience completely engaged in the artwork that is placed in front of them.
Which then leads to the way Ann Diener uses the shape of the swirl in the background to pull the audience in. None of the shapes in the drawing seem to be the same keeping the audience completely engaged in the image around them. The swirl also seems to be pulling the objects around it, into it. This also keeps the audience completely engaged. I think the artist did this in order to keep the artwork abstract. The way that nothing is in the same position. There seems to be a tree trunk in the upper left-hand corner of the drawing which usually a tree trunk would be at the bottom of the drawing. This leads there to be a sense of wonder as to what could be happening to pull a tree trunk away from the front and bottom to the top and floating. The artist wants her audience to question what is happening because she is challenging them to see the world in a different space. This different space also contains a change in size of the elements. Such as a leaf seems to be much bigger than a tree trunk. What is truly interesting, is that the objects that are swirling around are still in correct form. Nothing seems to be out of proportion, and everything seems to be holding true to the shape it would be. However, the objects are being pulled around and changed in order to challenge an audience’s view. These objects are heavy, such as a tree trunk. However, in this drawing the objects are floating and being pulled and seem to almost weigh nothing at all.
The texture of this drawing is solely implied because she used ink and graphite on paper. The way this drawing is placed together between the shape of objects and with the constant curve allows the plants to look real, like you could reach out and truly touch them. I think the leaves in this drawing are the most convincing. On the right-hand side there seems to be some bent over flowers and I feel as if I walked past them, I would be able to feel the flowers on my skin. On the bottom left there seems to be a leaf dangling. Even though this leaf has points it doesn’t show that it would be sharp. The implied texture is still soft with very angled edges. I think the way Ann Diener incorporates her lines and layers upon one another allow for the texture to grow. The background is a giant swirl however the implied texture is smooth. I am not sure if that is what Ann Diener was looking for however it seems that the plants have all the texture, but the background is smooth. This allows the plants and other objects to basically pop right out of the drawing and into the audience’s lap. You could almost reach out and grab everything out of the drawing besides the background. This smooth background allows the audience to stay engaged and keep them constantly looking at what is popping out.
This is all thanks to the way Ann Diener chose to shade her drawing. The center of the drawing is focused highly at pulling everything else in. Even though the swirl is smooth you can almost tell there is a movement between layers while the swirl stays in the most back of the drawing. This is because the middle of the swirl is pulling everything to it. There also seems to be a darker drawing of the contour lines allowing objects to overlap and become more prominent. I would say that everything is pulled from one side of the drawing to the other, but the audience always ends up coming back to the center of the drawing. At the bottom of the drawing there seems to be a black shadow or maybe an object. If you only look at the bottom of the drawing this object would pull the entire drawing down and ground it. However, there are darks all over the drawing and lights overlapping the darks. This allows for the image to seem like it is floating in space. This shading is what leads to creating a great amount of space. The whole drawing is floating in space. The center swirl being dark not only pulls everything in, but it also creates a constant movement in space. The center of the drawing seems to be the farthest point back in space. In the end the drawing is easy to move through and not completely flat thanks to the shading, creating a great illusion of space.
Overall, Ann Diener captures the audience’s attention with such an amazing piece of artwork. The line creates a constant movement, the shape seems to be proportionate but also very intriguing, allowing the texture to be very prominent, and the shading allows not only for engagement but also for constant movement through space. Ann Diener shows her talents by using not only ink, but also graphite, Prismacolor, and paper on paper using gouache. “Bourne #1” is just the start to an amazing and engaging collection that stands apart from the rest of Ann Diener’s other collections.
anndienerstudio.com/artworks/10
“Bourne #1”
Works Cited
Artworks, anndienerstudio.com/artworks/10.
“Ann Diener.” New American Paintings, 1 Jan. 1970,
www.newamericanpaintings.com/artists/ann-diener.
Diener, Ann. “ANN DIENER (@a_diener).” Twitter, Twitter, 19 Aug. 2018,
twitter.com/a_diener.
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Dragana Crnjak
Dragana Crnjak is a contemporary artist who is known for her illusion drawings that create a great sense of depth. Crnjak was born in Yugoslavia in 1977 and attended two art schools in Bosnia and Yugoslavia before she moved to the United States in 1997. She attended Myers School of Art in Ohio in 2002 and received her Bachelor’s in fine arts. Crnjak then attended Virginia Commonwealth University and then received her master’s in fine arts in 2004. She primarily focuses on paintings and drawings that are around 50 inches by 60 inches; she mostly uses charcoal, pastels, and acrylic paint to create her works. However, she also creates 3D wall sculptures. Crnjak is a recipient of Ohio Arts Council Individual Excellence Awards in visual art. Shortly later, she began teaching at the University of Virginia and The Cleveland Institute of Art. She is currently an associate professor at Youngstown State University teaching drawing and painting.
Crnjak’s painting titled “Drift”, is a 50 by 60-inch acrylic painting on canvas that was created in 2014. The use of line, shape, color, texture, and space are all used to create the final piece. In “Drift”, Crnjak’s use of line helps the viewers eyes move across the canvas. The orange lines that create the “pathway” in the piece, help one’s eyes start at the bottom of the piece to the middle where the orange lines end. The lines created by the dripping paint also help create movement. One’s eyes start near the top of the piece and then move downward to follow the end of the drip of paint. The yellow lines in the blue background help create a soft looking texture that appear to be like clouds. The orange lines are broader toward the bottom of the piece and get thinner as it moves toward the middle of the piece. Therefore, the lines appear to be more 3D and not flat.
The shapes in the foreground of the piece are more geometric, precise and straight (rectangular) where as to the shapes in the background are more curved and “soft” (ovular). Again, this helps to create a nice contrast in the piece as well as to help separate the foreground from background and create a greater sense of depth and dimension in the overall painting. The dark blue spots in the background appear to be shaped like birds and vary in sizes. When Crnjak uses the dark blue shapes, she does not make the shape super defined and I believe that is because Crnjak wants the viewer to interpret her work as they please.
Crnjak uses both implied and actual texture in her piece “drift”. The actual texture is the dripping paint used in the background of the piece. You can see where the dripping paint creates a bumpy texture because you can see where the acrylic paint pools in some spots in the painting which creates a raised bump. The implied texture used in the piece can also be found in the background. The watercolor-like effect in the background helps it to appear softer and cloud-like as opposed to the actual texture (the drippings of the acrylic paint). The use of both implied and actual texture appeal to not only sight but touch as well. The orange lines in the foreground and middle ground appear to be a sharp-like texture in contrast to the soft-like texture used in the background of the painting.
Space is one of the most important visual elements used in Crnjak’s piece because space is the element that helps create the 3D affect the most. Especially when Crnjak’s pieces are meant to create an illusion. The dark blue, bird-like spots on top of the lighter blue wash, vary in sizes and are placed in certain positions which help create the illusion of depth within the piece. For example, the smaller spots are placed more towards the top of the piece and the larger spots are more toward the bottom, so they appear to be closer and further from the viewers perspective. The smaller dots toward the top appear to be further where as to the larger spots toward the bottom of the piece appear to be closer. The same technique is used to create the 3D affect of the “pathway” (orange parallel lines). The lines start of thicker toward the bottom of the piece and become thinner slowly as they move toward the middle ground of the piece. The space that the “pathway” takes up and that the “sky” (light blue wash and yellow lines that create the clouds) takes up are almost divided in half which creates the appearance of the ground and sky accurately.
Works Cited
Paintings, www.draganacrnjak.com/WebSiteFiles/paintings.html.
“Dragana Crnjak.” YSU Arts, art.ysu.edu/dragana-crnjak/.