Photography Research

 

Sally Mann

 

 

This photograph is taken from Mann's 'Immediate Family' series. In this series, Mann photographed her children whilst on holiday. Many of the images focused on her children, naked, which sparked some controversy. I particularly like this photograph because of the stance of the young girl. She looks very vulnerable and innocent, and her youthfulness is emphasised by the plaits in her hair; I really like this detail. She is also looking away from the camera, and so I feel that she may be shy and feel uncomfortable about having her photograph taken. The contrast between the dark and out of focus background, and the sharp, white figure is also effective.

 

 

Sarah Moon

 

 

I really enjoy Moon's distinctive style of photography. Her photographs are very out of focus, creating a dreamy, romantic feel. This also means that the figures used in her photos are often difficult to identify, giving them a sense of mystery. I also love how she uses blocks of bright, strong colour alongside very large areas of monochrome, making her work very eye catching.

 

 

Paulo Roversi

 

 

I was instantly drawn to this photograph because of the models piercing eyes, looking straight at the viewer. Roversi has made the eyes the main focus of the image by making the rest of the photo very soft and dark in comparison. The model looks very innocent and insecure, and is giving the viewer a wild stare. This, alongside her messy hair, gives the photograph a very haunting feel.



'Walking' Artists

As part of our Fine Art block, we were asked to research artists that use walking in their practise.

Richard Long

 

I love the simplicity of many of Long's works. To create his work, Long goes on epic walks, mostly in remote areas of the world, and makes small and simple sculptures from the materials that surround him. The isolation of the walks Long takes are reflected in his work, as it is often a small sculpture situated in an empty, vast landscape. I love the calm atmosphere created by Long's work, and how his sculptures make little impact on the environment.

 

Francis Alys

 

Alys has made various videos that are based around the activity of walking. My favourites of these were the 'Railings' series, where Alys was filmed walking around the streets of London, dragging a stick along any railings he came across. I found watching and listening to these videos surprisingly peaceful. I like how as the videos progress, Alys starts to develop the sounds he creates and become more adventurous. I also find these videos quite fun and playful.

 

View one of his videos here:  http://www.francisalys.com/public/railingsii.html

 

 

Vito Acconci

 

 

Every day for a month, Acconci followed a random person around the streets of New York for as long as he could until they entered a private interior. He then recorded his activity to create 'Following Piece.' I find this work really interesting, as Acconci is making artwork from his activity rather than creating something. It is also quite humorous but also sinister, the idea of following someone for as long as you can.



Experimental Drawing

Matthew Harris

Harris is a textile artist that experiments with textures and mark making. I love how he marks his paper to give it a worn feel and uses a very neutral and limited colour pallet. The way Harris overlaps paper and uses mainly square shapes creates both simple and interesting compositions.

 

Julie Mehretu

 

Mehretu uses multiple marks and shapes to create layered and visually interesting and very abstract pieces of work. To me, her paintings look as if they are an image of the inside of someone's mind, as they often look chaotic and full of contrasting shapes and angles. Mehretu is inspired by cities and towns but she also says that they represent a imagined reality.

 

 

 

Hannelore Baron

Baron works mainly using material and paper to create small collages. Baron escaped the Holocaust as a child and she says that her work is influenced by the 'human condition.' She works using scraps of fabric, paper and wood, as used material has more emotion, as it has been used, loved or thrown away. I love that although Baron's work is abstract, it still has a very personal and delicate feel.

'Transform' Fine Artists

Sarah Sze

Whilst researching Sze's work, I realised that back in 2009 I has actually seen an exhibition of hers, 'Tilting Planet' at the BALTIC in Gateshead. I remember really enjoying the exhibition, despite only being fourteen at the time, as it was very playful and fun.
Sze uses everyday objects to create wonderfully complex structures, that sometimes, from a distance look like miniature towns or buildings. She makes the viewer see objects she has used in a different way to what their everyday purpose is. I love how she has contrasted both repeated pattern and randomly placed objects in her work, and how some areas of the spaces used are immensely detailed whereas other spaces have very little in them.

 

Aselm Keifer 

 

Keifer is a German painter and sculptor and uses very textural materials, such as clay and ash, in his work. His work is strongly influenced by Nazi history. 'Tempelhof' is painted using oil, acrylic, terracotta and salt. I was drawn to this painting because of the haunting nature of it. The colour pallet is mainly light grey colours, which then contrast with the white light coming through the large windows of the empty hall, which is very atmospheric. The surface of the canvas is very textured and looks as aged and weathered, which I love. The condition of the surface of the painting suggests that the hall too is derelict.

 

Peter Doig

 

I love the rich and warm colours used in Doig's paintings, and how he translates a landscape into his own painting. At first, you fail to notice the yellow figure of a snowboarder mid air in 'Orange Sunshine.' I also like the marbled affect of the yellow and blue of the sky, and how the splatterings of white represent the snowfall. Although the image is a snow scene, the colour pallet is very warm, with reds and oranges, which seems unusual considering that you imagine the snow to be very cold. However, I find this works very well.

2D Design Area Review

I have enjoyed working in the area of 2D design. It has allowed me to see how this area is present in everyday life, for example on packaging, the images, colours, type and composition have all been created and put together by 2D designers.
I have found the different was of drawing that we have learnt (continuous line, left handed and blind drawing) really useful, and will definitely use these methods more to help me generate ideas. 
Looking at the different ways that illustrators work, and the medians that they use was really inspiring, especially how they used found images to create a whole new piece of artwork.

 

 

Above are some collages I made when experimenting with found image and different paper materials.

'Once Upon a Time'

Whilst looking through 2D design magazines I came across a very interesting article named 'Once Upon a Time' in the Creative Review. It focused on the 'Memory Palace' exhibition at the V&A,  displaying illustration and graphic design work . The curators of the exhibition felt that 2D design often isn't represented how it should be when in a gallery, for example behind a Perspex case. Instead, they had the idea of commissioning a piece of fiction, and then allowing illustrators and graphic designers to interpret a section of the story.

The pieces created for the exhibition are exciting and diverse, and represent the expansive field of 2D design as it is today - through drawing, video and installation. Having never been to a graphic design or illustration exhibition before, I found this article fascinating. The idea of creating a 'walk-in' story is clever and allows the artwork to be accessible to all and interpreted differently by each visitor.

Visual Communication & Textiles Research

Four disciplines within 2D design are Illustration, Graphic Design, Textiles and Animation.
We have been asked to research some artists that work within these areas.

Stefan Sagmeister - Graphic Designer & Typographer

'Things I have learned in my life so far'

The above piece of work is a book written and designed by Sagmeister. It contains 15 different covers that can be placed behind the cut out image of Sagmeister, changing the overall front cover. I think this idea is very clever as when you are changing the image, you are not only altering the designer's appearance, but the images can also be making reference to Sagmeister's personality or mood. It also allows the audience to interact with the work and has an aspect of fun, which I like.

Noma Bar - Graphic Designer

Bar uses simple shapes, bright colours and negative space to create very clever and fun images. When looking at his work, you first see a number of shapes, which you then realise have been put together to create a whole image. One of his pieces that I particularly enjoyed is 'Birdland' (above). At first, it looks like someone hand picking a desert island, but is also a tropical bird. I also love the bright colours used. It is amazing how Bar is able to communicate so easily with the viewer having only used a small selection of shapes.
Another one of Bar's works that interested me was 'Green Entrepreneurs.' The industrial chimney emitting green smoke also represents a tree. This could be making reference to how the burning of fossil fuels is destroying our planet and all it's nature. however, the title of the piece also suggests that a number of entrepreneurs are attempting to create energy without using natural resources or destroying our environment, and so are protecting, or 'growing' trees; hence why the tree is also growing from the chimney.

Matthew Williamson - Textile & Surface Pattern Designer

Williamson designs patterns for clothing, wallpaper and furniture. Many of his designs include flowers and nature. I really like the pattern on the left because of the beautiful detail in the leaves and birds. It has a very linear theme, and the birds look as if they are falling or gliding through the plants.
 
The pale colour scheme also works very well. The aqua green/blue of the leaves and the bright pinks and purples of the birds complement each other nicely, and stand out against the pale gold coloured background.
 
 
 
 
 

Timorous Beasties - Textiles & Surface Pattern Design Company
 
The patterns designed by Timorous Beasties have a very Victorian and Royal feel to them, as the patterns are often immensely detailed. Many of their designs are inspired by a historical figure or theme. For example, 'Opera Botanica' is part of the 'Darwin' series. The flowers are drawn in the style of flowers in a botanical observation book, and I love the aged feel this gives. The colours of the design are very rich and dark, making the pattern very warm.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Sara Fanelli - Illustrator

 

 
Fanelli is an illustrator who does commissioned work and also writes and illustrates children's books. She has a very distinctive style, creating amusing and playful images with a childlike, scratchy drawing style and sometimes collage.
 
In the illustration above Fanelli has uses a warm colour pallet and images of eyes to make a very amusing looking monster. The different expressions of the eyes and the tiny pairs of glasses that the monster clearly cannot use make this piece humorous and light hearted. I love how Fanelli uses a wide range of media in her work to make it very visually interesting for children and adults alike.
 
I also love Fanelli's use of font. In her illustrations the text looks handwritten and scrawls across the page and becomes part of the image itself, and you can almost imagine a child saying the phrases when reading them.

Olivier Kugler - Illustrator

 
Kugler is a 'reportage' illustrator, meaning his work is based on the places he has visited and the people he has met, and reporting on events he has witnessed through drawing. I find his work fascinating as not only has he developed a wonderful style of illustration, but his pieces are also informative and carry a lot of meaning. I like this as it means his work is more than just aesthetically pleasing, and so challenges the viewer more.
 
 Kugler uses overlapping line drawings and colours to create a very visually interesting and layered final image. This also adds movement, as if Kugler has really captured an event or scene in time.

Wearable Connection Piece

In pairs, we were given the task of designing a tubular structure that could connect two people together at a certain part of the body.
Although I found working with wire challenging, my partner and I decided to use wire and tissue paper to create a shawl like construction that could be worn around the shoulders of both of us at the same time.

We were very pleased with the outcome as I love the abstract shapes produced by the pieces of wire. The image above shows how our finished was intended to wear. We also experimented with other ways our construction could be work around the body of just one person, which I personally think looked better then our original idea. I also find the shadows created by the structure when light is shone on them really interesting.