Art Review

Polidori depicts a very ornate white door with a security camera and a bright red box, which I am assuming is some type of fire alarm in his photograph “Security Camera and Boiserie Detail, Grand Cabinet de Madame Victoire, (54)”. It is unclear what that red box actually is, since the writing is not big enough to see. But that red box does matches red wire coming out of the security camera, with a black wire next to it. The camera is a light gray with a darker gray lenses, it points at a 45, give or take a few degrees, angle out from the all white walls. It juts out of the wall, on a white pedestal, next to what appears to be a thin piece of wood right in the corner. The only other color in the picture is that of the golden hinges, and the golden, what I think is a lock. Both of which are perpendicular. Everything else is backed by floral design, which constants with the very strict lines of the doors and walls. But the most action show up right near the camera. Where a cherub is encased in a floral pattern with fruits looking objects. The last object that saw was the oval door handle and keyhole that is not quite as bright as the hinges and lock. The wall and hinges and lock looks worn and of a style that is I find to be old fashion.

The focal points seems to be the camera and red box. The picture seems very still and private in a way. It doses not seem that the door will open anytime soon and that the camera is actually looking at something of extreme interesting, to that point that the camera is personified. I find that he gets that personified effect by the juxtaposition of the parallel lines, either horizontally or vertically and faded out design of background, and the 45 degree angle of a dark camera. But we know it not private since there is name tag like object near the door frame, which leads me to believe that this is public domain. The camera also juxtaposes, as a modern piece of technology, against the old fashion design of the walls. Then the two red objects, the wire and box, gives a boldness to the picture. I feel that it would be boring without that red box and wire. The door handle shows that what ever is happening in this room is happening by choice, since they are there by choice. Also since that door handle is oval, while very small and vaguely dull, gives an interest to that part of the picture.

For me the bright white box under the camera is distracting since it doesn't just fade into the background or stand out like the red box does. It is just seems to be there not really adding anything. In fact, I feel that it detracts from the sstringency of piece. 

Art Review

Robert Polidori, Salles d’Afrique, Portrait of Louis XVI by Callet #2, Chateau de Versailles (2007). Color Photograph.

This photograph shows a painted portrait of Louis XVI propped up against a wheeled trolley. This painting is placed in a wooden frame, and interestingly enough, the painting is laid horizontally in a clockwise manner on the trolley. In the background, there is an intersection between two walls – the paint on each wall seems to be decaying. There is another painting of what seems like either desert oasis/camp or Native American scenery, but this painting is displayed hung up on the right wall. The portrait of Louis XVI is positioned in front of this painting, however, and hides a large part of it from view within the photograph. The floor of the room seems to have a wooden finish, with rectangular panels arranged in an angular pattern. There is also what seems like rolled up paper lying horizontally on the ground towards the bottom left hand side of the photograph. It has to be said that there are almost no organic lines within this photograph. The photographer uses the overlap between the two paintings to create an illusion of depth. The intersection between the two walls in the background also contributes to this effect. The light in this photograph seems to be coming from the top left hand corner – this can be seen through the position of the shadows cast by the portrait. This seems to be a good position, as the photographed area as a whole seems decently lit. The use of color around the photograph is also interesting, as the room seems to consist of mostly cool colors. However, there is an object (probably a pillow) within the portrait, which seems to be the most warmly colored spot in the entire photograph, and jumps out towards the eye. The decay on the walls, as well as the rolled up paper on the ground (which could be another painting) suggests to me that the subject here is a room, which is being emptied, probably for renovation. Also, the horizontal placement of the portrait on the wheeled trolley suggests that it is about to be moved from its original position (its placement seems to be the most efficient way of placing it on the trolley). The positioning of the trolley and portrait at the forefront of the photograph suggests to me a potential for movement/action, which further supports my view that the painting is about to be moved out of the subject area, and that area is about to be cleared.

Alex Lundy - Formal Art Critique

Michael Brangoccio, Promise (1999).  Acrylic on Canvas (45.5” x 69.5”)

     Brangoccio’s large acrylic painting portrays five birds all either flying at what seems to be high rate of speed or standing around a birdhouse.  It is unclear whether the birds live in the birdhouse or if they are fleeing from it.  Rocks are positioned in the foreground of the painting.  Two mountains with some sort of body of water and several fruits (probably oranges by their spherical nature, their general color, and the stem) floating in it create the background.  On the left hand side of the painting, there are some unreadable characters which, though there is guarantee of their meaning, must be important to the meaning of the piece.  Across the vertical space to which the birdhouse is attached, the value of the hue changes from dark to light as the eye moves from left to right.  Is this the shadow of some unseen object or creature? Is it a shadow cast from a raincloud?  Or is it a figurative foreshadowing of events yet to come?

     The painting consists of a nice balance between blue and the cross-complementary hues of Red-Orange and Orange-Yellow.  All of the hues seem to have been fairly moderated in value which gives more of a sense of unity within the painting.  Although they are different hues, the artist dulls the painting decreasing its saturation.  I can’t help but feel that this approaches meaning through content in regards to temperature.  The cross-complementary scheme suggests warm and cool hues, but by decreasing the saturation, the once noticeably warm hues of Red-Orange and Orange-Yellow seem now to suggest life lived in the past but is now dying.

     There is some inconsistency as to where the action takes place.  If the eyes scan the painting from top to bottom, it looks like the birds and birdhouse are underwater.  If they scan from bottom to top, it seems as though there is a river in the background, starting in the mountains, which is going to become a waterfall over the ledge upon which the birdhouse is attached.  Each scenario brings about different results regarding content.  Perhaps the artist is suggesting a stray from what is real in life (if we think about the birds as being underwater).  Another possibility is the expectation of being delivered from the wasteland in which they are living, in other words, death sets them free.  In either case and in conjunction with the painting’s name, I feel that the content is expressing the hope and promise of new life.

     The location of the piece is on a long hallway wall.  The wall opposite the painting is a giant window, allowing natural light to flood onto the canvas.  This seems like a fitting place to exhibit the painting because it suggests that the birds in the piece are in their natural habitat, giving it a more realistic impression.

     For me, the most unresolved element of this painting is the location of the main action.  I feel like the artist did a poor job of demonstrating what exactly is happening and why the birds are so restless.  I would have liked to see this better represented for clarity purposes, but the painting itself is well-done.

Artwork Review

Anders Krisár, Flesh Clouds #1 (2003). C-print under glass mounted on MDP 

(Dimensions of piece are unavailable)

Andrew Krisár’s large C-print displays an open composition consisting of a grey brick-paved street (or alley?) that meets a brown brick wall (is it a building, a factory?) just below the middle of the length of the print.  In the center of the piece there is a translucent flesh-colored smear.  The street is paved with grey bricks of different level values -- some are lighter, close to white and some are darker, closer to charcoal.  The street appears antediluvian, as does the building.  The bricks are not evenly sized -- some are larger than others.  Also, the space between the bricks varies.  The bricks are at a marginal slant relative to the bottom of the page.  The crisp line, that runs the entire width of the page, where the street meets the building, is also slanted.

At the bottom of the wall there are two rows of bricks that are larger and differently colored than the rest of the bricks on the wall.  These bricks appear especially dirty.  They range from creamy white to dark black (depending upon the amount of soot it holds?).  The bricks above these two rows are all different shades of brown.  They range from bricks that resemble what present-day houses may be built with to dark brown, nearly black bricks.  The state of this wall suggests that it was built a long time ago.  The surface of the wall looks uneven, as a result of possible corroding of the bricks.

On the left side of the wall is a dark black square.  Is it a window? Is it a release valve for smoke from an oven?  Above the black square are three small (skinny but relatively long) indents in the wall.  It is unclear what these dashes are.  Perhaps openings in the wall?  Perhaps they use to serve a purpose but no longer do? Were they the result of a some accident or construction?   

The flesh-colored blur is the subject-matter of the this print.  It is directly centered in the middle of the piece.  The brightness of the cloud varies.  This variety of value causes the different colors to vibrate off each other.  This vibration makes it hard for the viewers eye to focus on the blur.  This element adds to the “out-of-focus-ness” of the blur.  The picture is situated in the hallway where people walk past every day (perhaps mimicking the movement of the cloud?).

The variety of brightness almost suggests an upward movement.  Is something evaporating?  Personally, the movement of this flesh-colored blur evokes an impression of souls of dead people floating upward (to heaven?) and thus, suggests to me that this piece is a metaphor for impermanence.  Moreover, that this wall has outlived many people who were at one point connected to it.  However, at some point, (or in the near future) this wall will subside as well.

The most irritating part of this piece to me is the austere contrast between the clarity of the wall and the blurriness of the fog.  This stark contrast makes the image appear manipulated and the blur entirely artificial.  A more gradual transition would give the piece greater genuineness.

Transparent Rectangles

Cassandra Miller '16

Alex Lundy - In Order: Open Comp, Closed Comp, Organic Grid, Grid, Transparent Rectangles

Transparent Rectrangle

Open Composition

Cassandra Miller '16

Closed Composition

Cassandra Miller '16

Flat Organic Grid

Cassandra Miller 16'

Flat Grid

Cassandra Miller '16

Closed Circle Comp

Open Circle Comp

Reggie Achromatic Grid

Reggie Organic Grid

Leitson: Grid, Organic Grid, Open and Closed Comp, Wire Photo Project, One-Point Perspective

Photoshop Grid in 5 values

Photoshop Organic Grid

 Photoshop Circle composition in 2 values- closed comp

Photoshop Circle composition in 2 values- open comp

Wire Project photo: Cropped, Levels adjusted, and color adjusted

Photoshop composition- one point perspective. Transparent rectangles

Art Review

Chuck Close, Lucas/Rug (1993). Silk with linen wrap (79"x66")

            Chuck Close's Lucas/Rug (1993) is a handmade rug woven with richly colored silk. It depicts a bearded man staring out at the viewer. While the piece looks fairly realistic from afar, up close, it is composed of hundreds of small circles of solid color. Most of these colors are fairly distinct, even from a distance, but at close range, the illusion of the face is lost and many colored circles take its place. This could perhaps be an attempt to create an organic interpretation of photographs composed of pixels -- small dots of solid color that, in mass, create the illusion of a smooth image. Is this perhaps a statement on photo-realism and how even photos have their own organic qualities? There is a concentration of saturated hues in the center of the rug. These gradually darken in value until the edges of the piece look nearly black. This, along with the illusion of lines radiating out of the central point of the piece draw focus to the point right between the man's eyes, so making his gaze that much more intense. The lines also draw his hair in a shock outwards all around his face, supplementing this intensity with action not unlike an explosion. These combined effects also create a strong sense of unity in the piece through radial balance. Even though the circular pieces are all seemingly random and diverse, they combine to create a coherent image and message. This could be interpreted as a comment on the complex nature of unity itself. Appearances are deceiving -- elements do not have to be clones to be coherent together. This effect is all the more impressive, as close inspection of the rug can feel quite chaotic and overwhelming. The man's gaze is piercing, almost daring the viewer to criticize his multitude of components. 

            The rug is hung frameless, complementing its free, tactile nature, in a large circular room with a lot of direct sunlight. The piece is textured and appears soft and cozy, contrasting with the intense image it portrays. The lighting adds warmth to the piece, and the large amount of open space in the room allows viewers to slowly approach the rug from afar in order to get the full effect of drawing towards its illusion. It is also very large, making it, in a sense, the focus of the entire room. It easily draws my attention whenever I enter the building.

-Tursman

Tina Chen's Organic Grid

Photoshop organic grid in 5 values with illusion of flatness

Organic Grid, Open Comp, Closed Comp, Grid, One Point Perspective

One-point Perspective

Tursman

Organic Grid

Tursman

Grid

Tursman

Closed Circle Comp

Tursman

Open Cirlce Comp

Tursman

Kelley Wire Bra

Tina Chen's grid in 5 values #2

Photoshop grid in 5 values with illusion of flatness

Tina Chen's grid in 5 values #1

Photoshop grid in 5 values with illusion of flatness

Tina Chen's open circle composition 2

Photoshop circle composition in 2 values-open comp

Tina Chen's open circle composition

Photoshop circle composition in 2 values-open comp

Tina Chen's closed circle composition

Photoshop circle composition in 2 values-closed comp

Artwork Review

William Kentridge, Walking Man (2000). Linocut on Canvas (99”x40”)

Kentridge’s large achromatic linocut depicts a (male?) figure with the head of a leafless tree walking (or perhaps stomping) across a very low horizon line. There is some sort of small human-made construction (exemplified by a electricity tower) placed in the bottom left of the composition and located on the horizon line. It is unclear what this construction might be- is it a town? Do people live here? The subject figure, or Walking Man is mostly black in value and creates the effect of a silhouette against the higher key sky. His diagonally leaning form create a strong compositional line that starts at the bottom left and extends to the top right. In the place of his head are a upward moving cluster of bare branches. Is he transforming and taking root? Is he some sort of legend? Action and design elements seem to be framed into space via a black border giving the piece a closed compositional feeling. The large expanse of the sky is created through variously spaced and sized horizontal lines- their proximity to each other creates some tonal effects, but clearly stay graphic. As the horizontal sky lines move up closer to the branches, they change direction and begin to frame in the branches. Are these leaves? The lines seem to suggest foliage, but compared to the stark black branches don’t seem to resolve into anything more than an eerie suggestion of chaotic movement. This piece is unified by continuation and repetition. The piece develops an interesting spatial tension, as the piece can be read in exaggerated perspective with the human-made construction in the distance or the feeling that it is about to be crushed under the boot of the Walking Man. I am leaning towards the exaggerated perspective read, because the figure doesn’t seem to have any signs of violence. So perhaps this distance is to emphasize a remoteness, or removal from society? I can’t help thinking that the content is related to the dichotomy of walking and taking root. In this context the endlessly walking figure must keep moving and I can’t help but to feel empathy for the effort.

The large vertical format of the piece is unusually tall, and suggests human proportions. Our reflections can also be seen in the protective Plexiglas frame, though I think this unintentional and simple the result of protecting and archiving the work. Placed in a narrow staircase the work can be seen from below and above, but is usually seen while walking up and down the stairs. Contextually this seems like an interesting location as the viewers participate in the witnessed action of the artwork.

The most unresolved element in the piece are the white lines on the interior of the Walking Man form. The lines seem to want to suggest a suit, or clothing, but fail to convince and instead become an abstract jumble of lines and dashes. They remind me of tailor’s marks on fabric. Perhaps meant to move the viewer’s eye to the figure, I can’t help but wish that these marks had been handled in a different way.

Open, Closed, Grid, Perspective and Organic Grid Compositions

Wire Laptop