DUE BY MONDAY @ MIDNIGHT
Update both blogs with seven new images each.
While the Book Covers are still fresh, lets choose your favorite, and FINISH IT. Take the advice of your peers and finalize them using those comments. Post it! I will crit them---you guys do not have to.
DUE TUESDAY @ MIDNIGHT
Watch these Art 21 Videos about the following photographers.
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/catherine-opie
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/robert-adams
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/florian-maier-aichen
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/collier-schorr
http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/cindy-sherman
Write a paragraph for EACH ARTIST discussing what you found interesting about their work. Feel free to discuss process as well as approach.
Catherine Opie – I really like the series she did on Lake Erie. The landscape is beautiful and the fact that she has pictures at the same place but at different times of day gives each pictures a very different feel. I can also feel how personal it was to her; even if I didn’t know they were taken in her hometown. I am not as fond of the portraits shown in the video. Personally, although some are striking, for the most part the background colors that she chooses do not please my eye. It makes some of the subjects look washed out. I also like that she explained for her sitting with the pictures doesn’t mean she sits for a look time staring at them. She usually takes just a few minutes to make the decision of pictures she is going to use, but then she leaves them up to make sure when she sees them 2 or 3 days in a row, they still pull her in.
ReplyDeleteRobert Adams – In general, black and white photos are my favorite. They just seem to show everything and make things that you don’t normally view as beauty, very beautiful. The pictures her took in Colorado are a good example of this. Track houses are not pretty. I have seen them in person and they are actually a little depressing, but when he takes the photo in black in white, it brings them alive and makes me see them in an entirely different way. His deforestation pictures show the destruction in a way that is really in your face. The black and white allows your eye to focus on every root, dirt pile, and dead branch.
ReplyDeleteFlorian Maier-Aichen – He really seems to like to bring in the abstract in his work. The tri-color photography was really pretty. The idea that you are combining 3 black and white pictures to make such a colorful picture is really interesting. I was also intrigues by the pinks and purples in the picture, which he explains as, when something moves such as a cloud it is not in the same place for all 3 pictures so only one of the filters will pick it up, making the different colors that you would not expect while using a filters that are blue, green, and red. I also liked that he explained some of the reason he has for the size of the picture and at what level it is hung. I never really thought of placement as a part of the photo, but at least for him it seems to be a big part of it.
ReplyDeleteCollier Schorr – I was really impressed that when she took the pictures of the wrestlers, that she took the time to learn about wrestling. The pictures would probably not have been so interesting if she did not understand the sport before she shot them. The “Helga” pictures where she used a boy in the same poses, as a woman, I did not really understand. It was just someone she put in the same poses, they did not make me want to look, nor did they interest or intrigue me. The German family that she sot photos of every summer for years, I found very interesting. I wanted to see how they had changed. The army uniforms on the children are striking. You don’t normally think of children when you think of army uniforms, so it gives a very different perspective to the photos, than a picture of an adult in the same uniform or the same pose.
ReplyDeleteCindy Sherman – She used herself as the model, using costumes, make-up and wigs to change her appearance. No two characters look the same; you can’t tell that they are pictures of the same person. I also found it very interesting that she took the pictures in from of a green screen and then took the background as completely separate pictures, then putting them together. The clown pictures were very captivating. Some of the clowns were cute and some kind of scary and that was brought to life in her pictures. The movie characters that she shot, were very realistic, they look like it was a still shot from an actual move that I may have seen. The emotion she caught in the faces of the character really brought the photos to life and made me feel like I wanted to know the story. I also think the sense of humor she adds to some of her photos is fun, such as, the big toes sticking out from under the dress of a beautiful woman, or the big nose on the face of small features. The humor is not right in your face but very subtle and in some of the picture you could miss if you were looking closely.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Opie
ReplyDeleteAfter viewing the video about Catherine Opie, I think her body of work is quite interesting. As she says in the video, she is trying to capture the American landscape in terms of identity. In my opinion, she has succeeded in this goal. By landscape, she isn’t just referring to the natural landscape, but also to human society as captured in both routine and exciting times. She will capture images of a protest for gay rights as well as something simple and routine like a shopkeeper. I think this is a good way to honestly show what life in America is about. From the outside, especially as seen through the media, often times you only see the really exciting events which may lead you to believe that this is what all of America is like, but in reality, this is just an illusion. As far as her composition, I think most were work is well balanced and showed a strong grasp of her skill to use photography as an art form.
Robert Adams
ReplyDeleteRobert Adams work is very aesthetically pleasing. I particularly like his photos that focus more on the beauty of nature. It seems that a large part of his career has been based on photographing environmental degradation due to human expansion. I think this is a noble cause, but for some reason, these images just don’t speak to me as much. For me, art is a form of escapism. As such, I think a photo of urban sprawl might contain too much of a predefined narrative. On the other hand, a photo of the ocean’s surface, if composed properly, could tell one of many stories, depending on the mood the viewer is in.
Florian Maier-Aichen
ReplyDeleteOf all the photographers I have looked at so far today, I think that Floriain Mair-Aichen’s have probably been the most interesting to me. His work is more abstract and experimental by nature. He attempts to recreate old images, but adds his own take on the composition. He uses imagery that might not otherwise be viewed as artistic, such as aerial photography. He also experiments with techniques that might not be the most appealing to most people, but create areas of interest in the photos that wouldn’t otherwise exist. One thing I was surprised about was how readily he manipulates most of his photos. And when I say manipulates, I don’t just mean color correction, I’m talking about heavy subject matter manipulation. I’m sure there are some who would look down on this, but I think it works fine in his case.
Collier Schorr
ReplyDeleteI think Collier Schorr’s work is an interesting project, but it seems more like a social science study than a body of art. That’s not to say that her work isn’t art, but her whole concept seems to be documenting the development of sexuality in adolescence in an attempt to understand why people are different than each other. She shoots in a documentary style similar to that of a war photographer. She gets down on the ground with the troops and shoots the action as it takes place. She captures the glory, the pain, the despair, etc. She seems very good at capturing a particular moment when someone lets their guard down and shows their emotional state.
Cindy Sherman
ReplyDeleteCindy Sherman has created a very unique style of self photography. I find it interesting that she seems to do everything entirely on her own. She does her own makeup, photography, editing, etc. As someone going for a grip and grin style of portrait photography, I think she succeeds in her mission. Her composition seems very good. I personally wouldn’t want her work in my home; it seems a little freaky.
Catherine Opie.
ReplyDeleteCatherine Opie has a wide medium. She photographs people, landscapes and random objects. Which is quite interesting as many photographers i have known stick to one subject. I really like the series she did with the seasons at lake erie. She uses the same spot for a few of her photos. She even comments on how she loves it when a viewer notices that and can tell that its the same spot. She tires to capture time in photos as well. She uses her friends dressed in different ways to depict a certain time.
Robert Adams.
ReplyDeleteRobert Adams takes some beautiful black and white photography. His subect s mostly landscapes and he almost gives them a story book quality. He says that the best way to photograph is to find the balanced frame where everything fits. and that its not the same as real life, its life seen better. Which I think he definitely accomplishes. His photos take the ordinary of the western feel and makes them beautiful.
Florian Maier-Aichen
ReplyDeleteHe is without a doubt probably the one who spends the most time on his photos. He says sometimes it takes months to manipulate his photographs. That kind of just blows me away. I really like the fact that he tries to recreate old photos. For me it feels like when you do something like that, you make the image timeless. Like, its still there after all these years. I also like the way he uses filters, though it is not my thing, he really does a good job of using it to make the image com to life.
Catherine Opie
ReplyDeleteWhat I really admire about her landscapes is her attention to detail. She spends countless hours creating a work that only the detail oriented viewers will find. Opie completely counteracts the pure beauty of her landscapes with her...portraits. By going out of her way to create a photograph that is odd and almost painful to look at, she addresses gender roles and beauty standards. Her body of work is so eclectic that it's hard to categorize her style, which i think adds to her "don't define me" message in her photographs.
Robert Adams
ReplyDeleteAdams is a master of communicating a human-based message with minimal use of the human figure in his works. Through his landscapes, he shows that he can encounter a scene, draw out it's human emotion, and capture the scene in such a way that the emotion is felt. This photographer truly knows how to work the negative space, especially in his Back West series. Those are my favorite photographs- they're the most powerful and dramatic. Plus, they communicate his appreciation for wide, open spaces.
Florian Maier-Aichen
ReplyDeleteFlorian knows how to push his digital images to the limit for sure. His fanciful landscapes are immediately known to be fabricated, but his process renders a close to believable alternate universe of sorts. His landscapes are more than vibrant, they're electric with colors that sit in opposition to one another. Blending the old way of photography with new processes is truly modern and displays his control of the medium.
Collier Schorr
ReplyDeleteThough Art 21 displays her as a photographer, Schorr is obviously more interested in using photography to learn, observe, and make social statements. Much of her work investigates human perception of gender, which is a topic she could ride on for the rest of her career. The wrestlers are photographed with a harsh flash and intentional grain, really creating a documentary style to support her investigation of wrestling.
Cindy Sherman
ReplyDeleteI've always had an art crush on Cindy Sherman's self portraits. She's truly one of the best actresses in the photography world. Her latest work in the opening scene is stunning; so reminiscent of the large wall paintings commissioned by royalty and the rich. Her clown pictures are my least favorite. Her earliest black and white photographs are my absolute favorite- more specifically the character in the kitchen and the character sitting in front of the window. The collection of wigs and props she's acquired over the years is larger than I had ever imagined. Her work is by far my favorite out of the five artists, simply because she's committed to knowing her character, and being the best at what she does.
Collier Schorr.
ReplyDeleteShe was a little odd for my taste. I felt like her whole purpose was to show gay sexuality and cross dressing a little bit. I thought the series fo the wrestlers was pretty interesting. She describes it well she says no one thinks about wrestling and the relationships between the wrestlers. I hadnt thought of that either and I really liked the concept. However, as a whole, I'm just not sure how i feel about her work. She is talented but I'm not sure its my cup of tea.
Cindy Sherman,
ReplyDeleteShe is very creative with her self portraits. I like the fact that she does everything herself. I wish I was that talented wit a make-up brush. She does well with her compositions too. I really liked her black and whites. However there are some that are a little much for me. She does a great job of putting two photos together to make one image. Over all i liked her work.
(1)
ReplyDeleteCatherine Opie's interest in time, change, and American identities is well expressed in several differing bodies of work. I am particularly taken with her portrait series. The colorful backgrounds call attention the even more colorful characters Opie chooses for subjects. They possess an illustrative quality that begs one to question their reality as people.
(2)
Robert Adams searches for the glorious, surrounded by the desperately broken “in the same frame” as he puts it. For him, the balance is an important struggle between what remains strong and the things he's finds broken. What I find most interesting about his work is his compulsion to submit himself to as well as capture the images of the sublime. Despite the heaviness of his work, he works simply with his wife as his editor, which I imagine is a welcome reprieve from his ominous subjects.
(3)
Florian Maier-Aichen takes ques from the past by reconstructing the idealized images of vintage post cards. Although his somewhat nostalgic, romantic photographs come from real places, it is his post-process editing that pushes them into the realm of the abstracted, the illustrated, the imagined. Florian is dedicated to “preserving artistry”; I find this goal most attractive about his work. Florian makes it a point to draw, add fictional elements, make them look raw in order to avoid “satisfaction with photography as an end product”. He instead uses it as a tool to create what one might say is an alternative painting.
(4)
Collier Schorr uses photography to document and observe competition between similar peoples, particularly the young men of her high-school wrestling team. Her vision captures what she calls a “tribe” of “twins”. Schorr takes care to note their bodies, hair cuts, facial structures exude a beautiful sameness like leaves on branches. They belong together, even practice together in a set, yet devote their collective time to a partnerless sport. Her work, like Opie's, investigates identity and archetype. Schorr's focal point rests mainly on gender – precisely masculinity. Her photographs make still the fleeting moments of young men lingering on the edge of their boyish, youthful androgyny before leaping headlong into adulthood. For this reason, her work felt ethereal and familiar to me like figure drawing from a model.
(5)
Cindy Sherman dons the identity of others by turning them into costumes. One could hardly call them self-portraits; her face, her expression, even her body, is often lost in the images. Instead, she is a clown, an old woman, film starlets, anything but herself. All her images remain untitled to allow their characters to title themselves. She's convincing; so much so, that a series of human looking still-lives (dolls, mask) some how continue to suggest her presence. Sherman's make up combined with her wardrobe does a certain kind of acting for her. Her stills easily throw a “movie-magic” filter over perception that I find spell-binding.
Catherine Opie:
ReplyDeleteSome of her work was a little odd for my taste, but interesting nonetheless. Some of her portraits were very surreal but very much captured how people are when on their own time and not necessarily in a public setting. I particularly liked her connection between the surfers and the fishing houses both in a waiting game. I also enjoyed the Lake Eerie photos, showing the footprints of the same place at different times, showing time on multiple levels. Connecting to her work on a personal level really allows the viewer to empathize and feel the same way. The city photos are stunning. I like that it focuses on the architecture, but I do like that her later photos show the landscape that says more about the human experience.
Robert Adams:
Some of his images of the suburbs around the city are amazing. I appreciate that he doesn't show just a beautiful cliche'd landscape to document the West. He documents a new type of West with all its grandeur and errors. Some of his work seems depressing but also catches your attention. The fact that he only photographs in black and white really ads to the emotion of each piece. He clearly dedicates a lot of time to each of his photos, and it shows the interesting connection between humans and nature.
Florian Maier-Aichen:
Firstly I appreciate how much he spends working on his pictures and how much he thinks about it before hand. The image of the lake and city is beautiful. The clouds and mountains made up of three exposures are so interesting to look at. I like how detail oriented his work it and how much he experiments with abstract qualities to make such amazing scenes. His images like the one at Glacier Point was such a unique photo. His digital manipulation allows him to create such amazing utopias with an ominous feel.
Collier Schorr:
The images of the wrestling teams were very interesting. Being a former wrestler I appreciated how she displayed the team synchronization and how people form into social tribes. I really like how she challenges the typical ideologies of gender and demonstrates the androgynous nature of many individuals. She exhibits humans when the are weak and vulnerable and on that level it speaks so much about who a person really is underneath. I also like how she does this by showing people many times caught off guard.
Cindy Sherman:
She had some really bizarre photos, especially the ones of the clowns. I like how in a way she make light of the arbitrary nature of our contemporary beautification practices and how they could be so much different. She really shows what is often the depressing nature of growing old and into a different person. She certainly focuses on interesting moods and eliciting odd emotions. Much of her work is definitely surreal and takes a minute to take it and figure out what you're seeing.