THEME 1 – Return to Water: Everywhere we turn there is water. The land and our lives flow with it – reflected in memory, perceptions, experiences, and relationships with the water that surrounds and permeates everything in our world. We now find ourselves living within the realities of an endemic and with a heightened awareness of the realities our world is faced with. When we take time to listen to these bodies of water, what do we learn? And what can we give back? – Fathom Sounds Artist Collective
When we where given this assignment of choice I thought of two ideas, one was to capture images similar to the reflection photo’s of the building in Vancouver. The other was an idea that has been brewing in my mind for half a year, the anticipated anxiety that COVID-19 causes and how we hide that stress behind our masks. I then set out to explore Abstract Photography and found many artists of interest. Edward Weston, US photographer of the mid 1900, I found created intriguing abstract still life. As I see art and creativities beauty in the simple things like weeds poking through pavement, or vine on a chain-link fence and ice covering a puddle; Weston too saw the beauty in everyday objects. His abstract photograph Cabbage Leaf, and Riverbed I find spellbinding.
I then set out to explore Abstract Photography and found many artists of interest. Edward Weston, US photographer of the mid 1900, I found created intriguing abstract still life. As I see art and creativities beauty in the simple things like weeds poking through pavement, or vine on a chain-link fence and ice covering a puddle; Weston too saw the beauty in everyday objects. His abstract photograph Cabbage Leaf, and Riverbed I find spellbinding.
http://art.com Skytrain abstract 1/ Colin Knowles Colin Knowles the Vancouver software developer and photographer also creates fantastic abstract images by capturing portions of specific scenes and objects. Producing the idea of atmosphere or energy or perhaps both. His photo Skytrain is full of energy that I fell pulls me in with gravity.
Abstract Exploration: #1
It was about five years ago while on a family trip in Vancouver we stayed in a nice Hotel. The name of it escapes me. Our room was quit high up, I’m not sure how many floors. Amongst all the family hullabaloo I took a break and chanced to look out the hotel window. What a marvelous sight I saw. I stood mesmerised by the glow and ripples on the buildings walls directly across form me. I did not have my camera with me but I did have my phone so I took these pictures to capture the memory. With the intention to use as inspiration for abstract painting in the future.
Ribbons Fold 8×10
Puddle Study #1 8×10 or What light Shines Through 8X10
Puddle Study #2 or A Flower Frozen reversed image 8 x10
Abstract Exploration:#2
Our face to face communications allow us to perceive thought and feelings. So much is expressed in the way a person holds their body and in the way the lips and eyes move when speaking. The human face is so expressive and so much of the nuances of those expression is lost when shrouded by a mask. Â
For the past year we have all lived with the anticipated anxiety of the impending doom of COVID-19. We have, in our own ways managed the stress. Yet the mask muzzles our ability to express our coping.
This COVID-19 Can Fuck Right Off 5X8I miss you 8 X 5Hey, Hi! 8 X 5 Well… What I Really Think…. 8 X 5Not Another One 8 X 5
I appreciate what artist and architect Hiroshi Sugimoto said about natural light and his use of it when working on compositions, (from the assigned class videos). When I researched Hiroshi further, I found his work focusses on the briefness of life and the engagement between life and death, I felt inspired to continue with my idea of “Vanitas” Still life photo’s.
The set up for the still lives was at my home in my art room. I started early mid morning when I noticed the sun shining through the south facing window. Dappled light filtered through the window blind created a soft warm effect. I quickly set up my table with still life, “Apples and Pears”. I kept the blind pulled down to help create a soft luminescent background to the still lives. To the side I hung an old canvas sheet and stood a reading lamp to the side of the set up. I used my digital camera to help me get an appropriate light reading. This did not work for me. I think I need more practice at that. I set up and photographed three different still life’s in a span of four hours. By noon the sun was too intense and bright to continue.
Even though the way I incorporated the filtered light through the blind for the backdrop is unconventional I still like the way my photo’s turned out.
Still Life #1 “Vanitas with Mandolin, Ukulele and Teapot”
Vanitas
In the mid 1600 hundreds the Dutch Republic gained independence from Spain and flourished in the international trading market. This newfound wealth along with the Protestant practice of rejecting religious art and iconography motivated the recent wealthy to commission artworks which demonstrated their newfound wealth. You will see that I attempt to recreate Pieter Claesz painting Vanitas Still Life from the mid 1600’s.
Vanitas with Violin and Glass Ball c. 1628 Oil on panel, 36 x 59 cm Germanisches Nationalmuseum, Nuremberg
In “Vanitas with Apples, Pears and preserves”, I incorporate the balance between life and death. Notice the aging fruit apples and pears with rotted spots and leather skin juxtaposed against the jars of freshly preserved fruit. With this still life attempt to recreate Paul Cezanne’s, “Basket of Apples” 1895, as it is his representation of creating art permanence.
“Basket of Apples”
Paul Cezanne, (1836-1906) a French painter in the medium of oil sought to expand on the theory Impressionism and create works of art that were less ephemeral and more lasting in nature. His still life “Basket of Apples” shows his talent in representing objects in shapes that suggest their image and juxtaposing colour to create an impressionistic feel.
