Photo/Sculpture

CINDY SHERMAN: PHOTOGRAPHY

This photograph was taken by Cindy Sherman. It is also Cindy Sherman who is the person in the photograph. This picture (along with the series of others it was a part of) is very interesting because it possesses qualities of a painting. I believe this was her goal. The makeup is extreme and the contrasts and coloring are that of one as well. She was representing a Caesar or a Roman man, even though she is a woman. She is known for these different photo series some of which are just like this photo, where she wears extreme makeup and assumes a role of some type of person. She has purposely kept most of her photos named "Untitled" because she wanted to leave them ambiguous.

JERRY UELSMANN: PHOTOGRAPHY

This is a photograph by Jerry Uelsmann called "Beginnings". This is actually manipulated photography which became his signature and made him a forerunner of photomontage in the 20th century. He used ideas that seemed unrelated and showed how they do relate by placing them within one another for example. This picture shows a close-up of a seed pod. In the background is a house or building. In between them is brush and foliage. This could be conveying the message that everything grows from a beginning. The foliage and trees in the middle, all began by a seed, which most people would know. But it's also important to note that even our man-made things like houses began with a seed, whether it be the seed of an idea or the seed that made the trees for the wood that built the house. He continued to make these types of photos and pioneered photography and imaging.

WALKER EVANS: PHOTOGRAPHY

This photograph is by Walker Evans called "The Burroughs Family". He took this during a series he was doing of three poor farming families during The Great Depression. He continued to document the depression and was well-known for his photographs. This is an important photo because it shows this family who struggled and was affected by the economic state of the country, so that those who may never visit a family like this (poor on a farm scraping by) can see what the rest of the country was going through. These photos are so important that some of them are in the Library of Congress as a depiction of this era.

LUIS JIMENEZ: SCULPTURE

This piece is called "Vaquero" by Luis Jimenez. He is an American sculptor who uses American materials to create American works of art. He uses things like fiberglass, cars, surfboards, and plastics to make his creations come to life. His pieces center around American life or beauty in America, not necessarily of something we would consider beautiful, but something about America that he finds beautiful. For example, this piece is a rodeo riding cowboy. The vibrant colors and realistic feel of this bucking bronco in motion with the attire of the cowboy accurately depict a beloved pastime of the south.

JAMES TURRELL: SCULPTURE (LIGHT)

This piece is called "Wedgework 3" by James Turrell. This is amazing because of the shapes created by the light and colors he chose. The captured image of it almost looks like a painting. His philosophy was that people were spending too little time appreciating art and there needed to be a movement that made people stand and appreciate longer. With this use of space, light, color and shape he creates something that might translate different to each viewer.

ANDY GOLDSWORTHY: SCULPTURE (EARTH ART)

This is Earth Art by Andy Goldsworthy. It has the impressive quality of using the space (the water) to show a design. The leaves are placed, strategically I'm sure, to create shapes. The use of the earth to create art is his signature and something very important to him. He purposely uses materials made available to him only in nature as a whole. He doesn't edit anything he uses. The concept is to show the aesthetics in everyday nature and the beauty of our environment. As an active environmentalist he uses his art to influence the concern for nature.

Painting and Prints

REMBRANDT VAN RINJ: ETCHING

This piece is called "The Three Crosses". He etched this onto copper which became one of his favorite mediums. This medium is so unique because it is able to hold color and texture and value such expressive ways. This was fitting for Rembrandt who found great drama in the Biblical texts and used those as the majority of his inspiration. When his wife died, he found a new passion for religion which he continued to display in his works. Though this piece does not have color other than grey scale, the use of light and dark create the mood of the scene. And the use of line gives emphasis exactly where it was intended.

EMIL NOLDE: WOODCUT

This piece is called "The Prophet" by Emil Nolde. It uses the medium of woodcut. This was not his primary medium, but this piece is a religious icon and he did do quite a few woodcuts altogether. This is an interesting medium because it holds such a deep, rustic, heavy feel in the tone of the piece. This, no doubt, was the intention of Nolde. He didn't paint a smiling person or a colorful happy scene. Instead with this woodcut he displays emotion through the medium itself. After learning to be a furniture maker and a craftsman, he took to art. He gained great fame but, though he supported the Nazi Party, Hitler banished all of his works and was told he was not to create anymore. He continued to in hiding, but this piece was possibly a prophecy of his pain to come.

 JACKSON POLLOCK: OIL PAINT


This piece is called "Full Fathom Five" by Jackson Pollock. It uses the medium of oil paint on canvas. Oil paint is a versatile medium but one of its greatest qualities is that its reflective nature makes the image appear quite realistic. This is ironic because very little of what Pollock painted depicted something realistic. In fact, he was as abstract as ever in his best works. But the oils seem to make the colors stand out more. In this piece, he uses many colors, as shown above. He layers his strokes and colors to create his image. This truly mirrored his life, which had become a literal mess with his raging alcoholism. His unique technique made for some of the greatest paintings with oil.

DIEGO RIVERA: FRESCO

This piece is called "Detroit Industry" and is a mural wall painting, or a fresco, by Diego Rivera. He did many of these using this medium which are unique because large scale depictions can be shown on them. Great detail could be shown and saved on these large wall paintings of still life which used plaster generally, making it quite durable. This is actually only part of the set of murals he constructed for inside the Art Institute in Detroit. His life seemed to be aristocratic and he was a member of the Communist Party, both of which he showcased in many of his frescoes. 

CHARLES BURCHFIELD: WATERCOLOR

This piece is called "February Thaw" by Charles Burchfield. He uses the medium of watercolor for this piece. Watercolor holds the quality of being one of the most expressive of the mediums. It also allows the painter to work quickly and spontaneously. This would be important in a piece such as this with the amount of water, reflection, and light he uses. It makes for a realistic and powerful piece about something quite simple. Burchfield had considered becoming a nature writer as a young man, but turned his focus later to his creativity and love for art. But the nature passion never left him, as is apparent in this painting. He clearly understands the properties that water, snow, and ice hold, making this painting remarkable. He also lived in Buffalo, NY so this was obviously a familiar scene for him.

JASPER JOHNS: ENCAUSTIC

This piece is called "Map" by Jasper Johns and uses the medium of Encaustic painting. This uses hot wax and pigments. This forces the painter to work quickly, but the quality that makes it special is the high level of luminosity it holds. Colors are brighter and seem to be lit, in portraits this makes something feel very real, and in something such as this, it it highly eye-catching. Jasper Johns used flags and maps as his main themes in his prime during the 1960's. He came from a broken home with barely any so-called childhood to speak of, which could be in part why he uses such playful colors in this piece.

Principles

ASYMMETRICAL BALANCE

This piece is called "The Astronomer" by Johannes Vermeer. It is an example of asymmetrical balance. The painting is amazingly balanced, yet clearly not symmetrical. The man on one side and the globe on the other balance each other and direct our attention to exactly where he wanted us to focus. Plus his use of light and dark help to balance the asymmetry as well.

EMPHASIS

This piece is called "The Adoration of the Shepherds" by Georges de La Tour. It is an example of emphasis. Here, he uses dim light on the faces of everyone but a bright light on the entire baby. This draws the viewer's eye to the focal point. This, along with the angling of the people towards the baby, achieves his goal. 

REPETITION AND RHYTHM

This piece is called "Confrontation at the Bridge" by Jacob Lawrence. This is an example of repetition and rhythm. He uses several of the same colors (red, yellow, blue, white) in the water below and in the clothing above. These repetitions create a rhythm. The rhythm is also apparent in the shapes of the clouds which seem to be moving along with the water. And the railing colors (black and green) also are used in the clothing.

CONTRAST/VARIETY

This piece is called "The Flagellation of Christ" by Caravaggio. This is an example of using contrast for emphasis. Here, Caravaggio uses the rhythm of the characters but uses the light falling on them to direct where the viewer's attention should be. The torturers are dimmer than Christ, making us focus on him. But he has also made sure we notice that his leg has bent because he is being kicked yet his hair is being held. The use of light and dark and movement of people has given the painting rhythm but with the contrasts, has also given it emphasis. 

VISUAL MOVEMENT

This piece is called "The Triumph of Galatea" by Raphael. It is an example of visual movement. In this masterpiece, the angles all make the viewer's eye direct to the center figure, Galatea. The angels crossbows and the arms and directions of the peoples' angles in the water do the same. This bring everything in the painting to a center and main focal point.

SCALE AND PROPORTION

This piece is called "The Beach at Trouville" by Claude Monet. It is an example of scale and proportion. This broad painting uses color and linear perspective to create both scale and proportion. The people walking along the boardwalk are larger than the people down at the crest of the beach because they are more in the foreground and therefore should appear larger. The same goes for the buildings. As the painting goes from edge to center, they follow the focal point and the vanishing point to show their scale.