B.A Portfolio: week 5 works

Final Works:

This week I continued experimenting with ways of layering images and creating different effects with layering. With the first two I wanted to keep with the double layering of the portraits with an image with in them while keeping the background a solid color. In the middle second image I wanted to comment on the issue of losing farmlands as more and more cities are being built. The left figure is layered with a scene of a farm while the right figure is layered with a city landscape. Where the two figures overlap the farm and the city blend in to each other. The last image a forest scene is seen with a human figure peeking through. With in the figure I layered an image of cut down trees in order to comment on the issue of cutting down the rain forest and several other forest.

B.A Portfolio: week 5 reading

Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland

In this section of the book, the author discusses what artist learn from other artist. It is stated that artist obtain "courage-by-association" from viewing others art work. When one sees an artist explore a new medium or use their work to comment on a issue in a new way it gives them the idea that they can also do this. It allows them to break out of the limits they set on themselves by seeing someone else do something different or against the norm. Having a community of artist around can help an artist over come fear and doubt knowing that others have or are experiencing the same thing. Hearing from fellow students in the portfolio class express that they don't know which direction they want to go forward with their work has put me a little bit at ease knowing that I'm not the only one in that position. Looking back a past work can also help an artist over come doubt. Doing this allows the artist to see elements of their work that they may not have paid attention to when first making he work. It also allows for one to look closely at habits they continue with each piece and make that a central aspect or content of their future works. It helps to lay all of ones work out to see if their is an underling connection between their one that they can continue with. I have done this with my photography and other medium works and found a connection through layering which I have experimented with in continuing my body of work.

B. A Portfolio: week 4 works

Process:

Finished works:

Reflection:
This weeks works, I experimented with different ways to layer images together. The first one I merely changed the occupancy of the second layered images and set it on screen blending mode. For the second image I layered three separate images together into one. For the final image I layered it in a similar way as the first but played with ways of distorting the second layered image. I found that distorting the second layered image further making the image unrecognizable created a more interesting image all together.

B.A Portfolio: week 4 reading

Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland pg 37-77

In this weeks reading, acceptance and approval were main topics. Many artists struggles with the issues of acceptance and approval and knowing the difference. With acceptance artist question whether or not their work is in fact art. Artist reach out to others in the community for reassurance of if what they created is art or not. There has been an ongoing debate as to if photography is considered an art form or not. This relates to my work because I am choosing to explore photography. With this comes a struggle to create something that is artistic within photography and not just have taken photos. Sometimes acceptance can unintentionally place limitations on artist to try new forms of mediums depending on if a certain medium is viewed as art of merely just a craft or decoration. Approval, on the other hand, is whether an artist's work is liked and received well.  An artist's work can very much receive acceptance as art but end up with little to no approval or even vice versa. Whether or not a work is approved of is up to the audience and viewers. Artist's struggle with whether its better to have acceptance or approval or how to obtain both.

B.A Portfolio: week 3 critique

This weeks critique of my double exposure images, a comment was made that one looked as if it had been painted on and scratched away. The second layered image was barely recognizable from a distance, it was only when looked at from up close that it is seen as a hidden landscape. I was then asked if I was using photography as a way to express a message or if I was interested more in the photography itself. With being interested in the photography aspect and the layering of the images, it was suggested to just take a bunch of photos and experiment with different ways of layering the images. There was also a suggestion of taking the portraits of the pretty models and layer them with things like trash to create a contrast between the prettiness of the models and ugliness of the trash. This is a concept I may explore in the weeks to come.

B.A Porfolio: week 3 works

During last weeks critique I was asked if I want to continue with portraits or do landscape photography. For this weeks works I decided to explore whether or not to do landscapes. While working on the images I thought of combining the two types of photography with each other. I used a double exposure effect to compose the portraits with the landscapes.

B.A Portfolio: week 3 reading

Art and Fear by David Bayles and Ted Orland pg 1-36

Through out this weeks reading the authors talked about doubting ones self and their art work. This is something that every artist struggles with during the process of creating their works. Its easy to feel self doubt when one doesn't entirely know where they want the work to go or what they want people to get out of it. What jumped out for me while reading was the statement "not many people continue making art when - abruptly- their work is no longer seen, no longer exhibited, no longer commented upon, no longer encouraged." I think many of us as students tend to quit making art work once the semester is over because there's no one their who is critiquing the work or telling us to continue creating more works. With out that some what of a support system to keep pushing and encouraging us to create more, motivation gets lost because there's no one to show the work to who would make comments and suggestions. Even i have felt this as the summer begins and I become busy with family, friends, and working. Though this summer I tried to encourage myself to continue creating art outside of the classroom environment.

B.A Portfolio: week 2 critique

During the first critique not much was said about my work. One said this was because there wasn't much to go on due to my images just being simple black and white portraits which is a medium everyone has seen before. It was suggested that I try doing photos of inanimate objects and use lighting to have the objects provoke emotions. In the beginning I was asked whether I wanted to continue with portraits or do landscape photography, something I would like to explore going further. 

B.A Portfolio: Week 2 works

Process:

 Finished Works:

Reflection:

For week two I wanted to start off with some simple black and white portraits that portrayed emotions. I had no clothing showing with in the image as to not distract from the emotions of the subject. To me doing this as photographs rather than a drawing or painting gives a deeper level of emotion because photos capture a moment in real time rather than an artists interpretation of the moment.

B.A Porfolio: week 2 reading

The Critique

In the reading the author suggest the way to acquire any value from a critique is to detach oneself from their artwork. During a critique, the audience gives their interpretations of whats placed physically in front of them. Whether these interpretations reflect the message the artist is trying to portray doesn't mean the artist is bad or the piece doesn't work. Peoples' interpretations of the art work stem from their own knowledge and past experiences. The meaning the artist intends the piece to have could be miles apart from the audiences perception of the work but hearing these other interpretations can help the artist to further clarify their intentions. It is good for the artist not to just react to the criticism given and be defensive but to take what is being said to further the piece. The reading also mentions the argument of originality. Within art, artists usually give references to other artist or seems cliche whether intentional or not. Everyday we are surrounded by millions of images that influence art. It is thought that being conversed in art history helps achieve this originality though with this it is hard not to be influenced or elude to an-others' art work. Everyone is bombarded everyday by millions of images that give examples of what is thought of art to be. With these references embedded in ours heads it is difficult to steer away from those and be completely original especially when trying to clarify the meaning of the piece.