http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~museum/armory/galleryK/K_229_308.4.b.jpg&imgrefurl=http://xroads.virginia.edu/~museum/armory/galleryK/redon.308.4.html&usg=__EbcxXmQcCTmu8gw9OeCe2KuSwAI=&h=422&w=369&sz=49&hl=en&start=1&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=uxTN3ZbcRJ-liM:&tbnh=126&tbnw=110&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dodilon%2Bredon%2Bpegasus%2Bcaptive%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26tbs%3Disch:1
Odilon Redon was born in 1840 in France to a very successful family. Redon’s artistic talents were visible at a young age. Although he wanted to pursue an education in drawing, he switched to architecture in effort to appease his father; however, his inability to pass the entrance exams crushed any hopes of a career in architecture. Redon not only studied drawing, but he began to study sculpture, etching, and lithography. He took a break from his work to serve in the Franco-Prussian War and then moved to Paris, where he worked mainly with charcoal and lithography. Redon’s work also evolved to using oils and pastels. Unlike some artists, Redon became very well-known for his works during his lifetime. After a successful life and career, he died in 1916.
In 1889, Redon completed a lithograph entitled “Pegasus Captive.” The work is overall very dark and eerie. The Pegasus portrayed in the image is the darkest part of the work. It has its head tilted down, as if surrendering or it could be in sadness. There is a faint suggestion of a wing, showing that this is not just any normal horse. It seems to be as if a man has the Pegasus in his possession; however, the body position of the man suggests fatigue or maybe again sadness. His head, too, is tilted downward so it is hard to tell what the man is actually feeling.
The lines of this lithograph are very sketchy, giving this work a very suggestive nature. The tone of the work seems to be darker, sadder, almost fatigued. The image goes from dark in the bottom corner to light near the top, but it is still difficult to tell if this is happening during the day or in the evening.
I enjoy this lithograph a great deal. I really like the sketchiness of it, and the suggestive lines that creates the tone of the work. I question, though, what the original drawing on the stone looked like, based on the work we have been doing in class and how drastically the works seem to change once printed onto the paper.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Thursday, March 18, 2010
BlAcKBuRn
http://newdeal.feri.org/magpie/images/dwc063.htm (Refugees)
Robert Hamilton Blackburn is an African American artist born in 1920 in Summit, New Jersey. Blackburn is most well-known for his mod imagery printmaking, as well as being an educator. He died in 2003 in New York where he spent most of his life. He was an art educator and lecturer at Columbia University, Cooper Union Art School, New York School for Social Research, and School of the Visual Arts (New York).
During his lifetime, Blackburn was awarded with the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and the Whitney Fellowship. His methods included easel painting and printmaking., but his is most known for his development of abstract color lithography. Overtime, his art has been on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Brooklyn Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Whitney Museum of Fine Arts.
Blackburn’s piece, Refugees, is a lithograph that depicts a very tiny, overcrowded boat of men covered in darkened shadows. The image is dark and dreary, allowing the viewer to assume it is night time and this boat is an escape mechanism for the people in it. One man is hanging over the side of the boat, possibly because he is sick from the cramped, tiny rowboat. Another man, at the head of the boat, is rowing, but has his head down, which could infer exhaustion or even sadness. He may be leaving behind family and friends in order to escape his past life.
The water is full of ripples from the rowboat, but still seems smooth. Upon viewing this, I could imagine the small boat gliding through the water, producing no sound, except for when the paddles enter the water and the sound of droplets hitting the water as the oar comes up out of the water. Because of the title, I can guess these men are escaping from somewhere, but I do not know where. The sky is ominous, but may be that way to allow the viewer to feel the emotions of the refugees in the boat. There is sadness, but hope.
In this image, Blackburn is depicting the social issue of refugees and what they must go through to get to a better life. This is not a happy image by any means. It produces a sense of sadness, but could foster a sense of hope for what lies ahead.
http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/ArtistKeywords.aspx?artist=63427
Robert Hamilton Blackburn is an African American artist born in 1920 in Summit, New Jersey. Blackburn is most well-known for his mod imagery printmaking, as well as being an educator. He died in 2003 in New York where he spent most of his life. He was an art educator and lecturer at Columbia University, Cooper Union Art School, New York School for Social Research, and School of the Visual Arts (New York).
During his lifetime, Blackburn was awarded with the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship and the Whitney Fellowship. His methods included easel painting and printmaking., but his is most known for his development of abstract color lithography. Overtime, his art has been on display at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Brooklyn Museum, the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, and the Whitney Museum of Fine Arts.
Blackburn’s piece, Refugees, is a lithograph that depicts a very tiny, overcrowded boat of men covered in darkened shadows. The image is dark and dreary, allowing the viewer to assume it is night time and this boat is an escape mechanism for the people in it. One man is hanging over the side of the boat, possibly because he is sick from the cramped, tiny rowboat. Another man, at the head of the boat, is rowing, but has his head down, which could infer exhaustion or even sadness. He may be leaving behind family and friends in order to escape his past life.
The water is full of ripples from the rowboat, but still seems smooth. Upon viewing this, I could imagine the small boat gliding through the water, producing no sound, except for when the paddles enter the water and the sound of droplets hitting the water as the oar comes up out of the water. Because of the title, I can guess these men are escaping from somewhere, but I do not know where. The sky is ominous, but may be that way to allow the viewer to feel the emotions of the refugees in the boat. There is sadness, but hope.
In this image, Blackburn is depicting the social issue of refugees and what they must go through to get to a better life. This is not a happy image by any means. It produces a sense of sadness, but could foster a sense of hope for what lies ahead.
http://www.askart.com/AskART/artists/search/ArtistKeywords.aspx?artist=63427
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Goya
https://my.hamilton.edu/images/general/teacher5big.jpg
Francisco de Goya was one of the other print makers discussed in class who made bold statements through his works. Goya was born in March 1746 in Spain and died in April 1828. He is considered to be “The Father of Modern Art.” What set Goya apart from the other painters and print makers of the time was that he was not shy at expressing what he felt. He worked at taking the previous reactions that art caused and created a new form, incorporating components into his art that would get a different type of reaction. Goya spent 82 years producing art, leading to some of the most expressive works of his time.
As a young boy, it was said that Goya was happy with the world. It was not until he entered adulthood in which he began to criticize society as a whole. Later toward the end of his life, it was said that he was embittered and disillusioned by both people and society. Goya’s art tended to lean more towards the Romantic expression, but still incorporated some of the classical style. He tended to depict the social and political implications of Spain, including the Napoleonic War. It was his graphic expression through art that made him the well-known print maker he is to this day.
The above work by Goya is an etching, entitled Hunting for Teeth. In the image, there is a woman attempting to pull the teeth out of a dead man’s mouth who was recently hung. She is shielding her face away from his with a cloth, which may be due to the stench, or to keep herself from having to look at the dead man’s face. It could also represent the idea that she is shameful of what she is doing, but feels the impulse to do it anyways. This was one of the superstitions of the time in Spain. It was thought that if you pulling out the teeth of a hanged man provided a type of power.
It can also be thought that the woman is covering her face because she is fearful of looking at a dead man. She, however much like society, is greedy and removes his teeth. Other ideas describe the fact that a hanged man’s teeth can be used in magic potions. The art piece also utilizes the technique of aquatint. Overall, it is a very grey, dark image, which may suggest this is taking place at night. The dead man is the lightest part of the image. The woman is trying to look away while still being able to see what she is doing, with somewhat of a side ward glance. The man, we may assume, was hanged because of a crime against the government.
Goya depicts two different types of people in the image. He has the criminal, or man who was hanged due to some sort of crime, and he has the greedy woman who is stealing the man’s teeth. Overall, Goya is representing people in society and their actions. The fact that Goya depicts things such as is this is what set him apart from other artists. He did not portray picnics, or sunsets, but instead real issues plaguing society at the time.
http://www.imageone.com/goya/
Francisco de Goya was one of the other print makers discussed in class who made bold statements through his works. Goya was born in March 1746 in Spain and died in April 1828. He is considered to be “The Father of Modern Art.” What set Goya apart from the other painters and print makers of the time was that he was not shy at expressing what he felt. He worked at taking the previous reactions that art caused and created a new form, incorporating components into his art that would get a different type of reaction. Goya spent 82 years producing art, leading to some of the most expressive works of his time.
As a young boy, it was said that Goya was happy with the world. It was not until he entered adulthood in which he began to criticize society as a whole. Later toward the end of his life, it was said that he was embittered and disillusioned by both people and society. Goya’s art tended to lean more towards the Romantic expression, but still incorporated some of the classical style. He tended to depict the social and political implications of Spain, including the Napoleonic War. It was his graphic expression through art that made him the well-known print maker he is to this day.
The above work by Goya is an etching, entitled Hunting for Teeth. In the image, there is a woman attempting to pull the teeth out of a dead man’s mouth who was recently hung. She is shielding her face away from his with a cloth, which may be due to the stench, or to keep herself from having to look at the dead man’s face. It could also represent the idea that she is shameful of what she is doing, but feels the impulse to do it anyways. This was one of the superstitions of the time in Spain. It was thought that if you pulling out the teeth of a hanged man provided a type of power.
It can also be thought that the woman is covering her face because she is fearful of looking at a dead man. She, however much like society, is greedy and removes his teeth. Other ideas describe the fact that a hanged man’s teeth can be used in magic potions. The art piece also utilizes the technique of aquatint. Overall, it is a very grey, dark image, which may suggest this is taking place at night. The dead man is the lightest part of the image. The woman is trying to look away while still being able to see what she is doing, with somewhat of a side ward glance. The man, we may assume, was hanged because of a crime against the government.
Goya depicts two different types of people in the image. He has the criminal, or man who was hanged due to some sort of crime, and he has the greedy woman who is stealing the man’s teeth. Overall, Goya is representing people in society and their actions. The fact that Goya depicts things such as is this is what set him apart from other artists. He did not portray picnics, or sunsets, but instead real issues plaguing society at the time.
http://www.imageone.com/goya/
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Rauschenberg
http://www.djtfineart.com/images/artwork/full/art00553.jpg
Robert Rauschenberg was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1925. Through out his life, Rauschenberg went many different directions in regards to his professional life. He studied pharmacy at the University of Texas. After some time he joined the U.S. Marines and then took classes at the Kansas Art Institute. Later he studied in Paris, France where he also met his wife, Susan Weil. He continued to study art in various locations and with many different artists, composers, and others in the artistic realm. While studying art, he mainly worked coordinating window displays for companies like Tiffany.
Rauschenberg spent some time working on all black and white paintings, but began using red when he moved to New York. He also created what became known as Combines, which were combinations of everyday objects fused together in both painting and sculpture. Rauschenberg incorporated a great deal of highly influential historical events into his work. One of those events was the liftoff of Apollo 11, which he was invited to by NASA as one of the themes of his artwork.
Besides his influence on the pop art movement, Rauschenberg found it in himself to help other struggling artists in the area, setting up Change, Inc., which was a home set up with art studios. Rauschenberg found time to travel the world and promote both peace and understanding through his art. He traveled to Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the Soviet Union, Berlin, and Malaysia where he set up his exhibitions. He called this ROCI – for Rauschenberg’s Overseas Culture Interchange. His exhibition was also held at the National Gallery of Art in celebration of the gallery’s 50th anniversary.
Although he used many different techniques, one that Rauschenberg is more well-known for is his lithographic works. The above work is a lithograph entitled “Back Out” that was completed in 1979. He completed this work in a suite of 9 prints. The techniques used included pencil, stencil, and collage. There are many different pictures put into this work, one of a baseball player, and another of a high jumper. As for the overall meaning or purpose of the work, I am not really sure what he is trying to convey. I can assume that this work is about the United States, possibly alluding to sports culture.
To me, more important that the techniques of his work and his major accomplishments or awards, Rauschenberg was an artist that was committed to a cause. He spent a great deal of time working on art with a great deal of meaning. Through his art pieces, his work was used to communicate peace and understanding all over the world. Personally, I felt like class on Thursday was very beneficial, and would be beneficial to any person with an artistic inclination. I feel more of a personal investment toward my art and will try to use the type of communication that my art allows me.
http://www.getpopart.com/Rauschenberg-Bio.html
www.nga.gov
Robert Rauschenberg was born in Port Arthur, Texas in 1925. Through out his life, Rauschenberg went many different directions in regards to his professional life. He studied pharmacy at the University of Texas. After some time he joined the U.S. Marines and then took classes at the Kansas Art Institute. Later he studied in Paris, France where he also met his wife, Susan Weil. He continued to study art in various locations and with many different artists, composers, and others in the artistic realm. While studying art, he mainly worked coordinating window displays for companies like Tiffany.
Rauschenberg spent some time working on all black and white paintings, but began using red when he moved to New York. He also created what became known as Combines, which were combinations of everyday objects fused together in both painting and sculpture. Rauschenberg incorporated a great deal of highly influential historical events into his work. One of those events was the liftoff of Apollo 11, which he was invited to by NASA as one of the themes of his artwork.
Besides his influence on the pop art movement, Rauschenberg found it in himself to help other struggling artists in the area, setting up Change, Inc., which was a home set up with art studios. Rauschenberg found time to travel the world and promote both peace and understanding through his art. He traveled to Mexico, Chile, Venezuela, China, Tibet, Japan, Cuba, the Soviet Union, Berlin, and Malaysia where he set up his exhibitions. He called this ROCI – for Rauschenberg’s Overseas Culture Interchange. His exhibition was also held at the National Gallery of Art in celebration of the gallery’s 50th anniversary.
Although he used many different techniques, one that Rauschenberg is more well-known for is his lithographic works. The above work is a lithograph entitled “Back Out” that was completed in 1979. He completed this work in a suite of 9 prints. The techniques used included pencil, stencil, and collage. There are many different pictures put into this work, one of a baseball player, and another of a high jumper. As for the overall meaning or purpose of the work, I am not really sure what he is trying to convey. I can assume that this work is about the United States, possibly alluding to sports culture.
To me, more important that the techniques of his work and his major accomplishments or awards, Rauschenberg was an artist that was committed to a cause. He spent a great deal of time working on art with a great deal of meaning. Through his art pieces, his work was used to communicate peace and understanding all over the world. Personally, I felt like class on Thursday was very beneficial, and would be beneficial to any person with an artistic inclination. I feel more of a personal investment toward my art and will try to use the type of communication that my art allows me.
http://www.getpopart.com/Rauschenberg-Bio.html
www.nga.gov
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
M. C. Escher
Links to Images:
http://designingquests.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/escher-relativity.jpg
http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sphere.jpg
When beginning to think about talented printmakers, lithographic artists to be more specific, M. C. Escher tends to come to mind. He was a Dutch artist, born June 17, 1898 as Maurits Cornelius Escher. He was the son of George Arnold Escher, who was an engineer, and his second wife, Sarah. Escher took both carpentry and piano lessons until he was thirteen years old, but it was in high school that his incredible drawing talent was discovered. However, Escher did not do well in his other classes, but went on to attend an architectural school in 1919. He traveled to Italy where he met his wife, Jetta, and they were married in 1924. Due to a great deal of political upheaval and World War II, Escher and his family continually moved, until eventually settling back in the Netherlands, when Escher was originally from.
Through out his life, Escher produced numerous works that remain famous. He is most well-known for his “woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints, which tend to feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, and interlocking geometric patterns which change gradually into completely different forms.” Many people refer to his work as Op Art, however in one quote he stated “I am always wandering around in enigmas. There are young people who constantly come to tell me: you, too, are making Op Art. I haven't the slightest idea what that is, Op Art. I've been doing this work for thirty years now.” Before his death in 1972, Escher produced 448 lithographs, wood cuts, and wood engravings along with many other works. Even today, many graphic artists study Escher’s works from his wood cuts to his tessellations.
Some of Escher’s most well-known lithographs include: Ascending and Descending, Relativity, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, Waterfall, and Reptiles, just to name a few. A great deal of Escher’s work deals with mathematical concepts, such as the polyhedra, the shape and logic of space, and tessellations. Much of the art encompasses optical illusions, giving the viewer a sense of confusion as to whether or not aspects such as staircases are moving up or down. For example in Escher’s work, Ascending and Descending, at first glance the image looks completely normal, but the more the viewer looks at it, the more confusing it may become, being unable to tell which direction the stairs are going and if the people on the stairs are walking up or down them. This lithograph is very well done, with great attention to detail and excellent shading.
Another lithograph that I am fascinated with is Hand with Reflecting Sphere. Escher captures his own image in the sphere that his hand is holding, with realistic representation of the abstraction that is caused to the room behind him because of the shape of the sphere. Escher once again pays great attention to detail in how the sphere changes the shapes of the objects in the room, as well as his own image. This is an amazing work with an outstanding amount of realism, leaving the viewer to believe that it could be a photograph as opposed to a lithograph. Even without looking at many other lithographic artists’ works, I can say that Escher is one of my favorites because of his courage to experiment with different types of images though his Op Art.
Resources:
http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Escher_MC.html
http://www.mcescher.com/
http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/escher/
http://designingquests.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/escher-relativity.jpg
http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2009/09/sphere.jpg
When beginning to think about talented printmakers, lithographic artists to be more specific, M. C. Escher tends to come to mind. He was a Dutch artist, born June 17, 1898 as Maurits Cornelius Escher. He was the son of George Arnold Escher, who was an engineer, and his second wife, Sarah. Escher took both carpentry and piano lessons until he was thirteen years old, but it was in high school that his incredible drawing talent was discovered. However, Escher did not do well in his other classes, but went on to attend an architectural school in 1919. He traveled to Italy where he met his wife, Jetta, and they were married in 1924. Due to a great deal of political upheaval and World War II, Escher and his family continually moved, until eventually settling back in the Netherlands, when Escher was originally from.
Through out his life, Escher produced numerous works that remain famous. He is most well-known for his “woodcuts, lithographs and mezzotints, which tend to feature impossible constructions, explorations of infinity, and interlocking geometric patterns which change gradually into completely different forms.” Many people refer to his work as Op Art, however in one quote he stated “I am always wandering around in enigmas. There are young people who constantly come to tell me: you, too, are making Op Art. I haven't the slightest idea what that is, Op Art. I've been doing this work for thirty years now.” Before his death in 1972, Escher produced 448 lithographs, wood cuts, and wood engravings along with many other works. Even today, many graphic artists study Escher’s works from his wood cuts to his tessellations.
Some of Escher’s most well-known lithographs include: Ascending and Descending, Relativity, Hand with Reflecting Sphere, Waterfall, and Reptiles, just to name a few. A great deal of Escher’s work deals with mathematical concepts, such as the polyhedra, the shape and logic of space, and tessellations. Much of the art encompasses optical illusions, giving the viewer a sense of confusion as to whether or not aspects such as staircases are moving up or down. For example in Escher’s work, Ascending and Descending, at first glance the image looks completely normal, but the more the viewer looks at it, the more confusing it may become, being unable to tell which direction the stairs are going and if the people on the stairs are walking up or down them. This lithograph is very well done, with great attention to detail and excellent shading.
Another lithograph that I am fascinated with is Hand with Reflecting Sphere. Escher captures his own image in the sphere that his hand is holding, with realistic representation of the abstraction that is caused to the room behind him because of the shape of the sphere. Escher once again pays great attention to detail in how the sphere changes the shapes of the objects in the room, as well as his own image. This is an amazing work with an outstanding amount of realism, leaving the viewer to believe that it could be a photograph as opposed to a lithograph. Even without looking at many other lithographic artists’ works, I can say that Escher is one of my favorites because of his courage to experiment with different types of images though his Op Art.
Resources:
http://www.biographybase.com/biography/Escher_MC.html
http://www.mcescher.com/
http://www.masterworksfineart.com/inventory/escher/
Monday, April 20, 2009
The Hockey Fan
Location of the Print:
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kornguth.com/printmaking/images/printmaking13.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kornguth.com/printmaking/index.html&usg=__dn2JYaIubJrwiGbDhM1PUpRmnU8=&h=530&w=354&sz=68&hl=en&start=23&tbnid=vURQu-WdzaLEwM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dprintmaking%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18
Martin G. Kornguth was born in 1939 in the Bronx. He spent some time as a secondary school art teacher. He was also a political cartoonist and has spent the last twenty years as a studio artist. The majority of his work has been derived from observations he has made, opinions he has had, as well as commentary on certain issues. In much of his work, he uses the human figure to get across the topic or idea he is trying to portray.
The print that I was most impressed with was done through intaglio and etching. The print is entitled “The Hockey Fan.” In the print, a woman is portrayed at a hockey game looking as if she is staring at something in the distance. The fans around here seem to be captive by the game, looking down at what must be the hockey rink. The woman looks as if she is somewhat bored, sitting with her legs crossed and her hands as if she were almost twiddling her thumbs to keep her occupied. Her coat is still on and buttoned, as if she is ready to leave right at that moment.
I think the part of the print that stood out to me the most is the wooden bench that the people are sitting on. It as if that bench drags the audience into the print with the woman. The wood is very detailed, showing the graininess of it. The fact that no one is sitting to the one side of the woman may also represent that she is waiting for someone to join her at the game. This could be the reason that she seems a bit anxious.
The woman is mainly white in the print. Her face and coat, as well as her hands are all white. The rest of the figures in the etching are presented as darker, almost as off in the distance. It looks as if the woman is in her own world. The floor is very dark, making the woman stand out even more from the background.
The detail is this print is amazing. From the wood grain to the hair of the man sitting next to the woman, there seems to be a great deal of work and time put into this print. The lines are very distinct and clean. That is another reason why I believe I enjoy this print so much is the clearness of it. The print is a decent size, 23' high and 15.5" wide.
Overall, I enjoy this print and the other works I have viewed of this artist. Although I do not understand the majority of the messages he is trying to portray if any. I do like the detail in most of his prints as well.
http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://kornguth.com/printmaking/images/printmaking13.jpg&imgrefurl=http://kornguth.com/printmaking/index.html&usg=__dn2JYaIubJrwiGbDhM1PUpRmnU8=&h=530&w=354&sz=68&hl=en&start=23&tbnid=vURQu-WdzaLEwM:&tbnh=132&tbnw=88&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dprintmaking%26gbv%3D2%26ndsp%3D18%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26start%3D18
Martin G. Kornguth was born in 1939 in the Bronx. He spent some time as a secondary school art teacher. He was also a political cartoonist and has spent the last twenty years as a studio artist. The majority of his work has been derived from observations he has made, opinions he has had, as well as commentary on certain issues. In much of his work, he uses the human figure to get across the topic or idea he is trying to portray.
The print that I was most impressed with was done through intaglio and etching. The print is entitled “The Hockey Fan.” In the print, a woman is portrayed at a hockey game looking as if she is staring at something in the distance. The fans around here seem to be captive by the game, looking down at what must be the hockey rink. The woman looks as if she is somewhat bored, sitting with her legs crossed and her hands as if she were almost twiddling her thumbs to keep her occupied. Her coat is still on and buttoned, as if she is ready to leave right at that moment.
I think the part of the print that stood out to me the most is the wooden bench that the people are sitting on. It as if that bench drags the audience into the print with the woman. The wood is very detailed, showing the graininess of it. The fact that no one is sitting to the one side of the woman may also represent that she is waiting for someone to join her at the game. This could be the reason that she seems a bit anxious.
The woman is mainly white in the print. Her face and coat, as well as her hands are all white. The rest of the figures in the etching are presented as darker, almost as off in the distance. It looks as if the woman is in her own world. The floor is very dark, making the woman stand out even more from the background.
The detail is this print is amazing. From the wood grain to the hair of the man sitting next to the woman, there seems to be a great deal of work and time put into this print. The lines are very distinct and clean. That is another reason why I believe I enjoy this print so much is the clearness of it. The print is a decent size, 23' high and 15.5" wide.
Overall, I enjoy this print and the other works I have viewed of this artist. Although I do not understand the majority of the messages he is trying to portray if any. I do like the detail in most of his prints as well.
Monday, April 13, 2009
King Leo's Vision
http://www.shawndemarest.com/images/King_Leo_s_Vision2.jpg
Similar to the way I have found other prints I like, I found the works of Shawn Demarest through Google. Shawn studied many different types of art, including air painting and design. There is not much information about Shawn beside what the short bio provides. However, Shawn's works are quite interesting to look at since the approaches of "view/respond" and "listen/follow" are used. Shawn has a website as well as a blog that displays both oil paintings and prints the have been completed.
Shawn does etchings on copper plates and uses etching, drypoint, aquatint, and open bite in the prints. The prints are all very unusual. Most of them are somewhat abstract in their portrayal of people or animals. The one image that caught my eye is entitled "King Leo's Vision." The print depicts King Leo laying at the bottom of a tree with an angelic woman floating above him holding flowers. The woman looks almost as if she has butterfly wings along with a halo above her head. King Leo looks quite relaxed with a small smile on his face, as if he is pleased with this beautiful woman hovering above him. The tree in the print is large, with buds as if spring is just around the corner.
The print incorporates a great deal of lights and darks. The background is lighter, with the tree being made up of mostly darks, bringing the tree forward from the background. King Leo's robes are intricately decorated, but remain mostly dark. The woman is mostly dressed in white, flowing material. I think Shawn does a great deal with the contrasting in this print. Although the print is somewhat simple, there is a great amount of detail in the tree trunk and the clothing on both King Leo as well as the woman.
Shawn also does not use very distinct lines. The lines that make up the faces and bodies of both King Leo and the woman are almost messy looking, for lack of a better word. The lines are overlapping and criss-crossing in some spots. I believe that the purpose of this use of lines is to make the image seem almost dreamlike in a sense. The clothing and bark of the tree is done in the same manner, but there is a great deal of detail put into both aspects. The tree bark looks realistic in a sense because the bark weaves in and out. The clothing has a great deal of patterns.
I do enjoy this print because although it looks great from farther back, it is definitely not perfect from close up. I feel like this type of print teaches a lesson to print makers that the lines and portrayal in the etching does not have to be perfect. It is okay if lines are a little bit off. The print will hold its own. I also feel that the detail added made the viewer's eye move across the print, from the designs on the clothing to the details in the bark of the tree.
Similar to the way I have found other prints I like, I found the works of Shawn Demarest through Google. Shawn studied many different types of art, including air painting and design. There is not much information about Shawn beside what the short bio provides. However, Shawn's works are quite interesting to look at since the approaches of "view/respond" and "listen/follow" are used. Shawn has a website as well as a blog that displays both oil paintings and prints the have been completed.
Shawn does etchings on copper plates and uses etching, drypoint, aquatint, and open bite in the prints. The prints are all very unusual. Most of them are somewhat abstract in their portrayal of people or animals. The one image that caught my eye is entitled "King Leo's Vision." The print depicts King Leo laying at the bottom of a tree with an angelic woman floating above him holding flowers. The woman looks almost as if she has butterfly wings along with a halo above her head. King Leo looks quite relaxed with a small smile on his face, as if he is pleased with this beautiful woman hovering above him. The tree in the print is large, with buds as if spring is just around the corner.
The print incorporates a great deal of lights and darks. The background is lighter, with the tree being made up of mostly darks, bringing the tree forward from the background. King Leo's robes are intricately decorated, but remain mostly dark. The woman is mostly dressed in white, flowing material. I think Shawn does a great deal with the contrasting in this print. Although the print is somewhat simple, there is a great amount of detail in the tree trunk and the clothing on both King Leo as well as the woman.
Shawn also does not use very distinct lines. The lines that make up the faces and bodies of both King Leo and the woman are almost messy looking, for lack of a better word. The lines are overlapping and criss-crossing in some spots. I believe that the purpose of this use of lines is to make the image seem almost dreamlike in a sense. The clothing and bark of the tree is done in the same manner, but there is a great deal of detail put into both aspects. The tree bark looks realistic in a sense because the bark weaves in and out. The clothing has a great deal of patterns.
I do enjoy this print because although it looks great from farther back, it is definitely not perfect from close up. I feel like this type of print teaches a lesson to print makers that the lines and portrayal in the etching does not have to be perfect. It is okay if lines are a little bit off. The print will hold its own. I also feel that the detail added made the viewer's eye move across the print, from the designs on the clothing to the details in the bark of the tree.
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