artistic photographers

9
L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan Artistic Photographers David Hockney David Hockney is very much an art-based photographer, who started his career by creating paintings of swimming pools. It was only till 1970 when he started working with photography; he uses his artistic knowledge along with his photography knowledge to create these photographs. He creates photo collages, in his words ‘joiners’. Overall the photograph contains many different elements in which our eyes are drawn to as there are so many things going on, in terms of the detail. Hockney, actually took the photographs with a Polaroid camera, and then glued all the photographs together in different compositions. Here Hockney has creatively and purposely layered the picture of the motorcycle on top of the other one, but without lining it. This I believe creates a contemporary effect, making it unusual, but catches the eye because it is unusual. It is as if he is presenting 3d photographs in a 2d perspective. The layering falls into the category of cubism, this technique is usually associated with paintings, but it is very creative when used with photography.

Upload: ashmeenhoonjan

Post on 28-Dec-2015

73 views

Category:

Documents


0 download

TRANSCRIPT

Page 1: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Artistic Photographers

David Hockney

David Hockney is very much an art-based photographer, who started his career by creating paintings of swimming pools. It was only till 1970 when he started working with photography; he uses his artistic knowledge along with his photography knowledge to create these photographs. He creates photo collages, in his words ‘joiners’. Overall the photograph contains many different

elements in which our eyes are drawn to as there are so many things going on, in terms of the detail. Hockney, actually took the photographs with a Polaroid camera, and then glued all the

photographs together in different compositions.

Here Hockney has creatively and purposely layered the picture of the motorcycle on top of the other one, but without lining it. This I believe creates a contemporary effect, making it unusual, but catches the eye because it is unusual. It is as if he is presenting 3d photographs in a 2d perspective. The layering falls into the category of cubism, this technique is usually associated with paintings, but it is very creative when used with photography.

The composition of the two trees almost creates a frame that leads our eyes down the long road ahead. This is very effective, as Hockney has used a common rule of photography, which works very creatively in the photograph.

Page 2: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Caravaggio

Caravaggio was a great artist, who did many painting 200 years before the invention of a camera. He was an Italian painter, who was known for his use of high contrast between the background

and the subject, as well as the shadows within the work, this created a very dark atmosphere around the photograph.

In this part of his painting Caravaggio demonstrates his skill with the light and dark effect, the subjects face is almost totally blending in with the jet-black background on the right side of his face. This creates a sinister atmosphere, which is very effective in this photograph.

Caravaggio is also known for being a very early photographer, where he used the basic techniques of photography. The use of his dark and light, creating that shadow effect was one of the techniques he had used. The way that the lighting works in the painting is very similar to studio lighting, so it could mean that Caravaggio was experimenting with lighting effects. It is also known that Caravaggio projected his subjects through a hole in the ceiling (darkroom), of which he then applied light-sensitive substances for the image to fix to the canvas for about 30minutes. This allowed him to roughly painting out the image on the canvas, a researcher say he would have used ‘white lead mixed with chemicals and minerals that were visible in the dark’. Caravaggio is a very influential artist and early photographer that inspired other artists. This shows a very early link between art and photography and proves that without art photography never would have been discovered.

Gillian Wearing

Page 3: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Gillian Wearing is a photographer of the 1990’s, one of the first photographers to have contact with the public, by stopping people on the busy streets of London and asking them to write down what was on their mind. She then asked their permission to take their photograph, whilst holding

their statements. Wearing believed that this collaboration ‘interrupts the logic of photo-documentary’, this is because instead of the photographer themselves conveying the meaning of the subject, Wearing achieved the same meaning but by letting the subject speak for themselves.

This allowed us to see the subjects’ own representation allowing the viewers to interpret the photograph themselves. Wearing had come from an art background, who used the knowledge of,

letting the work speak for itself, through her photography, which is what she ‘literally’ did.

The main focal point of this photograph is the man who’s face has been tattooed, this is a little unusual to see in the 1990s, however the fact that Wearing had chosen this subject was probably because he was a little different and with the contrast of the ordinary background and the man creates a juxtaposition. However, Wearing has purposely left the identity of the man anomalous and the connection between the photographer and the subject blank also. This is very effective because Wearing shows the stereotypes associated with different looking people and how the society shapes how people are. So by the people saying their thoughts the society is able to see through the stereotypes, this specific sign gives an unsettling atmosphere.

Andy Warhol

Page 4: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Andy Warhol has set of a new dimension of art, by bringing in an art form; pop art, in the late 1960s. He created these photographs by using the technique of screen-printing. He did this by

using a cut out stencil, which is created on a mesh screen, coated with light sensitive emulsion. A photocopy of the photograph taken was then transferred to a transparent layer. With his experience of a photographic background Warhol took advantage of the contrast in the

photographs, of the light and shadow effects and making that contrast higher. He then cuts out the contrasted parts of the photograph and conveys it through to the stencil. Then light is

exposed to the emulsion, this hardens the emulsion except the parts that are not exposed to light.

Warhol has made the contrast between the words and logos very strong. This is because the screen-printing involves painting, so only the strong parts of the photograph are actually printed, otherwise there would be a blur in the more detailed parts. Warhol has enhanced the contrast by using contrasting colours, so the white and red in this photograph is very strong; this draws the attention of the viewer. Picasso inspires Warhol and merges the idea of reality with fantasy in his work.

Andy Warhol still remains one of the most influential artists in contemporary art. He first used to do paintings of pop art, but discovered that is took a very long time to complete on a canvas. He then moved onto screen-printing, which he then did prints of celebrities, like the famous one of

Marilyn Monroe. His work was noticed very quickly and was criticized as well as heavily complimented. He popularized silkscreen printing, which is still used today on t-shirt printing.

Andy Warhol’s work also has a heavy influence on 1960s fashion, it was a time of change where people wanted to stand out from others, and this influenced bright and bold prints, very much

like Warhol’s work.

Page 5: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Andreas Gurskey

Andreas Gurskey’s photographs involve taking many other photographs of subjects and scanning them into a computer. He then manipulates the photographs and merges them together as one very large photograph. Gurskey’s aim is to not add a sense of surrealism, but more to heighten

the fact of reality and the way something exists in the world. The colours in this specific photograph are very vibrant, which adds to the activity going on in the room. Some of the people

walking and running around give a blurred effect, which means there must have been a high exposure that was used.

Gurskey in some places has purposely added a blurred effect to the photograph where some people are. This adds to the busy workplace that he has captured and further enhances our busy daily lives in this world.Gurskey’s is a modern German photographer, where many young photographers find him inspiring. He is a new photographer, with fascinating and modern ideas that will influences future photographers.

Page 6: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Michael-Brennard Wood

Michael Brennard Wood is an influential textile artist and photographer who is inspired by the idea of geometry and creates visual interpretations of it through his unique textile work. His

work is mostly made up of flower heads; he creates three-dimensional geometric patterns with them, by always starting with a centre in every artwork that he creates. This is what had drawn me to his work in the first place, as I liked the close link that his work made to the art world. He

builds up the rest of his design, using different flower heads, expanding outwards in a geometrical pattern to create beautiful designs. The colours within his work are very bright and

also remind me of an Indian Yantra used at weddings, made with coloured powder.He takes many hours to create a large artwork like the one below and takes photographs, as

flowers eventually die. His concept was to link the idea of real flowers with textiles, as in textiles flowers are almost always found within it. His geometrical pattern composition did ‘not follow a

particular scheme’, he liked the idea of the ‘dissolving background’ and that “every time you move it, you change the whole composition.

The photography aspect in his work is at the very start, of his planning process, rather than in the actual work he produces. He takes photographs of architectural buildings and other random

geometrical shapes that he uses to inspire the layout of his work.

Page 7: Artistic Photographers

L01 – Ashmeen Hoonjan

Serge Mendzhiyskogo

Serge Mendzhiyskogo is a photographer who specialises in collages. He uses hundreds of photographs in his work and merges them in to one very complex photograph. He usually takes photographs of very busy city’s and towns, where they are many things going on, then presents them together in an abstract way that is both modern and contains that artistic aspect. His work

is very imaginative and never leaves the viewer viewing the photograph look only once.

This particular photograph emphasises the idea of journey and the paths in life. Mendzhiyskogo wanted to express the idea of different paths going different directions, that life is full of opportunities. The way that he has presented the photographs emphasises his ideas.