DHVC by carlos el-ters

Histories of Visual Communication Carlos El-ters 2527666

Histories of Visual Communication

Assessment 3: Re-Imaging History Histories of Visual Communication

Re-Imaging Carlos El-ters 2527666

Subject Code: DHVC001 Tutor: Shane Haseman Tutorial 5 2

Imprint

Allen Lane Published by the Penguin Group Penguin Books Australia Ltd 250 Camberwell Road, Camberwell, Victoria 2124, Australia Penguin Books Ltd 80 Strand, London WC2R 0RL, England Penguin Putnam Inc. 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA Penguin Books Canada Limited 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2 First published by Warner Books 2013 This edition published by Penguin Books Australia Ltd 2013 13579108642 Copyright ÂŠ Klodia Fatouleh 2013 The moral right of the author has been asserted All rights reserved. Without limiting the rights under copyright reserved above, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission of both the copyright owner and the above publisher of this book. eDiary design by Carlos El-ters ISBN 0 670 040392 8 www.penguin.com.au

5 ENTRY 1 8 ENTRY 2 10 ENTRY 3 13 ENTRY 4 16 ENTRY 5 19 ENTRY 6 22 ENTRY 7 24 ENTRY 8 30 ENTRY 9

Table of Contents

Entry 1: Contemporary Art Experience Kaldor Art Floor

Visual Analysis Exercise: Art Gallery of NSW

1. Note down its name/title From Cephalus and Aurora by Poussin no.3 2. Medium/material/a description how the work is created with the media used: Oil on board 3. When and where it was created? Created in 1983 4. The artist or artists’ names Leon Kossoff 5. What information is supplied about the artist/s? He is born in England 6. Is it a singular work or part of a series? No, it’s a singular piece or work, hung on a wall, along side other paintings

10. How is the work organized? Look at issues including repetition, variety, rhythm, balance, composition, emphasis, economy, and relationship to its surrounds/environment. It achieves balance through the use of colour (dark green, orange, black and beige), and has an environmental feel to it. 11. Context: Can you find any information about the meaning of the work? What is the concept behind it? Are there political, aesthetic or personal narrative implications in the work? There is no information provide along side the painting. When observing it closely, a lady is seen kneeling on the ground with her hands up, while animals are seen in the background. I also noticed a person lying ‘dead’ on the floor, and a background location near a beach or some sort.

7. Is it 2 dimensional, 3 dimensional or a multimedia piece? When looking at the piece directly, one could see its 2D. But, when looking at it from the side, we can see its 3D. I believe the artist used some kind of pigment like gouache in the oil paint, giving it a 3D effect.

12. How do you make sense of the work? How does it make you feel (for example, it may be funny, clever, heavy etc.)? Do you see in it references of other cultural works you have seen? How does it resonate with you? It is a very heavy piece of work. It makes us concentrate as to what the work is expressing. It reminds me of the other works by Leon Kossoff which he uses abstract stokes in his artworks, and the religious paintings by Nicholas Poussin.

8. Is it representational or non-representational? I believe it’s representational in a way where you can see a person along side animals very faintly. This is only seen when observing the painting for a while. At first, I thought it was some abstract piece.

13. In summary, please note about five observations about the work in relation to other works in the space. The works surrounding this piece are abstract. The majority of them are non-representational. Artists include: Frank Auerbach, David Bomberg, and Oskar Kokoschka.

9. Describe the visual elements of the work: obvious and subtle qualities relating to use of line, shape and form, scale, composition, perspective, colour, value and light, texture, and narrative possibilities. It’s an abstract form of oil painting, which shows movement through the use of brush strokes.

Chosen Artwork, Research and Re-Imaging

Not much was found online nor in books when researching this painting. The only form of information found was the piece below, which outlines the meaning and essence behind the painting. Aurora, goddess of dawn, fell in love with the mortal Cephalus and tried to seduce him. He thought only of his wife Procris and rejected her. Poussin shows the cause of Cephalus’ rejection of Aurora through the putto holding up Procris’ portrait, a detail not included in the best-known version of the story in Book 7 of Ovid’s ‘Metamorphoses’.

I did some extended research and found the original painting. I am very happy to see that what I initially saw, looks exactly like how I described. But in more detail, we see a person stopping another person from leaving, and a man lying down on the floor, as well as a child in wings pointing up-wards to what looks like a horse. Below is the story found of what the painting is expressing and the story behind it. This painting somehow captured my attention than everything else. Its complex nature in brush stokes made me questions what it was about. It made me calm and relax and made me think.

Aurora rises from the sea each day; hence the sleeping god is probably Oceanus. Her coming heralds the day; it is brought by Apollo, the sun god, driving his chariot. The figure to the left of the winged horse Pegasus may be Terra, a goddess associated with the beginning of the day.

In terms of re-imaging this painting, I didn’t want to do much, rather than change the composition in which they are at. On first inspection of this painting, I thought they were at the beach or at a location with surrounding water. Therefore, I have taken them out of the original ‘forest-like’ scenery, and positioned them in the location I initially thought of. When looking at the original painting, one can see a slight glimpse of mountains and water in the background, which also ties in well. According to the story, I believe I placed them in the correct location regardless of what’s depicted in the painting or of my first impression. The second paragraph of the story says, ‘Aurora rises from the sea each day; hence the sleeping god is probably Oceanus’, therefore, the juxtaposition between the sea and the beach, works well between one another.

The pose of Cephalus is similar to that of Bacchus in Titian’s ‘Bacchus and Ariadne’, which was in Rome when Poussin was painting there. Oceanus is reminiscent of a figure by Agostino Carracci in the Farnese Palace frescoes in Rome, which Poussin would have known.

Entry 2: Street Photography

Sydney Life: Hyde Park Exhibit

1. Write a short reflection of your impressions (approx. 200 words), considering the ways in which the photographs capture a sense of the contemporary city and mention some of the different types of photographs exhibited. There were giant snails around Hyde Park, which were colourful, funky and very bright. I like the way it shows environmental awareness by making it with recyclable materials. Within the ‘Sydney Life’ exhibit, there were largescale photographs along side the entrance to St James station. They consisted of close-ups on a secret moment to a wide-angle take on the face, which gives us a glimpse into who we really are and who we might want to be. These photographs were very eye capturing, and made such a statement for each one of them. There were a range of photographs I liked: firstly Jason McCauley’s ‘Ocean Pool’, which consisted of a swimmer heading out to the ocean pool during a storm at North Narrabeen. This captured a sense of darkness and wonder, which I found amusing. Secondly, Jgor Cavallina’s ‘Newton, Old town’ captured a sense of obscurity and never-ending. The darkness of the photograph taken with the soft fog sweeping through the town, reminded me of a horror film. Thirdly, Mihnea Stenescu’s ‘Castlereagh Street’, shows juxtaposition between the old and new building that is currently being renovated. I like the sense of old, new, and postmodern, still being used today.

2. Choose a photograph that you particularly like and write about it including visual and design elements that make them attractive or thought provoking. There were many photographs that were great, but two were my favourite out of all. Firstly, Louise Whelan’s ‘Siblings’, was a very emotional and empathizing photograph. It consists of siblings gathering for a photo outside their home in Doonside. They are a refugee family who settled in Sydney after they fled the Democratic Republic of Congo. Based on those reasons, I feel a sense of distress and sadness. The faces on each person are sad and down, while the setting is dark and location is of lower demographic. As a composition, this photograph is strong based on those reasons; it gets the emotional side of a person and makes them ‘feel’ what they’ve been going through. Secondly, the photograph by Laura Moore ‘Burnt (Proof #2)’, from Plato’s Cave Series, is a self-portrait of a lady in sunlight. I like the way it makes the viewer think as to what her face might look like, as it is not showing. I like the way it is positioned symmetrically, and how black is used for the background, making the lady the centre of attention. It is very different amongst all the other photographs as it is simple but powerful in making the viewer think.

Entry 3: Baudelaire/ Newtown

Summary of Baudelaire’s article

Article: “The painters of modern life” • The painter of modern life extracts, from his observation of modern fashion and events, whatever elements they may contain of poetry within history. In other words, the artist distills the eternal from the transitory (extracts some knowledge of the Noumenal World from ordinary sensory experience). • Modernity is concerned with the ephemeral, fugitive and contingent half of art (the Phenomenal World of the senses). Conversely, the other half of high art concerns the eternal and the immutable (the Noumenal World of absolute reality). • The artist should be a flaneur, i.e., a passionate spectator of modern life. The flaneur is at his best in an urban crowd. The modern artist finds inspiration amid the ebb and flow of people moving within the city attending to their daily tasks, in the midst of both the fugitive and the infinite.

• The artist flaneur is able to draw shock and intoxication through association with the crowd. Baudelaire seems to place this shock experience at the very center of his artistic work. The flaneur is jostled, pushed and shoved by the seething urban crowd and is bombarded by a plethora of stimuli that cannot be completely assimilated. Accordingly, the flaneur must remain alert, vigilant and constantly on guard lest he experience psychological disintegration and loss of coherence. • The artist flaneur is both an idler and a passionate observer. The perfect idler and passionate observer finds immense enjoyment from dwelling in the throng, in the ebb and flow, the bustle, the fleeting and the infinite. • The city may be considered as a duality. The modern city is both bestial and beautiful, but it has become the essential source of inspiration for the modern artist and poet.

Photographic series #1

Going to Newtown to take photographs was a different experience than usual. Taking photos in the street while people are looking, felt a little awkward and embarrassed. I had to be careful not to take photos of people, especially when they were not looking. Some of my classmates had issues of taking photos of people and being caught by them. Funny, but scary. I was glad it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t raining and was ho and sunny. The sun in fact is the main element, which I used throughout my photographs. Because it was midday around the time we went, the sun was just over the buildings, which creates wonderful effects of shades and shadows. I couldnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t resists not to photograph them. As seen here (left), various photographs were taken of shades and shadows from various buildings and poles. They make a great set of photographs along side each other because they all connect as a series.

Entry 4: Benjamin/ Re-shoot

Summary of Walter Benjamin’s article

Article: “The Work of Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction” In his essay, “The Work of Art In The Age of Mechanical Reproduction”, Walter Benjamin deliberates a shift in perception and its affects in the wake of the advent of film and photography in the twentieth century. He writes of the sense changes within humanity’s entire mode of existence; the way we look and see the visual work of art has is different now and its consequences remain to be determined. Benjamin attempts to mark something specific about the modern age; of the effects of modernity on the work of art in particular. Film and photography point to this movement. Benjamin writes of the loss of the aura through the mechanical reproduction of art itself. The aura for Benjamin represents the originality and authenticity of a work of art that has not been reproduced.

A painting as an aura while a photograph does not; the photograph is an image of an image while the painting remains utterly original. Benjamin makes it clear that in this new age of mechanical reproduction the contemplation of a screen and the nature of the film itself has changed in such a way that the individual no longer contemplates the film per say; the film contemplates them. A constantly moving image in the disjunction of the physical arrest of watching a moving image move, changes the structure of perception itself.

Photographic series #2

When it came to doing another set of photographs, I wanted to change location and therefore went to the city, right in front of Pit Street Westfield. I wanted to go their because I knew there were going to be a lot of people, and wanted to take photographs of people walking and doing unexpected things, while keeping Baudelaireâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s article in mind. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s amazing how great these photographs turned out, and how these people were doing their normal daily things and not acting.

It is easily evident how these photographs connect as a series. From the movement to the legs to the composition, which they all have in common, to the feeling of movement when staring at them. I was even more at risk of people not seeing me capture them, which was scary at times, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m glad no one saw me because the end result looks amazing.

Entry 5: Theory of montage: ‘Potemkin’

Battleship Potemkin question and answers

1. 2 points: why is Battleship Potemkin seen by some as the greatest film of all time (Brussels World’s Fair, 1958)? Its has the best -known sequence in history and represents niche marketing 2. When and where was it made? 1925, Bronenosets Potemkin 3. What is the story about? The story is about Eisenstein and the story of the revolution and propaganda 4. How is the film structured? It’s structured around 5 episodes: intertitles, maggots, drama, appeal from the dead and the odessy stage. 5. List 3 points about Eisenstein’s background Film director, studied architecture then engineering. 6. List 3 intellectual beliefs/ interests that affected Eisenstein’s film-making approach Metric, arithmetic, tonal and overtone 7. What is Pavlovian reflexology and what is an example of its use (adapted to biomechanics in Eisenstein film? Making shots shorter and shorter to create climax

meaning 9. Define intellectual montage 10. List and define 3 other editing techniques developed and used by Eisenstein 11. Expand on the following visual techniques in Potemkin: a) Use of multiple perspectives: b) Crowd scenes versus individuals: c)A dynamic film passage versus a lyrical passage: 12. How was Eisenstein an ideologue: how was he an artist? Which aspect was stronger in his work? He ended up reducing his human characters to cogs in revolutionary machine 13. Did Eisenstein work in Hollywood as well as USSR? Was he always well received? Mention a reason for your answer None of his works are visually effective. Many of his cinematic innovations could be put in just as easily in service to fascism as to communist liberal. 14. Name 2 films influenced by Battleship Potemkin Alexander Nevsky and Ivan the Terrible

8. Define dialectical montage It’s when two separate symbols are juxtaposed to create a third

Re-Imaging: Eisenstein’s approach to montage

I wanted to focus on two of Eisenstein’s approaches to montage. Firstly, Rhythmic montage, which is similar to metric montage in that it uses cuts based on time, but it also uses what, is contained within the shot to create more complex meanings. For instance, music can be used to create rhythm and form a forward moving trajectory. Secondly, Tonal montage, which uses the emotional meaning have shots to obtain an audience reaction and is based largely on content. All of these photographs use both of his approaches to montage to create a reaction or complex meanings. The first rows of photographs are meant to tell a story homeless man on the street, needing money to buy shoes. One would think a homeless man wanting to buy shoes would be a surprise; this creates confusion because he has a sign to buy medication and not shoes. The second set of photographs creates shock and therefore relate to tonal montage. It’s of a couple getting married inside a cathedral, and something suddenly happens. Brocken glass suggest an argument happens or possibly a car crash. This not only creates shock value but can also relate to rhythmic montage because it creates confusion towards the end and doesn’t really tell the viewer what really happens. Therefore, it makes them question.

Entry 6: Postmodernism and MCA

MCA Artwork analysis/ Research

1. Choose one work that you particularly like and complete a visual analysis noting the following: a. the title, artist and date of the work as well as its medium.

2. Look around the gallery’s works spread over 3 floors and write a few sentences about the premise of the collection including the focus of its current exhibition.

One work that caught my attention was Julie Rrap 360 degree Self-Portrait, 2009, as seen on the following page. It’s a silent digital video that plays for 10 minutes and 42 seconds. Julie Rrap is concerned with representations of the body. In a practice spanning performance, sculpture, installation and film, the body she works with is usually her own. In this intimate video self-portrait, Rrap’s face appears suspended in a black void. There is a sense of time extending as the artists features are slowly transformed by a force that could be internal or external. The artist invited the viewer to reflect on things that are outside of us, our bodies, what happens inside of us and what happens to us.

The premise we were exhibiting was Volume One Collection, which features over 280 works by more than 170 Australian artists acquired since the founding of the MCA in May 1989. This collection reflects the diversity of contemporary Australian art over more than 20 years, including works by Aboriginal and Torres Straight islander artists which are integrated into the different themes, the consolidation of film and video practice from a marginal to central position, the emergence of diverse cultural voices and the impact of feminism as well as ephemeral and performative practices.

This video work, as moving image, suggests time as infinite through the technique of the loop. It’s shown in black and white, while presented in a dark room. The ‘unknown’ in this work is the mystery behind the action or affect that the subject (the artist/self) undergoes. It is difficult to determine whether this person /this face, is responding to something outside or inside themselves. Are they undergoing something or perceiving something? The work is about “the things that are outside of us, our bodies, what happens inside of us and what happens to us.” These qualities provide an entry point for the viewer to engage and question.

This selection encompasses the range of media used by artists today; from wall painting and artists’ book to photography, painting, sculpture, weaving and installation. Video is also presented both as installation and curated single-screen programs in the dedicated Screen Space. Works are included by artists across generations- those at the beginning of their careers alongside artists who continue to produce important artwork over careers spanning 50 years or more.

3. Explain the way that the artist has engaged with the notion of re-imaging to convey a message. Think about concept, use of media and references to other artworks and contexts in considering your response. There is a leap into the void that this work, ‘360° Self-portrait’, asks of the viewer, which finds its equivalent in the famous photographic image by Yves Klein, ‘La peinture de l’espace se jette dans le vide’, 1960. This image ‘appears’ to document the artist leaping from a balcony or rooftop into the street below. Caught in mid flight, his image remains forever in a state of suspension. This image is also caught within history as an open question, one where the photograph acts as proof, but cultivates doubt. This paradox resonates in ‘360° Degree Self-Portrait’ where time and movement ‘appear’ suspended within the intensity of presence. It was the only image that I believe resonates strongly and conceptually with the portrait. It inspires me to created a re-imaged work based on facial expressions such as The Scream, by Edward Munich.

Julie Rrapâ&#x20AC;¨360 degree Self-Portrait, 2009

Entry 7: Re-imaging Concept Trials

Re-Imaging

These are my agitprop version posters, both of which can cause political drama since their both using political leads of Australia and America. Julia Gillard ‘s poster (left), is a front page cover of a Playboy magazine, in which this business has celebrity nudes on nearly every cover. I wanted to put her on the cover of this specific magazine because I felt she is nearly a celebrity or at least trying to be, since she is in the public eye all the time. I felt by putting her on this cover and expressing the urge of people to open the book to reveal ‘nudes’, would cause controversy and drama into he public, which what agitprop is all about.

On the other hand, the second poster of Barack Obama with Julia Gillard puts them at heads with each other. They are both friends and are strong allies with one another. Putting images of them pointing the finger at one another causes political drama again. I believe they play a role in the media, while behind cameras, their at each others head. These are great examples of agitprop that I created using collage, and their are others out there. One in which we see all the time is of Tony Abbot’s large ears, another great example.

Entry 8:Final Visual Concepts

Research: The Scream, Edvard Munch

The reason behind choosing such an extraordinary piece of art is that Edvard Munch’s painting ‘The Scream’ has a lot of similarities with Vincent Van Gogh’s art Starry Night. For one, both paintings were painted near the end of the century, during the fin de siècle, using bright-exaggerated colors and simplistic figures and shapes. Both artists struggled with insanity during their lifetimes, but The Scream (1893) and Starry Night are some of the most reproduced and famous pieces of art in the world today. The Norwegian artist Edvard Munch’s painting The Scream was painted in 1893 during a unique transitional period in art history. The Scream was painted after the end of the photographic Realist era, when artists wanted to show off their technical skills. The Scream was also painted right before the Expressionists and other artists of the early twentieth century made it a trend to put a focus on the expression of their inner feelings and emotions through their art rather than displaying how realistically they could paint an image or object.

Edvard Munch. The Scream. Pastel on board. 1895.

In his diaries, the artist Edvard Munch admits that he struggled with insanity not only on a personal level during his life, but also through his family. In fact, his sister was hospitalized for insanity at the time The Scream was painted in 1893. What makes Edvard Munch a different kind of artist is that he shows us an honest, even ugly, glimpse of his inner troubles and feelings of anxiety through his painting The Scream, putting more importance on personal meaning than on technical skill or “beauty,” a traditional goal of art.

According to Munch’s personal diaries, the idea for the modern art painting The Scream came to him while looking down over the Norwegian landscape from an elevation. While a mountaintop or a scenic view from a summit might sound like a beautiful natural landscape to paint. “I was walking down the road with two friends when the sun set; suddenly, the sky turned as red as blood. I stopped and leaned against the fence, feeling unspeakably tired. Tongues of fire and blood stretched over the bluish black fjord. My friends went on walking, while I lagged behind, shivering with fear. Then I heard the enormous infinite scream of nature.” My interpretation of the painting based on what Munich said describes a typical evening in Norway, taking a walk at sunset with some friends beside a “fjord.” While an evening out walking by the water might sound relaxing and enjoyable at first, on closer look we see that Mnch is really describing a moment of an almost existential personal crisis. In the painting’s background, we can see two people walking away (probably the “two friends” Munch describes) in the other direction, creating the feelings of isolation and “fear” the artist talks about in his quotation. In the manner of a true Expressionist painter, Munch uses color to express his emotional reactions to his environment, commenting on the “red” sky and the “bluish black” fjord, described almost as an all-consuming black hole hell where “tongues of fire” savagely lick at the frazzled and overwhelmed subject, unidentifiable as either a man or woman.

Research: Inspiration and Appropriation

Throughout my process, I kept on referring to the research and the original concept behind the painting. As seen on the previous page, I deconstructed the painting and now Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m looking for inspiration from other artists who interpreted and appropriated the painting in their own way. I needed to do this because I had no idea how to re-image the painting, and felt a source of inspiration is a wise move before proceeding. The photograph on the top left was done by Andy Warhol and translated into a pop-art painting. I like the use of colour choice and the way he made it more contemporary. Unlike Warhol who left the composition of the painting, other artists have re-arranged and

changed the colour scheme, as well as the figure. It looks like the painting has been appropriated for humor than the original concept. They have taken characters like the Simpsons and applied it to the painting, hence the juxtaposition between the facial reactions. What I found different is the above image, which seemed to be collaged and inspired through many sources, one in which Marilyn Monroe appears in the background and the character from Game of Thrones appears as the main figure. Out of everything changed in these photographs, the background seemed to be the only element that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t adjusted. This is where my inspiration and concept to develop this painting emerged.

Process

Throughout my process, I kept on referring to the research taken from the previous page. As I said previously, I wanted to change the location of the painting as well as change the way it looks. The top photograph was taken at Darling Harbour, Sydney, and used for the background throughout all photos. I didn’t want to leave the image to look just like a photograph, instead I ‘Imaged traced’ it in Adobe Illustrator, making it look like a painting, and added pop art colours, inspired by the Andy Warhol version seen on the previous page. I also traced the outline of the scream character and images traced that as well, to make it clearer than it was. It slightly looks pixelated or pigments of colour can be seen in small circles, as a result of the trace. But, I seem to like it because it gives an artistic feeling to the work.

I played around with many compositions after doing all the adjustments to the background and colour. My favourite out of all would be the large photograph on the left. The building is placed on the left because Edvard Munich was walking in a street, and the background colours were picked directly what he said about the sky looking like ‘blood’ and ‘red’. I wanted to use these key words to juxtapose the painting as well as by changing the entire background. I used all these elements to create different compositions of this painting, as seen also above. I used repetition of the character, making it seem as if it is ‘screaming’ at it self, or being in shock of its own image. A little bit different, yet great to the original meaning, but an interesting composition and meaning overall

Process

The same process and elements were used from the previous page, into this composition as well. The background was the only aspect changed and this time was taken at Burwood near Cabarita Beach, during sunset. As soon as the photo was taken, I knew this was the one that I had to go with, because the composition felt similar to the original. I then used Adobe Illustrator again to image-trace it, and added the pop art colours to the background. I placed the character on the side, just like the painting, and re-arranged the colours just like Edvard Munich was explaining. I tried experimenting with changing the character all together, and added myself dressed up in a clown outfit in the same composition as the original, but felt it didn’t have much of a meaning and was done just for humour. I knew this was a fail, but I’m glad to see the image on the left as resolved.

This is my re-imaged version of the painting that I want to use for the reasons discussed previously. I think I did a great job in doing so by changing the location and the colours around, since not may people do. I was taking a risk when changing the background, because I felt by eliminating the background, it might loose its identity and people won’t be able to recognize it. But, I went around asking people to identify this composition without the background, and they were able to identify what the painting was. Therefore the character itself is such as great image that people know and remember even if they’ve seen it once. I knew then, I was fine and safe to pursuer this re-imaged composition.

Final Re-Imaged Work

When showing it to my tutor Shane, he like the composition and recommended to change the top of the sky from orange to a bright colour like pink, because it looked funny and didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t contrast well with the surrounding colours. Overall, I am satisfied with the end re-imaged work, and feel I have done a great job in doing so. It still remains recognisable and has the same meaning in which the artist wrote, but in a more contemporary and pop-art style. I love how this piece of work create is unique than others as mentioned previously, which is most thing Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m proud of.

Entry 9:Seminar Visuals/ Reflection/Rationale

Group Powerpoint Slides

These are the PowerPoint slides from the group assessment both on this page and the previous. I enjoyed the group assessment because it was great to get someone elseâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s opinion on the topic, and both taught each other more than we knew. This assessment was great because it was based on the lecture topic from the previous week. The lecture not only gave us great information but it allowed us time to research beyond what was given and show something to the class, which was not shown in the lecture room that previous week.

Rationale and Reflection

RATIONALE

The reason for choosing The Scream by Edvard Munich was done because it’s an extraordinary piece of art and has a lot of similarities with Vincent Van Gogh’s art Starry Night. Both works, especially the Scream has been reproduced many times, and is one of the world most recognizable paintings. As soon as I knew we had to re-image a work, it was the first thing that came to mind, and I’ve always wanted the chance to change it around, and thought this would be a great time to do so. I struggled at first because I didn’t know how to re-image it, but as soon as I started my research into the painting and the behind it, various ideas started to emerge. What helped me a lot were the examples done by people, which I saw on Google images. Every one of them have appropriated the character in the paining, leaving the background the same. I knew here, I should change the background and make it unique than the rest, as well as by re-capturing it in another location. Designing it with pop art colours was done because I felt influenced by Andy Warhol. I just had to do it and make it contemporary and still remain recognizable. There were a few elements that were changed such as the colours in the background, which was carefully chosen based Munich’s’ meaning of the painting. After showing it to Shane, my tutor, it was recommend to change one section of the sky to pink than orange. In doing so, it created balance against the other colours and was more appropriate. A decision I struggled to make was changing the effect of the character. Initially I imaged traced it, but once I printed it in a trial run, the colours looks like pigments are not flat. Shane recommended on changing it to the original, but I tried tracing it again and it didn’t work. To be honest, I like the way it looks because it feels as if its been painted and works well with the background. That is why I left it like that and am very pleased with the final outcome.

REFLECTION

It is hard to believe that the third and last assessment is already over and I have completed this course. This final assignment entitled ‘Re-Imaging History ’, really allowed for some creative freedom and initiative. I absolutely loved the creative part of assignment because I felt I was in control on how re-image my chosen artwork. What I found most interesting about this project was learning so many new skills that I hadn’t used before. The main key issues again I learnt from this assignment, extended from every other one, especially the first assessment when we were chosen to do a poster based on a similar idea as this. I felt that this and the refinement stage are what really pushed my work to the best possible outcome. Their were some issues that arose close the to deadline, which enabled me to keep on track. When it came to the re-imaging I went in panic mode, as I didn’t know how to re-image the artwork chosen: Edvard Munich, The Scream. What made me fall behind was the structure of the brief. I felt it was all over the place and it not only confused me, but other students, resulting with everyone confusing everyone. I feel if these assessments were structured in a way where it is to be done individually like every other subject, I would have stayed on tract and would be able to perform better.

Overall, I am really happy with the final outcome of my re-imaged work. This assessment really made me step outside my comfort zone and made me explore different ideas in any type of medium, but I’m glad I managed to pull through, especially when using photography as a medium. I believe I have done a great job at meeting the criteria of this assignment, and very satisfied with my end product. I enjoyed Histories of Visual Communication and it has taught me, from the first project, so many new skills which I know I will be able to take and use to influence both my other subjects in the future and my career.

Looking back at the beginning of the assignment, the research seemed fairly manageable and quite interesting getting to go out and explore the collection of books and sites on the artwork. It was difficult to get exactly the vision I had in my head. It took quite a lot of time to experiment, but as mentioned, I loved the process because I was learning a long the way. Another struggle would probably just be the refining stage and making sure everything is perfect because there are so many tiny elements to the poster, and messing something up can throw the entire page off track and loose the design unity.

Reference

PAGE 7: The National Gallery. 2013, Cephalus and Aurora, viewed 9 December, 2013 <http://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/paintings/nicolas-poussin-cephalus-and-aurora> PAGE 20: Julie Wrap. 2013, 360 Degree Self-Portrait, viewed 12 December, 2013 <http://www.julierrap.com/work/360-degreeself-portrait> PAGE 25: Lego Menon. 2013, viewed 4 December, 2013 <http://legomenon.com/meaning-of-thescream-1893-painting-by-edvard-munch. html> The museum of Modern Art. 2014, viewed 4th December, 2013 <http://www.moma.org/visit/calendar/exhibitions/1330> Prideaux, S. 2007, ‘Edvard Munch: Behind the Scream’, Yale University Press Prelinger, E. 2001, ‘After The Scream: The Late Paintings of Edvard Munch’, Yale University Press