Aleksanteri Vattulainen

Aleks is an exchange student at Georgia Tech from the University of St Andrews, Scotland, as a recipient of the Robert T. Jones Fellowship. He is studying a for an M.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering, with a concentration in topics related to Digital Signal Processing.

SUNFLOWERS IN THE DESERT GRAPHITE ON PAPER, 18"x24" This drawing is inspired by surrealism, where I wanted to create a sharp contrast between subject and background in both style and form. The vase of flowers is more typical of a domestic setting, whereas the desert is broad and inhospitable, the former being rendered in a more sketched manner as opposed to the smooth shading of the dunes. The placement of the egg opposite the sun, and the dark foreground and sky, are aimed to create a balanced and harmonious composition. Simultaneously the floating egg and dark sky with a bright sun are completely incongruous. The background together with the sun create an atmosphere of intense heat, which is intended to highlight the improbability and transience of the scene – the sunflowers, supported by a delicate table set to topple at any moment, will surely soon wilt in the sun.

"SELF PORTRAIT AT 23" GRAPHITE ON PAPER, 18"x24" In this piece, I wanted to create an impression of how the forms of the face curve, using the direction of the shading marks in the manner of a vector field. These marks help to produce form and the impression of movement. The similarly rendered background is intended to appear as if receding and ascending, to create the sense of a large, dark space surrounding the subject. The enveloping darkness is designed to create a dramatic atmosphere which contrasts with the neutral facial expression, serving to accentuate the subject.