How has narratives been explored within a single image, concentrating on artwork within the last twenty years?
It is interesting that Narrative can be presented in a single visual art piece, I find narrative very intriguing and so would like to explore it in a broaden detailed way. The idea within the visual becoming a narrative is what makes it intriguing. Before it was much harder to create a narrative within a visual, simply because they only had practical material things available to be able to create one. Although this was the case many artist would still make it possible to create some amazing and outstanding piece of visual narrative. With the technology that we have around these days enables our minds to run free with no limits, as well as opening our mind even more to the creativity that we have within. Many narratives have many concepts of their work, some portray the theme of childhood within their work this is by showing their innocence in their work, whilst also exploring their childhood fears, or dark sides others portray. Narrative can be beautifully be shown within an art work with no words at all, and it will still have the narrative there, it would just be even more imaginative. I see technology as a key that we got given to be able to express our views, opinions and emotions to further abilities. To be able to answer the question for the essay I will be researching different artist who I consider that have shown amazing narratives within their work, as well as analysing their work in a greater depth to be able to see what story has been portrayed within their work, and my response toward their work as well. The fist artist that I conceder contains a great narrative within their work is Dara Scully she is an artist that creates surreal photographs as well as fantasies within her work. She manipulates her work using different object or images then combines them together to create work that when looking at them, you can relate them to a dream or so. The technique that’s she has when using her camera is amazing and interesting, she is able to control the camera to an extend that every single detail is on focus. As well as looking at the artist Vincent Bourilhon, who as well as Scully, creates incredible manipulations and shows a great narrative within, the different techniques that he uses is amazing. His work is seen as cinematic manipulations, because they have a certain realistic look within them that, converts the images to have the aspect of a movie seen in action. This is what makes the different from an artist that creates amazing things to a good narrative artist that work on their skill very well to create the thing that Vincent does. Kacper Kiec is another artist that creates narrative within their work; in this case the artist work is a much more technique used work, because it has many things that the artist has created using technical things in the computer. The narrative is challenging as well as the other artist that I will be exploring their work in a further way. I have chosen three artists that will help me answer the question from this essay. They have all a great use of narrative within them and the techniques that they use has inspired me on my own work. Narratives for me are different ways in which you are able to tell a hidden story within the work, in graphics he narratives have been created in both practical and technological because they use different mediums to create their final outcomes. It is also easy to find typography in the work of narrative as well, because it is part of telling a story, some artist use it because it might help them be able to get their point across in a much creative and interesting way.
Dara Scully was born in 1989, in Spain. She has created many surreal photographs within her work and she uses a range of different images that are both primary and secondary, and so creates a narrative out of them. She explores the different fantasise. And although some people don’t see it as a real narrative, it is possible most of her work is, because she has almost transmitted her storied fantasies within her work, which make it a good narrative. Her work links to my narrative project, because I want to portray within my photographs a sense of creativity and a mixture of reality and fiction within my work. The worlds to use for the different artwork that she has created would have to be; freedom, light, comforting, magical, exotic, surreal and fantasies. These are the words that I would relate to the different range of work she has created. Dara Scully’s images, have been created the artist late artist life, the first photograph that you are able to see, is a resent narratives that she has been created within the last 6 years of her life. It is interesting to see the object that she uses to create her narrative and make it a surreal image. The photograph has a sense of fantasy or a fairy tale look to it. Her work all like somehow, because they all relate to freedom, innocence, pureness and they contain the symbol of a bird with them or representing as if the model was the bird or as the bird is inside them. When looking at the three images that the artist has created, you can see that the images relate to each other but contain different meanings within them. They all contain kind of the same atmosphere and them, they are all shoot either in a forest or lake. The photographer response to why all her photographs have the same theme. ‘There's a bird in my left lung, small and fragile and he always speaks to me about beautiful things. I try to translate all these things to my pictures, his voice, mine.’ The artist created her work as a fantasy simply because the ideas to create her work also came from a fantasy a fiction mind that she had portrait within her when creating her work. She starts to transform her mind as if she was in that imaginary world, because there is where she gets all of her ideas when creating a new piece. Dara’s work is seen as pure and harmful, her narrative shows that, because she creates poems with her images together. The last image that is underneath is of a poem project that she has done. The project is called ‘your branches/ my bones’ its takes about the connection that people have with nature, and the way she sees people as animals that can feel the voice of the trees and the beat of the ground. Within this project she is trying to show the love story between a women and a forest. Her images have the ability to express birth and death on her body; she has been represented as the nest and the grave. You are able to transmit the idea that with the her body nature grows within her, she id represented as a mother when holding the bird and appearing as a nest, it also represents her as a child. It’s seen as if the umbilical cord is pulling her down to the land, it is an invisible but song way of looking at it.
The artist images are imaginary and it has a sense of a surreal image. The photographs that she takes has a relation to narrative, because she is trying to create a magical, pure, innocent story within her work and she has been able to do that effectively, because her images are strange to look at first but they have been taken so well that it is hard to tell if something are not reality. But she is able to convey narrative well in her work. It is easy to try and figure out the story of that Dara has created within her images, but this proves that a narrative is possible to be seen in a single image. Because in many of her images you can get an idea of what she is trying to say within it and also what is the story line. The composition is really clear in most of her images. This is from the background that has bleed in with the main image, to create almost a bleed on the image. When looking at the image on the left, it is clear to see that her body has a really close relationship with the branches, it is so close that in a way it looks as if her and the branches where one and they where combined together. The focus point in this image would have to be the arms, because they are the things that would capture the audience eyes. The rest is blended together, and then you have the bird that is what makes the whole seen come together and give us an idea of what it might be. The story that the image is being told is the pureness of a mother towards it children, and so she is representing her self as being the mother of the bird, but if we look at in a different way the image is trying to convey the idea of mother nature, and the idea that we have a really connecting to mother nature, because it is the one that sees us grow and gives us what we need so that we don’t die of needing mother love. There are many ways in which you are able to interpret this image. The artist has been exploring the idea that we are so close to nature but yet so far from it. What I mean by that is that we live because we breathe and we breathe thanks to the oxygen that the tree give us. But sometimes we forget that they are even their and don’t take any notice of it. I think that the artist has done a good job to achieve this message across to the audience. The duel colours are used to create powerful meanings within her work, because it makes it seem pure but at the same time powerful by the image that she has placed within her photograph. Vincent Bourilhon was born in 1992, in France. The artist started doing photography from the age of 15 he started combining photographs and digital manipulation for incredibly surreal results. Along the years he has been experimenting with a verity of techniques so that he can be able to present his narratives in a much creative way. The photographs that he creates contain good idea of dreams, fairy tale and sense of wonder. He just takes his work to the things that you could only experience whilst dreaming of in a fantasy world. Vincent relates well with this essay because of the different creative narratives that he has created in his work. They contain powerful meaning though them. They portray different expression, emotions, and feelings. Those viewers will love to get lost within his work from another world. This images where created recently. Vincent’s work explores different mediums of technology and creativity. They all have their different narrative that takes you to another dimension, however they all have the same level of manipulation they are linked by the style that the artist has.
It is easy to see that the work of the artist link with each other, because it is representing all the ideas behind his dreams and fantasies through the images that he has created. This is what makes it even more affective. The narrative that the artist has portray within his images have many meanings within, just by looking at the image that is seen above, contains a lot of information so that you can create your own story with it. The girl looks like she has fainted or as if she has had an accident of any kind, whilst a man is holding her back so that she doesn’t fall. When taking a look at the second photograph it is clear that it is a fantasy manipulation piece of work. Is well-‐presented and well shoot, the artist has used the camera well by having the front part of the image in focused whilst the background is faded, this shows create use of techniques whist also portrays a narrative that would make the viewers get lost within it. This is why I have chosen this artist for the project because he likes to explore the narrative within a fantasy or a dream can be portrayed within his images. He explores the positioning and image manipulation Within the image there are many fairy-‐tale, what it is trying to convey are the idea, that everyone can still contain that childhood dreams and imagination, its trying to create a sense of belonging within the images, that take you to a different world where there are sweet, tasty and colourful liquid that creates your emotions. Maybe what the image is trying to bring across is that no matter how old you get you can still go to your own fantasy world, to create and feel what you want to feel. It can also contain the idea that some people are very good at being bale to hide their emotions but sometimes is hard to find the right emotion when you’re confused or feeling down. The background helps the whole seen to achieve that fairy-‐tale like scene. The main focus within the image is the bottles of potion, because they are colourful and bight around the ordinary forest, it’s what captures your eyes when looking at the image. When looking at the image below you are able to see what the artist is trying to suggest, and why. The image contains a surreal look, because the person on the ground has a clothes hanger instead of a head, and in the background he is alone in a filed, which could suggest the idea that there is no need of clothes when you can connect with nature and feel free. In my opinion I think that it has been achieved in a very creative way. The colour that is used in the artist different images has helped the image get character and create a mood within the images. It is interesting to see that the colours transform the image to create a comfortable and worming look in the image. The artist is a great influence to manipulation and creating amazing narratives. It truly shows that it is possible to find a narrative within just one single image. Kacper Kiec was born in 1982 Wroclaw, Poland. He is a self-‐taught graphic designer, illustrator. The artist investigates this dream world of unconscious desires, where the explorer takes centre stage. He takes different images and makes colleges out of them. The artist is relevant to the essay because his work is a great narrative within, this is because of the different images that are combined together is what creates the story of the images. The techniques he uses are amazing, the way that he does illustration with them make this artist
special from the rest, although the other artist also had their amazing response to a narrative. The work of Kacper was created late in his life. The artworks that this artist creates are all from the same style but they all have their different unique layout. The work shows the different expression in a different concept. When taking a look at the first image of the artist work, it is possible to see the range of different images placed in a pattern way, so that it can create an effect within. The images have the same kind of style by the way that the artist uses lines and pattern within his work, as well as the light playful colours that are being used. The subject matter within the work of the artist is the shadows and the large images that have been placed within his work. The artist choses different angles and shapes to produce his work in a much graphical way. His work has a realistic but at the same time imaginary concept. I have chosen this artist because, when you take a look at his work there is a clear narrative shown. It shown in a different and unique way, because this artist style of work is not compared with the style form the other two artist. So in my opinion I feel that his work consist of a strong powerful narrative within. The message that the first image portrays is the idea of childhood, and the way that as a child you can just think of what you would like be in the future, as well as imagining the different places we would like to visit and see. It also represents the idea that every child should always be paid attention, because they are the future of tomorrow, and you never know what they might discover in the days of tomorrow. The second image has been set out with the rule of thirds, because it has an able where it follows from where the main object is at. It starts from the bottom, you can see that there is a Blanc space then there is the main object then there are shapes and images that cover the rest of the work of the artist. It is clear to also see that the artist work also contains a lot of negative space within his work; and only places object to where he thinks is need and that will create an amazing outcome. The work that the artist creates have been abstracted in some way, the reason for the way that the artist has created his work in this way, is because it is much more creative and fin to look at an art work, it all contain reality within his work but it set out in a different format that is sometimes confusing to tell what kind of meaning the artist might be exploring with his work. The choice of colour within his work well with the shapes and photographs. It is a standard colour that is very plain but at the same time effective, the reason why I think this is, because of the neural look in the background contains is great to place what really matters in focus, it is good because the main subject in the image will don’t be distracted from the background. There are many marks, shapes, photographs, and lines that go across the shape, with all these little things it is good to see that they have been able to create something abstract and moved from the usual ways of creating a narrative. What I think that artist was aiming to get his massages to the viewers and form them to relate to what they see in the image. The reason I wanted to explore the work from Kacper Kiec, was especially because this artist answered the question on narrative and it links in very well. Because it shows that it is possible to show a narrative within a single image. And so here are the artist that have proven it. Conclusion In conclusion the investigated when exploring the narratives within the artist works, has been interesting to explore the ideas and thought of which artist. And the way in which they have placed narrative within their work and how they feel about expressing their feeling emotions and stories within their work. It has been intriguing to look at the art work whilst trying to understand the artist, and see if the art work was an affective narrative or not. Dara Scully’s Show the capability of hiding
herself within her work, so that it seems like she is part of nature. Her Techniques where greater when it came to manipulating images together to create a surreal image. The artist really did shoe that there can be a narrative within just one image. Although one of her projects where a series of photographs that would tell a poem, which meant that the viewers would have to see all of them to be able to understand the narrative. Vincent Bourilhon’s work was amazing in creating surreal manipulations as well, because of the amazing technique that he used also made the narrative even more powerful, because he really unique in creating effects digitally. This artist did dhow that it was possible to portray a narrative within just one image. Finally when exploring the work of Kasper Kiec, it was different from the other two, because he really used graphical techniques within his work that would create a unique outcome within his narrative. This artist did show that it is possible to show a narrative within a single image. Overall In my opinion I believe that it is possible to create an amazing story behind an image, because a single image can take you to another world, a world where your imaginations and fantasies float free within the image.
Bibliography http://cargocollective.com/darascully/info http://www.juxtapoz.com/photography/the-‐fantastic-‐imagination-‐of-‐vincent-‐bourilhon https://500px.com/VincentTim http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/vincent-‐bourilhon-‐surreal-‐photography http://www.illustrative.de/illustrative-‐artists/berlin-‐14/kacper-‐kiec-‐pol/