Chuck Close

Can I just say wow? Chuck Close's art is very impressive! I love his first self portrait the best I believe. Its almost like a blown up photograph. I think his expression is priceless too. It seemed to capture his true character, a side that everyone sees, but also a side that only he sees.

For this assignment though, I chose this image, Frank by Close.
Not only do I love the photographer's point of view, but I think this face in particular is captivating. His expression looks relaxed and yet semi concerned. I think Close's technique is very... different... in many of his other pieces, but for some reason I really enjoy this style of work. It looks like he is standing right in front of you...only HUGE!

Something else that I find to be super attractive about Close's work, is the fact that it is so LARGE! I feel as though it is an even greater achievement that Close can make his pieces look phenomenal on such a grand scale.

Andy Goldsworthy Art

The first piece of Goldsworthy art that I was introduced to was in my art book. The piece wa  the large rock balancing on top of the smaller pointed one. To me, this piece was intriguing. How in the world was he able to balance it so well on the tiny point? In theory, the larger rock could be a lot smaller than it looks in the photo, so in reality their weights might not be as massive as it appears...

In class, we were asked to look at some more of Goldsworthy's art and chose one that is permanent and write a little something about it. I could not chose just one... like usual.  The thing that caught my attention in these first two images were the curves in both pieces.

Being more of a logical thinker with an engineer's mind, the curves fascinate me! Goldsworthy does not use cement or any man made items in his art, and yet these curved shapes are able to hold together like champs! For me, the idea of how tightly he had to press the individual stones together is awe inspiring. I am constantly waiting for them to fall. While looking at the bridge over the wall, I've tried to imagine what would happen if it rains? Will the stones get slippery and begin to separate?

I enjoy this next Goldsworthy piece because of how the simplicity of the elements combined with the mind of Goldsworthy, this piece became a complex masterpiece. The overall project is a very neat piece, and the close up shot gives me more of an idea how all of the twigs are linked together.

Personally, I find Goldsworthy's art to be very intriguing and unique. The next entry will be where I create my own piece similar to his. Hopefully, /i will be able to create something just as interesting as his. 

My Own Gestalt

After the last post, I decided to create my own gestalt image. What do you know, that was an assignment as well. Just killed two birds with one stone. In my image I focused on the repetition of shapes and closure  because neither of the images are completely closed in. The water drop is my favorite, because of the colors. But the black and white polar bear turned out rather interesting.

Gestalt - Unity

Oh the many ways of unity. Today we were asked to find an image that represented one of the many different types of Gestalt's principles of unity.

 

This image represents the principle of similarity and emphasis. The black berries are all the same, creating an equal playing field, with everything being similar shapes and color, and then BAM! The red raspberry stands out against the black. Even though the raspberry is still the same shape as the black berries, because of the color difference has more of an impact. This red raspberry is an anomaly . 

Facial Hair....What?!

I have thing for mustaches. No, I don't like it when guys have thick, over grown, facial hair, and I don't really like it when they have a mustache at all actually. But for some reason I am drawn to the various shapes of mustaches. There are so many different shapes and each one gives a unique look into someone's personality. Lately, they seem to be a new trend in fashion and accessories, maybe not on anyone's face, but on everything else.

Maybe its because I am a girl, and facial hair is not really an option....well, I guess I could, BUT that's NOT happening! Maybe its because when I was little my dad had one. I really don't know, but there are so many cool things you can get with these hairy little guys taking the main stage.

And yes, I will admit, I am the girl that will draw the stache on my finger and hold it under my nose. But! mine cooler than most because when I have my mustache, I wiggle my finger back and forth. Call me lame, I don't mind, but that is my interpretation of mustaches.








So kudos to you with facial hair! Keep inspiring people! But keep it trimmed please. Un-kept staches are the worst.

Louise Nevelson Boxes

Boxes, boxes, and more boxes. This time I have been looking at Louise Nevelson's boxes. In Nevelson's pieces she keeps a uniform color, usually one shade, white or black, and minimizes the amount of shapes inside her box. In both images my favorite thing is how all of her shapes are simple. Many of these objects appear to be similar to house hold items or things that are easily found lying around, then painted white and stacked together.











There are so many objects inside of her boxes, and since they are all the same color, it takes a moment to define exactly what you are looking at, causing the audience to gaze longer. The way the shadows are formed from the surrounding lights help create a rich depth in her work. The simplicity makes these pieces incredibly intricate

Lucas Samaras Box

The latest assignment was to choose a Lucas Samaras box that we liked and explain what we think is interesting. After going through a lot of his work, I found these two boxes. 

In the first image, I really like the bird that is perched don top. The stripes look very rustic and compliment the mossy like grass nicely. The addition of the grass going all over the side with the bird makes this box appear as if that is the natural half.

I chose this second box because I like the media he decided to use on this box.  The jagged edges hanging out of the bottom of the box add some mystery and danger. I also like the mirrored material he chose for the top of the box. The textured outside adds an additional element of interest to this piece as well.