Color and Design 2013: October 2013

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Henri Cartier-Bresson Behind the Gare St. Lazare

Henri Cartier-Bresson took this extraordinary candid snapshot of a man in mid air jumping over a puddle. He came up with the phrase, "the decisive moment" while referring to this photo. It catches the attention of many people because of the excellent shot it caught, including the man, his actions, and what he is jumping over. I love his reflection captured in the puddle. It has so much to offer without being too focused on the main part of the picture since there is still a generous amount of background.

Sunflower

The painting above is titled "Sunflowers" by the famous French artist known as Claude Monet. He created this painting using oil on canvas. In this painting he brings the sunflower to life using realist images to portray his ideas. Although it is simple, Monet is still one of the very few still artist to execute a painting like this. Monets sunflower painting is similar to Van Gough's however, his sunflower painting is more detailed.

Michelangelo's fresco very nice nobody's done it so far so I took the opportunity very cool express man and god's relationship to each other it is an interesting beautiful piece of artwork

Claude Monet in seinem Atelier 1874

For this weeks blog I chose a Manet painting. I have never blogged about him before and I find his work very interesting. All of his paintings have a very specific style and I really like the color choices he used for this scene. His brush strokes are so cool especially when you look at the water. Everything within the painting can stand on its own and I really like how Monet is painting within the painting, its a very interesting concept.

"Woman With A Hat" 1905 Henri Matisse

I chose "Woman With A Hat" which is oil on canvas by Henri Matisse in 1905. This particular painting stuck out to me because of the multiple different colors used just to make a portrait of one person. It sticks out to me how even though he used non-skin colors in the face like the greens makes it abstract. I also had discovered it is actually depicts his wife.

Matisse

The Dessert: Harmony in Red (Red Room)
Henri Matisse
Oil on canvas
1908

This painting by Matisse is different than what I would expect from one of his pieces. The intricate details on the table and on the walls catch your attention and carry your eye to different parts of the painting.

Impression Sunrise - Monet

I chose this because I found it interesting how he used his colors. Most of the water isn't blue and when you look at first glance the painting almost looks like its just a mess of colors but when you pay attention it makes sense. I also really liked how the sun stood out and how he made its reflection stand out even in the mesh of colors. This was an oil on canvas made in 1842

Jeffrey Pine, Sentinel Dome

Ansel Adams, Jeffrey Pine Sentinel Dome, 1940, Gelatin Silver Print

After seeing this photo, and where it was taken, I found it so beautiful. The tree branch follows the form of the mountain range..even the direction of the tree is magnificent, almost surreal looking. I think the black and white makes the image all the more powerful with the contrasts as well.

Moonwalk

This work is Moonwalk by Andy Warhol. The piece was done in 1987 and is a screen print.

I don't know if this work is in the book, but I figured since we were talking about color, I would go with a Warhol. His use of highly contrasting colors is typical for a later Warhol, but I chose this on in particular because I like the subject matter. He took an iconic symbol and put his own spin on it, which is both bold and different, ad for that I appreciate it.

Vik Muniz

I chose this photo because the movie we had watched in class really interested me. How he had transformed the various people and their lives by just taking garbage and recyclables and creating a magnificent work of art. By these people helping Vik Muniz transform and create the pictures. In the process he was changing these people's lives and how they felt about their jobs as garbage pickers. I liked this one the best because it shows the mother and her children and the expression on her face is depicted very well with the shading and edges.

Louis Le vau 7 J.H. Mansart, Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles

I chose Louis Le Vau & J.H. Mansart's, Hall of Mirrors, Palace of Versailles, done in 1669-85. This picture stood out to me for its incredible use of texture and the use of contrast. The difference between the light areas and dark areas allow one to differentiate where the mirrors are as well as what they are reflecting. The artists creatively use space to make the door in the back ground appear down the hall and further away. They also effectively made the picture appear 3 dimensional. The work has amazing detail and without that detail the picture would not have such great texture.

Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Lyonel Feininger, Gaberndorf II

Cubist Lyonel Feininger used his town inspired landscapes to create his oil on canvas painting, Gaberndorf II. This painting is a good representation of interpenetration, which is where objects or planes seem to slice through one another, which helps make it easier to locate the position and depth of the constructions in space. His cubist inspired townscapes are constructed of transparent or translucent overlapping planes, catching the light like prisms. I like how when I first looked at it, I only saw the one house directly in the center of the painting, yet when I looked closer at it I was able to see multiple houses overlapping each other which created a more interesting composition.

Composition 10, by Piet Mondrian

I chose this piece of art because I really liked the differences in the lines. It could be perceived as many different things. The books said it was at first glance very abstract, but with further examination it represents a pier stretching into an ocean of horizontal and vertical lines. These lines reflect the rhythmic ebb and flow of the sea. Personally, I don't see the ocean, but I still like it very much.

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Seals and Bridge

The Old Guitarist

Pablo Picasso

1903

Oil on panel

It is said that Pablo Picasso went through a "blue" period between the years of 1901 and 1904 after a friend of his committed suicide. This painting expresses a darker mood as a suffering sightless man is pictured by himself with nothing but his guitar. Although this work reflects the miseries of the outcasts of society at that time, I love the look of this painting. His use of a monochromatic blue palette all around the brown guitar creates a pop of color that is pleasing to the eye and makes you wonder why he chose to only keep the guitar it's actual color.

Boating on the Seine

Pierre-Auguste Renoir
Boating on the Seine
1879-80
Oil on Canvas

Renoir was an impressionist painter and you can tell from his style of painting. I chose this painting because of the colors. The orange boat against the blue river really make the painting strong and draw your eye in. I also like the effect that Renoir uses on the water. The light and dark areas in the water look like it is moving.

Degas "Blue Dancers"

This is "Blue Dancers" by Edward Degas. It was was completed in 1899 and is pastel on paper. I enjoy works by Degas. He mostly does pictures of ballerinas. But in this particular picture you can see the tints and shades he created with the blue. Although many of his works may look the same, they are all different.