Title: The Darker Side
Medium: Photo Manipulation Size: 38.07 x 25.4cm Date: December 2016 My intentions for this piece were to portray the city of Milwaukee in an ominous setting. Being a large city, Milwaukee can become a scary place for many. Although the city is beautful and filled with life, everything has its darker side. I wanted to demonstrate this through the use of of gradiation as the city seems to fall under darkness. Additionally, bluriness from filters adds an uneasy feeling to better portray the message of unsettlingness. |
Artistic Inspiration
Artist: Thomas Cole
Thomas cole was an English-born American artist well known for his landscape and history related pieces. He is regarded as the founder of the Hudson River School, an American art movement of the mid 19th century. He was became well-known for his Romantic style painting. Techniques Thomas Cole utilized were bold effects of light and chiaroscuro. Using primarily oil as his medium, Cole produced three dimensional effects utilizing light in order to do so. I was inspired his his work, "View from Mount Holyoke, Northampton, Massachusetts, after a Thunerstorm- The Oxbow," due to Cole's ability to have a source of light flow from the right side of the piece into the left which is submerged in darkness. The way the storm is captured as it roles away, its menacing and ominous aspects are what I wanted to incorporate into my piece as well. Although Cole focused mainly on landscapes, I wanted to use his similar technique of a defined light source to create an ominous feel in a photograph of Milwaukee, WI. Research: "Olga's Gallery." Thomas Cole, Biography - Olga's Gallery. N.p., n.d. Web. 09 Dec. 2016. <http://www.abcgallery.com/C/cole/colebio.html>. |
Planning
Process
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Once I had finally captured an image I liked, I used photoshop to digitally manipulate it. I began adding in a defined light source into the image. At first I placed the light source in the top left corner, however the way the light shown down seemed unnatural due to the U.S. Bank building obstructing the light. Therfore I moved the light source to the upper right corner. Once I had established the light source, I wanted to imitate the feeling of a painting such as Cole's actual paintings. Through the use of filters, I was able to pixilate the image in order to make it seem like it contained brushstrokes. This also made the painting slightly blurry which added to the eerie feeling that had already been established by the light. Then I added an oil painting filter that texturized the image such that it looked like an oil painting. I attempted to incorporate an additional layer in the background of the piece in an attempt to add a cloudy sky, however the background became lost in the layers and seemed unnatural. Therefore I simply adjusted the light source by furthering it away into the right corner. In this manner I was able to better emulate Cole's work such that the right was filled with light that dissipated into the left portion of the screen to produce the ominous image I wanted.
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Reflection
I achieved my goal of creating an ominous setting in Milwaukee's downtown. I like how the oil like aspect adds to this uneasy feeling created by the light source. It helps to portray how Milwaukee is a beautiful city, yet it can become unsettling. I would have liked to improved the image by perhaps incorporating additional layers to better filter the light and make it more progressive throughout the image rather than sudden. Additionally, a work could be created that compared the night time to the day time. However, my piece accomplished my intentions and I was able to emulate Cole's technique of a defined light source.
ACT Questions
1) Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
-The cause and effect relationship can be found in the establishment of a defined light source. Cole inspired me to make a progression from light to darkness in my piece such as to create an ominous feeling.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
-Cole's view is to portray the beauty of nature and scariness of it as he shows a beautiful green landscape after the passing of a storm.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
-I discovered that often times people have negative views of urban culture due to the massiveness of cities and unfamiliarity. My inspiration was fond of rural areas to far greater extent than urban ones.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
-The central idea was an ominous setting, demonstrating to the viewer that beauty has its darker aspects.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
-Inferences I made while reading my research were that art is subjective to the viewer and although the artist may have a certain intention in mind, there may be various interpretations that only add to the piece rather than hinder it.
-The cause and effect relationship can be found in the establishment of a defined light source. Cole inspired me to make a progression from light to darkness in my piece such as to create an ominous feeling.
2) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
-Cole's view is to portray the beauty of nature and scariness of it as he shows a beautiful green landscape after the passing of a storm.
3) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
-I discovered that often times people have negative views of urban culture due to the massiveness of cities and unfamiliarity. My inspiration was fond of rural areas to far greater extent than urban ones.
4) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
-The central idea was an ominous setting, demonstrating to the viewer that beauty has its darker aspects.
5) What kind of inferences (conclusions reached on the basis of evidence and reasoning) did you make while reading your research?
-Inferences I made while reading my research were that art is subjective to the viewer and although the artist may have a certain intention in mind, there may be various interpretations that only add to the piece rather than hinder it.