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Artist Precedents (Project 3)

1.

Artist name: David Levinthal

Series: Hitler Moves East

Title: Untitled

Date: 1975-77

Medium: Gelatin silver print, Kodalith Film

Size: 15 15/16 x 20 inches 

 

 

 

 

 

Genre/approach: Documentary, narrative, constructed imagery, post modernism, image manipulation

Method and techniques: Film is used with this monochromatic images, this allows the series to be highly documentary and realistic. Composition, arrangement and lighting in the image are fully controlled by the photographer since David uses artificial figures to manipulate the scene.

Description: This image is very well made up. Initially viewers look at the soldier on the bottom left corner as it is the clearest figure in the image, then we are directed to look at the person standing in the light by the way composition and lighting are set. Camera is looking at him in a low angle which implies that he has a power. The tone of the image provides sense of depression and antiquity. The composition of the image creates tension between the two figures.

Context and Ideas:

b.1949, San Francisco, USA

Graduated from Yale University with an MFA in photography, currently working in New York

“Levinthal has produced a diverse oeuvre, utilizing primarily large-format Polaroid photography. His works touch upon many aspects of American culture. Levinthal uses small toys and props with dramatic lighting to construct mini environments of subject matters varying from war scenes to voyeurism to racial and political references to American pop culture. He creates miniature scenarios using shoeboxes, cardboard, and foam core to make miniature offices, hotel rooms, pool halls, foyers and narrow corridors. These shadowy and dark scenes expose the secrecy and intimacy of small spaces. Levinthal is particularly interested in exploring the different emotions that each scene produces”

Deliberate construction of light and angle of view, scenery becomes more dramatic and narrative

Response:

The main aspect I took out from Levinthal is constructive narration, the way he uses composition and lighting to tell a story and to deliver different emotions. The way he uses props to manipulate the scenery seems very realistic.

The tone of the image seems very natural and relative to the story that Levinthal is trying to set. However with my series it would not work very well because the series is dealing with the present and surrealism.

 Compare and contrast:

Two photos share the same storyline but it is constructed in a very different way. The photo on the right is more symbolic and meaningful whereas the one on the left seems more realistic, dynamic and emotive. 

2.

Artist name: Sian Bonnell

Series: When the domestic meets the wild

Title: Untitled

Date: 1999 

 

 

 

Genre/approach: Landscape, abstract expressionism, constructed imagery, comedy/satire

Method and techniques: A method Bonnell implemented in this series is very simple. She literally takes and places the domestic goods into the context of natural landscape and photographs it. Composition and colour is also considered deeply to create its intended visual effect. 

Description: This image is at a glance quite humorous and charming. The odd placement of everyday object is quite powerful to challenge our common recognition of objects. Compositionally the image is set up very precisely. . Arrangement seems rather convincing after looking at the image for a while. Vibrant colours of the objects add to playfulness of the image

Context and ideas:

b.1956, London, UK

Studied Sculpture at Chelsea School of Art.

“Her series achieve its effect- sometimes simply comically absurd, sometimes disquietingly, complex and ambiguous-through what might be called ironies of displacement. Domestic objects with specific function are set in ‘natural’ locations inappropriate to their utility. The implications of such displacements are directly derived from our recognition of the objects, relating to our knowledge of their everyday uses. Their synthetic colours and manufactured textures emphasise their alienation from their new surroundings.”

Response:

I think her images are especially interesting because she brings daily objects to life merely through reconfiguration of context. Personally, I feel this idea is quite fascinating and innovative. Hence I decided to take the idea of considering personifying the objects as well as the placement of each objects. Also I quite liked the vibrancy in the image. So my series could implement that vibrancy to create a similar visual effect.

Compare and contrast:

 

 

Two photos above are both from the same series “when the domestic meets the wild”, therefore it shares a lot of similarities. The way she manipulates is very much similar except she uses different object on different context.

3.

Artist name: Slinkachu

Series: Little People

Title: Local amenities for children

Date: 2008

Medium: digital print

 

 

 

Genre/approach: Narrative, Constructed imagery, Comedy/Satire

Method: Slinkachu uses similar method to Bonnell. The whole series involves of miniature model character that has been simply placed on the streetscape or on another objects. These miniature models are then photographed with the context in different scales.

Description: A set of images above really challenges with the scale. The image on the left shows vastness and emptiness of the city while the one on the right feels humorous and dynamic. The contrast between the two emphasise on the importance of scale in photography.

Context and ideas:

b.1981,UK

“The series, “Little people” is both a street art installation project and a photography project. The street-based side of my work plays with the notion of surprise and I aim to encourage city-dwellers to be more aware of their surroundings. The scenes I set up, more evident through the photography and the titles I give these scenes aim to reflect the loneliness and melancholy of living in a big city, almost being lost and overwhelmed. But underneath this, there is always some humour. I want people to be able to empathise with the tiny people in my works.”

Huge emphasis on scale and context

Response:

The juxtaposition of the two photos is very successful in terms of delivering his message. In my opinion, his innovative approach to scale is really interesting. It creates a strong visual impression. Also the arrangement of a mini figure, I think, is very crucial to reinforce the idea of scale and different notion of context.