Please respond to the readings in at least 150 words. Follow the guidelines for completing lectures and research before posting your work under the appropriate blog entry.
Caroline Thorington is a painter/printmaker based in Maryland. A majority of her works is based around natural history, mythology, and astronomy. Her “Star Series” looks at the imagery of star constellations and myth (1). Some of her prints from this series are “twin images,” meaning that the pair has related images. She has stated that the series was originally only planned to be a set of six prints, but then the ideas took off and she started “picking stars and constellations at random for contemplation and depiction” (1). Her representations of constellations may not be particularly accurate, but I like how her prints are thoughtful observations of stars. I know I often look at the stars and do not know what I’m seeing, so I like that she looks for specific things and makes connections to other thoughts and ideas in her prints.
http://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/conbetelgeuse.jpg -Contemplating Betelgeuse, Lithograph and Chine Collé on Black Arches, 11" x 14", 2006. Betelguese is the eighth brightest star in the sky, so I assume that the largest star in the right image is Betelguese. Additionally, the figure’s silhouette in the right component of the composition is turned in that spot’s direction. The image on the left is a very detailed representation of a beetle, and four other beetles are scattered throughout the composition. In what appears to be the back layer of the print, there is cursive-esque writing, rough outer edges, and black spots to make the document have an old feel. The writing seems like a documented account of thinking about the star Betelguese and its connection to beetles as some of the visible writing states, “I sit here quietly contemplating…” and “Contemplating Beetles Contemplating Betelguese.” The image on the right showing the figure looking up into space is the same size and shape as the detailed representation of the beetle on the left, creating a pair that is connected and to be compared. The writing in the back further unifies the two images and allows to viewer to also “contemplate Betelguese.”
http://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/1_2007canisminor_6x8.jpg -Canis Minor Leaps for the Moon, Lithograph & Chine Collé, 15" x 18", 2007 The left side of the image represents Monoceros, or the unicorn constellation, which is located to the south of Canis Minor in the sky. Underneath the representation of Monoceros, a girl kicks a ball, which based upon the title and its white appearance can be interpreted as the moon. Lines and the repeated moon forms throughout the length of the lines imply movement and a direction of motion. The large dog on the right, Canis Minor, also has lines to imply movement and is thereby chasing after the moon. The unicorn depicted comes to land on its front feet, not chasing after the “moon.” The print is white, blue, and black, all over which are typical colors to represent the sky. When I see this print, I think about someone lying under the sky, looking at constellations (particularly Canis Minor and Monoceros), and seeing the moon move across the night sky. There is almost a childlike feel as the girl pretends to interact with the stars, and the constellations take on forms of animals rather than just patterns of connected stars.
http://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/5_2007sirius_black.jpg -Black Sirius, Lithograph on black Arches, 11" x 14", 2007. Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is in the constellation Canis Major and is often referred to as “the dog star.” In this composition, it is the largest star with the glowing white around it. The glow of the star in the sky is replicated on the head of the dog, connecting the star in the sky to the illustration of the dog. The artist has used color to unite and contrast the elements of the composition. The white ink creates a positive space to unite the words, the dog, and the stars and contrasts them with the black emptiness that can be thought of as the depths of space. I like how the dog has a soft glow from the white to make it seem more mystical and spiritual. It’s interesting that she chose a shaggy dog to represent the star, but knowing that she chose stars and stories at random, she probably has a personal reason for choosing that dog; perhaps it is her own dog or her favorite breed. The words create a frame for the composition, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the main components of the works, and they contribute to the meaning. The words identify the constellation and the star, as well as provide a rough translation of the Latin “Canis Major” to “Big Dog,” which is appropriate due to the amount of room the dog fills within the composition.
Edie Overturf Her uses symbols and narrative to showcase his ideas, also he displays them in speech bubble type shapes. Most of her prints feature herself and fields and rabbits. She is from Minneapolis Minnesota.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 11th image The Second Date Woodcut 24 X 48 2011 This woodcut is a narrative scene that is helped with the use of words and the negative space of the rabbit helps to create an eye movement over the narrative of the story. The cross-hatching linear technique used to draw is characteristic of most of her art, and the inclusion of the rabbit is also a typical inclusion. There is a women sitting at a table with a rabbit on top of it.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 17th image The Runner Color Woodcut: 25 X 25 2006 This Color woodcut of a Roster has some story behind it, I cannot find what her reasoning is but it looks like a why did the chicken cross the road type of thing. And then he got injured, cause his head got cut off. As like the aforementioned woodcut, she uses hatching and black and white.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 3rd image Ethereal Dispute Woodcut 33 X 28 2012 This image is created the same way as her others, as a woodcut. It goes a step further to tie her rabbit obsession into her self-portrait imagery. There is a person who is dressed with a rabbit head covering. And a sign that says I am a rabbit.. her pieces all mostly have a ribbon flowing in the background, this ties the concentration together, on top of the linear and black and white trend.
The first print I chose is by Gary Comoglio and is called Knowledge and Destiny Impression 3 and it’s 16.5 by 14 inches. He describes this particular piece as a woodcut with monoprint, which when you look at it closely you can kind of tell the way in which it was made. One thing I found interesting was all of the different textures he uses in his monoprint which are so common that we use them in our own art class but he uses them so well that it looks so much better than any monoprint we could ever do. For example, you can see what looks like bubblewrap in the background but you can also see the wood. I just really enjoyed the texture in this particular piece.
This print is by Kim William Fink, is called Engram, and is 22 by 30 inches made in 2010. The artist uses a linocut and something called “chine colle”. I can easily say that I chose it because of my obsession with linocuts and the linocut of the raven I thought was absolutely fantastic. The details of the feathers and the skin around the eye are so fine and delicate that I can’t possibly imagine how long it took to make it. I also really like the contrast between the linocut and the paper and feel like the image in the bottom right, although I don’t quite understand it, create a good composition and really balance the piece.
http://www.patriciapayneart.com/etchings.html
The last piece I chose is called Plover Run, a 23 by 9.5in piece by Patricia Theobald Payne. It is an etching on wood of a group of those little beach birds that run from the waves doing exactly that, running from the waves. I really like this piece because of how fine it looks. Even if it’s on wood the art looks so detailed that it could be a painting on a canvas. I also really like the subject of it, since it is yet another aspect of the beach that I so much enjoy. I noticed that when looking at these pieces I tend to gravitate a lot toward wood carvings and wood work so hopefully one day I can do some of that work.
Chair IV Brian Baker Screenprint Brian Baker focuses on reflecting on the abstract quality harnessed in everyday, ordinary objects such as walkways and chairs. He chooses one object to simplify by reducing the lines and breaking down the composition. Baker also increases the color contrast to further minimize the complication of the object. In doing this, the emphasis is placed on the object’s presence rather than the formality of the object. In “Chair IV,” Baker rids the object of detail by using high contrast and one color over the entire image. Placed on a white background, the chair is bold and ‘in the face’ of the viewer who is forced to reflect on the meaning of this everyday object placed before them. I am very interested in making the familiar unfamiliar at the moment and Baker does this with simple objects such as a chair. His method of screenprinting also has shown me the ability of the method to flatten three-dimensional images into a two-dimensional space. http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/brian-baker
Skin and Bones Digital Print 2012 Rachel Maclean
Rachel MacLean toys with image inspiration from the past and futuristic styles. She incorporates cartoonish characters, each with unstable personalities reflecting on gender stereotypes. Using Brittany Spears’ head shaving as inspiration, MacLean reflects on the pressures of society to ‘fit the mold’ when in the spotlight of the public. This is shown in the image “Skin and Bones” by ‘Brittany,’ shown with a shaved head and extremely thin frame, holding her previous skin shown with long hair and a little more flesh. I am inspired by MacLean’s ability to take a unique standpoint on a widely discussed controversial moment in pop-culture. http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/ep-print-editions/1952/skin-and-bones Present Returns Decolonizing.ps Screenprint 59.5 x 95cm This print reflects on the political issues existing within Palestine. The image consists of a photograph topped by a neon yellow covering over a specific building to make a statement. The artist incorporates text to also make a statement concerning the decolonialization in this region and the spatial context. A topic I would like to later explore would be statements concerning political issues shown in a different light. I am interested in reflecting on these issues in a unique, unconventional way. http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/decolonizing-ps
I was immediately attracted to the vibrant blue colors of this piece, and its accompanying imagery of a dog, geisha, and pink flowers that pop out beautifully in contrast. The images are large but spaced separately throughout the paper and all seem to come together beautifully. The geisha is holding a bright red fan with sparkly polka dots that give the print a magical feel. The images used are an accretion of memories from the artist's recent travels to Japan. Thus, the geisha, flowers, and dog are appropriate symbols of his journey. I personally love the way he arranged these images and the color schemes with the pops of color and sparkle. It makes the prints interesting to look at and I would really like to try some of these techniques!!
2. "Destroy Lighter Red" Blocktype and screenprint 56 x 76 cm. 2011 Ruth Ewan
I was first drawn to this piece due to the "pop art" nature of its appearance. The bright pink text was alluring before I even read what it said. Upon actually reading, the piece reads "Destroy these vessels yet these principles you can never extinguish they will live forever and enter into the other bodies to live and speak and act". Although no artists statement was provided, I found this to be a powerful message relating to war and how regardless of what people physically destroy, they can never take away a person or organizations, etc. spirit or beliefs. This made me immediately think of the recent Boston bombings and the stupidity of people who do such evil, terrorizing acts. They do not realize that beyond physical terror, the only real impact they make is unity between those who are impacted and makes them come out stronger as a whole. This is overall a terrific piece with a powerful message, and I am interested in learning more about blocktype because I tend to put text in my prints with short, blunt messages and this technique looks like something I would like to use in a future print.
I was first drawn to this piece because of the colors, graphic nature, and bold text incorporation. A mossy green background hosts two brown squirrels placed on both the top left and bottom right corner, and highlighted in the middle inside a white doily-type image is a brown mask, bow, and squirrel-looking figure. The text is mostly foreign but seems to allude to the pricing of land or nature. There is no explanation provided of the piece but I really like how the artists mixes nature with pop culture. The images, color, and text are very "pop art"/propaganda-y but the actual images and text are symbolic of nature and have a much deeper meaning. I would be curious to hear what the artist's actual intentions are with this piece, but regardless, it is pleasant to look at and I would hang it up as a decoration in my home without any questions!
Caroline Thorington is a painter/printmaker based in Maryland. A majority of her works is based around natural history, mythology, and astronomy. Her “Star Series” looks at the imagery of star constellations and myth (1). Some of her prints from this series are “twin images,” meaning that the pair has related images. She has stated that the series was originally only planned to be a set of six prints, but then the ideas took off and she started “picking stars and constellations at random for contemplation and depiction” (1). Her representations of constellations may not be particularly accurate, but I like how her prints are thoughtful observations of stars. I know I often look at the stars and do not know what I’m seeing, so I like that she looks for specific things and makes connections to other thoughts and ideas in her prints.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/conbetelgeuse.jpg
-Contemplating Betelgeuse, Lithograph and Chine Collé on Black Arches, 11" x 14", 2006.
Betelguese is the eighth brightest star in the sky, so I assume that the largest star in the right image is Betelguese. Additionally, the figure’s silhouette in the right component of the composition is turned in that spot’s direction. The image on the left is a very detailed representation of a beetle, and four other beetles are scattered throughout the composition. In what appears to be the back layer of the print, there is cursive-esque writing, rough outer edges, and black spots to make the document have an old feel. The writing seems like a documented account of thinking about the star Betelguese and its connection to beetles as some of the visible writing states, “I sit here quietly contemplating…” and “Contemplating Beetles Contemplating Betelguese.” The image on the right showing the figure looking up into space is the same size and shape as the detailed representation of the beetle on the left, creating a pair that is connected and to be compared. The writing in the back further unifies the two images and allows to viewer to also “contemplate Betelguese.”
http://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/1_2007canisminor_6x8.jpg
ReplyDelete-Canis Minor Leaps for the Moon, Lithograph & Chine Collé, 15" x 18", 2007
The left side of the image represents Monoceros, or the unicorn constellation, which is located to the south of Canis Minor in the sky. Underneath the representation of Monoceros, a girl kicks a ball, which based upon the title and its white appearance can be interpreted as the moon. Lines and the repeated moon forms throughout the length of the lines imply movement and a direction of motion. The large dog on the right, Canis Minor, also has lines to imply movement and is thereby chasing after the moon. The unicorn depicted comes to land on its front feet, not chasing after the “moon.” The print is white, blue, and black, all over which are typical colors to represent the sky. When I see this print, I think about someone lying under the sky, looking at constellations (particularly Canis Minor and Monoceros), and seeing the moon move across the night sky. There is almost a childlike feel as the girl pretends to interact with the stars, and the constellations take on forms of animals rather than just patterns of connected stars.
http://www.carolinethorington.com/images/content//gallery_04/5_2007sirius_black.jpg
-Black Sirius, Lithograph on black Arches, 11" x 14", 2007.
Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, is in the constellation Canis Major and is often referred to as “the dog star.” In this composition, it is the largest star with the glowing white around it. The glow of the star in the sky is replicated on the head of the dog, connecting the star in the sky to the illustration of the dog. The artist has used color to unite and contrast the elements of the composition. The white ink creates a positive space to unite the words, the dog, and the stars and contrasts them with the black emptiness that can be thought of as the depths of space. I like how the dog has a soft glow from the white to make it seem more mystical and spiritual. It’s interesting that she chose a shaggy dog to represent the star, but knowing that she chose stars and stories at random, she probably has a personal reason for choosing that dog; perhaps it is her own dog or her favorite breed. The words create a frame for the composition, drawing the viewer’s eyes to the main components of the works, and they contribute to the meaning. The words identify the constellation and the star, as well as provide a rough translation of the Latin “Canis Major” to “Big Dog,” which is appropriate due to the amount of room the dog fills within the composition.
Source:
(1) http://www.carolinethorington.com/galleries_04.asp
Edie Overturf
ReplyDeleteHer uses symbols and narrative to showcase his ideas, also he displays them in speech bubble type shapes. Most of her prints feature herself and fields and rabbits. She is from Minneapolis Minnesota.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 11th image
The Second Date
Woodcut 24 X 48
2011
This woodcut is a narrative scene that is helped with the use of words and the negative space of the rabbit helps to create an eye movement over the narrative of the story. The cross-hatching linear technique used to draw is characteristic of most of her art, and the inclusion of the rabbit is also a typical inclusion. There is a women sitting at a table with a rabbit on top of it.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 17th image
The Runner
Color Woodcut: 25 X 25
2006
This Color woodcut of a Roster has some story behind it, I cannot find what her reasoning is but it looks like a why did the chicken cross the road type of thing. And then he got injured, cause his head got cut off. As like the aforementioned woodcut, she uses hatching and black and white.
http://www.edieoverturf.com/ Click on “Work” then “Prints” then “Woodcuts” 3rd image
Ethereal Dispute
Woodcut 33 X 28
2012
This image is created the same way as her others, as a woodcut. It goes a step further to tie her rabbit obsession into her self-portrait imagery. There is a person who is dressed with a rabbit head covering. And a sign that says I am a rabbit.. her pieces all mostly have a ribbon flowing in the background, this ties the concentration together, on top of the linear and black and white trend.
http://www.garycomoglio.com/artworkps.jsp.que.artist.eq.3385.amp.artwork.eq.43842.shtml
ReplyDeleteThe first print I chose is by Gary Comoglio and is called Knowledge and Destiny Impression 3 and it’s 16.5 by 14 inches. He describes this particular piece as a woodcut with monoprint, which when you look at it closely you can kind of tell the way in which it was made. One thing I found interesting was all of the different textures he uses in his monoprint which are so common that we use them in our own art class but he uses them so well that it looks so much better than any monoprint we could ever do. For example, you can see what looks like bubblewrap in the background but you can also see the wood. I just really enjoyed the texture in this particular piece.
http://www.kimfink.com/#!-gallery-i/albumphotos0=0
This print is by Kim William Fink, is called Engram, and is 22 by 30 inches made in 2010. The artist uses a linocut and something called “chine colle”. I can easily say that I chose it because of my obsession with linocuts and the linocut of the raven I thought was absolutely fantastic. The details of the feathers and the skin around the eye are so fine and delicate that I can’t possibly imagine how long it took to make it. I also really like the contrast between the linocut and the paper and feel like the image in the bottom right, although I don’t quite understand it, create a good composition and really balance the piece.
http://www.patriciapayneart.com/etchings.html
The last piece I chose is called Plover Run, a 23 by 9.5in piece by Patricia Theobald Payne. It is an etching on wood of a group of those little beach birds that run from the waves doing exactly that, running from the waves. I really like this piece because of how fine it looks. Even if it’s on wood the art looks so detailed that it could be a painting on a canvas. I also really like the subject of it, since it is yet another aspect of the beach that I so much enjoy. I noticed that when looking at these pieces I tend to gravitate a lot toward wood carvings and wood work so hopefully one day I can do some of that work.
Chair IV
ReplyDeleteBrian Baker
Screenprint
Brian Baker focuses on reflecting on the abstract quality harnessed in everyday, ordinary objects such as walkways and chairs. He chooses one object to simplify by reducing the lines and breaking down the composition. Baker also increases the color contrast to further minimize the complication of the object. In doing this, the emphasis is placed on the object’s presence rather than the formality of the object. In “Chair IV,” Baker rids the object of detail by using high contrast and one color over the entire image. Placed on a white background, the chair is bold and ‘in the face’ of the viewer who is forced to reflect on the meaning of this everyday object placed before them. I am very interested in making the familiar unfamiliar at the moment and Baker does this with simple objects such as a chair. His method of screenprinting also has shown me the ability of the method to flatten three-dimensional images into a two-dimensional space.
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/brian-baker
Skin and Bones
Digital Print
2012
Rachel Maclean
Rachel MacLean toys with image inspiration from the past and futuristic styles. She incorporates cartoonish characters, each with unstable personalities reflecting on gender stereotypes. Using Brittany Spears’ head shaving as inspiration, MacLean reflects on the pressures of society to ‘fit the mold’ when in the spotlight of the public. This is shown in the image “Skin and Bones” by ‘Brittany,’ shown with a shaved head and extremely thin frame, holding her previous skin shown with long hair and a little more flesh. I am inspired by MacLean’s ability to take a unique standpoint on a widely discussed controversial moment in pop-culture.
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/ep-print-editions/1952/skin-and-bones
Present Returns
Decolonizing.ps
Screenprint
59.5 x 95cm
This print reflects on the political issues existing within Palestine. The image consists of a photograph topped by a neon yellow covering over a specific building to make a statement. The artist incorporates text to also make a statement concerning the decolonialization in this region and the spatial context. A topic I would like to later explore would be statements concerning political issues shown in a different light. I am interested in reflecting on these issues in a unique, unconventional way.
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/decolonizing-ps
1. "Night Dancer"
ReplyDeleteScreenprint and Chine Colle
56 x 72 in.
2003
George Donald
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/ep-print-editions/423/night-dancer
I was immediately attracted to the vibrant blue colors of this piece, and its accompanying imagery of a dog, geisha, and pink flowers that pop out beautifully in contrast. The images are large but spaced separately throughout the paper and all seem to come together beautifully. The geisha is holding a bright red fan with sparkly polka dots that give the print a magical feel. The images used are an accretion of memories from the artist's recent travels to Japan. Thus, the geisha, flowers, and dog are appropriate symbols of his journey. I personally love the way he arranged these images and the color schemes with the pops of color and sparkle. It makes the prints interesting to look at and I would really like to try some of these techniques!!
2. "Destroy Lighter Red"
Blocktype and screenprint
56 x 76 cm.
2011
Ruth Ewan
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/shop/ep-print-editions/1955/principles-(edward-&-christopher)
I was first drawn to this piece due to the "pop art" nature of its appearance. The bright pink text was alluring before I even read what it said. Upon actually reading, the piece reads "Destroy these vessels yet these principles you can never extinguish they will live forever and enter into the other bodies to live and speak and act". Although no artists statement was provided, I found this to be a powerful message relating to war and how regardless of what people physically destroy, they can never take away a person or organizations, etc. spirit or beliefs. This made me immediately think of the recent Boston bombings and the stupidity of people who do such evil, terrorizing acts. They do not realize that beyond physical terror, the only real impact they make is unity between those who are impacted and makes them come out stronger as a whole. This is overall a terrific piece with a powerful message, and I am interested in learning more about blocktype because I tend to put text in my prints with short, blunt messages and this technique looks like something I would like to use in a future print.
3. "Wonderland"
Screenprint
Sharon Whyte
http://www.edinburghprintmakers.co.uk/artist/sharon-whyte
I was first drawn to this piece because of the colors, graphic nature, and bold text incorporation. A mossy green background hosts two brown squirrels placed on both the top left and bottom right corner, and highlighted in the middle inside a white doily-type image is a brown mask, bow, and squirrel-looking figure. The text is mostly foreign but seems to allude to the pricing of land or nature. There is no explanation provided of the piece but I really like how the artists mixes nature with pop culture. The images, color, and text are very "pop art"/propaganda-y but the actual images and text are symbolic of nature and have a much deeper meaning. I would be curious to hear what the artist's actual intentions are with this piece, but regardless, it is pleasant to look at and I would hang it up as a decoration in my home without any questions!