Title: Rise of a Fallen City
Size:10 x 20 cm Medium: Photography Date: September 23, 2020 Exhibition Text: Rise of a Fallen City was inspired by Angie McMonigal's use of texture and reflection of light to evoke meaning into architectural buildings in her collection, Cloudscrapers. In Rise of a Fallen City, utilizes the perspective and reflections in the windows to illustrate a new perspective on life, and changing the outlook from destruction. Also, I wanted to showcase hope among darkness. |
Inspiration:
Artist: Angie McMonigal
Angie McMonigal is an abstract photographer and primarily focuses on architecture and using the terrain for repetition of textures, negative space, and detail to create perspective within the photos. McGonigal's theme I was inspired by is the Cloudscrapers series, of rising and looking up, and to see a different perspective within life. Focusing on the detailed structures of the metal frames of building and windows, and taking advantage of the windows's reflection of clouds, capturing the different perspective in the art. Furthermore, changing the intended use different structural frames and details of a building into a symbol and a unique perspective. In addition, show that architecture isn't just art-form, it can also become a palette to express the beauty of architecture that is overlooked. With the function of these pieces is expressive and commentative on how society overlook unexpected elements that are hidden.
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Planning Sketches:
I began to plan out what places I wanted to go and use to my advantage my family trip to my Grandparents help to better know how the city changed. After implementing that change, I began to think about if I wanted the photos vintage colored or black and white style photo, to represent the change overtime, with the landscape and buildings changed from the past. Looking into the different architecture within the city to get a rough sketch of where and what I'm going to take a photo. Additionally, I looked into more abstract art, by seeing texture being more represented by using Black and White instead of having the photo color, having this contrast will better enhance the details that I wanted to highlight. Afterwards I looked up different vegetables and leaves that are commonly grown within the state, and sketched it out. Lastly, different textures I can take pictures of, having a smooth to a rough grainy texture.
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Experimentation: As I was taking the photos, I tried to use the rule of thirds, implementing it a way of form, having the tallest subject meeting in one of the top corners either on the left or right, and having a longer subject on the other this creates an asymmetrical symmetry. While taking photos in the car, from the lighting being reflected, I used the glare to create a more mysterious look by having the glare from the window alluding to seats in a car without taking the main focus of the landscape and background. Additionally having depth, focusing on a main subject in the foreground or midground and having it larger, and dimming or blurring out the background. While in the city taking pictures of the skyscrapers, I had to kneel down and get as far back to get a sense of the buildings being taller from the perspective changing. In other occasions I went and kneeled down to get a close up of different plants and textures of the ground. I later turned the angle of the camera seeing if the different angles how it affected the outcome. I also tried to see what I wanted the image to look at the end, by after taking the photo, seeing if I like the image more desaturated or have no saturation at all.
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Process:
I used my phone take pictures, testing my camera quality and textures by going to the park, there I took advantage of natural lighting and turned to places where the light hit the spot I wanted, then taking a photo and edit it. For these photos, I mainly did close ups of textures and I changed saturation to the photo, the brightness, exposure, and contrast. With the more contrast, defining the different textures within the subjects such as the leaves and rocks, but also create a more defined difference between the highlights and shadows in the photo. Afterwards, I tried different lighting in my house, taking pictures of the house plants, having the lightest highlight in one of the 4 corners of a rule of thirds, brings the attention rather than having it in the direct center or below the subject.
In other photos I changed contrast to having no contrast, resulting in the photo have flat colors, but having shape and those colors to create depth in the piece. In the landscape photos, the main subject I had in one of the 4 spots in the rule of 3rds and being asymmetrical, with the rest of the background being flat long objects, this created depth. Also, taking photos that have different compositions, with contrasting textures of smooth and rough or streaky and long to grainy, creating depth and variation in the photo to lead the eyes to look closer into the photo. Overall, trying to get contrasting shapes and textures to create depth in the photos and a sense of negative and positive space. |
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Compare and Contrast:
Comparison:
- Both used reflection of the windows within the photos. This is done to create a mindset of an another side from the window's reflection. - Both have theme of looking up and that there is another perspective to everything. This is done by the reflection and also long vertical structures from the frames of the skyscrapers. - Use angle to force one to see the image vertically and a sense of rising. placing the image below the building, with the the light contrasting the darkness of the lower parts of the photo. |
Contrast:
- The theme in "Rise above Darkness" is focused on seeing a new perspective. In the other hand, "Rise of a Fallen City" focuses on the aspect of human perseverance of being able to rebuild and grow. - "Rise above Darkness" revolves around the reflection in the window and how it's a mirror which differs in "Rise of a Fallen City" because, it revolves more about the city as a whole being rebuilt both socially of the community and physically of the buildings. - The Background of "Rise above Darkness is the building itself of it's shadows, which differs from the background in "Rise of a Fallen City" of the bright sky. |
Reflection:
Overall, the project was enjoyable, able to be creative by being able to get out and find a subject to take a photo of. The main part that I struggled in was finding the main subject to do on and downgrading the to 1 photo as my project. My favorite part of the piece being the perspective, having different outlooks and themes within the photo and editing the photos of the saturation and exposure. With the most important skill I learned was how to use rule of thirds and manipulate the lighting to create depth in a photo. Additionally, I learned how to better create depth by having various tones or texture that contrast another, which impacts the movement of the eyes. One thing I would change is I would of edited the photo to have more contrast and shadows due to the midtones of each buildings don't contrast from another, creating blending of some longer skyscrapers to taller ones. Moreover, I would of change my subject more into a construction of a building rather than a completed one to create more of the meaning behind the photo. Finally, change the subject to one rather than a part of the city due to the focus somewhat onto center building with the reflection, however, it's mainly focused by the bigger buildings from it's position. Being more simplistic of what I'm doing to have a main focus rather than multiple.
ACT Responses:
1.) Clearly explain and describe how you are able to identify the cause-effect relationships between your inspiration and its effect upon your artwork.
I was able to identify the cause-effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork by the photos heavily influenced by the use of texture and caused my photos to take onto those same traits. Also, It affected my artwork by depicting a meaning of looking at a situation differently by the angles, lighting, and use of space to create a meaning that prespective isn't defined by what you see only.
2.) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The way you perceive something by your own eyes someone might have a different viewpoint, everything can change how you look at life. Seeing how being close up, farther, above, or below ultimately changes how another feels.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Sharing one's experience can impact others, by being able to apply yourself in them, viewing the same idea, and taking in what others have to say.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme around my research is perspective defines how one interprets life, some, unseen until told or shown to the viewer.
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 is that detail and depth is key to making styles and textures. having dark contrasting details shows more texture then having it all blended together with no depth, becoming flat.
I was able to identify the cause-effect relationship between my inspiration and its effect on my artwork by the photos heavily influenced by the use of texture and caused my photos to take onto those same traits. Also, It affected my artwork by depicting a meaning of looking at a situation differently by the angles, lighting, and use of space to create a meaning that prespective isn't defined by what you see only.
2.) What is the overall approach (point of view) the author (from your research) has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The way you perceive something by your own eyes someone might have a different viewpoint, everything can change how you look at life. Seeing how being close up, farther, above, or below ultimately changes how another feels.
3.) What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, cultures, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
Sharing one's experience can impact others, by being able to apply yourself in them, viewing the same idea, and taking in what others have to say.
4.) What was the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The theme around my research is perspective defines how one interprets life, some, unseen until told or shown to the viewer.
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 is that detail and depth is key to making styles and textures. having dark contrasting details shows more texture then having it all blended together with no depth, becoming flat.
Bibliography:
“About/Contact.” Angie McMonigal Photography, 17 Sept. 2020, www.angiemcmonigal.com/site_v2/aboutme/.
“Edward Weston.” Edward, edward-weston.com/edward-weston/.
“Edward Weston.” International Photography Hall of Fame, 3 Apr. 2020, iphf.org/inductees/edward-weston/.
“Edward Weston.” Edward, edward-weston.com/edward-weston/.
“Edward Weston.” International Photography Hall of Fame, 3 Apr. 2020, iphf.org/inductees/edward-weston/.