Mixed Media

In Pre-IB Art 1 students learned to mix media while creating pictures of the bicycle.  The students had to make choices about color and composition while mixing tempera and soft pastel, combining drawing with repeated patterns.

Nathan

Anmol

Sianna

Melissa

Sasha

Casey

Guest Post: Leah

Artist: Kay Sage

Style: Surrealism

Danger, Construction Ahead is one of Sage’s earlier pieces. The piece focuses largely on perspective, using line in the drawing to create movement toward the back corner of the page, establishing a focal point. The painting uses a monochromatic scheme; using these colors, Sage creates a balance between the darker foreground of the left side of the piece and the lighter background on the same side. This same technique is reversed on the other side of the page, further contributing to the balance. The painting is reflective of Sage’s emphasis on line and lone figures in a desolate background.

Le Passage was painted in 1956, less than ten years before Sage ended her own life. Once again, the painting depicts a barren landscape with a monochromatic scheme. Unlike the previous work, Le Passage includes a human form. The slumped posture and dark shadows that surround her depict an air of loneliness, a common element in Sage’s work. Perspective continues to be an important element of the piece, as the landscape becomes less defined as the lines fade into the background of the work. Both works depict a world that is removed from reality, an idea common to the surrealist movement.



Guest Post: Angie

JASON MECIER

      Jason Mecier is a very unique artist who creates elaborate portraits of celebrities using “junk”.  Mecier’s technique is very captivating because of the false sense of dept he gives his viewer, accurate physical traits, and the intricate detail he accomplishes by using simple everyday objects. When looking at his pieces you are able to immediately recognize the celebrity Mecier has chosen to portray. Viewing his pieces is similar to a visual illusion, first you see the person and then you begin to focus on the microscopic elements, like what materials make up the celebrity’s hair and what was used in the background, how did Mecier achieve his sense of shading in the portrait? What is the significance of the materials used and how do they relate to the overall idea.  The photo to the right is a prime example of the how initially the viewer sees the piece and recognizes the person portrayed. Because of the intricate details the viewer is able to immediately recognize that this work is a representation of Tina Fey.



The photo to above demonstrates Mecier’s shading technique. All of the objects chosen are largely selected upon their shade. When Mecier selects his materials he does not see them as everyday objects but features of his work contributing to aesthetics of his piece. These aspects of the piece are important because they allow us to see how the everyday objects are transformed, and what we once saw as a piece of rubber is now seen as the shaded region above the characters eye. If we look carefully below the chin, we can see that what we know to be a tire is now seen as a highly shaded region of the neck. The fact that we have to strain to put an everyday name to the materials used is proof of how our sense perception of the objects has been altered by Mecier’s technique.

Guest Post: April

Clifford Still- Abstract Expressionist
 Clifford Still was one of the first artists to embrace Abstract Expressionism, but he is not one of the most famous. He paints large canvases with thick textured paint. This piece in particular (1957-D No.1) may show a struggle between modern industrious life and the natural world with regard to humans or the struggle between life and death. I think this work shows how Still uses vast areas of color to represent the monotonous life of an industry worker, but breaks up the monotony with bright flames of color.
 This piece is entitled 1947-J. This style of Abstract Expressionism is reffered to "gesture". Still was not as concerned with creating an asthetically pleasing piece as he was with the actual creation of the piece. This creates an entergetic work which helps the viewer to connect on a more personal level.

Guest Post: Chris

Roberto Caputo

"Cross"

This is an image of a crucifix with an oil refinery in the background.  Having the crucifix off center and going off the page enables the viewer to see a bigger picture with a background.  This is an interesting composure because of the two main focal points.  One is a traditional world with religion at the center and the other is the modern world with modernization at the center. 

"Eggs"

This is an image of alligator eggs that were collected by wildlife biologists in Rockefeller Refuge shortly after hurricane Katrina in Louisiana.  The radial symmetry makes it appear as if the alligator eggs are in a nest rather than on the ground.  This is very deceitful to the view. 

Guest Post: Haley

Keith Harring



Keith Haring was a New York City street artist throughout the 1980’s and ’90s who served to legitimize and popularize graffiti and street art. Originally creating his works on subway walls, his pieces are composed of bold lines and colors to attract attention and convey a sense of movement The vivid images resemble hieroglyphics, and express feelings of unity and vitality in society. The lack of detail, especially in his earlier pieces, can also be attributed to the fact that graffiti was not as accepted in society as it is now, and Haring would try and create his pieces quickly in order to avoid getting in trouble with the law.

Later in his career, Haring’s work veered towards more socio-political themes, particularly towards AIDS awareness and the crack/cocaine epidemic of the time period. This piece is displayed in a children’s playground, and continues to convey unity in society through rhythm and bold lines. Haring himself died in 1990 of AIDS, and his legacy and causes are carried on through his foundation, which serves to help underprivileged children and provide research about HIV and AIDS.

Sources:

http://cultural-hub.com/the-10-best-street-art-works-according-to-the-guardian/3211/

http://jschumacher.typepad.com/joe/2009/08/crack-is-wack.html

http://www.haring.com/



Guest Post: Leena

Andy Warhol



In this piece, Andy Warhol utilizes the technique of silk-screening. The hand-stenciled silk allows the silk to compose multiple patterns. By adding layers of the colored silk, the image of the final product begins to appear. These silk screens can be used multiple times, which explains Andy Warhol’s huge collection of Marilyn Monroe portraits. These pieces worked best if the subject were staring at the viewers with a distant touch to them. Andy Warhol was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. He is famously known as the “Pope of Pop”. Warhol used “striking colors” to attract his audience to his work. These complementary colors influenced many other pop artists.

Sources:

http://www.tutorialkit.com/tutorials/Andy-Warhol-Pop-Art-Silkscreen-Effect-46894.html

http://history1900s.about.com/od/artists/p/warhol.htm