Gallery Blog #3

"Untitled" by Michelle Anderson

"Otis College Art and Design" by Vedrana Misanovic

Vedrana's piece was the first piece that caught my attention in the gallery. What first attracted me to this piece was the use of color. Normally I'm drawn more towards black and white pieces, but this was the exception. However, I think I was drawn to the color in this piece because of the nature of the pieces in this gallery. Most of the pieces in this gallery were centered around advertising, digital media, or graphic design. In regards to graphic design or advertisements, I usually prefer bright colors and captivating images.

On the other hand, I was drawn to Michelle's photograph because of its lack of color. Also, something about the man's tattoos and how he was standing really caught my attention.

The reason I chose these two pieces is because they represent two completely different ideas.

Verdrana's concentration is digital media, which is the complete opposite of photography. The main focus of her piece is the actual image. Her image is similiar to an ad; the blotches of bright color jump out at the audience to immediately lure them in. However, the image is relatively simple without the color. The palm trees are the only subjects in the piece aside from the text. There is no hidden message behind this piece; there is nothing to infer from this picture. Verdrana was explaining to us how she portrays her subjects realistically in regards to detail and form, but she usually colors them in with unnatural hues. However, no matter how accurately a subject is portrayed, digital art is not intended to capture a moment in time or to show a real-life subject.

Photography is used to capture a moment in time. In Michelle's piece there aren't any blotches of bright colors to jumpout at the audience. Unlike Verdrana's piece, information can be inferred from this piece. Michelle told us that she doesn't show the heads of any of her human subjects or title any of her pieces. She doesn't show the heads of the models in her pieces so the audience can focus on the other aspects of the human body. She explained that the face is usually the first thing that anyone looks at in a picture, or even real life. She also explained that the human form is one of the main focuses in her artwork; the human form is composed of much more than just an individual's face. She doesn't title her pieces because she doesn't want the audience to be looking for anyhting in particular in her pieces. She explained that she avoids titles because they can sometimes hint at what the meaning behind a piece of artwork is. So we, as the audience, have to approach her artwork with an open mind, free of any assumptions. Since the piece is in black and white, it is less harsh on the eyes that Verdrana's piece (not that her piece wasn't appealing, just in a different sense). The softness of the picture reflects the soft form of the human body, which Michelle commented on in her talk. The picture also reveals every detail of this subject's body because it is so close up; you can see the creases of muscle, read what the tattoo on his chest says, and trace the outlines of his viens. However, I do find it interesting the reason she doesn't create titles for her pieces. Without a face or title to gain any information from, my imagination takes over the piece. I found myself creating my own image of what this person looks like. The subject itself provides a certain set of assumptions; anyone viewing this piece could conjure up an image based off of the build of the subject, how his lips are positioned, and the type of tattoos he has. I'm not trying to create an identity for this piece, but I am curious to who the person in the picture is. I actually imagine him to be a marine or a firefighter. I'm not sure if that was her intention, but it does go back to the idea that information can be inferred from this piece.

In this gallery it was interesting to see art that was more focused on digital technology. It was nice to be exposed to the different forms of art. Also, it was nice to get insight to what type of processes are involved in the various forms of art.