Flight

This is my collage piece!

Photomontage

The theme for my photomontage project is Taking Flight. This theme is also the title of my senior show. I have some images of the sky and of some leaves blowing in the wind. I plan to layer these with one or two of intaglio prints and watercolor images. I would like to incorporate a picture of me into the collage as well.

Where I Want to Be?
Home. At Peace. Free.

Partner Collage

Surrealistic Artists

Rene Magritte (1898- 1967)

He was a leader in the surrealist movement of the early twenties. He attended school for art and began his career designing wallpaper and posters. His art was inspired by our 'internal states of consciousness'. His paintings reflected these dreamlike states, bringing the viewer to a new realm of visual interpretation. He also is noted for his use of symbolism and size distortion.
He was know as having a more reserved personality. He differed from his contemporaries in that he was not eccentric or wild, he was a normal guy. (No scandals, one wife, hard working)


Artist Review

Magritte, Rene
Perspective: Madame Recamier by David
Oil on canvas
1951

Description/Analysis:

The over all color of this piece is done in browns ranging from dark in background to a use of lighter colors in the foreground. It has a horizontal orientation that is filled up by its focal point. This painting depicts a coffin lounging on a day sofa in a very plain brown room. The coffin is adorned with three handles equally spaced along its edge and it is nailed closed. The coffin is peculiar in that it is not flat. It sits, bent at the waist, and makes one imagine that there is a figure inside it sitting/lounging on the sofa. There is a piece of cream fabric sticking out from under the leg area of the coffin that gently drapes off the sofa cascading down to a foot stool. The foot stool is painted in the same browns as the coffin and the sofa. It sits in front of the sofa and isn't noticed until the eye is drawn downward by the fabric. There is a lamp located next to the head of the sofa which extends from the base of the painting to the top. The lamp and the walls of the room help to frame the coffin/ sofa which is in the center of the image. The sofa has two green and yellow pillows on it and it is cushioned in the same colors.

Interpretation:

I think that this is a visual memorial. Colors are all muted and drab which sets my mind to a more somber interpretation. There was most likely a woman who lounged on this sofa and maybe she was even painted here. Rene painted a coffin instead. He painted death. Which makes me think that he is reminding the viewer that she is gone, she does not exist. The image is a little ridiculous because coffins are not bent and they don't get put on sofas. But isn't it ridiculous to lust after a memory or desire what isn't there? Rene has simply painted the reality of her state.

Judgement:

I think that this piece is very successful and intriguing. It addresses how we view the world. Do we see the irony at play in daily life? I think that Magritte did and he painted it.


Konstantin (1978- )

I discovered this artist on deviant art.com. He is a 31 year old Russian photo manipulator.
His work is mainly consists of dissecting and/or taking apart the human body. He is a modern surrealist and works in digital media. He is also a digital photographer.



Artist Review

Konstantin
Empty
Photo-manipulation
2008

Description/Analysis:

This image has a square format and is done in black and white. It is of a figure sitting behind a flat surface like a table. Only the top portion of the figure is shown. This portion forms a triangular shape. He is slumped over the table and is resting his head in his left hand and his right hand is laid on the surface. The figure has no clothing but its skin is all crackled and breaking apart like dried mud. His face has fallen off completely and landed on the table next to his resting hand. There is no expression on it. You can see through the rest of his head and it is empty. His entire body is empty. There is nothing holding it together.
The table looks like it is made of canvas that has sand or fine gravel covering it and the background hovers ambiguously around the figure. It is a haze of oil and water. Everything is in high contrast and there is a light source in the bottom left corner of the image that increases the contrast of the figure.
There is one element of the image that seems odd because it does not fit in to the rest of the scene. In the top corner of the image there is a partial white bar-code that gets lost into the background. It reads beneath it: nse by int 21h. I think that it is how Konstantin signs his images.
To me it adds an element of mystery.

Interpretation:

I think that this is a man falling apart literally. He feels empty and dried up, hopeless and alone in a vast plain of uncertainty. There is no nourishmnet and he is slowly eroding away. There is only a hollow shell and even that is almost gone.

Judgment:

This is a very moving piece. My first reaction was cool!! But as I studied it I realized the message it was sending. This piece speaks to every one who has felt hollow, alone, fragile, and dried up. I think that this piece has not only a great design but it has captured the human element that allows us to connect to a visual representation on a deeper level.

Compare:

Both Magritte and Konstantin are great artists that very skillfully manipulate visual medias to portray and express ideas and interpretations. Rene takes a more playful approach than Konstantin. He makes the viewer think about what is being placed before them and connect the dots. Konstantin is all about internal struggles. What do you feel when you look at this?
However they both ask the viewer to look at their world differently. As surrealists they demand that we look beyond the surface to think and feel what the artwork is saying.