andrewpowellphotostuff

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Virtual Art Tour

Lynn G. Fayman: A Colorful Life

When I first saw the works done by Lynn G. Fayman, I was immediately in awe. I have always loved the use of colors and contrast in art, and I feel like Fayman did such a good job creating eye popping contrast with their work.

The first piece that really stood out to me had to be Patterns and Textures (1949). Fayman used different shapes to create interesting visual beats within the photograph, while using different colors to attract the eye. The middle of the photo is more tame in colors, but the shapes towards the sides invite the viewer to begin to explore the whole image.

I was also really drawn to Lynn G. Fayman's Forms in Space #2. The background of the images is filled with muted, dark blues, that purposefully do not stand out against the main subject of the image. The center is filled with a bright, contrasting orange, with sharper, weirder shapes forming a pattern. I think the title, Forms in Space, does well to explain what this image is, and the viewer can begin to play with this idea and create their own story.

Lynn G. Fayman's work in this exhibit really fits the style of work that I enjoy! His use of colors to manipulate the viewer's eye, while also creating interesting stories with his patterns show's his mastery in his art. His work allows the viewer to play with images in their mind and create interesting stories based off of what they see. This approach to art is great to see, and I want to look more into Fayman when I can!

Our Mothers' Gardens

This exhibit was much different from the bright fun colors of Lynn G. Fayman's works, but I still enjoyed looking at Alayna N Pernell's pieces. Her work was to show the wear and tear black women experience, and it was neat to look into her thoughts.

The first image I really liked from this exhibit was "With Care to Ms. Maudelle Bass Weston 3" (2020). In the image, a nude black women lies in a defenseless manner, but a hand covers the image in a protective manner. The hand protecting their ancestor is the photographer, and I really like the meaning behind protecting through this work. As someone who would know the hate and disrespect black people would endure, the reassuring hand is a cool touch to the photo.

Moving further into the photos in this exhibit, I really began to understand more about the pieces when I saw "No Longer Peter Cohen's Property" (2020). Within it, a black women poses for a picture in a nice dress confidently. The hands that previously were protecting and shielding the other images is instead supporting it, and the hands seem to suggest someone looking at the image lovingly. I really like this image, as it shows the individuality and strength of black women. It is really built up well with the other images in the exhibit, leading to this image as a sign of strength and unity.

When I first started to look at these images, I did not think I would like them as much as I did the other pieces I was looking into. However, I really appreciate the deeper meanings that are put into these photos, and I think the tackling of deep social issues has a perfect medium through photography. These works done by Alayna N Pernell are a message of strength, and I love to see that represented in her photographs.

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Final Portfolio Project

With this work, I wanted to put things where they shouldn't go. Surrealism is a tricky subject to tackle, but I found that the best way to create it is to break all the rules. Coloring outside the lines and things not making sense is the whole point, and I wanted to capture that in my photographs.

For these photos, I mainly wanted to focus on size differences between different subjects. I started first with finding good scenes, then moved to getting subjects who could fit into these scenes. Similar to work done by Maggie Taylor, I used various different backgrounds and put them into my work when I felt like they would be appropriate.

I want my photos to seem wacky and fun, as I feel like that is the whole spirit of Surrealism. Things should not make sense, and that should be okay!

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Artist Research - Nam June Paik

For my paper, I wanted to write about Nam June Paik after what we learned in class. It was interesting to see how well traveled he was, growing up in South Korea and traveling all across the world to study and work on his art. His transition from music to video art was an interesting feature, and his work in Germany helped to push him towards his classic video art style. The installation above, Global Visonary, is my favorite of his pieces, which is what drew me to look more into Paik. It shows how he looks to create an experience with his work, and his use of many different images to create a whole visual is fascinating. He's definitely one of my favorite artists after looking more into his work and life!

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Blog Prompt - Passage

When I looked to start this prompt, I wanted to focus on the passage of time that is found within life. I realized that even small moments, a stop to take a breather, can show so much to how time can pass. Hearing the sound of loud AC units working through a hot summer, I thought they would be perfect, obnoxious, background noise for my passage prompt. I found a little bit of sidewalk I thought looked good, and the shot I took gave a good view to the occasional car passing by. I wanted to show how even small things, little moments like this can demonstrate the passage of time around us, and they can bring deeper thought about our surroundings as a whole.

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Blog Prompt - Sequencing

With this prompt, I wanted to show the passage of time through the means of growth. While I would have liked to show the process of REAL growth, I did not really have the time to wait for a tree to grow. These images are of different trees and plants, but I wanted to show how even something small can grow into something great. I used different angles based on the size of my subject, and I did some adjustments in Photoshop to make the images pop a little bit more.

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Blog Prompt - Video Art

Nam June Paik's Megaton/Matrix is one of the coolest video arts I have seen, it really surprised me that a style like this was made in 1995. Paik was known as the Father of Video Art, and while this was one of his later pieces, I think that this one stands out the most compared to his other work. The way that an art piece is made through the use of so many other screens, while smaller, important clips play on the other screens is really well done! I think that Paik wanted to show how many moving pieces there are within art, and how art can be found in so many different aspects to create one big ol' art piece.

Tony Oursler's video art is a bit different from Nam June Paik's, being more surreal in a lot of cases. I am a really big fan of Oursler's cigarette video art, the use of projectors creates an insane affect that just looks so good. However, I am not really a fan of his surreal art, it's strange and alien nature kinda just creeps me out. I do think that Oursler's art is important to show different forms that video art can take, from Paik's use of screens to Oursler's use of projection. It can be used in so many different ways to tell cool and interesting messages.

#Youtube

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo Prompt - Glitch

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo Prompt - Triptych

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Nature of Photographs

I feel that physical print is much different from virtual ones. When photos are physical, there is so much more for the viewer to take in and think about. They can see the photo from different perspectives, looking from the left or right of the photograph. They can see how the light bounces off of the photo, and they can see the small details and textures of the photo that a virtual screen does not capture. This change in medium also can bring outside context to the photos. Virtual images are viewed through a screen, most likely on someone's home computer or phone. Physical photos can be enhanced by the context they are viewed in, and the boundaries of the photograph can set the edge of what is in the picture. I think Shore's comment on visual relationships within photography will help draw the eye of a user to my photography. I agree with his point on this, as photographs should be made to draw attention to details within them, including drawing attention to things NOT in them. Shore's ideas of photograph will help my own personal work grow, and I think he did a great job explaining how to fill "the picture with attention."

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo Prompt: Visualizing Identity

I have always find shadows to be an interesting concept, as they can be seen as something that is always with us. I used this concept to create the idea of my shadow having my back and supporting me, with a nice little thumbs up to help out.

The concept of Memento Mori, remember that you die, is a cool concept that I feel supports the concept of being alive, weirdly enough. In my mind, remembering that you die will push you to live, and I wanted show this concept with this dead leaf contrast with a living person.

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo Prompt Identity

For this photo montage, I thought about the expectations I have for myself and the weight of what I do. The flying books show how school work flies above, while the heavy flying weight moves closer to my head. This pressure is what I wanted to convey, with the chance of everything crashing down. The floating heads represent my own expectations, and the smile is meant to show how I keep face despite my own worries. I wanted to show how I feel pressure builds around me, and I feel like I need to keep pushing on despite it all. I used the weird color scheme to create an uneasy feeling, as if everything is unstable.

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo EX - Composition & Perspective

Negative Space:

Perspective:

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photo Exercise 1 - Scavenger Hunt

When taking these photos, I was making sure to think about how I wanted to use certain design elements to improve my photos. I thought a lot about color, and this made me look more at brighter objects I was finding that would stand out in the photo, such as the yellow flower. Actively thinking about these elements when taking my photographs sets them up to look eye catching. Through this process, I learned a lot more about shooting from different angles, getting low point of view shots for some, and high point of view shots for others. Using design elements within my photo taking process is setting my photographs up for success right from the start.

#arts3379pnm

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

Photographers of Interest

I really like this photo by nonitrphotography, as the use of vibrant colors is contrasted so well by the darker shadows present within the photo. They make good use of design elements such as rule of thirds, while also leaving a lot of empty space for the sky to take up. The vibrant red seems so alien in the sky, and I think it makes the photo look so good!

This photo by yuigahama_photographer is a bit different than the other photo, being more desaturated and colorless. However I love where the colors peak out despite the heavy grays in the photo, the green sign and the bright red in the background. The natural architecture of the street, sidewalk, and overpass create invisible lines that draw the eye down the street, and I love how everything is positioned within the photo. This photo shows how cool design elements and ideas can be found in almost anything, and it's great to look at.

#Instagram

[andrewpowellphotostuff]

I'm Andrew Powell, Hello!

Welcome to my little blog thing, where all these blogs shall be made. I'm a student with a love for video games and good design, and I love photos that highlight the color within the world. Whether that's showing the vibrant green of nature, or the red hues of a sunset, I love to see how color can be used in photography to make images pop. I'm currently an ATEC major who is looking to improve my skills with photo editing tools such as Photoshop so that I can create more visual enticing images. I want to create images that'll catch people's eye and make them appreciate the photo.