"Marina's Room, 1987" & "Marina and Peter 1997" by Tina Barney

Tina Barney photographs families in their natural environments, usually their homes. In the first photo taken in 1987, Barney had directed the father and daughter how to pose and she chose a very loving pose, which showed a loving relationship between them. In the second photograph, taken 10 years later, Barney allowed them to strike their own pose and one can see that they chose a more head on photograph where they don't seem to have a very strong relationship or bond. By juxtaposing the two photos, one can see the changes that have taken place in the 10 years. Barney does a great job of showing the father daughter relationship in a natural setting. Most of her work is of affluent families and shows their own private lives and Barney tries to capture the dynamics of the family in all her work. I really enjoyed these two photographs because it reveals what can happen to a relationship in ten years and how the interaction between father and daughter can change drastically. I believe its a very strong photograph and Barney truly reveals the nature of families and how behind closed door how interactions can be very different.

Before Attack, Hoist a Black Flag

Katy Grannan's portraits are said to capture the desire of her subjects to offer themselves up to the camera lens. Grannan is described as a seeker for people's portraits. She enjoys photographing her subject in their own familiar surroundings as to put them at ease, and to capture the essence of who they truly are. The lasting image would then portray the relationship between the artist and model. I chose this image because of the serenity I felt when looking at it. Although it seems to be a gloomy cold day on a beach, it still shows a feeling of calmness and relaxation. The composition of the photograph is interesting too, making the viewer look at every inch of the picture.

My Sister Sophie by Catherine Goodman

This portrait really caught my eye when i was flipping through the art text book. It wasn't the fact that the portrait was attractive because to me it wasnt at all. The woman in the  piece is morbidly obese and really is not a very enticing looking. The woman in this picture is the authors disabled sister. He loved painting in complete silence and that is why he says he loved painting her. He claims that his sister in the picture looks quite contemplative and seems to have a sense of trust in him. One thing I happened to like about this picture was the light blues he used to bring out her outfit as well as the darker blues in the background. Even though the picture to me is not very pretty or attractive looking there was a good background behind why he painted her . I still think that it would have been nicer if he painted her in a nicer way to maybe show off more of her traits and not so much her weight. 

Zwelethu Mthethwa- Untitled, from the 'Sugar Cane' series, 2003

I chose this painting because I really liked the fact that the artist focused on painting something with a lot of meaning to it. For instance, in this picture he is trying to show what it was like for rural migrants living in South Africa. In fact, 'he reveals the continuing hardships they endure' by capturing all of the hard work that they have to do in the sugar-cane fields. Also, 'he allows his subjects' gestures, tools, clothes, and posture to express their individual stories', which I thought was interesting because you can find out so much about the individual just by looking at the painting. What I also really liked was that the back of the picture looks so natural and light, almost a happy feeling, while the front of the picture where the man is standing is so dark, almost as if he is trying to show the tough times the Africans experienced back then. Also, the man in the picture even has an intense gaze that is in 'stark contrast to the often picturesque natural backdrop.'

"No 3 from profiles lll" by Bettina von Zwehl

I chose this picture by Bettina von Zwehl because I though it was different. This is a unique portrait because it is a picture of the side of a person rather than of the person looking straight. A lot of her portrait work is this way. In addition, since you only see the side of the baby's head it's hard to decide what expression he is hiding. Even with normal portraits from bettina the person in the picture is usually still and expressionless. This picture looks like a mugshot of a baby. I think this is ironic because baby's are synonymous with being innocent where as this type of picture resembles a mug shot, which are taken when people are not innocent.

Sphinx

This is a sculpture of Kate Moss by Marc Quinn, also the artist who created the sculptures of himself out of his own frozen blood and the sculpture of his son's head out of the placenta. I chose to search Quinn because he had such odd art work and I found this. I thought it was interesting that there are so many artists that decide to create portraits of Kate Moss also. This one is especially interesting because she is contorted into such an odd way wearing only underwear. It was made in bronze and then painted white. When asked, Quinn said that he named the sculpture so because he said Kate is like a contemporary version of a sphinx. She is a mystery.

"Godfather II - Never Betray The Family" Unveiling Reception

i like this painting because of the way the artist makes the entire "family" look and the size and shapes of them portray the roles that they play in the movie. "Godfather - Never Betray the Family'' is an acrylic watercolor painting on paper that O'Keefe spent four months creating. Set in the office of Don Vito Corleone, 26 characters from both films gather around the desk wearing ominous expressions. Many have props that are hints about their roles seen in the movies.

Big Self-Portrait, 1967-68.

This is an acrylic on canvas self portrait of Chuck Close by Chuck Close. His style of realistic paintings portray a wide variety of subjects including friends, family, fellow artists, and himself. This one in particular is one of his first self portraits. I chose this one because I was intrigued by his cigarette, bold black frames, mustache, and unique facial features. This portrait would pass as an actual photograph.

Chuck Close paints a lot of pictures and paintings of his family and friends. In 2002, Close spent 3 months on making this woodcut prints and 2 years to finish the picture of his niece Emma. This picture is made up of 113 color hand printed wood cuts. Close worked with Master printer Yasu Shibata to make this masterpiece.

This is a self portrait of Chuck Close from 2004. Chuck Close is a photo realist painter which means he takes photographs of people and then creates paintings that appears to be very realistic. This is one example of Chuck Closes photorealist paintings. He uses a grid-based technique and paints each grid so that the portrait looks real. I like this painting because I think the techniques he used are interesting and its like nothing ive ever seen before. If you look at it from far away it just looks like a photo of someone, but if you get close you can see each indiviaul grid and how each grid is painted differently. Its really interesting.

Kim Kardashian

I chose this artwork, because this is what Ally was talking about in class it's a Barbra Kruger design of Kim Kardashian, and I thought it was very interesting when she said it, so I wanted to look it up. I really like this art work, because it's the same stuff we saw in the movie, but it's just different because its on a picture of Kim Kardashian. The Words are very touching It's all about me I mean you I mean me. It's contradictory, but yet it makes so much sense. I really like it.

Mark by Chuck Close

Mark by Chuck Close is an acrylic on canvas painting that took Close almost 14 months to complete in 1978-1979. It is currently at the MOMA in New York City. I have seen this portrait there and it is a very large portrait. The details on the painting are so vivid and life like it is truly an amazing piece of work. Chuck Close completed this portrait by using a series of layered airbrushing techniques, which he did to imitate a CMYK color printing. What I enjoy most about Chuck Close is that his name says it all with his artistic style. From far away you would see an ordinary painting and up close you see all the arrangements and details that compose of a humans face that are difficult to put onto paper other than a photograph. I enjoyed the realness and quirkiness of this painting and how normal yet detailed and complimentary the artist made it.

Rain #2

I chose this photograph taken by Bettina von Zwehl because of the simplicity of it. Bettina von Zwehl is known for her work which depicts psychological states. The series of her photographs of women in rain are meant to portray the feeling of sensuality and to show the transformative powers of rain and its psychological impact. I enjoy this photograph because it does have a calming quality to it, even a sense of being refreshed.

Tony Bevan's "self portrait after messerschmid"

This is Tony Bevan's "self-portrait after messerschmid. I like this painting because is interesting in all of the lines that detail the face. The background colors are subtle and help the neutral skin tone pop out with the distinct dark lines in the face. This piece overall shows simplicity and complexity at the same time. This is a fantastic piece of art!

Craigie Horsfield

I chose Craigie Horsfeild's "Mary Moszynska" (1995) because it fit the mood I was in at the time. Horsfield is known for black and white photography/ portraits of individuals who don't pose fort he camerz. In our text there is another 1995 photograph call "Albert Martin, Avigunda de Puig de Jorba, Vallbona, Barcelona". I think Horsfield's photography is so eye-catching because the subjects are usually without much expression and the composition is interesting. In this photo, Mary the women is staring off at something in the distance (something unknown to us). In the photo in the text the subject in angled away from the camera and their is person in the background you cannot make out. These pictures are interesting because they aren't clear on what exactly is going on.

John Currin

i chose this painting done by John Currin because i liked the color pallet he chose and how he incorporated the same colors in all the girls. His paintings have known to be sexist in his paintings of naked women. I like this one because to me it shows girls having a good time and it makes me happy.

Inka

I chose Inka by Chuck Close. It is oil on canvas and was made in 2003. I this is is cool the way that he used many different colors in block shapes in order to make a complete painting. I really like it for the face that there are so many colors making up each little square. I also like it for the fact that it looks like the woman is almost putting her face into water and then capturing her portrait. I also like that her facial features such as her eyes , eyebrows, and mouth are the vocal points of the piece and really stick out to show her beauty through the painting. I think it is also cool because it is a portrait of another artist that he is inspired by and has respect for. It is his interpretation of her and i love when artist do portraits of other artists.

Koh-i-noor

Hew Locke constructed Koh-i-noor which is one of three monumental portraits of Queen Elizabeth which was created out of hundreds of plastic toys, trinkets, and disposable products of the new global economy. The blades of the toy sabers suggest might and power. Locke explores the tensions between the contemporary British society and its colonial past. The title refers to the Koh-i-noor diamond, a legendary treasure dating back to fourteenth century India. This was once the largest diamond in the world it was passed though the hands of the Sikh, Mughal, and persian rulers as a highly prized spoil of the war. In 1877 the British government declared Queen Victoria the empress of India and the Diamond entered the British Crown jewels collection. I chose this portrait because I have previously written about another Hew Locke portrait Jungle Queen I, 2003 and I thought this while also being Queen Elizabeth was different. The colors are not as bright they are very dark and instead of vines hanging down swords are sicking out. I also like that it was named after a diamond that was legendary and was eventually entered into the British crown jewels collection.

Evan Penny's work is extraordinary and very unique. He sculpts larger than life figures of himself, along with other subjects. This sculpture, titled "Old Self" was completed in 2010 and it represents what he thinks he will look like when he ages. The sculpture is made of silicone, pigment, hair, fabric, and aluminum and it stands 86 x 76 x 59 cm. I believe this piece is extremely well done because of how real it looks and the detail that Penny had put into it. His other works seem to be very similar to this. I enjoy how the sculpture looks like an accurate portrayal of what he will look like in the future. He did a great job of foreseeing his older self. Penny is a very talented sculptor because of his attention to detail.

Dancing Ostriches- Paula Rego

This painting was done by Paula Rego and is entitled Dancing Ostriches (1995). It is pastel on paper which was then mounted on aluminum. It is part of a series with the dancers posed in different places. It was influenced by the Disney film Fantasia and having animation for classical music. Ballet dancing is one place where classical music is brought to life and a story to the music is portrayed. Although these dancers don't look like a typical ballerina. Their bodies a muscular and almost look more man-like build. The artist is known for unfeminine or even brutal looking so as not to look like idealized types of men. She placed pillows and the brick under the front dancer so that she may maintain her somewhat awkward pose. They also don't look like they have the grace of what you would think a ballerina would have with flexed feet jagged positions.

The Singh Twins: Amrit and Rabindra

I chose this picture because I thought it was very interesting. It is a picture of David Beckham, and his pop star wife, Victoria. In the picture there are numerous different things that seem so odd to be scattered throughout the picture. You see Beckham holding a young boy in a soccer outfit holding a soccer ball, a lion is sitting underneath them, there is another soccer player holding a platter with soccer shoes on it, and another man holding something that says I heart Beckham on it. I thought that all of these things were so interesting and odd at the same time, which is what brought my attention to the picture. What I also found strange was the fact that there was a cat head and dog head on two human bodies. I think that the artist was trying to show celebrity culture "and the ways in which the media and commercialisation of sport transform the everyday man into a universal hero.

Daphne todd, Me in a magnifying glass

 

This picture definitely caught my eye when I saw it. This picture is so unique and different  in that the picture is in four pieces. This does not represent Daphne Todd or her work, it is just what she happened to see while looking into a magnifying glass . She loves how while looking into a magnifying glass the image seen is not normal. The picture seems distorted and abnormal in different sequences. I also liked how she really captured the "up closeness" and how the image was reflected behind the woman's face. I also enjoyed how she drew the painting and how realistic the wrinkles on the face appear and the expression with the eyes.

"Daddy's Girl" by Eric Fischl Oil On Canvas

I chose this painting because I thought it was odd. It depicts an extremely intimate moment between a father and daughter. They are both naked which I found strange. It looks as though the scene overall is just very relaxing. They are secluded from the rest of the world which makes it even more intimate. The girl is looking in the direction of the ocean in the background while the father holds her. It looks like she is ready to explore the rest of her surroundings while he is content with enjoying the moment they are experiencing now

Napoleon Crossing the St. Bernard

this painting is by Jacque Louis David shows Napoleon in his famous crossing of the Alps. this painting took two years to finish and was done in 1801. like most of Jacque louis david's paintings of Napoleon, this was a propaganda peice which is why i liked the painting because napoleon was a small man in real lifebut when you look at this painting he is charging ahead and shows how he is going to raise the moral of his troops to fight and cross the alps.

Ridens

this is a painting done by oil on cardboard by Francis Picabia who is a french painter. the year this painting was painted is 1929. i like this painting especially because of all the detail going on and the ability to have multiple images all blended into one painting. being able to use all these colors and blend them together caught my attention and thought it was cool

"Triple Portrait of Charles I"

this painting was done in 1635-1636 by Anthony van dyck and in the painting it shows profile, full face, and three-quarter views of Charles I who was the king of England, Scotland, and Ireland until 1649. i like this painting which is an oil on canvas because of the three different view points the artist shows you and how he changes the clothes Charles I is wearing in each viewing .

Decommissioned: Stairs (up), 2009

After seeing Catherine Yass's work last week I was interested to see more of her work. Yass is an English Artist is known for her brightly colored photographs. Her photographs include steel mills, markets, and empty cinemas. Just as last weeks Photograph she uses a Ilfotrans transparency, light box. This is just a regular staircase and Yass makes this photograph a piece of art by the way she uses the light box. The brightness of the blue really stands out. After viewing more of her work she can make any ordinary object into a work of art.

Gaz- 1997

This painting is by Lucian Freud and is called the "Gaz" and was made in 1997. I like this painting because of the detail in his face and in the background given to the man in the portrait. the blend of colors and how close it resembles a western cowboy.

Marc Quinn: 'Self'

This is another portrait by Marc Quinn, expect this time it is of himself. We previously saw Quinn's depiction of his son using the placents. This time, Marc used 9 pints of his frozen blood to create a self portrait. He made three more after his first one. I chose this because I found the portrait of his son repulsive and was curious if he had any similar work. It is one of four sculptures that Quinn promised to cast to depict the aging process. (one every five years) Quinn said that this was inspired by Rembrandt's self portraits. The case it which it sits is set to a temperature of negative 18 degrees.

Self-Portrait at Three years old

Gillian Wearing painted this self portrait of herself of when she was three years old. Wearing photographs herself in a mask of her own fact at 3. She both is and is not herself. The mask covers the entire face expect her eyes, her adult eyes. The space shown around the eyeholes is our one glimpse of the "truth".

Paris Hilton

I chose this photo my Janathan Yeo because I liked the other painting that he did as well. I was also interested in why he picked her out of all people. What i like most about his work is how he uses different shapes with each color. Whats most interesting about this collage is he uses pornographic clippings and incorporates them into his art work. This creates alot of controversy in his art work.

Ken Dodd

This is an oil on linen by David Cobley in 2004. It is a portrait of comedian Ken Dodd. It is painted to show out the eccentricness of the comedian showing his well known crazy messy hair and protruding teeth. I like this portrait because it is unusually composed. It shows this because in the portrait the vocal point is the comedians hand instead of the actual person as a whole. I also like it because I think it is very interesting that it shows the comedian in a mirror, and then also through that mirror shows him in another mirror. It makes me feel like it is three portraits in one. i also like it because it is very realistic but yet you can still tell it is a painting unlike some other painted portraits that don't necessarily look like a painting.

BONDI BEACH 99 II

This photograph is by Beat Streuli. He is a traevling photographer that has most of his work on people just being themselves. I like his photography, because in all his work the person photographed makes it look unknown that they are on camera. I chose this photo of a little girl playing in the water, because it's very natural, and she just looks so concerned with what she is doing that nothing else matters. Also I like that shes in the water alone because she looks independent and confident even though she's just a young girl.

Takashi Homma

Takashi Homma's series, "Children of Tokyo" (2000-01), portrays the world through the unguarded and candid eyes of children. These children couldn't be farther from posed, some even going as far as turning from the camera or making disapproving faces. In this instance, the child in the picture exhibits a look of detachment, so unlike the outwardly expressive pictures we are used in our culture. His work is so strong because it is able to capture, subtly, the context of what life is like for children in a highly stratified and economically rigid Japanese culture.

Beat Streuli's from "8th Ave/35th Street" Album

Beat Streuli is a photographer whose work is focused on street portraits in different cities all over the world. Streuli captures people in everyday life, walking the streets of different cities. Each photograph depicts an ordinary person you would see walking the streets in the respective city. I chose this photo because it is of two young people, walking arm in arm in New York and I think it’s a very natural picture. I also like how the young couple is the focus of attention but that you can still see others walking in the background and going on with everyday life. The viewer can tell that the subject has no idea that he or she is being photographed and I think that gives the photo more of a natural and real feel to it. Streuli’s work has been seen on billboards and ads in several cities. He does a great job of capturing the cultural differences of each place and of his subjects in those destinations as well.

Jon, 2004

This piece was created by Dryden Goodwin. Jon is a watercolour made from a photograph. I chose this piece because of its simplicity and composition. The image doesn't contain many components or distractions. All that the viewer is given is a completely blank background and a subject who isn't fully colored in. What the artist intends us to automatically experience is a look into a man's emotions.  The image reflects the subjects anxiety in his unknown situation. Overall, this is a piece that can truly make me feel jealous over the artist's artistic ability.

Philip-Lorca diCorcia -Heads #7

This piece is another portrait from Philip-Lorca diCorcia's "Heads" series. He uses strobes for his photography that highlights strangers on the road and makes them visual. He photograph's people in their natural environments with a candid shot, which truly shows their natural expressions. This picture shows mystery again, as this woman is standing amongst strangers thinking and looking at something which is uknown to the viewer. Her expression is distressed and secretive, it looks like she feels connected to what she is viewing on a deeper level than the other people surrounding her. She doesn't look like she is about to cry but she looks very stoic and concerned, but the answers are yet again unknown. His photography makes you think which is why I enjoy looking at pieces from this artist.

Snowman-Gary Hume

This is done by Gary Hume and is entitled Snowman. It is part of a collection of work with various other takes. He is known for his bright palette, reduced imagery, flat areas of seductive color, and melancholic beauty. I choose this particular one because of the simplicity and colors. While I like the bright colors that he used I do not like this particular painting. It is so simple and almost anyone can paint this. Although the shape is common for a snowman, it is not traditional colors that would be associated with a snowman.

David Mach "Lord chief justice, Lord Woolf"

David Mach was an awesome sculpture. This is a picture of a David Mach sculpture that is photographed with a plain background. David took everyday objects in this case coat hangers and made an attractive looking sculpture of the lord chief justice. The bottom layer of the sculpture was made of a hard plastic and each coat hanger on the outside was bent and welded to create this image. This sculpture captured my eye because it is not the traditional sculpture of a person. This sculpture makes you really think about what it is and what it's made of i would have never know what it was made of it i didn't look in depth. Overall Great Sculpture

Shirley

The piece that I chose for this week's discussion is called 'Shirley', by Gary Schneider done in 2001. This piece may only look like one portrait, but in fact it is a series of portraits. Schneider turned this print into a four-year project of color photographs. Like the piece that I chose for last week's discussion, this was also done with very long exposures, approximately ten minutes, in a dark space, with a flashlight. This portrait is a mixer of different exposures done one part of the fact at a time. They are then recorded on one sheet of transparency film. All different expressions were recorded over time. Schneider completed many of these portraits, all of which are his friends. I chose this piece because I am fascinated with the up-close detail in the sitter's face, as well as some of the more messy portions from the long sitting exposures.