Self Portrait Reflection

The two aspects of my personality I was trying to portray were my calm and conservative side (black and white) versus my hot headed and outgoing side (bright colors). I faced many challenges while creating this painting. The biggest was getting what was in my head onto paper and actually portray what I wanted to. Having the right amount of paint was also difficult for me because in some areas, my painting looks very dark whereas in others, you can see right through to the grid. I think my initial sketch was pretty accurate to the picture. What I can work on is definitely painting. If I were to do this painting differently, I would try to use more highlights and low lights because I think that it would make my use of color more realistic and generally more put together.

Works of Art I Know

Louis XIV at the Age of Five, 1643

Jacques Sarazin, French 

My First Reactions: 

This sculpture uses the use of texture so that it provides more life and depth to the sculpture without any color. Texture is used on the hair, clothing, and wreath especially well. I think texture was made with some sort of fire or metal tools because the bust is made out of pure bronze and for that reason Sarazin would not have been able to use his bare hands to mold and form it. 

Works of Art I Know

Man on a Bench, 1997-1998

Duane Hanson, American

My First Impressions:

I was struck by how real this sculpture is. I think that Hanson was trying to portray the sadness and slowness of oldness and illness. The man looks to be contemplative and tired, even though he just went to go fetch his mail.

What I've Learned: 

This sculpture portrays the aspect of life and death. This man is supposed to be just making his way through life, one day at a time, slowly drifting into death. Hanson makes his sculptures that are consider to be in the Pop Movement and classify under the category of hyperrealism through lifecasting. He tends to make his art revolving around the daily life of working-class citizens. He uses materials such as bronze and epoxy resin to make the models and then fits them with real hair and clothing to make them particularly life like. 

Sources:

http://www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk/artists/duane_hanson.htm 

Works of Art I Know

Works of Art I Know

The Copley Family, 1788

John Singleton Copley, American

The artist's point of view seems to be that the women and children are all very content and happy. Since all of the women and children are wearing all white, they seem to give off an angelic glow. Whereas it seems that he wants to portray men being as more severe and independent. Copley uses contrast a lot in this painting through not only color but also facial expressions. He also uses grouping to show that the women and children are together while the men are sort of distant. From his use of leading lines, I notice that the man sitting down does not embrace the baby who's arms are up and from this looks distant and uncaring. I feel like the emphasis on this painting is on the men. It is on the men because they are wearing the opposite color of the rest of the painting and because they are so different from the other members of the family. They almost seem as if they are about to attack or go to battle. I think that it is interesting that Copley would choose to depict his own family in this sense. He probably knows something about his family history that we don't and I love to find out what that is.

Works of Art I Know

Nighthawks, 1942

Edward Hopper, American

My First Impressions:

This is actually not the first time I've seen this painting. I have seen it in person actually at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. It's really beautiful up close. The first thing I notice is the diner and the couple on the far right. I think that this takes place in Philadelphia due to the name of the diner "Phillies". I think that this is supposed to be early morning or late late night because the streets are deserted and the stores are closed. It also seems to be fairly dark outside.

What I've Learned: 

Hopper has said that the inspiration behind Nighthawks is "a restaurant in New York's Greenwich Avenue where two streets meet." Hopper didn't intentionally paint the loneliness and isolation of a large city, but he says that he might have subconsciously. 

Hopper brings a sense of unity to the painting with the use of contrast in color: the dark background as opposed to the light streaming in from the diner. He also uses repetition from the buildings in the background. The placement of the man in the middle of the painting draws us to him primarily. From the man we can follow his gaze to the couple and then to the waiter. Although the people in the painting are totally different, the way Hopper created them makes them totally unified. 

Reflection

If I could do one of the projects again I would probably do the self-portrait picture over again because I should have thought more about time spacing and I could have done a much better job. But I would also love to do the found object sculpture over again just because it was so much fun!

Of all the artists I've researched I think Andy Goldsworthy is the most interesting because of the way he creates his art: using only natural materials. I think it's great how he understands that his art won't be a forever piece but he makes them so that he understands the land.