Final Project Critique

Due to hard drive malfunctions I cannot upload photographs of my work for tomorrow however they are all on my website:

www.wix.com/rosensamantha/samantharosenphotography

They are listed under "portfolio"

My artist statement is on there as well but here it is again:

Samantha Rosen

Artist Statement

I am interested in the behavioral patterns that emerge from the relations of heterosexual partners whose physical intimacy lacks emotional substance. These instances tend to leave the women in particular with a sense of emptiness and melancholy. Derived from recent observations of youthful relationships, these photographs are formally constructed in a manner that refers to this psychological void. I use a shallow depth of field to draw the viewers into the space of the photographs, forcing them to become directly involved in the scenes depicted. The soft lighting brings about a calm feeling while the subdued colors help to evoke the feeling of sadness resulting from these situations. The individual photographs are not sets in which an audience watches the action occurring; instead they are scenarios that the audience can experience. Conceived as a series, no one photograph can stand alone. The photographs are presented as diptychs and triptychs to reference narrative structures while also creating a level of disjointedness that relates to the emotive content. They are not to be viewed as staged scenes, but instead, snapshots of a longer story. The subjects are deliberately abstracted and anonymous, the women symbolizing the embodiment of the void felt after having these ultimately empty interactions.

Comics in Museums

http://blog.artic.edu/blog/2012/04/19/comics-in-the-museum/

I read an article about comics in fine art. I thought it was interesting especially since in most of our classes in the art and art history department we discuss what art is and how it is designed. I fully believe that comics are a form of fine art. While I do not necessarily believe that Archie and Betty and Veronica quite make the cut for fine art I do believe that the artists mentioned in this article such as Neal Adams and Geofrey Darrow are artists. I think it takes a particular skill set to be able to create these drawings to go along with the stories they are attached to. I thought it was somewhat humorous reading about different panels for comic books. Some of the stigma attached to comic books has disillusioned me a bit but all in all I do think that artists who draw for comic books are still artists and can still impact the world in a similar way through their art.

google reader

This week I saw a post about an art exhibit in which each room exhibited an object that resembled parts of the objects that have geometric principles and use color in a new and interesting way. I loved the pictures because they reminded me of formalism. I think it's refreshing to see formalism done correctly nowadays. All too often people use formalism as a way to get out of attempting content instead of realizing that formalism is just another content based way to do art. The form is the content in full. I really wish I could actually go to this exhibit.

question

What's your main way of discovering contemporary photographers? Do you use a call for artists or word of mouth or browsing, etc.?

Google reader

This week I watched a video on Art21 about William Kentridge who cuts out figures out of newspaper and other found paper. In the video he discusses how his need to do this is equally as important as having a meaning behind the work. He talks about trying to have a meaning before he makes the work while some people make the work and then add meaning to it. I think there is a definite back and forth when it comes to creating my photographs. There starts with a content that I want but as the work progresses my idea morphs and the photographs and the content form together. It seems as though William Kentridge has this mentality as well but must force himself to start with a content because he feels a need to cut this paper and make this art so he must push it in a certain direction.

Samantha Rosen

Artist Statement

March 13, 2012

I am interested in the behavioral patterns that emerge from physically intimate situations that lack emotional substance. These instances tend to leave the women in particular with a sense of emptiness and melancholy. Derived from recent observations of youthful relationships, these photographs are formally constructed in a manner that refers to this psychological void. I use a shallow depth of field to draw the viewers into the space of the photographs, forcing them to become directly involved in the scenes depicted. The soft lighting brings about a calm feeling while the subdued colors help to evoke the feeling of sadness left from these situations. The individual photographs are not sets in which an audience watches the action occurring; instead they are scenarios that the audience can experience. Conceived as a series, no one photograph can stand alone. The photographs are presented as diptychs and triptychs to reference narrative structures while also creating a level of disjointedness that relates to the emotive content. They are not to be viewed as staged scenes, but instead, snapshots of a longer story. The subjects are deliberately abstracted and anonymous, the women symbolizing the physical embodiment of the void felt after having these ultimately empty interactions.

google reader response

I read an article about Entre Nous: The art of Claude Cahun about the artist Claude Cahun who was part of the French avant-garde movement in the 1920s and 1930s. She took self portraits in which she dressed as men and women and androgynous people. She created the photographs at home and weren't seen that much until after her death. There are feminine undertones that were not being explored at the time yet so the images are very interesting.