Asymmetry in Art

"Asymmetry is the rhythmic expression of functional design." 

Jan Tschichold 

Asymmetry is the lack of symmetry.

When artists create, I have noticed that asymmetry is an element that is often avoided, seen as unappealing and undesirable to have in their pieces. In our day and age, ideals often lie within the opposite: symmetry. People often strive for this because of it's relation to beauty, so much so that symmetry has even become a standard to beauty. However, reading Stewart's text, Abstract Art, her writing completely challenges this ideal. She claims that in compositions, elements don't have to be of equal weight, that balance and harmony can still be made while maintaining a beautiful piece (Stewart 61). Given this new perspective brought to surface about asymmetry, Stewart impacted my activity today immensely, changing the entire direction I took on my piece. First of all, before starting to paint, the change I initially made was to stray away from my original plan to apply symmetry, the ideal element I thought my piece should contain. Instead, I decided to apply asymmetry - a direct result of Stewart's writing. Taking on this new idea, I pictured in mind an entirely different layout of my piece than what I pictured initially. This new layout was more vibrant, mysterious, and overall a more fulfilling piece. It was her writing that had opened my mind up to two new concepts, that symmetry is not always a necessary element in art and that a piece can be just as good without it. These two new concepts learned have redefined my piece, leading me to apply the newfound layout that I thought out when I later began the process of making it. Once I finished painting, I can definitely say that executing this new layout added levels of dimension and interest that I otherwise wouldn't have. Stewart's writing continues to open my mind to a broader and different range of art elements, and in today's activity, asymmetry is one of them.

Furthermore, moving on to the actual construction of my piece, Stewart's writing continued to impact it's direction as well. Before starting to paint, I initially planned to have the focal point in the center. Placing it here seemed like the most attractive location and I have always strayed towards symmetry. However, after considering Stewart's insight on asymmetry, I decided to read on about methods you can use to achieve this. Stewart suggests that one way to add asymmetry to a piece is to "try varying the main element of your composition", which you can do by "placing it off center, in the upper third, or lower third" (Stewart 61). With this in mind, I started off by painting the outline of a face - the focus - making sure it was asymmetrical by using the center as a guideline of where I should avoid painting. The off-centered placement had allowed me to split the piece into two sides, which I made great use of. With my piece now divided, I could now dedicate each side to a different color palette.  The left was vibrant and bright while right was dark and mysterious. It is thanks to Stewart's suggestions on asymmetry that I was able to make this unique division of space that played a major role in how my piece turned out. Most of all, however, Stewart's writing had impacted my piece by making it one that stands out with the different color palettes that I was enabled to use in following her tip. You can see the result in the pictures below.

    

 

Final Product

What do you perceive beauty as? 

              Stewart, Debora. Abstract Art Painting: Expressions in Mixed Media. Cincinnati, OH: North Light,               2015. Print.

Lines in Art

"The line has almost become a work of art itself."

Theo Van Doesburg

When creating - whether it be in ceramics, writing, or painting - I am always looking for new techniques to add quality to my work. In Deborah Stewart's book, Abstract Art, she offers countless ways to do so. From using charcoal over paint to add texture, to putting rubbing alcohol over paper, there are so many ways to add to beauty and interest to a piece. One of my favorite methods listed by Stewart is the use of lines. Stewart suggests that lines can act as great divisions of space (Stewart 59). Following this suggestion and her demonstration of it shown in Stewart's book, I decided to take on this idea of using lines in my first piece. To create them, I put two long pieces of tape across the blank paper perpendicularly. These would act as the lines. Then, I used oil pastels and covered the canvas in yellows, greens and blacks. Finally, I removed the tape too reveal the lines. Aligning the direction of my piece to Stewart's writing and her visual example of lines had impacted my activity immensely. Using lines, it made my piece one of quality, as it would've been a very dull one without lines. The lines defined my piece. They became the main focus when I took off the tape. Lastly, Stewart's suggestion impacted my piece through the use of tape. Tape is something that I would have never thought to use as a tool in drawing before, but I am very glad I read this section of Stewart's book and was prompted to try it out.

Next, I decided to continue using lines in a second attempt. Reading on in the same page of Stewart's book, she offered various tips on how I could arrange the lines in my piece. She suggests that "it is best to avoid diagonal lines dividing the space equally. Vary the direction of the angle...Avoid corner-to-corner compositions" (Stewart 59). This suggestion particularly is the piece of Stewart's writing that impacted my piece the most. When executing this method of Stewart's, I first placed the tape down the middle on the canvas. I then realized that this was a mistake since it divided the space equally, so to fix this, I proceeded to add four different strips of tape. Considering Stewart's tip, I made sure to place the tape going in all different directions and creating a variety of angles (which is seen below). When I was finished taping, together, the lines created a beautiful geometric array on the canvas. At the end, this intricate arrangement of lines had added uniqueness, interest, and quality to my piece. Since it was Stewart's writing that acted as my inspiration behind this arrangement, it is clearly shown that Stewart directly impacted my activity today through the lines on my piece.

Final Product

Do you think art is better as simple or complex? How do you think techniques like this can add to a composition?

              Stewart, Debora. Abstract Art Painting: Expressions in Mixed Media. Cincinnati, OH: North Light,               2015. Print.

Christmastime Cheer

The holiday season is here! Soon it will be gone but for this blog post I wanted to capture the essence of the season in these photographs. Christmas is many people’s favorite time of the year for many reasons including putting up lights, exchanging gifts, drinking hot cocoa, and seeing friends and family. One of my favorite activities to do during this time of year is looking at lights. No matter if I stroll through a neighborhood by car or go to a local park, I love how much Christmas cheer a string of lights can bring. 

I ventured to a local park that was having a lights display to take some photos of Christmas lights. This time I decided to use a higher quality camera, the Canon EOS 60D. I admit I still need to get comfortable with using some of the buttons and adjustments on this camera, but in the long run I’ll be able to take better photos once I figure it out. 

In my independent reading book, Ang says, “. . .your versatility as a photographer improves the more you see color as a subject in itself, not something that is only a feature of your subject. . .Try isolating a strong color against a muted background to emphasize the shape of an object or the perspective in a scene” (Ang 36). I kept this in mind when I shot these photos. Since it’s currently winter time and the sun sets early, by the time I got to the park the sun had already set and it was fairly dark. I used this to my advantage since lights are more vibrant at night. I would be able to use the author’s tip and isolate the strong colors emitted from the lights, while also including the shape and backdrop. In my 3rd photo I attempted to isolate a single light, but since it was so dark the color was washed out and the photo didn’t come out the way I wanted. Although, I thought the other two photos turned out pretty well since the bright colors give off a feeling of high-energy and excitement (Ang 37).

What do you love about Christmastime? What aspects of Christmastime would you choose to photograph? 

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.

Emotions in Art

"The artist is a receptacle for emotions that come from all over the place, from the sky, from the earth, from a passing shape, from a spider's web."  

Pablo Picasso

Colors & Emotions

When trying to express emotions in art, the possibilities are endless. Using the elements of texture, marks, or shapes, emotions can be portrayed, but the element I will be bringing my focus to in today's activity is something different: color. Not exactly sure how I would execute the process of displaying emotions through colors correctly, I turned to Debora Stewart's book, Abstract Art, for guidance. Stewart claims that the colors you choose directly express emotions. For example, a painting with a primary color of red often displays a sense of power, intensity, or anger (Stewart 39). With Stewart's writing, I realize that each of the basic colors have with them a set of particular meanings and emotions. These sets of emotions act as prerequisites for artists when they go about choosing the colors they will use in their pieces. With a greater understanding of how colors can portray emotion through Stewart's writing, it impacted me to create my own set of attached emotions I feel correspond to each of the basic colors, which is shown above. As well the chart above, Stewart has also impacted me in my art. In my first mini-attempt to apply her concept that the colors you choose directly express emotions, I painted my own piece. During the process, I made conscious decisions to only choose colors I thought adequately expressed what I was feeling. A dominating red and green, along with other minor colors like blue, purple, orange, and yellow is what resulted through applying Stewart's writing. The final result of this application is below.

First Attempt

Adding Blue

Composition and Emotions Chart

Continuing the concept of exhibiting emotion through color in art pieces, I sat down and made a second attempt on a bigger canvas. Reading on in Stewart's book, I found that her tips on this concept helped greatly. She states that a great way to display emotion is to "experiment with paints for this exercise and only use colors that represent certain emotions to you...emotions such as joy, fear, sadness, happiness, peace, and isolation" (Stewart 42). Through Stewart's writing, it has impacted the direction and result of my piece immensely. It has allowed me to independently customize and choose my own emotions for colors, realizing that everyone will have different preconceived perceptions of different colors. This, in turn, has made Stewart's writing impact my activity by making my piece a very personal one, with each different color of paint I used having personal meaning to me (you can use my chart above as a key for the colors). The final product of this is shown below.

Finished Product

What form of art do you think best portrays emotion? Music, paintings, dance? Do you think there is a right way to portray emotion, or should that be up to the artist?

              Stewart, Debora. Abstract Art Painting: Expressions in Mixed Media. Cincinnati, OH: North Light,               2015. Print.

The Complexity & Simplicity of Abstract Art

"With abstract art I can create in the moment." -Peggy Guichu

          Among the great abundance of languages that exist in our complex world, one that can be understood by all is the language of art. Art is such a wonderful thing. With each new idea that blooms within an artist's mind, it holds the capacity to create new forms of beauty that are truly indescribable. Whether it be through painting, literature, or music, art has the ability to make you feel. And with that, I've chosen Abstract Art as my activity for this quarter's IRP. 

       Abstract art is the act of using multiple components to create a composition that does not reflect our actual visual reality. When drawing, before I even begin to start a piece of art, I make sure that I have a clear plan set out for what I will create. I ensure that measurements and details are all sketched out. However, according to Stewart, this is what you DON'T want to do. In abstraction, you must let go of the outcome and be open to change along the way (Stewart 26). Keeping this in mind during my activity, I found that the text completely rewired my brain and the process that it usually went through when drawing. It impacted the pressure of my strokes, the colors that I used, and the finish product. As I drew, I saw that I was working only based on what I was feeling. I used dark, expressive strokes as well as soft, happy ones, following no outline throughout. This impact on how I drew was reflective of Stewart's tip of letting go of the outcome because to draw without an outcome in mind usually requires you to follow some sort of procedure, something I excluded to make my piece abstract. In addition, the text impacted the direction that I took when drawing. At the beginning, I decided that I would stay consistent to a darker color scheme. Applying Stewart's advice that I should keep an open mind to change, I decided to then do so and add a contrasting lighter color scheme on the right side. The text impacted my activity by adding much more interest to my final product.

Before

       Along with that tip, there are 4 basic components of abstract art: line, shape, texture, and color, that you should also keep in mind (Stewart 46). Regarding the element of shape, Stewart says, "You can use shapes as a way to divide the picture plane. Having variety in shapes within a composition adds interest" (Stewart 45). While I drew, Stewart's insight had made an impact on the entire direction of my piece. Keeping in mind that variety would add interest, Stewart's tips encouraged me to use 2 shapes that looked very different, triangles and circles. Along with that, the text further impacted my drawing because I then focused on making each triangle vary in size, dimension, color, and texture, and for the circle drew it very large so that the variety of shapes would be more apparent. In addition, Stewart also impacted my activity by giving me the idea to use triangles and circles to create division in my piece. As you can see below the triangles mark the left division and the circles mark the right division. 

 Even if the end product turned out pretty bad, through the text, Stewart helped me improve my art skills by broadening the approach I take when it comes to drawing. Thanks for reading! :)

After

Picture of me drawing

"Hope"

What is your view on art? :) What is your favorite form of art? What types of art do you create? Would this be something you might want to try?

              Stewart, Debora. Abstract Art Painting: Expressions in Mixed Media. Cincinnati, OH: North Light,               2015. Print.

Artistic Vision Through My Phone

     We all take photos, whether it's to capture a moment or show off our daily cup of Starbucks coffee. These photographs we take have different meanings to each and every one of us; photography is a way of expression. Even though I find myself constantly taking photos, I am by no means a professional. Almost all the time, I use my phone's camera to capture moments while on vacation, at a concert, or if I see something photo worthy. We can all agree that our phones are the quickest and easiest devices to use as cameras since we always have them on hand. I've chosen the book, "How to Photograph Absolutely Everything" by Tom Ang to help me understand the basic elements of photography, how to apply them, and other tips and tricks. As I continue to read this book, my end goal is to be able to use a somewhat professional camera, such as the Canon EOS 60D available in my household, properly and effectively using its controls and settings to take photos full of inspiration and technique. For now, I will apply the information I learn to the photos I take on my phone.

     "Artistic expression refers to picture-making at its most relaxed. . .it is photography in which you aim to satisfy only your own visual curiosity, allowing your imagination to follow where the light leads you" (Ang 325). I applied this to when I take photos, since I pull out my phone to snap a picture of something I find visually interesting and appealing (of course whenever there is good lighting). I've realized there is never any pressure to please anyone but myself when taking photos.

     Fresh and colorful foods come in all different kinds of shapes, sizes, and textures with great color combinations (Ang 334). Keeping this in mind, I decided to shoot photos of fruits and vegetables. Piles of fruits and vegetables create photos with rhythm and structure (Ang 335).  Rhythm establishes pattern and texture, while structure is the shapes and contrasts between light and dark. This is why I decided to photograph a pile of pumpkins with different shades and variations of orange and white. As well as this, I took a photo of a bowl of fruit salad which shows a variety of textures and colors between the different fruits including strawberries, blueberries, nectarines, and peaches. In both photos, textures and colors compliment each other, creating an appealing photo. 

      As I continue to read different sections of my book, I plan on continuing to try out different ideas and techniques to take photos. My goal is to step out of my comfort zone of using my phone as a camera and learn how to operate a higher quality camera. This will hopefully prepare me in some way for my Photo 1 class at Kentridge during 2nd semester. Ultimately, I want to look at the world around me through a lens with a broader knowledge about photography. 

How often do you take photographs? What do you take photographs of? Where do you get inspiration from?

Have you taken any photography classes? Possibly Photo 1 at Kentridge? What are some tips and tricks you find to be useful?  

Ang, Tom. How to Photograph Absolutely Everything: Successful Pictures from Your Digital Camera. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2007. Print.