Response to Chuck Forsman

Last week I went to the Robischon gallery in Denver to see the work of Chuck Forsman. Forsman is an oil painter who makes large scale paintings featuring many landscapes. Each work had it's own sense of scale that invited me into the piece to explore. Depth was well represented and gave each landscape a very scenic quality. Everything had it's own air of impressionism to it. Color was mixed by putting a variety of strokes side by side. It would blend and make subtle changes in hue and increase realism from a distance. Though landscapes were predominant, each contained at least one figure that brought context to the piece. These figures weren't always human, but they were characters who could interact or interpret the landscape. I tried to view the landscape first and then attempt to see it from the figure's point of view.

As I looked closer, hidden symbols began to appear. They were not obvious, but they stood out enough that they could not be accidental. They were all subtle things such as a tree's shadow becoming the landscape, or streets that were flattened by perspective. I could not read the symbolism in them all. There were even themes and motifs that I didn't notice until speaking with the curator about the pieces. For example, I did not see the inherent danger in the second piece of “Honeymoon.” In the painting, there are two planes flying in a cloudscape. The clouds twist and contort in different values representing atmospheric conditions of variable violence. My first interpretation yielded an emotion of excitement and serenity, which amplified when I found the piece was a diptych and compared it to its mate. This changed when it was explained that the setting was Vietnam, and the planes would be interpreted differently, with more dread than thrill, as a result of the relatively recent war. The added context of Vietnam was apparent in the other paintings in the show, unifying them thematically.

These were obviously works with intent. Countless hidden themes were supported by the painting. This is why the medium is so effectively used. These would not work as well if they were photographs because the ideas would take a second seat to the landscape. Photography is more about seeing what is real and drawing meaning from what we see, where a painting is an idea communicated through an image. Forsman has ideas in the root of all his works, which affects the way the scene is represented. If it were done the other way around, it would still be an appealing image, but it would not have the thematic depth of messages that the artist is trying to communicate.

Here's the gallery site if you want to check it out:

http://www.robischongallery.com/html/exhibitions.asp

Response to: Alyssa Monks

I began my journey by picking a random name from the list, a digital dart throw. This brought me to the website of Alyssa Monks. I began with an image search. My first impression was that I was looking at the work of a photographer. The repeating themes of water pulled me in. Here were a set of photos of people swimming, people lying in the bath, or behind the steamed up glass of a shower. I tend to be drawn to water in life and in art and very much welcomed the theme. Behind the glass were figures, faces showing great ranges of emotion. From serene and almost dead to angry or enthusiastic, all these emotions were well represented almost creating a narrative. Figures would be obstructed and distorted by the glass, a fair theme for photography. Except it wasn't photography. When I wen to her homepage I found these works to be oil paintings. Enlarged images revealed the true, almost impressionistic nature that fooled my eye. I became instantly impressed by the distortions of glass and water. The brushstrokes were exceedingly expressive yet could provide a photo realistic representation of the form when viewed from a distance. The attention to detail in the waves of the water as in the following images. Furthermore, I admire the way she creates abstractions of the human form. At times, she shows small parts of the body, underwater it may take a second look to know exactly what you are looking at but it is still recognizable. They are all very pleasant to look at. The combination of realism and impressionism in each piece flows well together in showing the human form in a way it is not often painted.

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Her galley can be found here:

http://alyssamonks.com/index.asp

I highly recommend checking it out.

Response to: Alyssa Monks

I began my journey by picking a random name from the list, a digital dart throw. This brought me to the website of Alyssa Monks. I began with an image search. My first impression was that I was looking at the work of a photographer. The repeating themes of water pulled me in. Here were a set of photos of people swimming, people lying in the bath, or behind the steamed up glass of a shower. I tend to be drawn to water in life and in art and very much welcomed the theme. Behind the glass were figures, faces showing great ranges of emotion. From serene and almost dead to angry or enthusiastic, all these emotions were well represented almost creating a narrative. Figures would be obstructed and distorted by the glass, a fair theme for photography. Except it wasn't photography. When I wen to her homepage I found these works to be oil paintings. Enlarged images revealed the true, almost impressionistic nature that fooled my eye. I became instantly impressed by the distortions of glass and water. The brushstrokes were exceedingly expressive yet could provide a photo realistic representation of the form when viewed from a distance. The attention to detail in the waves of the water as in the following images. Furthermore, I admire the way she creates abstractions of the human form. At times, she shows small parts of the body, underwater it may take a second look to know exactly what you are looking at but it is still recognizable. They are all very pleasant to look at. The combination of realism and impressionism in each piece flows well together in showing the human form in a way it is not often painted.

.

Her galley can be found here:

http://alyssamonks.com/index.asp

I highly recommend checking it out.

Collage for Future Project

The three collages I was to make for my portrait project are connected. You see, me and my flat-mates were each going to design a triptych and collaborate making a different section of a greater whole. I began with a well known trio in pop culture: the Three Stooges, and put our faces on, considering which character was most appropriate. I then turned the woman who we each pursued into our common goal of becoming better artists by including the Mona Lisa as a figure. Each section reflects our focuses in art, Ethan's being in CG modeling, Andrew's in creating beautiful vista backgrounds, and my focus in comics and animation (though in this case comics are highlighted). I took a couple liberties in the assignment with the intent to create intrinsic meaning and clarity, which I have more difficulty doing in collage. This is only a first draft and I can already see a few things I might have to change before I continue on this project (that is, if we don't decide to focus on another of my flat-mates work.)