Skullduggery
Today I stumbled across several images of skulls which have influenced my thought processes and the development of my key concept.
(Miller, 2010) . The painting implies connotations of death
through the symbolism of the skull. The use of colour is realistic and highlights the macabre subject while hinting at the yellowing skin of smokers (Parr, 2012). The black background is used to foreground the skull and cigarette with its little swirl of smoke. Tone has also been
used to create nuances of light and shadow and depict a realistic skull (Vincent Van
Gogh Style and Technique, 2010) . For my artwork, I
feel yellow could be used in a similar way to depict a skull and the process of ageing. I also feel the gritty brush-strokes could be used to create a sense of disjointedness towards a contemporary issue and either be replicated using acrylic paint or photo editing software. Contrasting colours could be used to foreground my central concept and focus the viewer's eye.
Dan Mountford is a contemporary artist and graphic designer, who specialises in double exposure photography. The photo 'Mind over Matter' is a strong statement about the addictive properties of the drug and the will-power required to overcome the habit. Double-exposure is used to juxtapose two images; the image of the boy and the cigarette butts which symbolise the pervasive properties of smoking (The Work of Dan Mountford, 2012). Texture has been implied through the use of realistic photography, whereby a small aperture has been used to allow a shallow depth of field and the subsequent sense of butts piling up and penetrating the brain. The colours are realistic, with a slight sepia tone to mimic the ageing process and, like Van Gogh, subtly hint at death and the yellowing skin of smokers. The photo has been composed to foreground the image of a boy against a plain background, whilst the profile shot has been used to clearly depict a person turning away, probably from his smoking past. The use of juxtaposition and symbolic choice of images could be used in my artwork to draw connections between death and death causing properties.
After analysing these images, I am considering changing my focus issue to youth suicide and juxtaposing a skull with the causes of youth suicide. Double exposure could be used to overlay several images; most likely I could achieve this using photoshop, due to the complexity of combining several images.
References
Skull with a Burning Cigarette
Van Gogh (1886)
(Miller, 2010)
Van Gogh was a post-impressionist painter, a movement
characterised by bright colour and the use of short, sharp brush-strokes of broken colour to define form (POST IMPRESSIONISM, 2012). In particular, Van Gogh's painting 'Skull with a Burning Cigarette', uses this technique and colour to create a meaningful statement which remains relevant, due to its subject matter of smoking. At the time, he was studying at an art academy in Antwerp, where he wished to develop his skills of life-painting using live models, however the
classes consisted of students copying prints and painting skeletons to learn about anatomy. Therefore, historians
and art critics believe the painting was produced as black humour to ridicule the strict and conservative practices of the academy
Mind over Matter
Dan Mountford (2011)
(The Work of Dan Mountford, 2012)
Dan Mountford is a contemporary artist and graphic designer, who specialises in double exposure photography. The photo 'Mind over Matter' is a strong statement about the addictive properties of the drug and the will-power required to overcome the habit. Double-exposure is used to juxtapose two images; the image of the boy and the cigarette butts which symbolise the pervasive properties of smoking (The Work of Dan Mountford, 2012). Texture has been implied through the use of realistic photography, whereby a small aperture has been used to allow a shallow depth of field and the subsequent sense of butts piling up and penetrating the brain. The colours are realistic, with a slight sepia tone to mimic the ageing process and, like Van Gogh, subtly hint at death and the yellowing skin of smokers. The photo has been composed to foreground the image of a boy against a plain background, whilst the profile shot has been used to clearly depict a person turning away, probably from his smoking past. The use of juxtaposition and symbolic choice of images could be used in my artwork to draw connections between death and death causing properties.
After analysing these images, I am considering changing my focus issue to youth suicide and juxtaposing a skull with the causes of youth suicide. Double exposure could be used to overlay several images; most likely I could achieve this using photoshop, due to the complexity of combining several images.
References
POST IMPRESSIONISM. (2012). Retrieved November 20, 2012, from Art Movements:
http://www.artmovements.co.uk/postimpressionism.htm
Miller, D. W. (2010). Art
work: Skullduggery. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from Madness of Art:
http://madnessofart.com/tag/amsterdam/
Parr, S. (2012). Sue's
Doodles. Retrieved November 30, 2012, from Research point: Artist’s
depictions of skulls: http://suesdoodles.wordpress.com/2012/11/10/research-point-artists-depictions-of-skulls/
The Work of Dan
Mountford. (2012). Retrieved November
20, 2012, from Juxtapoz:
http://www.juxtapoz.com/Current/the-work-of-dan-mountford
Vincent Van Gogh
Style and Technique. (2010).
Retrieved November 29, 2012, from Artble:
http://www.artble.com/artists/vincent_van_gogh/more_information/style_and_technique
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