Before photography, artists recorded the world around us with paintings, portraits, sculptures and drawings. The basic elements of composition, lighting, sharpness and focus were present and created the scenery for landscapes, still life and portraits. Photographers use all the same elements and combine it with the technical aspects of our cameras and editing programs. We have assembled a list of American Artists whose works are recognized for specific styles and subject matter. The challenge for the members is to research the artists works and imitate it using photography to achieve a similar look. The use of editing programs and our computers can help with the finished photo.
Choose one artist; identify the main subject matter used by that artist, identify the elements used in the imagery and apply that to your photography. Once you identify the artist, please let me know so that a list can be compile for the program to be held in March. Your assignment, if you wish to participate, is simple. Once you have made your selection and created an image, you will need to send that image to me in the regular.jpeg format, and properly named and labeled. If you are willing to share your experience with the members, let me know also All is takes is 3-5 minutes of your time! SO, LET S GET TO THE NITTY GRITTY OF THE PROGRAM: THE ARTISTS
Norman Rockwell Georgia O Keefe Andy Warhol
These ten artists are: James Audubon Mary Cassatt Thomas Kinkade Georgia O Keefe Jackson Pollock Howard Pyle Norman Rockwell Martha Walter Andy Warhol Andrew Wyeth These artists were selected for their unique contributions. Nine of the artists were born in the United States. One arrived at the age of nineteen and traveled and painted here most of his life. Others born here, ended up living abroad. Let s take a look at some of their work.
JAMES AUDUBON - April 26, 1785 January 27, 1851 Born in what is now Haiti, and raised in France. The family moved to Philadelphia when he was 18 years of age. From a very early age, James had an affinity for birds, and his father encouraged his interest in nature. His art and methods were unique. Here are some samples of his work: Green heron - John J. Audubon, Brooklyn Museum
American crow - John J. Audubon, Brooklyn Museum American Flamingo
Cuvier's Kinglet Great Horned Owl
MARY STEVENSON CASSATT - May 22, 1844 June 14, 1926 was an American painter and printmaker. She was born in Pennsylvania, but lived much of her adult life in France, where she first befriended Edgar Degas and later exhibited among the Impressionists. The Tea -1880 oil on canvas
Young Woman in a Black and Green Bonnet, 1890 Under the Horse Chestnut Tree by Mary Cassatt, 1898, dry point and aquatint print
WILLIAM THOMAS KINKADE III - January 19, 1958 April 6, 2012 was an American painter of popular realistic, pastoral and idyllic subjects. He is notable for the mass marketing of his work as printed reproductions and other licensed products. He characterized himself as "Thomas Kinkade, Painter of Light," a phrase he protected through trademark. Here is a sample of his work:
GEORGIA TOTTO O'KEEFFE - November 15, 1887 March 6, 1986 was an American artist. She is best known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. O'Keeffe has been recognized as the "Mother of American Modernism"
Oriental Poppies, 1928
PAUL JACKSON POLLOCK (January 28, 1912 August 11, 1956) known professionally as Jackson Pollock, was an influential American painter and a major figure in the abstract expressionist movement. He was well known for his unique style of drip painting.
HOWARD PYLE - March 5, 1853 November 9, 1911 was an American illustrator and author, primarily of books for young people. A native of Wilmington, Delaware, he spent the last year of his life in Florence, Italy. From the Merry Adventures of Robin Hood which remains in print to date.
NORMAN PERCEVEL ROCKWELL - February 3, 1894 November 8, 1978 was a 20th-century American painter and illustrator. His works enjoy a broad popular appeal in the United States for their reflection of American Culture. Rockwell is most famous for the cover illustrations of everyday life he created for The Saturday Evening Post magazine over nearly five decades Freedom of Speech Freedom from Want
MARTHA WALTER - March 19, 1875 January 1976 was well-known Philadelphia Impressionist painter. She studied under William Merritt Chase at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts where she received a number of prestigious awards.
ANDY WARHOL - August 6, 1928 February 22, 1987 Born Andrew Warhola, was an American artist who was a leading figure in the visual art movement known as pop art. Eight Elvises 1963 - Silkscreen on canvas
Gold Marilyn Monroe 1962 Silkscreen ink
Race Riot 1964 - acrylic and silkscreen
ANDREW NEWELL WYETH - July 12, 1917 January 16, 2009 was a visual artist, primarily a realist painter, working predominantly in a regionalist style. He was one of the best-known U.S. artists of the middle 20th century. Perhaps, his best known image is Christina s World, painted in 1948 when he was 31 years old.
The Lobster Man - 1947
Autumn Cornfield - 1950
Master Bedroom 1965 depicts the family Labrador Rattler
These are just but a few of the greatest works of art of the 20 th Century I have mentioned a line or two about each of the Master s extraordinary lives Your task is to choose one of these giants. enter their life, and discover the reason why and how he or she became a Master! Find the different periods in their lives that affected their art, and see which one is the most likely to grab your interest to create THE photograph for this project. As you sort through their lives, pay close attention to the elements that they use creating their art. Or the lack of important elements You have lots of tools at your disposal. Use them to create your Masterpiece.
IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, ASK ME NEXT WEEK. JUST KIDDING. ANY QUESTIONS????