KBIC ELDERS...PART 1, 2-25-10

MIDTERM, 2010 SUBJECT; MAN RAY.

MAN RAY, AUG. 7,1890 - NOV. 18, 1976. BORN EMMANUEL RADNITZKY IN PHILADELPHIA, PA.

HE IS CONSIDERED A MODERNIST...CREDITED WITH CONTRIBUTING TO THE DADA AND SURREALIST MOVEMENT. HE WAS ALSO A FRIEND AND CONTEPORARY OF SALVADOR DALI. ALTHOUGH PRIMARILY A PAINTER BY HIS OWN ADMISSION, HE EXCELLED IN OTHER MEDIUMS AS WELL...INCLUDING PHOTOGRAPHY. THE PHOTOGRAPHIC PROCESS AS AN ART FORM AND SCIENCE WAS IN IT'S INFINTILE STAGE AT THIS TIME.

THE PHOTOGRAPH I'VE CHOSEN IS ENTITLED 'VIOLIN D'INGRES'. THE TITLE COMES FROM THE FRENCH NEOCLASSICAL PAINTER JEAN AUGUSTE DOMINIQUE INGRES.

'VIOLIN D'INGRES' IS AN EXAMPLE OF JUXTAPOSE ELEMENTS COMMON IN RAYS' ARTWORK. IN ORDER TO GENERATE AN EXPANDED MEANING IN THE PHOTOGRAPH, SOUNDHOLES WERE PLACED ON THE MODEL'S LOWER TORSO. THESE TWO SMALL ELEMENTS ADD TO THE INTERPRETATION AND IMPACT OF THE PHOTOGRAPH. OBVIOUSLY INDICATING THE SIMILARITY BETWEEN A VIOLIN AND THE FEMALE FORM. TO ME, THE TUBAN AND EARRINGS ADD AN EXOTIC AND SOPHISTICATED QUALITY TO THE COMPOSITION. THE DRAPERY LENDS A FEELING OF MODESTY, INNOCENCE AND CLASSIC POSING. THE HIGHLIGHT COMING FROM THE UPPER LEFT EXEMPLIES DEPTH OF FIELD. THE POSITION OF THE MODEL'S FACE (SHOWING ONLY PARTIAL FEATURES) LEAVES HER IDENTITY VEILED IN MYSTERY. THIS PIECE IS WELL COMPOSED, SIMPLE, AND TO THE POINT, WHILE AT THE SAME TIME, OPENING OTHER AVENUES OF VISUAL INTERPRETATION.

THE MODEL IS ALICE PRIN (AKA KIKI MONTPARNASSE). MONTPARNASSE IS AN AREA OF PARIS' LEFT BANK. SHE WAS A FRIEND OF RAY. I WONDER WHAT SHE'S LOOKING AT?

WK. 6 ASSIGNMENT, PORTRAITS

THIS SERIES IS ENTITLED 'PORTRAIT OF A WORKING MAN'. LOGGING IS DEFINITELY HARD WORK AND TO GET A LOGGER TO HAVE HIS PICTURE TAKEN IS NO SMALL TASK EITHER. THE FIRST SHOT IS PRETTY MUCH A TYPICAL 'PORTRAIT'...IN THE WORKING ENVIRONMENT. AS THE SERIES PROGRESSES, MORE FOCUS IS DIRECTED TOWARDS THE PERSONALITY OF THE MAN, INCLUDING SOME CLOSE-UPS AND POSTERIZED PIECES. THE LAST, A COLLAGE, INCLUDES HIS SKIDDER WHICH CLOSES THE CIRCLE OF HIS WORK LIFE WITH HIS EQUIPMENT IN THE WOODS.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 3, REFLECTION #3

THIS IS A SHOT OF GLASS-LIKE PIECES OF ICE ON END. THE SUN SHINING THROUGH LEAVING IT'S IMAGE AND LIGHT INTERPRETATION ON THE SNOW. THE LIGHT ON SNOW IS REFLECTING THAT LIGHT BACK THROUGH THE ICE AND REFRACTING AND BENDING IT'S BRIGHTNESS AS SEEN AT THE EDGES OF THE ICE AS HIGH LIGHTS. THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN AT THE SHORELINE NEAR THE MOUTH OF THE BIG HURON RIVER.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT, PART 3, REFLECTION #2

LOOKING NORTH FROM THE MOUTH OF THE SILVER RIVER ON HURON BAY. TIME, 6:30AM, EARLY SEPTEMBER. A VERY HUMID AND COLD MORNING, UPPER ATMOSPHERE WARMING, WHILE GROUND LEVEL COLD. THIS COMBINATION RESULTS IN GROUND FOG AND TEMPORARY MOUNTAINS. WITH THE ABSOLUTE WINDLESS CONDITIONS THE OPPORTUNITIES FOR 'REFLECTION' PHOTOS WERE EXCELLENT.

WK.5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 3, REFLECTION #1.

BONAPARTE'S GULL RESTING ON PIECE OF FLOATING ICE. I TOOK THIS SHOT MID SPRING WHILE KAYAKING AT NIGHT ON HURON BAY. I AIMED FLASH UPWARD TO AVOID 'HOT' SPOTS, MORE OF A FILL. THIS GULL BREEDS IN THE HUDSON'S BAY AREA AND IN ISOLATED NORTHERN TAIGA AND BOREAL REGIONS, COMING FROM WINTERING GROUNDS ALONG THE GULF COAST, NORTHEAST MEXICO AND CUBA.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 2, TEXTURE #3

A CLOSE UP SHOT OF WEATHERED ROOTS OF A FALLEN ARBOR VITAE ON HURON ISLAND. I CHOSE A B/W VERSION TO ACCENTUATE THE FLOW OF THE WOOD GRAIN AND RHYTHM OF GROWTH.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 2, TEXTURE #2

PICTURE OF ROCKS ON LAKE BOTTOM. THIS MAY BE CONSIDERED DOUBLE TEXTURE. THE TEXTURE OF THE WATER IS VISIBLE BY DISTORTION IF THE ROCKS AND LIGHT REFRACTION ON THEM. AND THE TEXTURE OF THE ROCKS THEMSELVES, WHICH MAY BE MORE OF A MENTAL CONNECTION (KNOWING THE TEXTURE OF CERTAIN TYPES OF ROCKS THROUGH IDENTIFICATION AND ASSOCIATION). WITH THE ROCKS BEING WET, THE COLOR IS FRESH AND BRILLIANT COMPARED TO BEING DRY.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 2, TEXTURE #1

SHOT OF RED PINE BARK. DOWNY AND HARRY WOODPECKERS CHIP PIECES OF BARK FROM THE TRUNK LEAVING NON-WEATHERED 'FRESH' BARK IN THEIR QUEST FOR FOOD. THE VIBRANT COLORS WILL RAPIDLY FADE TO SHADES OF GREY AND MUTED RUST TONES.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 1, MACRO #3.

A MACRO SHOT OF SUBTLE WAVE ACTION (TERMINUS) ON A BEACH SLOPE. THE END ACTION OF THE WAVES ON THE SLOPE LEAVES A MINUTE PILE OF SAND, THIS PILE IS HIGHER THAN THE SLOPE PLAIN AND DRIES FIRST...LEAVING A HIGH LIGHTED LATENT IMAGE OF IT'S JOURNEYS' END. TO ME, THIS PATTERN IS REMINISCENT OF CHINESE WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 1, MACRO #2.

THIS PHOTOGRAPH OF SAND FORMED BY MELT WATER MOVING OVER A FROZEN

BEACH. THE POINTED SHAPES INDICATE THE DIRECTION THAT THE MELT WATER CAME FROM. THIS PATTERN REMINDS ME OF M.C.ESCHER'S 'SKY AND WATER'. ESPECIALLY BIRDS IN FLIGHT.

WK. 5 ASSIGNMENT; PART 1, MACRO #1

THIS A PICTURE OF AN AIR BUBBLE TRAPPED IN ICE ON A BEACH. THE BUBBLE IS ABOUT 1/2 INCH WIDE. IT HAS AN OPALESCENCE QUALITY.

WK. 4 ASSIGNMENT; PART 5.

THE SNOWY RANGE OF SOUTHERN WYOMING. ELEVATION ABOUT 10,500'. FRESH SNOW, 9-22-09.

ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE NOT TO GET A GREAT SHOT IN THIS AREA. THE SEPIA TONE SHOT GIVES AN "OLD TIME" FEELING TO THIS SCENE. AFTER CONVERSION FROM COLOR TO SEPIA, THE SHADOWS, SKY, AND WATER WERE PUSHED TO ADD CONTRAST AND DEPTH. THE WAY THE MOUNTAIN RANGE DESCENDS FROM RIGHT TO LEFT ALSO LEND TO THE DYNAMICS OF THE SCENE.

THIS IS A MACRO SHOT OF ICE ON A RIVER'S EDGE. CONDITIONS; CLEAR, MID DAY. I CALL THIS "THE KISS". THE ICE WAS ABOUT FOUR INCHES ABOVE THE WATER, ALLOWING THE WATER TO BE OUT OF FOCUS RANGE. I THINK THE B/W SHOT GIVES THE BACKGROUND AN ABSTRACT AND BENIGN QUALITY...PERMITTING THE ICE TO DOMINATE.

WK. 4 ASSIGNMENT; PART 3.

THIS SHOT WAS TAKEN AT ABOUT 1:00 PM, CONDITIONS CLEAR. THIS TIME OF YEAR THE SUN IS STILL LOW ON THE HORIZON AND HUGGING THE SOUTHERN SKY. WITH THE NATURAL UNDULATION ON THE FOREST FLOOR, THE SHADOWS FROM THE TREE TRUNKS MAKE AN INTERESTING UNCONVENTIONAL PARALLEL PATTERN FROM A SIDE VIEW. TO ME, THE B/W PHOTO HAS A WARMER FEELING THAN THE COLOR ONE. IT HAS A PEWTER QUALITY TO IT.