Art Essay Draft

Introduction:
Technology within art has dramatically changed since the beginning of its time; this technology is continuing to keep on growing and developing along with the world around us. In today’s society modern contemporary artists incorporate various forms of digital technologies. These digital technologies are employed into the work in order to express the artists intended meanings through either a more subtle way or a more explosive way, and to enhance the overall theme of the artwork. Technological manipulation allows the artist to manipulate the piece and create an image which entwines surrealism and concepts to form a piece of work that is beyond reality. This new form of twisted reality creates a deep and meaningful impact of emotional feelings with its intended audience. One particular Australian contemporary artist, photographer Bill Henson, is just one among the many that have employed this technological enhancement into their work in order to exaggerate a raw emotion and importance; his images successfully exploit these things.
Body Paragraph One: (intention, meaning of artwork and how this is created using visual language and media aka photography and photoshop)
Bill Henson is a photographer of the human condition; an explorer of twilight zones whose work expresses his deep fascination for the experience of human growth, and the transition from a child to an adult. His artwork also further explores the transition from nature to civilisation, day to night, youth to adult hood, and the difference between the male and female body, mind and soul. Bill Henson photograph’s adolescents in remote landscapes, creating many juxtaposed images which explore difficult and confronting feelings and situations. These ideas and concepts have been portrayed within his photography by creating an almost dream-like image, using various forms of technological enhancements, such as lighting, this being Henson’s most frequently used enhancement. Bill Henson creates challenging images by photographing at twilight when the light and certainty of day is fading into an uncertain darkness, much like the feelings of adolesce filled with angst, confusion, love, lust and exploration. As well as photographing images at twilight to portray this feeling to the intended audience Bill Henson edits and enhances the light within the images. Often to darken or soften parts, whilst highlighting and brightening other areas. This supports Henson’s overall idea of human mystery, by highlighting the harshness of the image or by diming aspects in which are unspoken or yet to be discovered, it creates cinematic and surrealist photographic stories.
Body Paragraph Two: (the importance of emotional responses in engaging the viewer)
Bill Henson’s work stirs different emotional responses from a diverse group of viewers, for some Henson’s work is disturbing, and for other’s it is sensational. For 25 years of his career Bill Henson has been called controversial (The Age, 2008), but one particular work sparked extreme controversy as it featured a topless 13 year old girl and various adolescence in provocative situations. “The object in my artwork is not always the subject”, quotes Bill Henson, implying that although his artwork may feature naked adolescence and underage drinking and lust it is much more than that. The images challenge the audience to work in order to understand its true nature. Bill Henson says that he “Feels that he has succeeded if more questions are generated than answered, and believes the strongest criticism comes from those who are uncomfortable with not knowing the answers to the questions posed. I believe the strongest criticism comes from those who are uncomfortable with not knowing the answers to the questions posed.” Emotional responses from the viewer regarding Bill Henson’s work are extremely important, as that is what his art strives to conger up.
Body Paragraph Three: The role of surrealism
Bill Henson’s work creates an image much-like reality but depicts many elements of surrealism. Henson creates surrealism by highlighting isolation and dislocation by capturing a scene from afar, a boy and a girl embracing, an intoxicated touch, a louring of emotions and a look of uncertainty. In order to capture the softness, moody and sensuality of light, his work is photographed at twilight and then enhanced and highlighted through editing of lighting to create images much like (image one) which looks as though she is floating among the city lights, the stars leaving her and the lights with no disturbance. By not only leaving the focus of the image to consists of one or two highlights things, the subject is often places in an awkward position or an instant movement to development dreamlike body positioning which you would only catch a glimpse of in reality. The waste and loss of teenage youth is also expressed by detaching the viewer by averting there gaze or staring blankly towards something inspiring questions of whether or not there mind is present within the situation or lost within the dream life they have chosen to live. The camera angles, un-focused images and fixed lenses enhance selected areas within the photograph in order to detail and/or blur areas which should be left to the imagination. Bill Henson’s Work Untitled (1995-1996) employs surrealism by altering the lighting, positioning and the focus of the subjects to create something dream-like and challenging. By using various techniques to alter the initial position of certain subjects it creates surrealism.
Conclusion:
The Conclusion ~ the conclusion should match the introduction in terms of the ideas presented and the argument put forward. Sometimes you will find that the process of writing has changed what you have argued and so it will be necessary to go back and reword the introduction. Finally, the conclusion is not the place in your essay to introduce new information or new ideas: these should be in the body of our essay. This is where you synthesise your research and findings.

Tom Chambers, "The Saccharine Perch"

Response to image:

This work by Tom Chambers, is clearly a digital imaged edited and manipulated through photoshop. From first glance, the image is of a young women/girl holding a cake with a forest in the background with the time of day being around evening time. My initial feelings towards the theme of this image were a loss of innocence. The image depicts the body of a young girl with flowing curly hair and a flowing blue dress holding a what could be a birthday cake which has been destroyed by the birds. The background is dark, unrealistic and uncertain, lead from a dirt trail with no life and shadows darkening the mood. The birds are apparent all throughout the image, close up and in the distance. The background reminds me somewhat of the Mona Lisa with the same open landscape and color theme. Much like the Mona Lisa, the background is possibly not as well noted as the main image in the middle of the picture. Just like the main image however, it suggests much more then initially interpreted. Unlike the Mona Lisa, the head of the body is not shown but rather a dark shadow leading up to where the head should be right before the image has been cropped. The image also gives the feeling of surrealism, much like the girl is dreaming and could possibly be looking back on a memory of her birthday as a young girl where something went horribly wrong. The image gives a twist on reality. The reason for deciding upon the theme of loss of innocence, is that the visual language expresses the juxtaposition between the colours to show the surrealism. This is created in order to show the difference between the innocent young girl and the dark and gloomy trail/forest that lingers behind. The colours to create the subtle contrast are between warm and cool colours. In the forest there is shades of grey, black, brown, deep orange and brown, all being earthy colors. Whereas the girl in front is in blue, skin tone, a slight red through her hair and a light yellow cake. The birds in the background are black, and the birds in front are a grey. The focal point of this image is the strongest contrast between the cake and the dress. The cake being the "Saccharine", saccharine being sweetness. The sweetness being a possible metaphor for innocence, and the cake being the metaphor for innocence. In her hands she is holding her innocence, and it appears have a section sliced out of it, and on the cake or "innocence" which suggests that parts of her innocence has been taken from her. On the cake, there is birds eating it and bugs crawling all over it. The birds have somewhat been seduced by the cakes sweetness. Because in the background there appears to be bats flying away in a large flock, indicating that something is not right and they are leaving. Whereas the birds in front are obvious to what is happening behind and are staying even though something is not right. Once again supporting the idea of innocence that even though something bad may be happening these birds, and herself still wants to stay connected to the innocence no matter what is happening, even though the innocence the "cake" may be being torn apart by whatever has happened they do not want to let go. The contrast between the birds as well are the that the birds surrounding the cake are sparrows soft birds which are small and innocent, almost as exposed to the harsh feelings of nature as easily as humans. Whereas the bats in the background as stronger and not as likely seen by humans or as innocent as the sparrows. Overall, the image congers up feelings of someone looking on a memory through a dream, where something is happened possibly a birthday where she realised her innocence was gone. Tom Chambers appears to want to put across is fairytale like, to emphasise he idea of the image not being real.

Bill Viola's Emergence, 2002.

Plot of the Video:

My initial interpretation of Bill Viola's work Emergence is a video which takes the viewer into an experience of raw human emotion. The video extends over 12 minutes where for that period of time emotions such a love, loss, hurt, utter shock and hope are exposed. Within the video Bill Viola captures these emotions through an experience like no other. It can be interpreted that the two women, possibly a mother and lover were waiting by a coffin of some form grieving over the loss of a loved one. When suddenly, a porcelain white body up rises out of the water within the coffin with an angelic like appearance, not only surprising the two women but leaving them in complete shock. Once he has been risen out of the water as far as his body would take him he then suddenly falls to the ground to be caught by the elderly women. Before the body arose out of the coffin you could see that the two women where clearly grieving over the loss of the loved one. They appeared as though all faith and any hope they had within there body had been lost. When suddenly the body appeared there faces showed a mixed of shock, surprise and hope. Hope in the sense that maybe there loved one had returned to them. Once the body falls to the ground again, appearing lifeless, this hope is once again lost. And the overwhelming pain struck the two women. In my opinion, the water could some-what resemble a womb of a mother. A womb which resembles the life line to the body, and when he up rises it is almost like birth all over again. Like the angelic creature is given a rebirth and the two women are waiting for this day.

Task One

Select three images from one body of work by one of the artists. Write an initial interpretation of the works.