song’s lair

Reflecting the light in art areas, different cultures and countries have different representation skills. It is interesting to compare Chinese paintings and western paintings.

The basic style of traditional Chinese paintings is focusing on the tip of Chinese ink brush to present everything. It focuses on using line drawing to reflect the figure of objects, because line drawing can quickly and neatly capture every object’s image. Chinese artists disregard proportion, perspective, and light. Different from Western paintings, Chinese artists find that people view their surroundings from a mobile focal point. Thus, they want to free from time and space to present both far and near things in their paintings.

As for western paintings, it prefers using light and shadow to express objects. For example, Baroque painting often using light effects to represent dramatic scenes. The light and shadow always interact with surroundings; it can give audiences powerful visual shock. Meanwhile, drawing different light and shadow can reflect the specific time and ambience of paintings.

In 17 century, Jahannes Vermeer was a famous painter in Holland; he focused on researching and playing light and color to paint natural and domestic life. <The Girl with a Pearl Earring> is universally recognized as one of Johannes Vermeer’s absolute masterworks. The pearl earring beautifully and vividly reflects the light which through window to the room. “The light in Vermeer’s paintings, it comes through windows and falls so specifically upon people quietly at work or in thought, seems like a “shaft of grace,” and seems to bless the quiet in those rooms.”(McEntyre, 2000)

Wow! I found a very good artist and his fabulous digital works. His name is Takagi Masakatsu who is Japanese pop artist and composer. He good at using video and music create temporary art. When he first started making video, he has great interest in captured anything and everything with light. Takagi’s works always react to ‘light’ and reflect light and shadow. Additionally, he travels around the world and records people’s everyday lives. Thus, in his works, human or animal figures often emerge in his video, and dissolve into abstract colours and shapes. However, his works not focus on narrating or recoding but concentrate on reflecting his feeling, it makes his works become sensitive and psychedelics. Takagi said that the work shows that who he is, and it like self-introduction. I think every work try to reflect an unfamiliar real world which is in Takagi’s eyes. Takagi prefers to express himself not through works, but through visuals and music. In his works, the music and video are combined perfectly, they interactively and constantly change. Takagi prefers creating and editing the entire visual before creating the music. His works are amazing, both technique and content. His works are like moving digital painting of watercolour and mixed technique, which is so relax, stylish, dreamy and fantastic.

light pool

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIOPygs6GrE

light song

light park

today is really very busy. When I received Andy’s mail which said that every one should do a presentation about 30mins tomorrow, I was very worried about that, because I only have half a day to prepare. I have to collect lots of relevant information and consider the format of power point in haste. When I finished it, I received Andy’s another mail which says the presentation will be done only by second year students in my major. Alas………. but it is so happy that I don’t need to do the terrible presentation.

However, recording the process of my research is still important. These days I have viewed some art works which is commended by Andy on tutorial. These works gave me some fresh idea about reflecting light. Some traditional idea of light is limited on natural light, and it was shown in some art works as a supplement, especially in most of the western paintings. However, nowadays, modern people’s experiences with light are radically different than in the past. Rather than experiencing the natural light of the sun and the darkness of the sunless night, we are now flooded with artificial light 24 hours a day. Meanwhile, unless the natural light, the artificial ray of light is more active and it can give people much stronger visual shock. Additionally, artificial light give people more possibilities to present their ideas. Some artists use light in both the real and metaphorical sense. They reflect the new meaning that light has today. Night is now something can enhance communication at night, it can transfer massages to people all night. These works change our view of the light. Artists engage on exploring the possibilities of light, not only the colour, the movement, the relationship with objects and the new definition in the modern society.

Dan Flavin

He pursued the artistic possibilities of fluorescent light. He tried commercially available fluorescent light fixtures to create sculptural objects and installations. As you see, the artist limited his materials in standard sizes, shapes, and colours.

Fountain by Len Lye

He is an important kinetic sculptor. He saw film and kinetic sculpture as aspects of the same “art of motion”. In this work, Len Lye used a cluster of metal rods rotate in a base creating gently shifting moire patterns. In addition, Lye made the film ‘Fountain of Hope’ for United Nations Day 1959. He is combining the word ‘peace’ in five languages with his kinetic sculpture ‘Fountain’. 

Ok, today, beginning my blog~ I have another Chinese blog which is totally different, I use that blog to recode some interesting experiences and some of my design works, while I will use this bolg to record how I do the research of MA digital art in one year.

The course of MA Digital Art is really different with my BA course in China. In the past 8 years of studying Graphic Design in China, I used to wait for a topic from my tutors before designing. Because I only studied commercial design, I don’t observe anything surrounding me on my own initiative. Thus, when Andy asked us to do tutorial about project proposal with him, I really very worried about that. I even don’t know how to begin, when I asked my classmate Xiang, who has similar education background in China with me, he also has same feeling. As for me, the new study method is really unfamiliar and like a challenge. Moreover, because my previous proposal is for MA Graphic Design, it is so urgent to draw out a new one. Last week, I saw many 2005 students’ blogs and online exhibitions to try to know more about this course and find ideas.

In my opinion, Digital Arts is an amazing and fabulous art form. Unlike Graphic Design, it has many possibilities and more vivid; it can directly transfer artists emotions and feeling by digital installation to audiences. The area of digital arts makes visual and audio combine perfectly. Meanwhile, it also can directly and quickly stir up or reflect the emotion of audiences. Especially, some interactive installations, audiences can be a part of digital art final show. Because of the participation of audiences, there are lots of possibilities and surprises in exhibitions, while the form of graphic design is silent and unchangeable. In my mind, Digital Arts is a free and unlimited art form. However, I used to only use graphic software to present my idea, trying various digital software is also another challenge to me, I have to work hardJ

When I skimmed over some online exhibitions, one digital work is very attractive, “Hamish Morrow 2003 Catwalk Show” which based around the idea of a ‘digital reflection’.

http://www.uva.co.uk/index.php/2003/09/23/hamish-morrow-2003/

Models walking down the catwalk were preceded and followed by their digital “shadows”. Following the show actual prints of the virtual projections were made onto several of Hamish’s pieces. From the picture and video of the show, the artist successfully uses the shifts of ever-changing light to reflect an extraordinary cat show. I always interested in the changing of ray of light. Finally, I decided my working title:

“Sculpture of ray” which focusing on presenting and recording the various changes of ray on object. To present 3D effect by projecting and shifting rays on a particular item. The virtual projections print images on item which is like using ray to sculpture.   

After doing tutorial with Andy, I got many good suggestions form him. The following days, I will focus on my own definition of the ray of light and research other understanding of light (both eastern and western cultures).