Shadows are silhouettes opposite the light source. They are dark an typically undefined. We recognize our own shadow only because it is right next to us. In Jeffery's blog, he gives examples of shadows as well as some quotes. None of these pictures relate closely to the abstractions he has presented in class. The shadows presented are more defined and deliberate. His work is up for interpretation. There is an additional beauty in his work because it includes color. The only way for a shadow to have color is if there is some sort of transparent filter. This is a unique effect not seen much in everyday life. A few examp,es I can think of are cars that have tinted windows and sunglasses. There is a lot of artistic potential with shadows. You could take it in many directions, or simply apply them to an unrelated project.
I lent my helmetcam to a friend, Nick, the past few weeks and he came up with a little ski video in Colorado.
http://vimeo.com/38511011
The camera is not pointed at himself, but directly in front of him. Because of the suns position, he created a shadow in front of himself. The camera picked up his shadow instead of him. As we watch the footage, we forget that we are watching his shadow because it imitates him so well. I thought that I was watching Nick ski, rather than his shadow.
Interpretation by the viewer is a big subject when it comes to Jeff's video, which I think is a good choice. Jeff allows for the viewer to have to think about what the shadow is actually being created from, and at the same time it creates a beautiful visual art piece. Considering the consistency throughout the shadows, music or noise would also bring a unique element to the work. When combining music with beautiful images like shadows, it can create a whole new meaning and be more literal.
ReplyDeleteWhen you mentioned the idea of silhouettes, it made me think of one of the old ways of making portraits. I believe how it worked is someone would sit with a light shining on them next to a material, which the shadow would be cast upon. The artist would then outline the silhouette on the material to create the portrait. When the camera became popular, this way of portrait making slowed down, but still today there are places that offer the technique.
ReplyDeleteYou bring up a good point that you see and recognize your own shadow because it is right next to you. Viewing Jeff's project, you can only see that actual shadow, making it difficult to determine exactly what the object is that the shadow is portraying.
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