Art, closeup
London, Ontario, March 2007
A few months back, I took pictures of a painting that an artist friend had created. Because I wanted the result to be as faithful to the original as possible, the image was a straight-on, perfectly rectangular photograph of the original work.
A few months later, I found myself standing in front of another oil painting, and I was struck by the richness of the texture used to paint the image. The colors seemed to leap off the canvas as they invited the eye in for a closer look.
So when I decided to photograph this lovely piece of art, I decided that a straight-on perspective wouldn't effectively tell the story of how I felt as I stood in front of the real thing. So I stepped right up to the wall and captured it from a somewhat different angle.
I felt as if I could see the artist's brush creating this rich landscape of color and texture.
Your turn: Do you look at works of art from funny perspectives? Do you perceive them differently as a result?
I love the textures in paintings too, I love this image.
ReplyDeleteIt reminds my husband of the globe.. he just walked past as I was reading ... and I am reminded of a photo I took of his palette after he had finished a recent picture
Always.
ReplyDeleteEspecially oils that are painted with knife...amazing.
Great picture.
I wouldn't have it any other way Carmi!
ReplyDeleteThis is beautiful...I can feel the textures...
i love going to the art centre, looking at a painting up close is so much better than just a copy of a print, you can see every single brush stroke, amazing to see how the colour combine to become a painting.
ReplyDeleteVerisimilitude of a painting owes itself to the texture of the paint.
ReplyDeleteI remember a friend of my neighbor would manipulate his paints into different grades of thickness and spatter the colors on the canvas. The effect is so cool.
I love art of so many styles...
ReplyDeletethis is beautiful though and I love your take on it.
HI Carmi, I am still in the land of the living. Been catching up on all your posts and pictures.
ReplyDeleteI love the story of Noah, Frasier and your night on the floor. Once suggestion, get a blow up mattress so if you find yourself in this position again you can just pump it up and not have to endure the hard floor LOL.
The Canadian Geese look wonderful, we have a pair that fly over us every evening, when there is water in out field they sometimes land there and paddle around for a bit. I do have a few pictures but they arent very good because they are always so far away when they see me they "duck". :-)
I am not really into art as in paintings, dont know too much about it but I did visit the National Gallery in London and can still see those huge murals of the Edward the Eighth era. Even though they were so old the colors were vivid. The one that distinctly sticks in my mind is the picture of one of his wives awaiting the executioner. It made a deep and lasting impression on me. These pictures are really huge, maybe Anna can tell you more about them, I am sure she has been there.
I like the textures in your picture, a very different perspective on art for sure.
I will be back, may be a few days but I will check in.
Regards
Lori
When I see a work of art, I try to size up its height and width in pixels.
ReplyDeleteAnd then imagining how different web browsers would render it if it was resized.
Great art piece. I like looking at it close then far and different angles. Its like licking an ice cream cone. You have to go all around it to get the whole thing.
ReplyDeleteI love that picture. Now, anytime I see a painting I'm going to look up close to it. I've never really looked at paintings like that. But, I have loooked at many hand-drawn works of art to see how the lines move because I used to do a lot of drawing.
ReplyDeleteIt all depends on the type of art I am looking at. If it is three dimensional then you HAVE to view from all sides, of course. I do like paintings with texture, though. They seem more alive to me.
ReplyDeleteHi Carmi.....
ReplyDeleteMy initial reaction was the same as Katie's husband's.....it reminded me of a globe.
I also like the feel that it is just a snippet of the whole pic..there is more on either side of it or something.....makes me wonder what's beyond the horizon.
have a wonderful day.
Hi Carmi,
ReplyDeleteSo sorry I have been 'absent' for a few days! I am just trying to catch up on the posts of a few of my blogging buddies after a weekend away and feeling a little under the weather!
Love your shot today, a great use of DOF making the viewer really think and use ones imagination about what we are looking at, very nice!
Hope you and your family are doing well x
They say the way each artist paints is as unique as handwriting or a fingerprint (the angle and pressure of the brushstrokes, etc.). To truly appreciate an artist's work, it should be viewed from all possible angles.
ReplyDeleteMy wife who is currently working on an art degree relayed a similar lesson she recently learned. When looking at composition think, is that the normal thing, is that what people are expecting? Could just anybody do that? If the answer is yes it might be good to approach the subject from a more creative angle.
ReplyDeleteI've taken that lesson and applied it to my photography as well. As I walk up to a subject I'll find myself composing the shot in my normal way which results in a normal and uninteresting composition. So now I no longer take a picture right away. I put the camera down and think about more interesting ways to view the subject.
You did that with this photo and it gives us a whole new perspective on this painting that we probably wouldn't have had in real life, or if you had just taken a straight-on shot.
That is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteYes, absolutely. If I like a piece, I will look at it from all different angles. You captured the essence.
Very impressed ;)
Really thought provoking post Carmi - thank you...
ReplyDeleteand I remember looking at Tracy Emin's bed from the floor...I got some funny looks but I found it illuminating!
From time to time I do see works of art from a different perspective. And I enjoy that moment when it clicks and I realize that I just experienced something special.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the neat perspective Carmi.
Gorgeous. Great idea for an angle.
ReplyDeleteGreat shot.I like it!I like the details and textures.Beautiful colors.Good job!
ReplyDeleteWnen something is painted with a palette knife, I always look at its topography. :)
ReplyDeleteMichele sent me this time!
~S
I love the painting! yes, I often cock my head to get at a painting from a different angle.
ReplyDeleteI love colors and textures dearly so this photo really reaches out to me. I've been very preoccupied with moving to Florida and haven't stopped by lately.
ReplyDeleteSeems I've missed alot.
Cheers and thanks for a fantastic blog, Carmi!