Online Exhibition "World of Color"

http://jdkempf.weebly.com/

Shadow

When I think of the word "shadow", it automatically brings me back to my childhood.  I think of the sleepovers I had as a little girl; making shadow puppets on a wall with a flashlight of bunnies, dogs and monsters.  I always thought of shadows and a fun kid thing to do.  The Disney movie Peter Pan also comes to mind.  When he lost his shadow and had to get it sown back onto the soles of his shoes.

Until Jeff's project, I never really looked much more into what the different kinds of shadows are.  After seeing what techniques, tools and mediums that can be used, I was extremely intrigued to look more into it.  Knowing that shadows can be created using items like mirrors, metal and glass, I can now see all of the possibilities with shadows.  Another item that can add different variation with the theme of using shadows is light.  Different colors, strengths and the amount of the light directions are only some of the many options to change the simple bunny rabbit into an abstract shape.

Shadows can also give off different effects, depending on how you use them.  Some use shadows as a friendly way to have fun.  But they can also be used in thrillers and other scary movies.  Shadows can give off that extra fright.  I think because it reveals something that is there, even though you might not see the actual object makes it kind of creepy.  Viewing Jeff's first project and part of his second project, I am eager to see what else he does with the theme of Shadows.

World Travel: A Visual Journey

This being my own topic, most of the things I have to say about travel and color have already been told. When you visit a famous place of the world, like Hawaii for example, what do you think of? Of course you think of the beach, the ocean, hula dancers and gorgeous tropical flowers.  But few actually think of the colors within those things.  About how many different colors in the sand there are.  Or the color of the water as the sun hit it.  That is what I am trying to achieve when looking at my work.  I want people to really look at the color of the area, other than just the popular features. 

Traveling the world is something that I have always wanted to do.  If I could travel the world for the rest of my life I would be happy.  There are just so many things that aren't here in the United States and so many different cultures to experience.  Now don't get me wrong, it is different everywhere you go in the U.S.; from here in Michigan to Texas, in the South.  But the atmosphere is so different in other countries the farther you go, and I can't wait to experience them.  I know I have mostly dealt with color in my work with travel, but the theme gives me so many options to work with later on.

Perception vs. Reality

Kelsey's theme of Perception vs. Reality was a topic that I found to be extremely interesting.  Its a theme that I can relate to; as can most people.  How one perceives themselves often differs from how they really look.  For the majority of people, there is at least one thing; if not more; that they wish to change about themselves.  Whether its a teenage boy who wants to be taller, or a woman who wishes she looked younger or thinner, everyone sees themselves differently.
We are our owns worst critics.  Its a sad thing to say, yet so true among most people.  Its amazing how low our self-esteem is in the world and is a rising problem,  That is how illnesses like bulimia and anorexia have become such a huge issue. People look at photos of models that have been altered or changed with programs like Photoshop, and think its real life.  People with anorexia or bulimia look in the mirror and see an altered or larger image of themselves.  When in reality, they are usually no where near that.
For most people, their body issues never reach to be that extreme.  But issues with too much plastic surgery have also been a rising problem.  Now, I'm not saying that everyone should be cocky and full of how amazing looking they are because everyone sees themselves as imperfect.  No ones perfect and it would be boring if people were.  We just need to learn to accept and appreciate our flaws.  As soon as we learn to perceive and accept our real image, the sooner issues like anorexia and bulimia end.

Picturesque Geography: Flint to Detroit

The theme of Picturesque Geography: Flint to Detroit is a very interesting one and I for one love the different things that can be done with this style.  It reminds me of the documentary videos that are shown on the Discovery Channel or Animal Planet where they show what the sky or the ocean looks like as it goes from dawn to midday, to dusk, to night.  This style has so much potential to be beautiful, no matter what the subject matter is.   I think its fascinating that it looks so much like a video and yet it is really just a bunch of images piled together.  It almost looks like a video that has been fast forwarded over a days time.

With the theme regarding this technique and it applied to the space from Flint to Detroit makes me think of when you see the traffic views that they show on the news and they seem to look really choppy sometimes.  It is very similar because it looks just like a bunch of images shown one after the other.  Usually, those images are somewhat blurred and hard to see so I am interested to see what Alex does with this concept and how he interprets Michigan's streets and scenery to create a something that can be considered an art piece.  It will be nice to see crisp and clean images come together to form a more video like piece.  I always enjoy seeing the things we see everyday here in Michigan being used to create beautiful art.

Food by Colors

Well we all know how much I like color by my project, so you can only imagine how excited I was to hear that someone else also wanted to focus on color as well.  Food is a great way to create a colorful art piece.  It is an extremely attractive thing in this world and if photographed the right way, can be transformed into an interesting photograph.  You can just do so many things with food and take it into a ton of different directions that make food look exquisite.  Like we saw on Sarah's theme page, food can be photographed to look appetizing for a graphic purpose, or you can put the food together to create an interesting composition. 

If I were to create a piece using food, I think I would like to put the food together in some sort of landscape, like Sarah's first idea.  I really like the idea of creating a composition using each color for each photograph.  Like a landscape using all red food, or all blue food.  I love looking at what artists have done with food in color in the past.  The textures and shapes of the food easily form the natural shapes and look of things like trees, grass, etc.  Especially because most, if not all, of the food we eat are found within the natural world.  From looking at what Sarah has done with her first project, I can tell that a lot of research and hard work comes into creating a piece using food.  I think that you have to look deeply at all different kinds of foods to create the right shape for each element of the design.

Perception, Stop Motion, and the Circle of Life

Amanda's theme of Perception, Stop Motion, and the Circle of Life is such a brilliant idea.  I love that she is taking the subject of a flower and photographing them as time changes it; and then is putting them into a video.  Watching the flower over time as it wilts and dies is absolutely beautiful.  The stop and go feel of the video creates a whole new look to it, than just a normal real time video.  It almost makes me think of those small flip books that make the object appear to be doing something, or moving.

There are many different ways to take this theme of Perception, Stop Motion, and the Circle of Life.  I'm glad that Amanda chose to stick with the time lapse feel of a natural object.  The video of the two guys fighting all over the place was extremely clever, however I feel that the flower fits Amanda's artistic style more.  It feels more sophisticated and natural, as opposed to the other video, which is more chaotic and a little bit corny.  I also think that the flower relates more to time; which is another thing I love about this style of art.  Its amazing that with this technique, you can see something that usually takes days to change and transform; in a matter of seconds.

I especially love when people use this style when the subject matter is landscapes and the sky.  the way the colors and the clouds change the whole composition through time is extremely breathtaking.  This is definitely something I would love to try on my own for a future project.

In Motion: Dynamic of the Blur

When I see a photograph that uses the technique of blurring an object or the background, it really gets me thinking about the meaning behind it.  Using the blurring technique really allows the photographer to focus in detail, on the person or thing, and really bring out a certain emotion.  Then again, blurring the background gives off its own emotion in and of itself.  When I look at a blurred image, it makes me think of the words confusion, or chaotic.

Especially seeing what Missy is doing with her photographs, she focuses on the person and blurs the background.  it brings the emotion that they are trying to make sense of the crazy and hectic things that might happen in their everyday life.  And like we saw when we viewed her first project, the emotions changes as the main focal point changes direction or view.  When looking at the focal point that was head on, it seemed more in control; even with the blurriness of the background.  But when the focal point looks away or down, it seems to capture the emotion that they are trapped in their thoughts and can't find a way to escape them.

In my personal opinion, this technique creates an image that describes my life perfectly sometimes.  everything around me seems to be spinning and there isn't a way out of it.  I really like being able to look at a photograph, or any art piece for that matter, and see relate to it; even though the piece has no text or explanation to it.  I am really looking forward to see what else Missy can bring into the theme of In Motion: the Dynamic of the Blur.

Abandonment: Potential in the Ruins

What do you normally think of when you think of the word “abandonment”?  Suffering? Tragedy? Lost hope?  Not many people would look at an abandoned building and think, “that building could have so much potential.”  Thinking of abandonment in such a positive way just shows how we can make such a thing as abandonment come back to life.  Take the city of Detroit, for example.  It is such a city that has been through so much, yet still has so much spirit.  Artist’s like Tyree Guyton, who created the Heidelberg Project, created this spark in parts of the city that have seen the worst tragedies.  He took Heidelberg Street and made it look nothing like a street of abandonment and turmoil.

The fact that we live less than 45 minutes away from a city that has been hit hard with the effects of the economy.  Detroit is full of abandon buildings, yet has an amazing amount of potential.  It’s the perfect place to work on the topic of potential in the ruins and I am very excited to see what Kim does with it.  She had a very clever idea to choose a theme that affects a city so close to us. 

I really like that she is going to concentrate on the close up portions within the buildings. Her photographs should portray a more personal element to her project that way.  It will be interesting to see how she brings in potential into her ideas.

Personal Style & Personal Traits: the Reality of Identity.

I think that Allie’s idea is very inspiring and I am really looking forward to how she is going to address one’s identity for her projects.  There are many different ways she can look into this topic, so it will be interesting to see which way she takes with it.  

I believe that there is sometimes a major difference between a person’s personal style and personal traits.  There are many things that can affect someone to perceive themselves as something that doesn’t really reflect their personality.  Obstacles can get in the way from showing who you really are when it comes to a first impression.  For example, if a person of a certain religion has to dress a certain way, the person inside the clothing might not necessarily think it reflects their personality.  If someone doesn’t have the money to buy the clothes and things they want, they have to settle with what they can afford; and sometimes it doesn’t give off the impression of who they are.  In a world where people judge others on first impressions by what they look like, this can change the reality of one’s identity.

Personally for me, the clothing I choose to wear isn’t always what I would like people to see me as.  Being an athlete, I often come from practice and wear my workout clothes from lack of time to change.  I don’t mind being perceived as an athlete, but there is a lot more to my personality and identity than just that. 

Semester Theme and Proposal #1

Trying to think of a theme that I could work off of for the whole semester was kind of difficult for me.  I have never really done work that could be included into a series before, so I wanted to choose something that I am interested in enough that I don’t get bored with it half way through the semester.  The theme I chose was traveling the world.  Even though I am still in college and don't have the funds yet to travel to the places I want to, I always find myself looking up places to go online and the different interests that appeal to me.

With traveling the world being such a broad topic, I wanted to narrow it down a bit to challenge myself more.  I began thinking what it was that I liked about traveling, even though I haven’t really experienced it too much yet.  And I realized that aside from the adventure and new experiences I yearn for, I loved the visual aspect of different places, and how they change from place to place.

For my first project, I wanted to deal with the colors of the world.  I just have a couple rough ideas as of right now.  The first idea is I would like to create an image using Photoshop and make a color spectrum using images of the world and connect them in some way.  I’m not yet sure which way I want to organize the photos.  My second idea is similar to the first, but instead of an image, I would create the images into a video.