Art From The Fence: October 2015

The first piece is fulfilling the requirements of making something that appears loud using only the word 'loud' and its constituent letters. One way in which this piece accomplishes this goal is through the coloration of the text, which ranges from yellow to red. These 'warm' colors jump out 'loudly' at the viewer. Another way this piece accomplishes the goal is through text size, as the four letters of the word 'loud' are blown up to massive sizes that pop or leap outwards off the page towards the viewer, thus creating a 'loud' appearance. A third way that the piece completes the requirements is through position of lettering, as is seen by the main four letters of 'loud' in their three dimensional rotation and turning to as to make them appear as if they are flying off of the page towards the viewer almost obnoxiously, as well as their position on the page (in the center) draws attention directly to them and holds it on the loudness. A fourth way in which the piece completes the requirements is through the means of the styling of the letters in the foreground, as they are very bold with a high cap hight that makes them appear elongated and bold. The background is also used to complete the requirements in that the background is composed of the word 'loud' fulfilling the text requirements as well as being the same colors as the larger letters in the foreground, thus adding the 'loud' appearance. The font that was used was Impact, as it seemed to appear the most bold and noticeable, thus being loud.

The second piece is fulfilling the requirement of using only the letters of a word to depict the word's meaning. First, to convey this message I used color, of both the background and the text. I used a deep, dark blue that, as a cool color, naturally instills a sense of calm unto the viewer. So, the color naturally seems calming, soothing, quiet. There's nothing loud or popping out on this picture, it is simply still and calm and quiet, as conveyed by the blue colors. Another way I conveyed this message is through the text's style, which I placed in italics. Normally, the text would appear as if it were simply sitting flat on a piece of paper, which sounds good in theory, though when actually placed on the piece appears too bold. So, italics was used to give the text impression of movement, as well as a distortion applied to it that makes it appear as if it is growing smaller as it whirls away. The italics combined with the distortion make the text appear is if it were being spoken, before quickly fading back away into silence. A fifth way in which the piece relays quietness is through the texts position in the page. Since it is in the bottom corner, it does not draw too much attention on its own like it would if it were in the center. The effect created here is a quiet piece of text that appears as if it is almost hidden and fading away int a field of similar color, all of which are ways in which the text relays its meaning. The font used is times, as it was the most formal in appearance while not being too ostentatious in appearance.

This third piece is fulfilling the requirements of using only the letters of a word to depict the word's meaning. First, to convey the message I used grey to be the color of the text, each one a different shade of it growing lighter as the column ascends. I chose this color because it is the most stable of colors, as it does not have too much color or too much dark. It is a fulcrum of the scale of dark and light, a balance of stability. For this reason, I also used this color for the background fill, which was another way I conveyed the message. A third way I conveyed the message of stability was through the positions or placements of the different iterations of the text: there is one base word with many others stacked atop it. This depiction is similar to that of a stack of rocks, such as that seen below the artwork. It should be duly noted that, if one were to look at the center of the page, one would see that the stack has a centerpiece, starting with the 'B' of the word at the bottom and ending with the 'E' of the word at the top. This gives the piece the illusion of forming around a centerpiece that supports the rest of the structures as if it were a Grecian building being supported by a central pillar. This further enhances the idea of stability in the picture. A fourth way in which I conveyed the message of stability was through the means of altering the size, as the pieces of text progressively get smaller as they progress up the column of stability. A fifth way in which the picture resembles stability is the distortion- or, rather, the lack thereof. While it could be just as aptly argued that the central column is a form of distortion itself if not the fifth characteristic itself, it is important to note that the text itself, unlike the other pieces, bears no distortion and is stock as it should appear. The font used is Arial, as it was stock, professional, and allowed for a more clean match-up of the letters (as seen in the central column).

This fourth piece is representing the idea of something that is active, as can be easily read by the text, and, if the piece is successful in its duty, inferred. One way in which this piece is relaying the idea of something that is active is through the fill of the background, which is a progressive gradient that starts as orange-yellow on the left hand side and becomes a crimson red on the right side. This, using the gradient, makes the eye follow the motion of the colors as it moves from one side of the page to the other, thus relaying something that is active, or in motion. A second way in which I made this piece seem active is through the style of the text, which is in italics (the font used being Myriad Pro). I chose italics specifically because they seem to be leaning over as if each individual letter is in motion, and, as is common knowledge as well as was stated previously, things in motion are active. A third way in which this piece appears active is through the means of the placement of the letters on the page. I made the letters separate from each other, as if they are all in individual motion moving in the same direction. This also provides another visual allusion to fire, as the color scheme and placement of the letters highly resembles fire as it sways or writhes. A fourth way in which this piece gives the message of being active is through distortion of the letters. To create the effect seen on the letters, I applied a radial motion blur to each of them, giving the illusion of them being in motion or spinning, as things that are active or in motion are often blurred from the speed. A fifth and final way in which this image gives off the idea of being active or in motion is the colors. As is apparent, the colors are very warm, for many reasons, chief of which is that it is attention-grabbing, but also because of the basic scientific idea that anything in motion that is moving in opposition to something else will retain heat, and heat is often depicted as something red or orange, such as fire.

The fifth is, needless to announce, representing the idea of 'texture'. One way in which I achieved this was through the background's fill, or- well, texture. To create the texture seen in the background I found an image of wood and placed it underneath a semitransparent black rectangle of the same size. The resulting background is a dark wood, which feeds the idea of there being texture to the image. A second way in which I relayed the message of texture was through the fonts used for the text. The first font, Imprint MT Shadow, naturally appears as if it has texture to it, as it has lines within that represent shadows or other such effects. For the second word I used the font VTKS Worker, as it naturally has a grungy, grimy sort of effects done to it that make it appear as if it has texture. For the third word I used the font Speedy Motel, since it has the lines inside each letter that give it the illusion of being old or worn out, thus relaying the message of texture. A third way in which I relayed the message of texture is through the individual textures overplayed over each word. Each texture is of a different form of wood for each word, which gives variety and is visually pleasing.

The sixth piece, seen here, is, obviously, representing the idea of something that is three dimensional, or 3D. While generally stark in appearance, there are many ways in which this piece represents the idea of being three dimensional, first of all being the font. The font chosen for this piece was Marker Felt, as it gave a two dimensional shape the illusion of appearing three dimensional through the means of appearing as if some lines of the text were thicker and overlapped others. This gives the piece of text itself the illusion of being three dimensional, whether that be directly noticed or subliminal. A second way in which this picture appears three dimensional is because of the distortion of the text, which is most likely the first thing about the text that is seen. Each letter/number of the text has had the three dimensional effect attached to it, creating the illusion seen in the picture of the text coming out from the background towards the viewer. This effect is similar to that of one watching a 3D movie, as it appears that the images are coming out towards you. On the subject of movies, the transition to our third point has presented itself. A third way in which this piece resembles something three dimensional is through the colors; the left hand image is red and the right hand image is blue, which, if one were to think carefully, is the exact configuration of classic 3D glasses used to watch or perceive three dimensional image or movies. A fourth way in which the image appears three dimensional is through the size of the characters; they grow bigger as they progress outwards towards the viewer, as three dimensional images or movies tend to do. A fifth way in which the image resembles the idea of something three dimensional is through the background color/fill which, if one were to notice, is the same color as the trim of the glasses seen below the piece. This makes the piece itself seem as if it is a three dimensional (or two dimensional depending on the mindset) representation of the three dimensional glasses. However, it should be noted that, while the image does appear three dimensional (or, once again, two dimensional, depending on the mindset), it is, in fact, two dimensional, as it is being perceived as being inscribed upon a screen. This two dimensional image is being perceived by both of your eyes which then process each image as separate two dimensional images, which are then mentally stitched together to appear as if it is being perceived on a three dimensional screen (when, in actuality, our eyes do not see in three spatial dimensions, merely two separate images in the second dimension that are stitched together adding the idea of a temporal dimension, which can be correctly perceived as a pseudo-three dimensional experience).

This piece fulfills the requirement of relaying the idea of the meaning of the word 'implied' using only the word itself in that you do not directly look at the image and know the word or its meaning, rather you have to put pieces together and imply it. The first way in which this image relays the idea of being implied is through the color scheme of the letters; where the word begins the letters are dark and they become lighter as they progress through the linear word. This creates a gradient across the image that aides the viewer in uncovering the word. A second way in which this image implies the word 'imply' is by the orientation of the individual letters. If one were to look closely, one would notice that each letter appears in the order of the letters in the word 'implied', though at some points the letters themselves overlap. However, and examples of this can be seen with the 'M', the 'P', and the 'L', while the letters do overlap or appear above or below each other vertically, from a horizontal standpoint it is easy to see that the letters flow from the left to the right in the correct order as seen in the actual word. A third way in which this relays the message of being implied is the background color, which is, quite obviously, plan white. This aides in the developing of the idea of the letters implying the word imply in that the background draws no attention whatsoever from the viewer, and all attention is focused directly on the letters, leading the viewer to the proper conclusion with ease. A fourth way in which this piece relays the idea of something being implied is through the distortion, or, more appropriately, the uniform lack thereof. All the letters are pristine and untampered by any distortion or effect, and while that on its own does not necessarily aid in the development of the of the implied idea, the fact that all the letters share this exact trait gives the piece of sense of uniformity that aids in the detection of the implied meaning. A fifth and final way this image relays the idea of the word 'implied' actually being implied through the text is through the font (palatino) and the universal lack of any style to the text, as any variance would distract the viewer and make it harder for them to detect the implied meaning.

At first glance, this piece may look as if it is empty, though that is not the case, as it is relaying the message 'camouflaged'. A good place to start is at either the top corners of the image or the bottom corners, as these are where the words are located in their fullest aspect before being torn apart over the bridge form of the blend tool across the page. The definition of camouflaged is to hide or disguise someone or something through the means of altering its outward appearance to match the outward appearance of its surroundings. The resulting effect causes the subject to all but disappear in the place that it is found in, though upon close inspection should be able to be found or seen again. In this piece, one method of relaying this message was through the background fill, or color, the dark green. This background is a dark green such as what is seen on military vehicles as a method of camouflaging, which draws the viewer's attention to this fact and implies the thought of camouflage. A second way in which this piece implies the though of camouflage is through the color of the text itself, ranging just above or just below the color of the background. The result is a nearly hidden text that can only be found upon close inspection, and is eventually found to be very much like in appearance to the background itself. This fulfills the need for the text to be camouflaged. A third way in which I relayed this message was through the distortion of the text, which was made smaller and thinner. Less surface area of the text results in the text being harder to find, thus improving the camouflage capabilities of the text. A fourth way in which this piece relays the message of something being camouflaged is through the bending of the text, as there are two forms of text, one just lighter than the background and one just darker, and when they are blended together they form a subtle gradient from one to the other. This results in a change of values from one piece to another, and, in the middle, the text matching that of the background exactly, completely camouflaging it. A fifth and final way in which this piece fulfills there requirements of relaying the message of something that is camouflaged or hidden is through the means of the text being reversed at one side of the page, or upside down. On the right hand side of the page, the text is flipped upside down, which creates an effect reminiscent of that used in normal camouflage in the army and such, in which there is not a uniformity in the shapes that make it up.

Friday, October 30, 2015

Three Examples of the Work of Francisco de Goya

Monday, October 26, 2015

Typography- Relaying Messages Through Text

Friday, October 23, 2015

Font- Presentation

Monday, October 5, 2015

Grid and Screenshot Work- Rivendell