Ellsworth Kelly:
Ellsworth Kelly is an American artist well known for his abstract paintings-created by his use of bright colors and simple shapes. Born on May 31 in Newburgh, New York, he admired the works of Naturalist John James Audubon and had passion for art as a child; although his parents only reluctantly allowed him to study design and drawing at Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, he was able to continue his studies on drawing and painting at the Boston Museum school, and then at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Beaux-Arts in Paris after he left the army working as a camouflage artist-which he created painted objects intended to mislead enemies. All these training and experience inspired his understanding and use of composition, form, shapes, and color, which are the key features of his art style. Kelly emphasizes pure form and color and carefully considers how the elements should interact with each other within the composition-he says that “And so that the shape finds it’s own space and always demands its freedom and separateness”. Most of his works convey a sense of clarity and directness, created by his use of simple yet powerful shapes and pure color. He is recognized as one of the most important abstract painters, sculptors, and printmakers of his time and has played a significant role in the development of modern art. Within Kelly’s art shadows are often applied to define the form and space of objects or to create contrast and emphasize the main element; by casting shadows, the shapes and elements appear more three-dimensional, more solid and complex; it also makes the entire piece of art appear more vivid and intense. For example, in this photo, the colors were black and white, making the contrast between light and dark more obvious; the shadows casted upon the woman and the boys’ face highlights their expressions and intensifies the emotions of miserable and uneasiness.
Ernst Haas:
Ernst Haas, an Austrian-American photographer, is recognized as one of the most celebrated and influential photographers of the 20th century and one of the pioneers of color photography. Born in Vienna, Austria, in 1921, he initially studied medicine but took up photography after the second world war. His early works, mostly consisting the Austrian returning prisoners of war, brought him attention from the LIFE magazine and helped him to gain international attention. While he declined the job offer as a staff photographer to keep his independence, he joined Magnum photos-an internationally recognized photojournalist cooperative-in 1949 at the invitation of Robert Capa and developed close associations with Capa, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and Werner Bishof-famous photographers with different styles. Haas moved to the United States in 1951 and soon began experimenting with Kodachrome color film; he was one of the first photographers to explore the artistic potential within color film and his works for publications showcased his innovative use of color and motion, becoming the premier color photographer of the 1950s. Haas’s shadows are often used as framing or leading lines, guiding the viewer’s attention and emphasizing the depth and texture of the image at the same time. The shadows are also effective in establishing the overall atmosphere and mood of the photos-while deep, dark shadows and sharp contrast between light and dark create intensity and drama, soft and diffused shadows convey calmness and tranquility, also giving the photograph a dream-like quality. For instance, in this black and white photo, the two men are shown in a grassy setting, the shadows and the close-up framing emphasizes their movement and expressions, this conveys emotions of intensity, anxiety, and mystery.
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