The message of my triptych will be to highlight man-made equipment that contributes to urbanization, indicating both its pros and cons. I want the audience to learn and understand urbanization, its causes, and what it brought to human life, as well as both positive and not-so-positive comments and sides to try to influence the audience on what should they do in response to the presence of urbanization. For inspiration, I will try to find evidence and traces of urbanization (including architecture, infrastructures, etc.) and mainly focus on their appearances and the outcomes they brought to society. I want to find photographs with elements of shape and shape focus. In my opinion, urbanization has brought a brand-new world and solution to our modern society, but its occurrence and outcome can sometimes be out of our evaluation or expected estimation.

Popplet

In the pictures shown above, evidence of different combinations of elements explained in previous blogs is shown, creating mixed and unique feelings among all the different arts. Here below are some analyses made for each of the pictures.

 

For picture one, a hard contrast of value is shown as the left half of the picture is completely dark, while the other side is purely white, showing a dissimilarity between the two colors. Besides, the shape is also mentioned as two similar, but also different rectangles are described and shown.

This is my first photo used to compare the previous one, containing a dark, black sponge placed on a white table. It has similar elements to the tone applied in the previous one, having a dark object (rectangle for a specific shape) on the left corner and white on the other parts. This can also be connected with the second picture shown above as they share some similarities: for the second picture, the tone/color was applied the same, but just the position was different. The dark square was shown isolated in the middle, without connecting to a particular side.

 

This is my second photo, compared with the third and twelfth pictures, shot with a short, close position right onto a piece of pillow, showing the details of the patterns and textures of the sham. This photo somehow also shows a combination between the two pictures mentioned, as the texture for the third picture is dotted and not connected, while the twelfth picture is uneven (both in positioning, spacing, and thickness), with horizontal lines. For my photo, both the lines and the dots are shown as the dots “sit” on the lines, while forming the surface of the lines themselves. (some dots are connected and are displayed like lines as they form in a long, straight shape).

 

My third photo presented an art tool that has many layers, used to separate papers containing paintings to prevent them from touching each other until they dry out. This has similar links to picture four, with different layers of different colors. Something different would be that the spacing is not the same in my photo while the picture’s spacing is the same.

 

This fourth photo is trying to display the straight, vertical lines in the middle, compared with photo five. Differences are that the spacing in my photo is too much compared to the picture, and that the thickness of the lines here are too thin compared to the picture’s. Lastly, there are variances in quantity (3 vs 2) and color (yellow vs black).

 

The fifth shot I took was focusing on a VEX Robotics “donut” used as props for its competition, which is connected to the sixth picture shown above. Some connections of this set include the round, circle shape that is placed and portrayed in the middle of the photos, and with a background under with another color to show contrast. The difference, on the other hand, is that the colors are different (this is red while the photo’s black), and that there is a hole in the middle of my shot, while the example photo is a full circle with no hollow inside.

 

In the sixth shot, I focused on the white spaces in between the dotted squares, creating a really similar shape to picture seven. The only difference would be that the shape shown here is a secondary focus (as the first being the squares, dehighlighing the shape in the middle). Also the angle is shot from the downside and not straight top.

 

The seventh shot I took can be linked to picture eight from above. For picture eight, a significant pattern of circles is displayed with equal spacing and the same size. For the seventh shot of mine, I focused on the reflections of the lights on the ground, creating a pretty similar shape overall with picture eight. Differences include shape (where my shot contains squares while the picture is circles), color (white vs black), and angle (tilted for my shot, straight up and down for the picture).

 

The eighth shot I took shows the ceramic tile on the ground, with the black lines in between each tile being similar to picture nine. The difference will be that the space in between (the tiles, in the case of my shot) is too much compared to the picture and that the image is a bit tilted. Lastly, the lines are not exactly the same in tone as some are lighter and some are darker.

 

This ninth shot I took shows a set of handrails, with a special angle indicating the outline similar to picture ten. Some differences are that, there isn’t anything in the middle for my shot, while the picture is filled in between, and that the color is different.

 

My tenth shot shows the edge of a wooden table, just displaying a triangle shape overall used to compare to picture eleven. Something different would be that in the picture, the angles on the lines’ meeting point are “cut off”, while mine still remains the same. Also, the color (wood vs black) and the angle (from the side vs straight) are different.

“Abstract photography can be defined as capturing images in which the subject isn’t the most interesting element. Albert Renger-Patzsch, Edward Weston and Aaron Siskind photographed the ordinary to reveal their beauty. Uta Barth reversed the typical use of the camera, shooting out of focus and Andreas Gursky photographs the repetition of elements. During this unit you will investigate appropriate examples of abstract photography and respond in your own way..”

“Shells and Rocks Arrangement” by Edward Weston

 

This example of an interesting photo was shot by Weston, known for his black-and-white object-based works that tried to show “still lives”. In this photo, highly influenced by the straight technique of photography, Weston continued to create an atmosphere consisting of a sharp focus on the subject he intended to show: the white shell, in this photograph.

Moreover, this product can also be explained using the different aspects of elements, including the six mentioned in a previous blog. All of these elements served as inspirations that helped Weston achieve this work and finish it.

For line, surprisingly, not much evidence was shown in this photograph as most of the objects inside are rounded. The only evidence that could be related to the lines is probably the split in the middle between the different layers of the black sand/rock in the back, showing vertical divisions with a sense of space.

For shape, as mentioned, there were many lines and objects providing a rounded, curvy feeling. Especially for the shell in the front, the outlined shape that served as a stage does look captivating as there are several edges when the white color minimizes its area into a triangle.

Repetition and pattern, on the other hand, are not shown quite much in this photograph as most of the objects (including the black sand/rock serving as the background) are irregular and unique from each other, meaning each one is different, no matter in size, shape, or texture.

In addition to texture, as I mentioned, we can see that the black part in the middle level (horizontally) seems to show a sense of a rocky and unsmooth feeling (for if we imagine touching or making contact with the surface); in contrast, the parts in the left and right bottom corners seems to have a smoother feeling and seems to be nice and slick to be touched. Finally, the shell in the middle shows a sense of clarity, and perhaps the slickest part can be found here, on the surface of the shell, within the entire photograph.

For value and tone, a brief description can be made of the white-colored shell as the lightest part, compared to ALL other parts in this photograph as they are all dark and black-colored. The value and tone in this work also work and match with the intention of focus the author wanted to show, for the audience to capture the white shell first as the main, targeted object, then notice the background of an interesting landform displayed in another color in contrast.

To concentrate the ideas for what Weston had considered as influences that helped him in achieving and finishing this work, there is the use of sharp focus and precise detail to emphasize the shell’s form and texture and the control of light and shadow to create a sense of depth. Weston also took influence from natural abstraction, turning realistic, everyday objects into sculptures with unrealistic qualities. His method, which rejects alteration and emphasizes the subject’s essential beauty through clarity, tonal contrast, and thoughtful composition, is in line with the Straight Photography Movement (as shown in this work, for the shell to be the primary target and display it uniquely for the audiences).

 

Works cited:

“File:Shell and Rock Arrangement, 1931.Jpg – Wikimedia Commons.” Wikimedia.org, 2024, commons.m.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Shell_and_Rock_Arrangement,_1931.jpg. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

“Edward Weston.” The Art Story, 2016, www.theartstory.org/artist/weston-edward/#:~:text=Taking%20inspiration%20from%20his%20surroundings,him%20to%20well%2Ddeserved%20fame. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.

“Edward Weston: His Life and Photographs.” Christies.com, Christie’s, 2024, www.christies.com/en/stories/edward-weston-guide-27f49c3a5bf54cb8a92c4a68f1ddf2ae#:~:text=Influenced%20by%20the%20simplicity%20of,marmoreal%20gleam%20recalled%20Classical%20sculpture. Accessed 23 Jan. 2025.