Wednesday 30 September 2009

Hyperreality


Hyperreality is the inability to distinguish what is real and what is not,we are brain washed into living a hyper media driven civilisation (54beats.com/Main/?p=565, Daniel Bandi, 29/09/09).  In my opinion Hypereality is the World we live in today there is no escapism from the matter it is what the popular culture of today stands for. It lives in the computer games we play in the magazines we read and the television we watch. The mass media is a great example of hyperreality especially within advertising. Adverts of today are always fabricating the product being advertised to allure the more consumers to buy it.



Chocolate never seemed more appealing!



If you weren't thirsty you will be now!

We may think that hyperreality lives around us though it is actually a part of us. Many products we purchase may only be because of the way they have been presented to us. 
Majority of society have the same perception of thinking they have to look perfect because it's what is being presented to us. Especially girls, starting from an early age we are introduced to the Barbie with the gorgeous unrealistic looks and figure. Representations of perfect are still being shown as we grow through vehicles such as magazines, television and the Internet. Though unlike Barbie humans are not perfect so the technique of airbrushing is applied to the images so again we are brainwashed into thinking this is what we should look like. 

Tuesday 22 September 2009

Nick Knight

'Nick Knight'
'Irving Penn'

Nick Knight is an established figure of fashion photography. I have a strong interest in fashion which generally is why I love his work though what pulls him apart from other fashion photographers is his knowledge of fashion mixed with the skills of a multimedia designer. He is the man known to be bringing the fashion industry into the 21st century as he has been creating fashion films. He is the founder and creator of the website 'show studio' which broadcasts fashion film and keeps viewers up to date with his World of ever evolving digital fashion. 

His influences emerge from photographer 'Irving Penn' stating sometimes he will observe his work just for the sheer pleasure of it. While researching 'Irving Penn' I definitely found similarity's within 'Knight and 'Penn's' work. Besides having the same clients such as 'Vogue', 'Knight' on many of his works has had a deep saturation of colour, 'Irving' used platinum printing which ensured the best quality in colour as can be seen above within the neon bold striking colours seen in both pieces. Being both fashion photographers they have both worked with models many of 'Irving's' work he uses plain backdrops as does 'Nick Knight' in his fashion pieces which was seen to be the emerging of the modern age of fashion photography, probably why the fashion photographer of the moment 'Nick Knight' admires him so.

Another photographer 'Knight' claimed can be influential at times was 'Rodchenko' another highly thought of photographer. 'Rodchenko' broke through the standard conventions of photography by creating images using many different angles changing the perspective of the image which hadn't been seen before. Therefore his work was bold and unusual as 'Nick Knights' and really created a stepping stone within the photography field.

'Nick Knight' also mentions the photographer 'Weegee' who's images were of black and white and which pictured normally of genuine accident scenes such as burning buildings and murder scenes. This I can not think of why he is influential to 'Nick Knight' though besides his use of black and white as these are colours 'Knight' likes to use also my favourite of 'Knights' fashion films was called black and white and revolves around these colours. 'Weegee' could have been his inspiration at that time for the project. 

Monday 14 September 2009

Flickermood



Flickermood is an animation that I thought blended well with the kinetic type animation project I'm doing at the moment. The type energetically represents its meaning and the audion and visual compliment each other very well. The piece gives a scratchy feeling as if marks have been manually placed on the film.

Typolution



I wanted some experimental type animation for my blog and when I found this I thought wow. It doesn't just experiment with the animating of type but tells a story along the way the clashing themes of nature and industrialisation (the theme I ran my video project round last year) so is important to me. 

The video is very creative as every subject within is created with a letter. I love the close-up of the number 6 projected as a snail.

The format of the piece looks 2.5d as when the camera passes the trees they are flat imagery.

Sunday 6 September 2009

Another dash of Coco




Another couple of images from Coco. I love the mixture of mediums and the large blots of colour are very contemporary and give the feel of funky electro.

Coco



I stumbled across this illustrator 'Coco' as the imagery was so outstanding. These two pieces in particular I thought could possibly be projected into moving imagery.

The top image already has a sense of movement as it seems as the model is walking across the piece. The technique of slow motion could be adapted here, if there were to be another sketch of her drawn on the right she would be even further away from the last. 

The image below looks like shards of a broken mirror as if the girl we see is unhappy with the way she looks. Film could turn this into the bits of glass spiraling out of control.


Saturday 5 September 2009

Edgar Degas: Part Two



I couldn't help the fact that when I looked between these two images that the Degas piece situated at the top familiarises with the fashion piece below. Stating I thought Degas was ahead of his time has been proven. The girls within the fashion piece are dressed up with ballerina-type dresses with a tight bodice but an overflow of material below as the the girls in the Degas piece. Their angles and movement are those alike also of the Degas dancers. 

Friday 4 September 2009

Edgar Degas







Edgar Degas was based around the late 19th century and the early 2oth century and is one of the late painters I admire the most. He belongs to the Impressionist movement which is characterised by small strokes of the brush, the concept of reflected light within pieces is very important within the movement also. His work mainly revolved around dancers, as a dancer myself his pieces are interesting for me to observe. His skills to captivate the great angles and movement of the dancers is superb. His pieces dance with line which makes me think Degas was ahead of his time as he is not controlled by the exact outlines of the subject being portrayed. I can't help but to be reminded of the work of fashion illustrators when I look upon such works of Degas as they grasp a sketchy though beautiful look. 



















Wednesday 2 September 2009

Prada: Trembled Blossoms

Based on a wallpaper design proves that inspiration can be absorbed from anywhere. Trembled Blossoms is a short animated piece used to promote Prada's 08 spring collection. The piece is beautiful and can sense the delicacy and fragility within the images. The short revolves around the story of a woman reborn, she travels around a colourful forest that slowly defines and becomes such as beetles morphing into shoes. I thought this was imaginative and represents Prada as withholding a sense of magic and proving their collection for spring is emerging with a dynamic sense of colour. 

The short was premiered at New York Fashion week and apparently created quite a buzz. Prada is the first to undertake such a risky project such as an animation to promote their collections so I praise them in breaking through and receiving such a great reception. 
Besides the technology being more advanced the piece was constructed the same way as a classic animation such as in Snow White. Artists drew over film of a dancing actress to create Snow White while in Prada's short the motions of a dancer (playing the girl in the film) were captured using small tracking reflectors then superimposed them onto the drawings.



The changing covers of Vogue

1928
1932
1953
2003

The most prestigious fashion magazine 'Vogue' is soon to be releasing it's 90th edition. Through mass consumerism it has retained it's popularity through all ages with the work produced reflecting society of the time. 

The four covers i chose expand over the last seventy nine years to represent the ever changing and evolving covers of 'Vogue' which are all attractive and interesting to look at. From Art Deco to digital fashion photography 'Vogue' has risen to the challenges that the digital World of today now set. 

Looking upon the 1928 cover I chose to the 2003 cover the quality seems much more glam, slick and glossy. The saturation of colour conveyed on the 2003 cover is much higher and represents the bubbly gum pop culture ideal we have of today.

All the covers ooze with inspiration and all are completely different to one another, evidence of the company's innovation. The beautiful illustrative cover of 28 to the more mechanical feel of the 32 cover which draws upon the World War ll.  The magazine still being published within this time which may have granted some type of escapism and levity for society proving to the people that many things will not change even during such a distressing time.