Body Shape Form – “Mendhi”
I believe that overall, my work was a success. I would say it is very different to the reference photos we were given for the assignment, but I think I was able tie body shape and form with another art form- mendhi. I believe combing the two art forms, one of which is cultural, helped distinguish my work from others. If I had to list a criteria for others to join my work, I would tell them to judge my work by looking at the light, the colors, and most importantly, the mendhi. Overall, I feel very proud of my work. A big part of my South Asian identity is mendhi, and this piece was my chance to incorporate my culture into my work.
Keith Haring Inspired Art – “A Way to a Man’s Heart is Through His Stomach”
My favorite work of Keith Haring’s has to be his 1989 piece, “The Heart of Heads.” It was made a year before his death in 1990, one thing I liked about this piece is the joy that is seen in the piece. The two dance in unison and seen to be content in their interjoining. They’re highlighted in the color red, which is a color associated with love. It’s all up to the viewer’s interpretation of what kind of love they have, romantic, platonic or sibling. I was inspired by this piece when doing my work, however I wanted to put my own twist on it, so I decided that instead of heads, mine would be focused around the stomach/abdomen.
Make a Statement
For this assignment, I wanted to make an ode to “Jauhar.” Jauhar is mass self-immolation that was committed by women in the Indian subcontinent to avoid being captured and forced into sexual slavery. The whole theme of this piece is centered around the forceful submission of Asian women. The blue side is meant to represent the nature of forceful submission and the effects of it. The red is meant to represent the reclaiming of control, as well as the flames that would be present during a mass self-immolation. I wanted to create a piece around Jauhar as many people would never have a chance to learn about practices like it due to the World History curriculum being centered around European and American history.
Mixed Media
Screen Print
Scavenger Hunt Activity
Recreation – The Bouquet
Block Printing – Miffy and the Flower Delivery
Surrealism
The painting on the right is made by Leonara Carrington and is titled “The Feast of Samhain.” The reason why I like this painting is because the two subjects of the painting resemble humans, however, the viewer can clearly tell they are not human. I like the concept of disfiguring humanity, the viewer should be left uncomfortable. Carrington’s painting uses the element of chaos to resonate with the viewer, the smaller details such as the human features on the creatures faces left a lasting impact with me. Despite imitating humans, their expressions are inviting. I wanted to take that concept and put it in reverse. I used one of my favorite iconic stars, Audrey Hepburn, for this. In my photo, she is imitating a human as well, however the reason why viewers may feel unsettled by the photo is because Audrey Hepburn is seen as human, but is clearly not due to the elongation of her neck. The title of this photo is “Audrey?” as if the viewer had walked into her mid-transformation into her true form.
Composition
Why do you think composition is important in photography?
- It helps grab the viewer’s attention. It helps turn something ordinary to something unique. Composition allows for a photo to become memorable.
What draws you when looking at photography or art?
- For me, color and people always draw me to photography or art. What the person is doing, what their intentions are and what they might be thinking makes me find the photo memorable. Color catches my attention and makes a more striking photography.
Have you been to museums and where? Do you get inspiration to create art when you visit?
- I’ve been to the Getty museum. It’s my dad’s favorite museum so we’ve been there a lot. Whenever we have visitors, my dad takes them to the Getty museum. To be honest, I’ve never seen my self as an artsy person, but when I go to museums I have pure admiration for the art displayed.
Elements of Art – My Photos
Elements of Art – Inspiration
What are aperture, shutter speed and ISO?
– Aperture is the opening that light travels through within the camera. ISO is the camera’s sensitivity to light, while the shutter speed is the speed that the shutter of the camera closes.
When would you need to change your ISO?
– If you’re shooting in a place with low light, it is better to have a higher ISO.
What is aperture and shutter priority settings?
-The aperture lets you choose the aperture you want but the camera picks the shutter speed, the shutter priority settings allows you to pick the shutter speed but the camera picks the aperture.
What are AF modes how do you change them?
– An AF mode is the Autofocus Mode, which allows the camera to automatically focus on a subject. Some cameras have a switch or button that allows you to toggle between different modes while some requires you to go into the “Info” screen.
Why do your need to meter the light to get the right exposure?
– It helps photographers capture the perfect image tone.
What is white balance and why would you need to change it?
– White balance is the process of getting rid of unrealistic color casts. Without white balance, your image will have colors that are different than the actual colors.
What is depth of field and what is the difference between shallow and good?
– Depth of field is how much of your image is in focus. A shallow depth of field refers to a small area in focus. A good depth of field means a larger area in focus.
What are drive modes and metering modes?
– In drive mode, you’ll take photos as long as your finger is pressed down on the shutter release button. Metering mode determines which areas of the frame are used to how the camera gains exposure and subject brightness.
What is exposure compensation?
Exposure compensation allows you to override exposure settings to change the aperture and shutter speed settings to make images slightly darker or lighter.