Contemporary Artwork: Comparison and Analysis

Contemporary Art extend affinity and AnalysisThe two fades which I have selected for comparison do equivalent technique to encourage an spotlessly variant outcome and audition response. It is the spirt in which these r determinationists go about their fanciful process, and how this, in turn provokes much(prenominal) contrasting concepts, with such similar mediums t wear engages me. The first piece for comparison is the haunting photographic inst in allation (Fakray, 2009) Les Suisses Morts By Christian Boltanski, 1990, to be comp ard and contrasted with the fashion/art photographic chromatography column Hold on to your hat by photographer Stacey motley fool, 2009, consisting of five components. Similarly the fashion of Boltanski consists of multiple photographs in order to heighten report. The most significant parallel between the two pieces ( other than excerption of medium) lies in the soft focussing esthetic of the photographs in question, which creates the i llusion of the cases fading into and out of the work, in turn evoking feelings and introducing notions of presence and absence seizure within the work (Roca and Sterling, 2007). Both works appear to have strong associations with Phantasmagoria (Roca and Sterling, 2007), the illusion of unceasing alterations in shine and colour encouraging a dreamlike call down involving the fusion of reality with the imagination (Gunning, no date). The overall inwardness for both(prenominal) pieces is some what visionary, yet they conjure up quite contrasting perception within their interview. In this essay I will be identifying the assured artistic choices which have been made in order to make the work similar yet so dissimilar at once.Hold onto your hat by Stacey Mark is effectively a fashion photographic editorial which has been executed artistically in order to transport the onlooker into a whimsical dream world. Featuring a young woman, the work is very sensuous and moody (McGrath, 20 09), and with this in mind, has been designed to sell, promote and bring back end the sailor boy hat, an object of the past. (The past is just one of the themes dealt with in each piece, as Boltanski brings back from the past haunting memories of the deceased (Fakray, 2009), into the present, enabling them to live on). thither is, therefore, a central focus to the work, which every artistic decision relates back to in order to create a strong sticking narrative for the editorial sp occupy consisting of five separate photographs. Whilst the eventual aim of this piece is to sell to an audience, the work of Boltanksi endeavors to have an entirely incompatible effect upon its audience by visual disruption and intense emotional mend (Feinstein, 1997).Christian Boltanski is heavily involved in the devastation and loss of life which took base during the Second World War and the Holocaust, a complete contrast in upshot matter to Marks photography. The emotional power of Boltanskis w ork derives from the psychical ties that the audience relates when in the presence of his quicknesss. His photographic inductions featuring portraits of the deceased that were published in the obituary of a Swiss newspaper are particularly powerful, possibly disturbing to the audience in their suggestion of the Holocaust (Simon, 2003). Boltanski appropriates his stock temporal in the creation of his haunting archival installation consisting of vast collections of photographs (Fakray, 2009). Contrastingly, although with the use of the same medium to express her ideas, Stacey Mark takes her photographs, take downning with an empty dart and following her work by dint of to the end using only the products of her creative efforts. This is not to say that the work of Boltanski is any less evocative, in situation perhaps the creative process in which he immerses himself, renders the outcome all the more meaningful, with greater impact than what may have been if he had of produced his source material himself (Fakray, 2009).Lighting is an element which is used very differently and carefully within these two pieces to evoke contrasting feelings within the audience. In Les Suisses Morts Boltanski lights his subject from above, in turn creating a strong understanding of interrogation ( artline, no date) where the eyes of the photographic subjects fall into deep sinister shadows. The image annexation combined with the applied lighting technique lends each portrait a Shadowy skeletal form and Semi obliterated face, (Caines, 2004) thus having a powerfully haunting effect upon the audience. Adversely the lighting adopted in the photography of Stacey Mark enhances the luminosity that diffuses from the work, having quite the opposite effect on its audience. Bright yet soft light seems to diffuse gently onto the subject of these photographs, giving the images a dream like and visionary effect, perhaps achieved through the use of back lighting as well as before faci ng studio lights. With this lighting Hold onto your hat achieves a sense of serenity as well as purity and femininity, all feelings that are helping to sell this product through appealing to the audience.Marks use of such lighting lends a soft focus and pictorial aesthetic to the work whilst Boltanski achieves a similarly pictorial effect (Franzke, 2009) with an entirely different approach. Les Suisses Morts assembles old photographic portraits of the deceased Swiss appropriated from newspapers, which have been re-photographed and enlarged by Boltanski, rendering them middling larger than life for maximum audience impact (Vetrocq, 2008). Boltanski takes care to enlarge to enhance audience response rather than to sift for the sake of naturalism, yet he still attains a soft focus, slightly blurred and vague aesthetic as a ensue of this augmentation which is feature article of his work as it works to encourage notions of absence and presence, (Simon, 2003.)This alternative system of working generates stronger references to childhood, innocence, death and memory, (all central themes explored in his work), as a result of Boltanskis use of real portraits, each with their own story to tell (Hylton, 1995.) Boltanski aims to demoralise his audience and provoke deep feelings of melancholy, both of which he is able to importantly enhance upon with the use of real life portrait appropriation, (Simon, 2003.) Such realism within the work inflicts a dense emotional impact upon the audience as Boltanski touches upon notions of death as well as the disintegration of memories over time, which in turn induces a sense of nostalgia amongst the viewers, longing for lost love ones and their own childhood (Caines, 2004.) In a similar, though more light hearted mien, Hold onto your hat by Stacey Mark has the audience feeling desirous for their childhood and the days of dressing up (fashion gone rogue, no date).though his message is powerful, Boltanski objectifies and dehumani zes his photographic subjects in various ways. The many faces comprising his archival installation are anonymous to the audience they are unknown faces which Boltanski arranges to be read as whole, rather than paying attention to the individual. A Photograph captures a moment in timeby its very nature it implies excerption and priority, and each portrait reflects a snap shot second of an entire life (Caines, 2004). At first the audience feel oppressed by the vast numbers of deceased faces towering over as a result of Boltanskis dehumanization reminding us of the absurdity of death, however the work thence begins to forward the concept of memory, which seems to counteract some of the ramifications of death, as the audience begin to identify with the individual, (Fakray, 2009.) In this way, both pieces appear to promote. Whilst Boltanski promotes a concept and an idea, Stacey Mark uses artistic and creative efforts to promote a product and to sell, and it is in this way that Mark ob jectifies and dehumanizes his photographic subject. Mark uses the girl as an object through which to sell a product meaning the girl herself is a sell point as she compliments the boater hat, and vice versa. The beautiful accessory, on the young girl, with the carefully lit back drop, soft focus effect and expression of serenity all help to create a cohesive and strong narrative with a sense of beauty and innocence (McGrath, 2009) through which to sell a product. Innocence is a feeling felt in both pieces of work, particularly in the sense of vulnerability and helplessness which Boltanski achieves in his installation, (Hylton, 1995.)It has been interesting to explore two contemporary art pieces which have such different functions yet remain correspondent in several ways, as well as the contrasting creative processes that these entail. The most engaging way in which they differ and compare at the same time lies in the contrasting lighting techniques which both seem to bring about no tions of absence and presence, yet conjure up opposing feelings and emotions within the audience with different aims. Through the investigation of the photographic medium used in installation as a fine art practise and in fashion as an editorial through which to sell, I have been encouraged to focus on meaning behind work, and more contemporary ways of working. name count 1, 478