Appreciating Art

As I walked through the Sacagawea Art Collection, this colorful piece by Mai Wyn Schantz- Oil on Aluminum, stood out to me the most. I connected particularly with Mai's artwork because I work early enough to be able to see the sun rise, something I never take for granted. So now that I think about it, sunrises are one of my favorite things (along with the sun setting, of course).

I immediately notice the focal point as the sun about to rise, as if Mai wanted to give the viewer a sense of anticipation for the day to begin. The contrast to this is the remains of the night, light to dark blues and purples, floating slowly up the aluminum sheet. It is then that I see the color ending by a horizontal border of aluminum – showing the grayscale that's underneath the oil. I can now note the space the piece lies in, and the lines that are present. The text explains, “Lines may be straight, angular or curvy. They may be thick or thin, continuous or interrupted. The edges of a page or screen represent lines” (p.46). Despite the line where the water meets the sky, most lines in this painting make out the shapes of the clouds, and the reflection and ripple of the water.

Why do you think Mai decided to use her medium (aluminum) as a horizontal border? Do you think this intentional border helps gain texture and negative space or limits the colorful focal point with dull tones?

Next, I recognize the horizontal line perspective, where the sky meets the water. This gives me a feeling of distance with the horizon. The yellow in the center also creates an atmospheric perspective that allows the blue tones to circulate the image and move the eye into the center of warmer colors. Also note the fading into lighter blue on the water from the reflection of the sun's rays. The layout appears visually unbalanced to me, and going back to the atmospheric perspective, Chapter 5 of the text mentions, “ Colors in the foreground have darker richer values than colors in the distance, which tend to fade and wash out” (p.54). In this case, the rising sun is creating a fade within the water that reflects the lighter areas of the sky.

I found this piece to be aesthetically pleasing, and was able to connect it further with a photo I took last year:

I couldn't help but relate Mai's paintings to the warm colors presented in my photograph, with their being a horizontal line perspective with the water and sky. I also found an appreciation for cool and warm saturated colors, which adds asymmetrical balance.

It's said that “good design controls the eye's flow through composition” (p.53). I think that has been greatly achieved here!

CODES TO KNOW!
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To Look Or To See

Something that I look at everyday is this poster from Victory Gardens that I got from my boyfriend's twin brother, who is an employee there. Although I've viewed this poster a million times, now that I'm really seeing it, several things stand out. Firstly, the “Fruity Nutty Five Contest” is quite humorous to me, and it has captured my attention. The saturation of color on the fruit leads my eye there after, noticing the hand grasping it with purpose. As my eyes scan more of the photo, I see the phrase “pick your future!” that I can relate to types of propaganda I see in ads and on commercials (though it doesn't have a negative connotation like some propaganda may possess). So far, I can gauge this poster as a “good graphic design,” because it captured my attention, controlled my eye movement across the poster, conveyed information and evoked emotion (White Space Is Not Your Enemy, p. 6). I feel connected to the message of this photo, not only because I know someone working there, but because I have an understanding of how Victory Gardens wants to improve the community.

Victory Gardens is just one of the many establishments in Milwaukee that is trying to connect neighborhoods together through growing your own food and making that food together. This is in the hopes that more people will get into gardening and therefore become more self-sufficient. By planting fruit and nut trees in a “deserving” neighborhood, Victory Gardens can establish healthy food options for that area, and begin to educate those that are interested in growing their own food. This will greatly improve quality of life and can save money. The “Grass-Roots Movement” Victory Gardens has been pushing for can continue to reach out in the community!

Brian Kennedy mentioned visual literacy is about connecting cognition and memory. He states that, “Visual literacy is the ability to construct meaning from images. It is not a skill, it uses skills as a toolbox. It's a form of critical thinking that enhances your intellectual capacity.” (Ted Talk). The Victory Gardens Initiative Poster has allowed me to look, see, describe, analyze, interpret, and finally, construct meaning. If we all can construct meaning from the visual aspects we see everyday, I think it will positively enhance our learning experience.

My Pet Peeve

One of my pet peeves would be when one of my coworkers doesn't clean up after themselves. Why didn't they complete all of their tasks the previous day? When they fail to get their designated job done, it leaves me needing to take time out of my work day to finish what they couldn't!

 Find out more about slackers at work here