This is an assignment for the Live! A History of Art course from CalArts
The following is a list of key influences on myself as an artist. I have assembled ten examples:
1.
For number one I am putting an Ansel Adams image. This particular one is his Moonrise Over Hernandes which particularly resonates with me on many levels. I am also a great fan of his famous mountain and forest works. Growing up in Alaska and New Mexico I can directly identify with much of the actual locations. In fact, I first heard of him growing up in Alaska
2.
For number two I am putting a painting that affected me from very early on. Johannes Vermeer's Girl With The Red Hat dates from 1667. Looking at it, though, the subject is so alive and the gaze so immediate that one seems to look as if through a portal in time. The girl in the painting seems to see and react to us directly without any obstruction from the 350 or so years since the painting was made.
3.
For number three I am putting a work by M C Escher called Metamorphosis. Escher was instrumental in showing me how very much was possible in two dimensions.
4.
For number four I have to put Ken Rockwell. He is certainly a controversial figure but he has been instrumental in helping me separate fact from bullshit in my early formative years.
5.
For number five I also must put David Hobby (aka The Strobist). I never would have gotten past my initial uncertainties about lighting without his informative 101 series.
6.
For number six I have to put Claude Monet. When I think about the way I see things and want to represent it visually it is all about crazy colour. I think I have Monet to thank for that.
7.
For number seven I have to put Auguste Rodin. There is a life and sensuality to his sculpture that belies the cold hard stone and bronze of which they are made. Once again, like Escher, Rodin convinces me that reasonable limits to expression are not limits at all.
8.
For number eight I think I have to put the classic Mac OS interface and UI elements. There is an essential cleanness and economy of expression to the classic Mac interface. As a lifelong Apple user (starting on an Apple //e long before the Macintosh was introduced) Apple's corporate aesthetic has definitely shaped my artistic thinking.
9.
For number nine I must give a nod to a magazine I certainly grew up with, Omni magazine. Somehow, growing up in the 1980s it just seemed every day like the future had arrived. Omni magazine really surfed the wave of that forward-looking enthusiasm with a bold aesthetic that featured sharp detail and clean gradients.
10.
For my last influence I have to credit Fujifilm's iconic film, Velvia. Fuji Velvia has an artistic expressive power that gave hyperreal colour to the dramatically detailed forest and landscape pictures I grew up with on posters. It very much informed my vision.
The following is a list of key influences on myself as an artist. I have assembled ten examples:
1.
For number one I am putting an Ansel Adams image. This particular one is his Moonrise Over Hernandes which particularly resonates with me on many levels. I am also a great fan of his famous mountain and forest works. Growing up in Alaska and New Mexico I can directly identify with much of the actual locations. In fact, I first heard of him growing up in Alaska
2.
For number two I am putting a painting that affected me from very early on. Johannes Vermeer's Girl With The Red Hat dates from 1667. Looking at it, though, the subject is so alive and the gaze so immediate that one seems to look as if through a portal in time. The girl in the painting seems to see and react to us directly without any obstruction from the 350 or so years since the painting was made.
3.
For number three I am putting a work by M C Escher called Metamorphosis. Escher was instrumental in showing me how very much was possible in two dimensions.
4.
For number four I have to put Ken Rockwell. He is certainly a controversial figure but he has been instrumental in helping me separate fact from bullshit in my early formative years.
5.
For number five I also must put David Hobby (aka The Strobist). I never would have gotten past my initial uncertainties about lighting without his informative 101 series.
6.
For number six I have to put Claude Monet. When I think about the way I see things and want to represent it visually it is all about crazy colour. I think I have Monet to thank for that.
7.
For number seven I have to put Auguste Rodin. There is a life and sensuality to his sculpture that belies the cold hard stone and bronze of which they are made. Once again, like Escher, Rodin convinces me that reasonable limits to expression are not limits at all.
8.
For number eight I think I have to put the classic Mac OS interface and UI elements. There is an essential cleanness and economy of expression to the classic Mac interface. As a lifelong Apple user (starting on an Apple //e long before the Macintosh was introduced) Apple's corporate aesthetic has definitely shaped my artistic thinking.
9.
For number nine I must give a nod to a magazine I certainly grew up with, Omni magazine. Somehow, growing up in the 1980s it just seemed every day like the future had arrived. Omni magazine really surfed the wave of that forward-looking enthusiasm with a bold aesthetic that featured sharp detail and clean gradients.
10.
For my last influence I have to credit Fujifilm's iconic film, Velvia. Fuji Velvia has an artistic expressive power that gave hyperreal colour to the dramatically detailed forest and landscape pictures I grew up with on posters. It very much informed my vision.
