Virtual Self-Portrait

Photo Reborn: Reading Response

In today's chapter called "Photography Reborn" I was immediately intrigued. It stated that digital photography's ultimate goal is to reveal a certain inner truth of a person through portraiture. Artists alter photos to obtain this truth. The process of digitally altering photos allows the photos to shape to this vision of truth seen by the artist. I love the idea that the artist has ultimate control over how much of the person can be shown through portraiture, that even what is not seen can be revealed through the medium of digital art. 

On top of that, digital art has its own "global exhibition space," as the chapter puts it. I love this part of digital art. It's a fast and easy way to display your work to your peers and potential clients, and you don't even have to be present. However, I still think that while webpages are good for displaying work, it's not the best. Nothing compares to art in person. 

Ch. 1 Digital Art: Reading Response

In Chapter One of Digital Art, the author basically talks about what my last blog was about - the transition between handmade art (such as painting) and digital art. She talks about our ability to scan images and alter them in the digital realm. 

So, instead of talking about that again, I want to discuss one of the pieces of art mentioned in Chapter One, Beauty Composites from 1982. Composite one is of Bette Davis, Aubrey Hepburn, Grace Kelly, Sophia Loren, and Marilyn Monroe, the second composite is of Jane Fonda, Jacqueline Bisset, Diane Keaton, Brooke Shields, and Meryl Streep. This idea of ideal beauty is one that has been tackled for many years and can sometimes be overdone. However, considering the year this piece was made, it definitely carved the path for a more creative way to tackle this concept. These days there are programs made specifically to do a merging of photos. I can imagine though that this took a lot of time to create and that fact brings a certain aesthetic to the work that maybe wouldn't be there if this was done today.

Intro to Digital Art: Reading Response

In the Introduction to Digital Art, I loved how the author describes the "digital revolution" to be more than just about art. It's about connectivity, which I think is a great aspect to add to your art - especially if it is placed on the Internet for all to see. I personally believe that this idea of an infinite amount of viewers really enables and actually forces the artist to take their work to the next level, taking their thought-process to a whole new level of consideration. 

Beyond just thinking about their process and meaning a little deeper, artists are also able to mix media. Our technology now makes this especially easy and high in quality. For instance, painters can scan their paintings to create a digital file of their work that can even be in very high resolution, almost life-like, keeping the piece true to its original created form. At this point, they can take their image into any of the programs in the Adobe Design Suite and add layers upon layers to their painting. They can bring it to life in a whole new way. They can change the colors, they can animate their 2D still image. The possibilities, I feel, are endless to what you can learn and create and this is very exciting.