Brittney Connelly

Digital #1

Ron Mueck

I was originally drawn to this image because of the oddity but in closer examination, I found this image to be melancholic as well as comforting at the same time. His appearance heightens the complexity of this image through the subtlety of tone. The man’s skin tone mimics the cool tone of the background. His complexion appears to be slightly green and gives the viewer a sense that he is unhealthy or unnatural in some form. The green tone also gives the man a waxy appearance. The arrangement of his body gives the viewer a sense of this man’s conditional state. His body creates openness between the subject matter and the viewer, the arrangement of his legs seems relaxed, and the position of his arms seems uninterested. He is seemingly unaffected by his stark setting. Two indicators may suggest that he is uncomfortable; the space in which his body occupies is pressed into a corner, as well as his glare off the frame into an unknown location. He seems contemplative and isolated, and it seems as if he is having an internal dialogue with himself. The viewer seems to domineer over the man and he seems to act as a submissive party. Somehow, this image evokes a feminine attitude. I feel as if this may be a subversion of a woman’s reaction to feeling objectified and pigeonholed into certain roles. Maybe at the other end of the spectrum, it is discussing a disengagement of human interaction. This image seems very cryptic and leaves the viewer with very few clues. hmmm

Analog #3

Andreas Gursky

I actually saw this book at the MFAH while I was browsing around. Andreas Gursky uses multiplicity within the image to develop these architectural buildings into a visually stimulating arrangement of shapes. The windows are different in color but share the same amount of space and the white lines create this ridged sense of separation. The small amount of foliage on the bottom adds a softness and contrast to the ridged building. The scale of this image in the oversize book makes the image feel more intense and chaotic. The image seems to highlight or bring up the idea of several happenings, occurring at once. This compacted large space houses several humans and within this complex structure, humans become part of this larger unit. Gursky highlights these tightly compacted structures that house multitudes of people. I feel like the subtle softness of the trees is telling within his image. The trees dwarfed by this massive structure, seem sparse and dull among this industrial landscape. Gursky frames his images so tightly, that there is no end to this structure. The structure acts as the landscape; the dominating force and the trees feel displaced and foreign. Gursky’s images move toward the idea of mass consumerism and the effect that plays within an environmental space.