This piece is purely inspired by my terrible eyesight. I have a glass hand decoration in my bedroom and I'm a big fan of ambient lighting, so I have multiple sunset lamps that shine onto a disco ball in my room. It leaves the room pretty dark, but mystically illuminated. When the disco ball spins, theres a slight moment where it catches the glass hand making it glow. I've noticed its beauty not in clarity, but when I'm not wearing my glasses. In this moment to my naked eye theres a flash and flare of streaming colors. This piece is inspired by what I see in that moment.
In this composition I layered three long exposure photos that shot of my glass hand backlit by a sunset lamp. I shot the photos at around midnight, my room gets lots of sunlight during the day, but theres little light to be seen anywhere at night, even from outside. I needed my room to be as dark as possible. It took me a lot of trial and error to get the lighting just right, lighting the hand both directly and indirectly. My process was a bit interesting, as my subject was still. I zoomed in and out with the lens during exposure, sometimes moving the entire camera a little to get broken trails.
Astigmatism by Savannah DeMao composes a vibrant hand against a black background. The hand is centered in the composition and approaches the viewer against the void. The left hand mannequin is positioned with the thumb and index finger connecting with a flexed wrist. The translucent hand appears to be glass with bright blues, purples, and pinks that radiate from the negative space between the thumb and index. Most of the light and color is contained within the hand but there are some flares of light that streak into the background around the pinky and palm.
ReplyDeleteWith the subject of the hand, there are many different possible modes of interpretation. Initially, one may be tempted to interpret the hand gesture as the vitarka mudra presented by many Buddhist statues as a symbol of discussion and transmission. The specific gesture posed in Astigmatism however, uses curved fingers as opposed to straightened knuckles. A more accurate interpretation of the pose is the “OK” gesture common in most cultures that signals all is well. The “okay” gesture seems to fit the overall composite as a transformative image as it signals a notion of peace. The artwork seems to not only communicate the sense of ease and transformation but also a degree of transcendence as the hand develops an otherworldly metamorphosis.
This work effectively meets the parameters of the assignment by utilizing light and darkness in a transformative nature. The seamless compositing creates a cohesive work that is enticing to the viewer. The use of a sunset lamp at different angles and the movement of the lens were effective in creating the transformative composition. As a critique, the symmetrical composition contrasts the vibrancy of the colors as symmetric implies a sense of idleness. An asymmetrical composition could have improved the overall dynamism. Another idea could explore the possibilities of repetition and pattern with a number of hands that overlap or have unique color palettes. These ideas could improve the overall message and even contribute to the idea of vision and astigmatism where the hands are blurred and doubled.
When considering the meaning of different symbols, one must always be aware of the width of interpretation. This “OK” symbol was recently in the spotlight in 2019 as it has been classified as a hate symbol in certain contexts and seen as a gesture of white power and far right ideologies. While it is highly unlikely that this was the artist’s intention and not my interpretation of the composite, it is important to note what different symbols mean in the contemporary context. Perhaps this composition was created to challenge viewers to change their perspectives on the mutability of a symbol. In this work, the colors are not the only transformative aspect as the subject matter itself can change based on the context.
DeMao’s Astigmatism is a thought-provoking artwork of a radiant gesture against a black void. The “OK” symbol pictured in the composite has many means of interpretation that not only reference the transformative nature of the project but the mutable perspectives of the viewers. The vibrant colors transcend material space in this black void and reference Buddhism, interpersonal relationship, and American hate. This wide array of references was created with an LED light and long exposure night photography. While critiques were mentioned, the overall work is an intriguing piece that demonstrates a strong understanding of compositing. Astigmatism communicates an important message that not only transforms the work but also the viewer.