My concept is "second home": a combination of places where I have visited often to see my family, usually for a span of 2 months or more at a time. On the left is the church where my grandmother lived next to for years in Denver Colorado (Cathedral Basilica of the Immaculate Conception) and on the right are pieces of castles/palaces around Poland, where much of my family lives. These places include Malbork Castle in Malbork (upper right), Wawel Castle in Krakow (right), and Wilanow Palace in Warsaw (upper left). These three places were picked because they are in locations I have visited often with family/are in cities where they live. I also selected these locations with architecture style in mind, seeing similar building styles and motifs between these castles and palaces and the cathedral in Denver. The background is also composed of pictures from trips I have taken to Denver. From combining these buildings I wanted to capture a collage of memories that I have from my travels through the use of architecture.
Plant Picture: https://www.flickr.com/photos/citytransportinfo/36757584083/ [Public domain]
Written Critique
ReplyDeleteThe work, “Second Home” by Sobolewski depicts an image of multiple large, extravagant buildings that rest on a hill. Several of the buildings in the piece are equipped with intricately designed domes and steeples, leading to the assumption that some of these structures are churches. The environment appears to be either in the spring time or summer with the way that the flowers on the hill are blooming and the grass is a very rich green. The tone of the piece brings me to feel relaxed in the way that there is a blue tint among the buildings and sky. The proportion of the buildings make it feel, as the viewer, that I am standing on a grassy hill looking outward on these beautiful buildings. It almost feels like I have just stumbled across the Disney castle and I'm looking at it in awe. There are also several people walking in front of one of the buildings making it seem as if this could be a major historical site. There is quite a bit of texture shown in this piece as one of the churches is made of brick, yet other structures are made entirely out of a smooth stone. The artist did reference links to the source image and used the rest of the imagery as her own.
When I first looked at this piece, what first came to mind was that this looks like an image straight from a travel vlog. With the way that many of these buildings are stacked on top of one another and slowly cascade down a hill, made me think of the way that Greece and The Amalfi coast in Italy are structured. The bright colors and pops of yellow and blue accents feel dreamlike and heavenly. I interpret this work to be about religion and wanting to invoke a comforting, yet powerful presence. I specifically think this could be the meaning because if you look closely, there are historic and traditionally designed windows seen on many churches even today. Several of the buildings also have beautifully crafted, gold crosses at the top of them indicating a holy presence. This piece could also have the meaning of many different churches coming together with a sense of unity.
From a technical level, looking at this piece from a distance, it appears very believable. Each of the buildings look to have had filters applied to them, playing with saturation and hue, as well as the levels to all look as if the light was hitting them in the same way. The one building to the left of the piece throws the composition of just a tad. I feel that if you were to change the perspective of the building to match the others, it could appear more believable. The building is also just a bit slanted, which draws my eye here, making it difficult to ignore this small detail. The work addresses the project parameters well and combining different styled buildings allows the viewers to notice that even though these structures have different design elements, they are actually similar in a few ways. This can highlight architectural differences throughout the years. It also shows that very monumental buildings, like churches have always been intricately designed, and handcrafted in a meaningful, powerful way throughout many different cultures. The more I have looked at this piece the more I think about possibilities of multiple interpretations. There is not one singular meaning of the piece that I am able to pin point but I think this makes the piece more likely for viewers to inspect every detail diving deeper into what the artist is trying to convey.
The work exists within our larger culture because it shows that throughout the years, the style of columns, windows, and even down to the type of material has changed, yet remain similar in other ways. Some religious buildings feature steeples, yet others may have domes. These details reflect their distinct historical origins in this piece. Personally, I think this image was shared with an audience to invoke a particular feeling that viewers may have with their own religious experiences. The image also includes monumental palaces that could highlight wealth and royalty among different cultures. Each structure has unique design elements that provide hints to where they originate.
DeleteIn conclusion, when viewing this piece, there are many different architectural buildings that stand out due to their heavily patterned designs, pops of color, and large scale. With many of these structures having crosses on top of them, I have concluded that these are religious structures, and that people seen outside of them are possibly visiting them due to their great history. Though these buildings are contrasting, they blend well together with the use of filters. Creating a hill that they sit on makes the viewer feel as if they are there looking onto this magnificent scene.