Fetherston,+Kiley+-+Place

= Portrait of a Place Research =

__** Portrait 1: **__ "Chariot of Apollo."Kenna Biography. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. .
 * Chariot of Apollo. Versaille, France, 1996 **
 * Photographed by: Michael Kenna **

The first portrait on the left was photographed by Michael Kenna, an aspiring painter who then found love for photography. Kenna understood that he had a better chance succeeding as a photographer and could make a potential living out of such a career, so he dropped his paintbrush and picked up a camera. Now, Michael Kenna has been published in major museums around the world and his specialty of “fine art photography” is well known to many. His photograph that I have chosen is known as “Chariot of Apollo,” a landscape piece, which was taken of rocks that resemble a chariot on top of a lake in France. In this photograph of a lake, Kenna made a nightmarish mood as he turned it into one of black and white color. The contrast that was demonstrated by the background sky as well as the rocks on top of the lake gave an eerie feel to the overall portrait, and it makes the audience’s heads automatically go to a thought of darkness. By creating this dark feel of a portrait, Michael Kenna develops the technique of level horizon as the horizon line of both the sky and the lake are perfectly straight, adding a type of pleasure and clarity to the piece. However, this horizon like also adds a type of stillness and emptiness, making it fit the nightmarish mood and theme more. Finally, the artist uses a principle of design of balance as he creates a perfect symmetry of the chariot rocks in the center of the water and the outlying rocks as well.

__** Portrait 2: **__ "The Chemistry Lab."Portraits of Place - Modern Ruins, photographs by Shaun O'Boyle. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. .
 * The Chemistry Lab **
 * Photographed by: Shaun O’Boyle **

The second portrait of a place in the center was photographed by Shaun O’Boyle, a photographer who lives in Berkshire County in western Massachusetts. O’Boyle received his BFA in architecture, industrial, and environmental design from Parsons School of Design in 1987. As he works as an architect, he also works as a professional photographer with his work appearing in numerous magazines. Shaun is mostly known for his portraits of industrial or architectural places, as they fit into a category of his Modern Ruins exhibit. One of his popular photographs includes “The Chemistry Lab,” an interiorscape that highlights the empty basement of a chemistry lab. This portrait of a place focuses mostly on the darkness that is of an empty and abandoned chemistry lab, one that happens to include an old staircase that is the main focal point. In order to better get across this abandoning and empty mood, the artist made it into one of black and white color. The contrast that he created between the room as it continues to go back deep into the lab as well as the staircase brings about a type of thought and mystery of the room itself. With this dark theme, the artist used the technique of framing and leading lines to lead the eyes of the viewer towards the end of the room. This brings some type of thought and confusion because the viewers do not technically know where the room will come to an end. All we see is a cloudy, continuous line under a frame of multiple doors. This mystery and confusion works with the darkness feel to the overall photograph itself.

__** Portrait 3: **__ "Wilderness ." Paul Raphaelson Photographs | Portfolios. N.p., n.d. Web. 24 Apr. 2017. .
 * Wilderness **
 * Photographed by: Paul Raphaelson **

The third, and final portrait of a place on the far right was photographed by Paul Raphaelson, an American artist and photographer who is best known for urban landscape photography. His idea is to create darker depictions of urban settings and larger cities. This work has been going under his album of photographs known as “Wilderness,” which was where this portrait was placed in. For years Raphaelson’s work went unnoticed by most, however it then became more popular as it was discovered and placed into the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. His popular album “Wilderness” included this specific photograph on the right, a cityscape that is a darker story that entails the minor details that many do not see when you are in a large city: the pollution and littering nature. A darker depiction of any large city, or city in general. The artist almost tried to develop of story of two different cities while still in one - half of the city that is full and vibrant of life with the large skyscrapers, half of the city that is empty, abandoned, trashed. And by making the portrait into one with no hue or saturation, the artist could be trying to get across a depressed mood, and does it well. In order to create this mood and this story of the city in this “Wilderness,” Paul Raphaelson uses the technique of leading lines on the bridge that is straight in the center to lead us away from the trash and littered city into the one with all of the buildings and life. He also uses the level horizon but with the large bridge in the center. By making the bridge right across the middle, straight as a horizon line, there is almost a type of pleasure you get while looking at the portrait.

__** Printmaking Technique: **__ For this project, I wish to demonstrate the printmaking technique on a wood surface. My idea for this portrait of a place is to make it seem almost rustic, and I feel as if printing on wood will give me the best results. With each of the places I am hoping to go to for picture taking, my moods tend to be more vacant or vibrant (I am still undecided about certain places to take my pictures or which I will be hoping to use). However, since these places will all be outside, I want to demonstrate a rustic feel that makes the piece look almost old fashioned. Since I do not yet have my exact picture picked out that I will be using for this project, it is still unknown what my concept will be. Some of the areas that I hope I can make it to go take these photographs include: Downtown Waukesha by the river, Downtown Milwaukee in the Third Ward and by the Art Museum, or the Cayman Islands. Each of these places, either landscapes or cityscapes, all demonstrate different moods and lighting types, however I am leaning towards a place with more of a darker, vacant theme. This may match my wood print better. Therefore, I am hoping my photographs taken in Downtown Waukesha will turn out the best so I will be able to have a sunset for my lighting with a rustic tone to go along with the print. In the end, I am hoping to print my portrait on top of a slab of medium sized wood - still undecided about the exact measurements. The materials that will be easiest supplied to myself make it so the print cannot be too large, and I just want a print that is simple and classic. For that, a medium sized piece of wood and print should suffice