[Back to SYLLABUS] [Art-is INDEX] [^^up to HOME page]Art Studio 42: Materials
NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, quotations are by artists, and usually include at least one of the areas for which they are known. NOTE: If you are new to art (and art materials), on idea would be to carefully print this out and put the pages into a binder and as you learn each material (or not), put your notes and sketches in with these sheets. -- Share and enjoy! See also: [Art Materials] [Art Technique] [Art Terms] [Art THINGS] (sort of a catch-all)Art Studio 42: Materials
NOTE: Space as a material is treated in DESIGN. -[here]- On this page: {Intro} {Pencil} {Pen} {Ink and Nibs} {Water Colours, Guache, Markers, Washes} {water colour} {guache} {washes} {water soluable and non-soluable inks} {markers} {Pastels, and the rest} {Chalk} {Dry/Wet Pastels} {oil Pastels} {cattle markers - paint in a stick} see also: paints (below) {coloured pencil} {Crayon} {?wax-base? ???name???} {Gesso and Varnishes} {Paints} {Matrix: Papers} {Matrix: Canvas} {Matrix: Cloth} {Matrix: Felt} {Matrix: Leather} {Matrix: Glass} {Matrix: Cardstock, Pannels, etc} {Matrix: Concrete, Brick, Earth} {} {Modeling Clay} {Plaster} {Paper Mache'} {Plastic} {Wood} {Metal} {Stone} {Armateurs} {Adhesives} {Pottery: Ceramic Clay and Glazes} intro and general notes {Raku - Reduction} {Low Temperature } {High Temperature} {Photography} {Digital Line and Paint} {Digital Solids} {Sound} {Air} (including air currents) {Light} (and shadow) {Video} {Time} {time-deconstructed} {The Path/Place/Movement} {Movement} {Motion, per se} {Performance} {Jupiter Space, Infinity, and Beyond} {In the end there was THE WORD (text)} {Notes} {Some important books to know about} {Bibliography}
Intro
Art materials are designed for two primary reasons: - ease and reliability of use - permanence An important (and often totally mis-understood) concept is that of "acid free". Many items are in fact only "acid buffered" or "acid neutralised"; ie, treated with an ant-acid (a chemical "base" (as opposed to a chemical acid), or a solution that extracts the acidic substances. Needless to say: If a paper or canvas is made from acid free materials then it will be acid free - othewise, the neutralisation process may (over time: 5, 10, 100 years are common sign-posts) wear off. Regardless, the most serious threat to any artwork comes from the environment. Examples include, dust, mildew/humidty, stains (ink, chemical, human perspiration, animal excretions including of course insect activity), air-bourne pollutants (pollen, chemicals, bacteria), and of course: LIGHT. That's the reason you should *never* use a flash photo on an artwork - especially in a museum/gallery: Over time, the small bits of ultraviolet/actinic light degrade (or even re-polymerise/chemically alter) the matrix itself (eg, paper, canvas, clay, etc) or any pigments/dyes/etc. And of course: Direct sun-light even when filtered by window is one of hte estrongest degraders. "Don't worry so much about the materials that you are using as to how long they will last. You're job is to create art. It is the curator's job to maintain it." -- Constance Forsythe, Photography/PrintMaking (not an exact quote). So let us begin....Quality Art Materials
As we will see, the most important aspect of ANY material is the way that it reacts - consistency, predictability, and reliability. It is one thing to paint a mural and quite another to do so with paint that you are not familiar with or that from batch to batch (yes: Different cans of the SAME paint colour *will* vary in colour and other characteristics). Good quality materials, and your previous experience with them will allow you to focus on creation and presentation of the work, rather than worry about other things. It is not without notice that brick-layers value what they call "hod carriers" - the persons who tote the bricks and mortar up to the work area. And of course the mixers are singularly important as well as the manufacturers of the mortar and of course the manufacturers and shippers of the brick. Even something that is seemingly "permanent" like brick is prone to "the thousand natural shocks" - mechanical and chemical mainly. Thus, In every case use the highest quality material that seems appropriate to the task. But, mainly be *familiar* with that specific material and the brand that you are using. Or rather: "I can make a painting out of cut gut and cooking grease." -- George Luks; painting. Naturally this wondrous discovery has led curators crazy trying to maintain these almost century-old art works. But, similar the works of Frank Stella, Morris Louis, and of course (ahem) many of us collagists/assemblists cause many of the same "curratory" concerns. Finally: Each type of thing has several variants and as such each works a bit differently. This may not only be due to differing manufactures of what is presumably the *same* material, but how it is stored, its shelf-age, etc. {Back to the JUMP table at the top of this page} Next: Pencil.
Pencil
Pencils are given to us at an early age and of course the most universal one (on the Planet Earth; see map) is the "NUMBER 2". In reality, for most cases, it is a MIXTURE of #2B and #2H The range of art pencils runs something like: 6H 5H 4H 3H 2H H HB F B 2B 3B 4B 5B 6B 7B 8B 9B hardest softest lightest/silvery-est colour blackest/darkest Of course pencil "lead" isn't really lead at all, but various combinations of different "grades" of carbon - commonly known as "graphite". It's "oily" feel is quite intriguing and if interested, you might want to goold: graphite, anthrocite, bituminous, diamond structure, fulerines. Suffice it to say: various kinds of carbon, clay (mixing agent), glue (binder), and what-not. As you start to draw, you will find that different manufacturers make different pencils and that they very in quality. Often the worst problem is that the lead inside the wood comes loose and as you try to sharpen (or even use it) the pencil point breaks, etc. Again with Betty "Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain" Edwards "Art is easy after the first 5_000 mistakes!" -- not an exact quote. So, as you draw (especially when starting out) as to how a particular hardness (7H - 9B) or manufacturer's pencil performs: A Ferrari is NOT a VW and neither is a MAC Truck - many tools for many purposes. STUDY your "scaples". Make (sometimes) a conscious decision to use ONLY the lowly pencil for some works. Part and parcel to the pencil is the "rub" or "rubber" or "eraser". These come in a variety of types as well - again each will have specific properties. And of course the paper (we presume) that you are drawing on will have different characteristics as to how it stands up to not only erasure but the various kinds of marks that you make on it. *** PENCIL LINKS will go HERE ****
Pen
Note: Ink and Nibs are treated in the next section. As with pencils, we are usually given a "medium blue" pen (BIC, BIRO, WRITE BROS, etc) at an early age. Pre-packaged pens (automatic, ball-point, fountain, retractable, and of course "The Cross" - rollmatic! (tips towel 3 times) ;) are all very nice but of course (as with any "off the shelf" not specifically (or maybe) art-quality thing you'll have to "take them for a test spin" - best to listen to some "guitar solos here". The first thing that you'll begin to notice is the smoothness (oily feel vs glide vs scratchy vs etchy), as well as the as the way that the ink flows. Of course the paper (or other matrix) will determine how fast you can draw the pen across. In general, the amount of pen that you can put out in a given motion/mark is called the "load" - same as a paintbrush with paint on it, or a spackling blade with "mud" (plaster, joint compound", or a trowel with mortar. The size of the "nib" - the thing that actually draws - as well as the type; eg, roller ball, felt-tip (markers mostly), or a nib (bare metal, traditional - see next section) - is the most important characteristic next to the load/type of ink. We must note on thing: DYE vs PIGMMENT A die is a pure chemical substance (eg, analine dye, food colouring) which are suspended in a VEHICLE (eg, water). Note in many cases (see Gesso and Varnishes}, below) the VEHICLE is called a "medium" - eg, water, linseed oil, kerosine, etc. A pigment is the thing that IS the colour (even if (tips towel to Van Gogh's letter to his brother Theo) the colour is BLACK or WHITE). A pigment might be composed of several things mixed together to produce the given colour; eg, most oil paints are combinations of crushed chemicals/minerals (eg, white lead, iron oxide (just plain old rust usually), chromium yellow, etc). Where we draw the line from paint to oil is a bit hazy - as well in a quantum universe, you'd expect. The main thing is that a dye can't really "leave" the scene, but since a pigment-based ink/paint is a mixture then the exact way that it dries and it's position (flat, slightly tilted (eg, for water colourists), vertical, up-side-down), will determine how the colour ends up appearing. Of course you can make a mixture of dyes. Technically you want to think: Chromotography, here. That is: The different sizes and specific chemical properties of the molecules (dye or pigmanet) will determine how much "creep" (flow) they have and of course how well they actually disolve in the vehicle. And of course the other side of the equation is the POROSITY and SURFACE properities of the matrix iself; eg, Canson Stonehindge print paper IS NOT Winsor-Newton heavy water-colour paper IS NOT gessoed canvas IS NOT bath-tub liner "tile" on masonite! Some of my fav pens (and where you can get them; er, at least locally) NOTE: Office stores are nice to buy in volume - ONCE you know what you want. Krogers, Target, Dollar General, etc. - you'd be surprised how much you can save by going elsewhere from the art store, or even office stores. Same quality (usually) Name brands are best, but you never know. HINT: If there are MORE than ONE pens for a $1 - prob not good quality. The Uni-Ball Visions have shown up at Family Dollar and Dollar General - about $1.50 (decent price; cf/qv (compare/contrast) with office stores, etc). NOTE: Many of these form the primary visual element of my drawing "the million" (aka "Welding Courtyard") - tips towel to Justin Quinn and Chu Chong-Keun. Uni-Ball "Vision" - roller ball, large tip, smooth, reasonable load. Zebra Zeb-roller 2000 - roller ball, small (0.7) tip, large load. Sanford Uni-Ball GRIP - ball point, various sizes (and blue), small load. Sanford Uni-vision - extremely small nibs avail, seems pigment based, small load Bic "Gel Click" - v. large nib, fantastic flow and load. I've ONLY found these at Krogers (high $$), but *def* worth checking out! Sharpie Fine Point - ok, it's a marker! The grafitist's standard. Remember: Always grafitti responsibly. Extremely large load, solven-based, tip wears down quickly on rough surfaces, but un-like most pens, the tip doesn't break off (usually). Forget American Idol.... hey froodz, send your fav pen stories and i'll try to put them in! email: fleeding@hotmail.com *** PEN LINKS will go HERE ****
Ink and Nibs
Guptal: Drawing with Pen and Ink. Still the *holy* book for inkests everywhere! Water Colours, Guache, Markers, Washes} In this section: {water colour} {guache} {washes} {water soluable and non-soluable inks} {markers}Water colour
guache
washes
water soluable and non-soluable inks
markers
There are two main types of markers: Water-based and solvent-based. (yes, i know that water IS a solvent; ie, the "universal solvent" ;) Anyway, just like acrylic vs oil paints the VEHICLE determins not only how the PIGMENT/DYE will flow, but of course the MATRIX that you are using (paper (Canson Stone Hinge paper IS NOT Winsor-Newton heavy water colour paper), canvas, pannel board, etc). Marker tips of course get "dirty" - worst of course is white or yellow. And part of the problem that lines/areas already laid down can be re-wetted by new lines/layers - same as with water-colour, but in genral NOT as with paint. Marker loads are pretty much fixed, but of course going v. slow (or even just resting the marker tip) on the matrix will produce (usually) a growing dot/pool of area. In general the value-packs are pretty lame, but if you're careful with them (and they give you the look/feel that you want) - go for it. As with crayons: Never forget to be* Picasso: "Spending all of my life trying to remember what it's like to be a child" - not an exact quote. BRIEF NOTE: Markers plus scotch tape (except for magic tape) don't mix. In collaging, if we put down a marker mark on paper, and then use scotch tape over it. The adhesive in general tends to smear/absorb/disperse or even scrunch up the mark. Something to think about as to how to use or take advantage of "limitations". Limitations? We don't recognise ANY sech things!Pastels, and the rest
NOTE: General remarks are under the CHALK (first) section, below. In this section: {Chalk} {Dry/Wet Pastels} {oil Pastels} {cattle markers - paint in a stick} see also: paints (below) {coloured pencil} {Crayon} {?wax-base? ???name???}
Chalk
Chalk and such are simply either naturally occuring substances that have a certain colour (eg, "rust" is "iron oxide" or "red oxide" and makes an EXCELLENT mark - nothing like picking up a piece of hematite ore and drawing on a rock!). Alternatively, a neutral material (eg, natural white chalk) can be mixed with a pigment and a BINDER (glue, etc). Chalk is (or can be made) a naturally occuring form of Calcium Carbonate - similar to baking soda. It doesn't disovle well in water or solvents, but of course acid causes it to FOAM; ie, just like in a fire extinguisher. Chalk can be chipped, flaked, and sanded into dust. These can be attached either mechanically (ie, a when we draw the chalk across a piece of paper). There are special papers with a sand-paper-like surface. Or: The chalk dust/flakes/etc can be GLUED down onto the matrix. Chalk holds up very well - better than dry pastels - but, again, it can flake off the matrix. Fixing agents (see Pastels in next section) can "fix" (seal) the drawing, but WILL ALMOST ALWAYS CHANGE THE COLOUR AND TEXTURE OF ALL MARKS.General Notes/Ideas
Consider masking an area, then using either spray glue or roller-stick glue and then using a tooth brush to flick dust-letts of chalk/pastel onto the matrix. Any drawing material can be scraped using a knife, tooth brush, or even another drawing material. Oil pastel, cattle markers (oil paint in a tube), crayons and even coloured pencils are simply a pigment with different binder and vehicle combinations. As with oil paint: Oil painted as and under-painting will eventually bleed up thru other layers over it - especially non-oil based lines/areas/etc. Both oil pastels and cattle markers (since they are oil-based PAINTS and not oil-based INKS) go thru a drying process where-by they actually turn into plastic (as do acrylic and enamel paints) and "polymerise" - the molecules link-up in long, mostly permanent chains. google: "polymer", "polymerisation".
Dry/Wet Pastels
Dry pastels (usually refered to as just: "pastels") are chalk-like sticks (but there's no reason you can't make a makeup-like finger tray) with a binder (glue), a pigment (or pigments), and of course the vehicle (which can vary from chalk (Calcium Carbonate) to other (trade secret?) stuff. Pastels can be worked back and forth across each other; usually refered to as "scrumbling". And of course since they are essentially a dust can be used with other media; eg, drawing over almost dry oil paint, or as an under-layment on a water colour painting. Dry pastels do not hold up very well unless they are displayed horizontally, or carefully (and professionally) placed under glass. In general, it's just a bunch of dust that is *barely* adhered to the matrix. And if mounted vertically: Gravity ALWYAS wins. Fixing agents can "fix" (seal) the drawing, but WILL ALMOST ALWAYS CHANGE THE COLOUR AND TEXTURE OF ALL MARKS. You "can" use hair spray (basically acetone or similar chemicals) but they aren't acid free and tend to have un-reliable effects. But, of course: "I can make a painting out of cut gut and cooking grease." -- George Luks; painting. Naturally this wondrous discovery still drives currators crazy trying to maintain these almost century-old art works.
Oil Pastels
Cattle markers - paint in a stick
see also: paints (below)
Coloured Pencil
Crayon
?wax-base? ???name???
Gesso and Varnishes
Note: Paint primer: As used in house painting is *NOT* gesso; similar, but they don't quite workd the same way. By the same token, if you *are* doing a wall (eg, sheet-rock walls) mural and going to use house paints, then use the primers recommended by the paint manufacturer. And of course in general different manufacturers DON'T mix - secret chemical formulas and all of that - no telling how things will hold up.
Paints
In this section ??? thing maybe here? i guess, tired nearing the cat-skills heur! There are three basic types of paint: water-based; eg, water-colours (above), guache (above) acrylic (artist grade) oil-based; eg, oil-paint (artist grade),House Paints
Aerosol Paints
aerosol; eg, spray paint, (can be oil or acrylic) enamels, metal suspensionsd
Matrix: Papers
{Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)
Matrix: Canvas
Technically speaking canvas IS a matrix, but we shall treat it simply as a surface material - bearing closely in mind its possible use in collage, costuming, as a wraping substance. Note esp: -[Christo & Jean-Claud]-}'s wrapped buildings, etc. {Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)Matrix: Cloth
Matrix: Felt
Felt is sort of the cloth equivalent of LEATHER (which is animal skin). It has extremely rigid properties and does not stretch nearly as easily as cloth. In fact specially high-pressure-treated FELT BLANKETS are used in print-making to cushion/process print paper during the printing process. Because of this ridigity, felts make excellent substrates for not only drawing, but for making STAMPERS. There are available, adhesive backed felts that can adhereed to a block of wood (several layers are nice) and then shapes cut into them to form custom-made STAMPERS for use with a stamp-pad. In my own learnings, i often use wax-coated paper plates and pour into them some ink and then use the stamper down into the ink to absorb it and then onto stamp something! Naturally, the stiffness of felt (compared to cloth) and its fuzzy nature give many possible texture variables to play with. As with cloth/paper/wood, things can be glued to the felt in addition to drawing directly onto it. Again note that felt is much more absorbent than either cloth or paper (other than paper towels and/or waterl-colour paper) so consideration of the "disappearing mark" must be taken into account. In many respects felt will act like un-gessoed canvas, so time-wise deterioration of the marked surface will engendre curatorial problems as encountered with the works (eg) of Morris Louis and Frank Stella in their bold use of un-gessoed canvas. Always trade-offs, eh? One way to explode ideas about felt is to think of it as the card-stock of the cloth world (but only spongier). And of course, the edge-effect of cut shapes of felt mirror those of cut card-stock, thin (veneer, etc) wood, and even metal plates (eg, copper printing plates as decoratissi, appliques, etc). See also: {Leather} {Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)Matrix: Leather
{Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)Matrix: Glass
{Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)
Matrix: Cardstock, Wood, etc
{Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix) Note: These are essentially non-art materials used as the matrix for art works. As such, they will not perform as well as more traditional materials (ie, the classic 2: Paper & Canvas). Of course "design board" is specifically manufactured paper/stock to *be* an art material - but it suffers from the same problems as paper in terms of bendability, etc; which for *folding* may be well-suited! Concrete, Brick and the Earth itself are treated in the next section.
CardStock
See also: Design Board (next section) {Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix)
Design Board
{Alternate "display/mounting notes"} (under wood as matrix) This is the "lingua franca" (common tongue: French) for all ad and show work. Well; except now: enter the diGital.
Wood - matrix
See also: {Wood} (as sculpting/structural material) As per the notes in the WOOD section, the idea of using wood is well known (the Mona Lisa was one of Leonardo's early experiments!). The main idea is the surface of wood is usually flat - of couse un-finished or roughly finished wood may be used. Also note that wood (flowers, vines - Bart Uchida, Leaves (papyrus), and of course especially bamboo - technically a "grass" - native to the orient, cane is the only native form in the occident) has GRAIN. That is, it grows in a certain direction (eg, upward with most trees - remember: photoSYNTHEIS, photoTROPISM, and all that? ;). When carving this is important to be aware of - with the grain, against it, or "tack into the grain, like a small sail boat seeking the safety of the shore"; sailing: Tack into the wind). And of course wood (like paper!) doesn't break, but rather tares, and of course can be cut (like metal, stone, plastic, etc). In fact we should really refer to wood as a "natural polymer"; ie, a chemical polymer is manufactured (puts on Gaia hat: But isn't a plant 'manufactured' too?). Alas; i, digress. Wood can be split, splintered, and of course sanded: Like any material. Different woods not only present different appearances, but react differently to the various materials/techniques depending upon various factors. For example, their chemical properties, oiliness, density (balsa is *not* mohagony!), porosity and of course surface finish. Wood is pourus, so unless a stop (gesso, primer, lacquer, etc) is used, paint will tend to seep into it. After all paper is just "processed wood" - or not (eg, cotton, rice papers, etc). Of course the wood can be carved, adhered to, etc. Making it ideal for mixed media. Also, wooden stands can be made so that the "canvas" can be free standing. Technically, this can be done with paper (some sort of frame - or not) to keep the edges taunt, canvas (stiffners to keep the canvas from flooping around (or not), stand-up supports (or not, a canvas, etc could be leaned against the wall, a post, laid on the floor, suspended, etc). Cloth (another kind of wood? paper?) can of course be folded more easily - wood can only be done so by soaking, heating and extensively processing it taking advantage of its porrosity. Thus, cloth/paper/leather can be cut, folded, hung, installed in ways that extend what can be done with wood/glass/pannels/metal/brick/stone/etc... The main thing to remember (as with *any* matrix) it to take into account the thickness, durability, grain, surface texture, etc. when working with it.
Matrix: Concrete, Brick, Earth
Note see also {Stone} (as sculptural/structural material) From earliest times, tree markers in jungles marking territorial boundaries (see: {Gennep in Bibliography}), as well as mounds of rocks or just lines on a map. From an artisk's POV (point-of-view), we know that life began with Smithson's "Spiral Jetty" (and others).Matrix: Concrete
Concrete (floor or wall, parking lots, large blocks) are of course processed rock and thus, have similar properties. The mos strking feature is that concrete is specifically engineered to be as strong and long-lastng as possible. Of course it can be poured into moulds (not just foundations!) and then used in traditional sculptural senses, or as "just another matrix".Matrix: Brick/Stone
Brick/Stone/Concrete Block - usually are formed into walk ways, walls or contrast areas; eg, stone areas embedded into wooden floors. Laid brick (coursed brick) of course invovles (usually) quite noticble joints which are of MORTAR (not concrete) and present different porosity considerations than the brick-face itself. Natural or cut/processed stone reacts totally different than any other substance; refer to {Stone} as sculptural material.Matrix: Earth
Using the Earth itself presents many challenging concepts. From the Navajo sand painting (traditionally intended as ephemeral art), to crop circles, to topiary, to simply painting on the ground (grass? dirt? sand? gravel? mixed-mixed-mixed media?). An important Gaiaist concept is to leave the land un-touched when you are done; viz the "wrapping works" of Christo/Jean-Claude. Ephererality perfected: "Blink and you'll miss it". See also: {Wood} (as sculpting/structural material)
Modeling Clay
Plaster
Paper Mache'
Plastic
Wood
In this section: {Intro} {Processed wood products} {Ash} {Bamboo} {} {} {} {} {} {} {} {}Intro
Processed wood products
Ash
Bamboo
Metal
Stone
See also: {Brick/Stone} (as matrix; above) In this section: {Travertine}Travertine
-[wiki: travertine]- Primarily in a pure form, a beautiful crstalline-sparkling white stone; eg, Sacré-Cœur is constructed of this; -[wiki entry on the Basilica]-
Armateurs
Adhesives
Pottery: Ceramic Clay and Glazes
In this section: {Intro and general notes } {Raku - Reduction} {Low Temperature } {High Temperature} NOTE: Plaster and Ceramics DON'T MIX!!! Kiln explostions happen.
Intro and general notes
Raku - Reduction
Low Temperature
High Temperature
Photography
Digital Line and Paint
Digital Solids
Sound
(analogue and digital auds)Air
(including air currents)Light
(and shadow) In this section: {Light - Intro} {The Thing Illuminated (and not) (redux and such)Light - Intro
The classic case is the lighting of a statue by light; eg, the statue of Lincoln in the Lincoln Monument, Washington, DC, Terra.The Thing Illuminated (and not)
(redux and such) What is shown in the light? What is shown only in shadow? does this (these) releationships change over time? Consider a turn-table that is half hidden by a curtain and the artist places a series of things on it: THE ROTARY THEATRE. (cf/qv with with magician David Copperfield making the Statue of Liberty disappear using a rotating stage) in the limit these become the I/A rides that mirror the rides that allow the patron to experience an Indiana Jones adventure, Back to the Future, Jurasic Park, The Star Trek experience, etc. But always recall what aesthetic you wish to use. We are all soooo used to the in-authentic experience that we willingly suspend disbelief in. A roller coaster ride is only REALLY exciting when the cars plunge to the ground killing the occupants. This is trash news for TV and such - but is that what we want to see? Go back to Joseph Beuys, Karpow, and of course Bruce Nauman, etc. We aren't selling the allographic as authentic (unless we choose to) - that's what hollywood does. Making a film (nothing wrong with that) is NOT filling a space with light and art. Once we sell shock for shock's sake, then we are NOT Beuys and the cayotte. The artist may have to peform, but they are NOT a performer - otherwise it's theatre, performance and the thing portrayed is no longer a work of art independent of the existence (or non) of the artist. Oh, well that's my 42-1/2 sence Altarian; nite all.Sources of Light
Electric bulb; type? lamp w/shade? Candles, fire works, fuses, etc - combustion diff from electric. Also: Kerosine lamps, Magnesium lamps, flares. Spot light - degree, size, capacity (volume, fade, etc) Theatre lighting concepts: Key, Fill, Back lights and of course: SPOT.Light + Motion
Things moving into and out of light (motion + light/shadow). Also consider: Lighting effects, whirling wheels (eg, Duchamp's and other "optical wheel" effects), spirals in motion. Consider placing either objects or lights on "turn-tables". Varieties and changes in distance (inverse square law), or filtering (eg, a fixed light, passes thru a series of filters on a turn-table). Motion of OBSTRUCTING objects (clear glass, frosted glass, filtering (colours), a geometric blocker, a small statue, photo-printed plastic with image, geometric construction ... THE OVERHEAD projector...
Video
(digital vids)
Time
See also: -[Time (design view)]- (4d design) (including static projected images, slide shows, films, etc) In this sub-section: {Time (intro)} {time-deconstructed} {The Path/Place/Movement} {Movement} {Motion, per se}
Time (intro)
Time-deconstructed
The Path/Place/Movement
Movement
Any object can be moved (well mostly). And of course by doing so, changes what it is saying. A simple example might an HO-gage toy train running around in a circle. And onto each car, we have placed a maquette figure; eg, a flat based glued to the car, a plastic straw sticking up, with a photo of (eg) a holly wood personality on it. If we take something which most naturally does NOT move (eg, one of the sculptor Richard Sierr's massive steel statues) and move it then it partially negates it's "presence" as being un-movable. Of course, upon reflection we *know* that the object must have been moved to place it where it is. Also consider, that one of the temples of Ramses II statues at Abu Simbel (i think) were cut up and moved when a dam was built on the Nile for irrigation/hyroelectric needs. We must (as artists) *necessarily* have mixed emotions about this: In the time of Ancient Egypt life could only exist a few miles on either side of the Nile - giving rise to the upper/middle/lower sections upon which of that areas social/cultural (and hence artistic) history is based. Thus, introducing motion is NOT a trivial matter. We are all familiar with the motif of "stop-ing time" in both SF and fantasy films, etc. {-------------------------------------------------} {--- ---} {--- By the same token, we take as read ---} {--- THE STOPING OF MOTION of what is ---} {--- normally in motion; eg, a clock's ---} {--- penduluum. Again this is NOT trivial. ---} {--- ---} {-------------------------------------------------} google: "stop motion" "edgerton" Consider the use of wind to move a draped canvas/cloth. A rotating fan, periodically disturbs strings or other danglers. An object is placed on a "hot wheels" or other remote control (R/C) vehicle and driven around. post-it note papers are laid out sticky-side-up where patron must inevitably walk.
Motion, per se
DIRECTION - As with other design elements, the motion towards/away/askance the viewer is to be considered. RHTHM - Smooth, repetitive, jerky, consistent / in-consistent. PATH - a repeated path, a unique path. Can the path be seen? Eg, the viewer standing by a toy rail-road layout with no (or limited) obstructions. INTERACTIONS - with the environment (passive), with active (in motion) elements of the env (active), with patrons with guards/performers/etc (ie: knowledge of the exhibit) Again the normal design elements: straight line motion curvilinear circular, squared-sided, .. strict geometricity convex / concave paths horizontal / vertical / skew -- planes of orientation along a path (eg, along a wall diagonally; eg, along a line of track laid out thru space, supported by a network of guy wires, etc).
Performance
Jupiter Space, Infinity, and Beyond
space as art material/thing light as thing shadow air thing water as art thing
In the end there was THE WORD (text)
Notes
[1] {Back to the TEXT} [2] [3] [4] {Back to the TEXT} [5] {Back to the TEXT} [6] {Back to the TEXT}
Some important books to know about
Bibliography
Note this section follows APA style (in keeping with current anthropological practise) with annotations, gushings, etc. Note that no ducks, iconospheres or fractals were injured during the production of this work. Gennep, (). From earliest times, tree markers in jungles marking territorial boundaries (see: {Gennep in Bibliography})
