The most obvious description of Burton's work is scary. Scary by the way he depicts his characters, skinny, sharp teeth with mutated/ dis-proportioned figures. I noticed that everything is exaggerated, a skinny person will be a stick where as a fat person is drawn with rolls of fat. Other areas that are consistently exaggerated are facial features, limbs and the atmosphere he creates.
Burton draws in a grotesque fashion demonstrated in his line work, it is scribbley and rushed, large eyes with minute pupils and lack of attention to the common amount of teeth. Most of his illustrations are drawn in black biro then water colour applied over top. The water colour is applied roughly using flicks and quick strokes. Burton suggests similarities between his drawings and clowns, they both exaggerate bodily features, Burton with less pretense and more physical distortion.
Burton enjoyed incorporating puns into his work like 'Bob enjoys holding hands with Sarah', two people holding severed hands. Burton plays on black humor, joking about death and the monsters inside people.
I have concluded that Burton had an odd childhood judging by, not what was written but, the collection of works featuring a child and movies he's directed. These works really gave the vibe of a poor relationships with his father a terrified little boy who saw the dark side in everything, including a toilet.
I quite like his style of art, it's different and distinctly unique.
Thursday, August 26, 2010
Thursday, August 19, 2010
First Official post
Time is flying by with 4 things I must juggle, learning to use this blog, writing my report, GUI assignment and still got to go clean the gutters of the chook pen.
The first artwork I'm discussing is Stephen Bush's 'Hawkweed'. It is the first work I noticed upon walking in. The effect on the work was quite engaging. A large, green shack that was an accurate representation (detailed) of reality was painted in amongst a landscape of uncontrolled drips and strokes of paint. This created a large contrast between the reality side of the piece and the indistinguishable. I believe this represented a conflict of realities that, what seems to be a little girl, is facing. Although, after discussion with peers, the girl may symbolize the common man at it's most vulnerable state, a small female child. Considering this and the possibility of the background marks representing nature, the meaning may conclude that the man, the girl, is overwhelmed and can't fathom or concur the system of nature. In a phase, man is nothing in nature, nothing but a minute element that cannot alter or prevent what is to come, eg tsunami. At the end of my analysis, it was pointed out to me that depicted cave at the bottom of the work also showed a light source at the end, meaning there is a way out. To justify this, there were people like figures that seem to be progressing to the front of the cave from the lighter part. I guess this means the potential of overcoming the problem previously mentioned.
Another work I enjoyed was Daniel Boyd's 'No beards coat of arms'. The meaning of the work is base on an harsh opinion towards the acts of the first fleet and settlers. Boyd wanted to offer and alternative another perspective on Captain James Cook. In the plaque description suggests that Boyd is depicting the first fleet as violent pirates. The form of the work is the elements Boyd has used to portray this meaning, he has incorporated a coat of arms with the motto 'He left nothing un-attempted'. He incorporates David R. Hortons Aboriginal map of Australia that perhaps suggests Australia should still be like that and not divided into only 7 states. Boyd's message is quite clear when the Latan slogan is interpreted, saying 'Stupid white man'. I think he is making a statement, he believes that it was wrong to convert Australia to a European country and that the land is by rights owned by the Aboriginals.
Ben Maddock- Mail
The composition of the work was balanced and aesthetically pleasing but I struggled to see any meaning in the work apart from a bit of history. The postcard were to a certain person from the 1800's. From what I can understand, the artist was just practicing the elements and principles of art. Even that was a bit of the light side, the visible principles were balance and contrast between the plain letters and the worn background, but I like it.
Mandy Martin- Big Boss
I hate the style of this work, it is blown up elements from magazines and other people's works. It is a high contrast work that doesn't seem to be balanced in regards to colour. Although it is balanced in regards to composition. The meaning was something about, what I can gather, civil war. The it was formed with images of the city scape, cars and a large image of a man with a cigar, being a ruler of some sort. I think the work delivered the a message but I was unable to decode it, if I knew a little more about history then I think it would have been easier for me to decipher.
Brett Whitely- Sacred Baboon
This was an interesting work, I have studied Brett Whitely in the past so I instantly recognised the work as one of his.
The work depicts a collage of an angry baboon behind bar with distinct human eyes. The eye's were cut and pasted from a magazine. It was said that the human eye spark a sense of recognition which in relation to it's snarl, a common occurrence of going through the motions. The work had a fact written on a plaque in front of the baboon. It said that the baboon used to run around villages in groups and destroy everything in the local houses. although this happened, the Egyptians viewed them as sacred animals. I believe that giving them human eye's represents intelligence and the ability to plan which would give reason for their rampages around town.
The first artwork I'm discussing is Stephen Bush's 'Hawkweed'. It is the first work I noticed upon walking in. The effect on the work was quite engaging. A large, green shack that was an accurate representation (detailed) of reality was painted in amongst a landscape of uncontrolled drips and strokes of paint. This created a large contrast between the reality side of the piece and the indistinguishable. I believe this represented a conflict of realities that, what seems to be a little girl, is facing. Although, after discussion with peers, the girl may symbolize the common man at it's most vulnerable state, a small female child. Considering this and the possibility of the background marks representing nature, the meaning may conclude that the man, the girl, is overwhelmed and can't fathom or concur the system of nature. In a phase, man is nothing in nature, nothing but a minute element that cannot alter or prevent what is to come, eg tsunami. At the end of my analysis, it was pointed out to me that depicted cave at the bottom of the work also showed a light source at the end, meaning there is a way out. To justify this, there were people like figures that seem to be progressing to the front of the cave from the lighter part. I guess this means the potential of overcoming the problem previously mentioned.
Another work I enjoyed was Daniel Boyd's 'No beards coat of arms'. The meaning of the work is base on an harsh opinion towards the acts of the first fleet and settlers. Boyd wanted to offer and alternative another perspective on Captain James Cook. In the plaque description suggests that Boyd is depicting the first fleet as violent pirates. The form of the work is the elements Boyd has used to portray this meaning, he has incorporated a coat of arms with the motto 'He left nothing un-attempted'. He incorporates David R. Hortons Aboriginal map of Australia that perhaps suggests Australia should still be like that and not divided into only 7 states. Boyd's message is quite clear when the Latan slogan is interpreted, saying 'Stupid white man'. I think he is making a statement, he believes that it was wrong to convert Australia to a European country and that the land is by rights owned by the Aboriginals.
Ben Maddock- Mail
The composition of the work was balanced and aesthetically pleasing but I struggled to see any meaning in the work apart from a bit of history. The postcard were to a certain person from the 1800's. From what I can understand, the artist was just practicing the elements and principles of art. Even that was a bit of the light side, the visible principles were balance and contrast between the plain letters and the worn background, but I like it.
Mandy Martin- Big Boss
I hate the style of this work, it is blown up elements from magazines and other people's works. It is a high contrast work that doesn't seem to be balanced in regards to colour. Although it is balanced in regards to composition. The meaning was something about, what I can gather, civil war. The it was formed with images of the city scape, cars and a large image of a man with a cigar, being a ruler of some sort. I think the work delivered the a message but I was unable to decode it, if I knew a little more about history then I think it would have been easier for me to decipher.
Brett Whitely- Sacred Baboon
This was an interesting work, I have studied Brett Whitely in the past so I instantly recognised the work as one of his.
The work depicts a collage of an angry baboon behind bar with distinct human eyes. The eye's were cut and pasted from a magazine. It was said that the human eye spark a sense of recognition which in relation to it's snarl, a common occurrence of going through the motions. The work had a fact written on a plaque in front of the baboon. It said that the baboon used to run around villages in groups and destroy everything in the local houses. although this happened, the Egyptians viewed them as sacred animals. I believe that giving them human eye's represents intelligence and the ability to plan which would give reason for their rampages around town.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
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