Scale (Again) and Google Earth Art

Image Courtesy of Rueters

Since my last two postings had something to do with scale, I see no reason to switch topics now. A recent news item, that I found last week, described the creation of a large scale statue in Hamburg, Germany. This statue is described in the article as depicting a giant mermaid in Alster lake. This sculpture is intriguing to me, and I would really like to know how it was constructed. The coloration on it is fabulous. It is to be on display until August 12 (So if you can get to Hamburg before then, definitely do it). The full article can be read here.

This sculpture reminds me of another located in Washington, D.C. This second sculpture, called "The Awakening," depicts a giant male figure emerging from the earth.

Image Courtesy of Wordpress.

As I look at these, I am lead to wonder. What drives these artists to create large-scale figurative sculptures? Is it the lore of giants? Is it just a playfulness of scale? What about the way they are presented? One is half submerged in water, while the other is in the solid ground. Does this use of water versus land create a different context for each piece? I do enjoy looking at these sculptures, I would just like to know more about them. This is a positive reaction towards a work of art, and should probably be a goal of all artists when creating a new piece. What do you think?

The second item I wanted to post is not about scale. Rather, it is about using a tool (Google Earth) in a new and creative way. A recent NPR article profiled the work of Jenny Odell (linked here). She described her work as an examination of that which is often overlooked. She said that when the items are cut out of a satellite map, and placed adjacently to one another, they lose their individual context and a new meaning is formed that suggests fragility. The article went on to describe how it is human nature to break items down and to categorize them.

While this is true, I am fascinated by the creative use of Google Earth. I think it's great when someone can see a new and creative way of using something not intended by the inventors. Human expression takes many forms, and this is an example of building upon the ideas of others. The result is a sort of collaboration that communicates ideas in a unique way.

3 Part Post

PART I

As a practicing artist, I receive several calls-to-artists every week. Last week I saw a particularly interesting call for book artists. I am not a book artist, and I am involved in several other projects at the moment, so I do not have time to explore this. However, I think it is extremely interesting. So if you would like to do this, I heartily encourage you to do so. The Athenaeum of Philadelphia is a museum and library devoted to books bound in unique formats. Among these include designs by Margaret Armstrong, Olive Grover and the studio artists of Decorative Designers. Using these designs as inspiration, the museum is asking for participation in the creation of new items. The full call for participation can be read here. If you do decide to participate please comment here, so we can see what you are doing.

Part II

Last week while traveling I stopped in Jamestown, NY. This is a unique community in Western New York, that among other things, features locally produced art works on the exterior walls of the buildings downtown. This is a group effort organized by the Jamestown High School, Jamestown Civic Organization, and Jamestown Community College. The images below illustrate this concept.

I think this is a fabulous idea. It showcases local artists, communicates unique ideas, and helps build a sense of community. This takes the gallery concept and brings it outdoors, where more people could potentially see it. If you are worried about damage to the art, this has been addressed and all pieces are protected from the elements by plexiglass. I would love to see this develop in other communities.

Part III

My last posting addressed the issue of scale. As I read through my post, I realized I forgot to include examples of the watercolor moving across the page. So for this post I am including two extreme art close-ups detailing the way aqueous media work. In the image below, a larger scale has been used, and the water has more room to run and drip.

In this second image, a smaller size paper was used and the water had less room to run down the page. This resulted in more color blending.

Another factor of this effect which I feel I must add, is the finish of the paper used. A smoother paper finish will also allow for more water to run. If you are using a rough watercolor paper, more blending will occur. These are things to consider if you decide to use this technique. That's it for now. Please leave your comments for next time, and thanks for reading.

Scale

This week I thought I would post a little about scale. Scale, or the size that an artist decides to work with, is one of the first choices he/she will make when beginning a work.

Of course the image above is just for fun, because we are clearly not talking about that kind of scale.

In a recent discussion with a friend, my acquaintance mentioned one of my works and described it as large. The dimensions of the piece in question is 30" X 22". This is by no means small, but compared to my other works it is significantly smaller. I didn't say anything, but in the back of my mind I was thinking "Hmm...that's actually a smaller image." This got me thinking about my works, the sizes they are, and why I generally paint in large scales.

To answer these questions I think it's important to understand the way I work. For the most part I paint in watercolor. I like the freedom and ease of the medium, but I also like the nature of using water to paint. I like the drippy, sloppy, runny quality of the brush and paint. Frequently I will intentionally hang my paper on the wall as I work in order to get the drips of water to flow more fluidly. This effect is enhanced in larger scales. I have done this with smaller works, but often the paint just blends together. With a smaller scale the resulting image still contains the free flow of water, but lacks individual droplets.

This explains a little of why I like to paint on large surfaces. I think there are other factors, but I don't want this post to be overly long. I will therefore stop with what I have said. What do you think? What scales do you work in? What are the scales of some of your favorite works of art? Do you think they would still be effective if they were created smaller or larger?