Rainer's Images
Image Analysis
Content
For my first artist I am going to focus on Arnulf Rainer. The genre of this photograph is portraiture and is also considered experimental due to Rainer drawing on the image, making it abstract. The subject matter is a person’s face, which is distorted by Rainer using charcoal and paint to emphasis the model’s facial features, like his nose. The image is not a direct observation as it has been made black and white and, as previously mentioned, charcoal and paint has been added to the image, and therefore the image is contrived. I believe there is a hidden meaning behind this image. To me, the image explores identity and subconscious thoughts and how they can effect perception. I think the image portrays this meaning very well through the use of charcoal.
Form
The composition of the image is used effectively as the close up image allows the facial features to become more noticeable and so Rainer can then emphasise the features further. Also the use of black and white in the image enhances the charcoal lines and in other images, the coloured paint used by Rainer stands out even more, allowing the features to be manipulated further. At a first glance at the image the viewer may perceive the charcoal line situated by the nose as the actual nose of the model (which is Rainer himself), showing that the charcoal lines are very effective.
Process
Rainer will have taken images of himself/found a professional photographer to do this for him (as he has said that photographers capture the emotion on people’s faces better than he could). Afterwards he or the photographer will have edited the images to black and white with low contrast, then Rainer will have then used charcoal to emphasis the facial features in order to portray the image’s hidden meaning.
Mood
The mood created in the image, in my opinion is quite light, this portrayed by the facial expression on the model (Rainer). However, the black and white in the image, combined with the charcoal adds a mystery to the image, allowing the viewer to question the image and artist on aspects like the emphasised facial features. I find this work very interesting and very relevant to the subject matter of psychological disorders due to its association with the problem of identity and what is real. The image is very effective as all aspects of it combined allow a deeper meaning to show through the images, as a result I like this image a lot and look forward to recreating it.
For my first artist I am going to focus on Arnulf Rainer. The genre of this photograph is portraiture and is also considered experimental due to Rainer drawing on the image, making it abstract. The subject matter is a person’s face, which is distorted by Rainer using charcoal and paint to emphasis the model’s facial features, like his nose. The image is not a direct observation as it has been made black and white and, as previously mentioned, charcoal and paint has been added to the image, and therefore the image is contrived. I believe there is a hidden meaning behind this image. To me, the image explores identity and subconscious thoughts and how they can effect perception. I think the image portrays this meaning very well through the use of charcoal.
Form
The composition of the image is used effectively as the close up image allows the facial features to become more noticeable and so Rainer can then emphasise the features further. Also the use of black and white in the image enhances the charcoal lines and in other images, the coloured paint used by Rainer stands out even more, allowing the features to be manipulated further. At a first glance at the image the viewer may perceive the charcoal line situated by the nose as the actual nose of the model (which is Rainer himself), showing that the charcoal lines are very effective.
Process
Rainer will have taken images of himself/found a professional photographer to do this for him (as he has said that photographers capture the emotion on people’s faces better than he could). Afterwards he or the photographer will have edited the images to black and white with low contrast, then Rainer will have then used charcoal to emphasis the facial features in order to portray the image’s hidden meaning.
Mood
The mood created in the image, in my opinion is quite light, this portrayed by the facial expression on the model (Rainer). However, the black and white in the image, combined with the charcoal adds a mystery to the image, allowing the viewer to question the image and artist on aspects like the emphasised facial features. I find this work very interesting and very relevant to the subject matter of psychological disorders due to its association with the problem of identity and what is real. The image is very effective as all aspects of it combined allow a deeper meaning to show through the images, as a result I like this image a lot and look forward to recreating it.