Nicholas Kennedy Sitton

Whilst researching into my other main artist 'Lucas Simoes', I came across this artist 'Nicholas K.S' who manipulated photography within this series 'twisted'. I found this photography interesting because it explored different routes with presenting photos. Furthermore, during this investigation I have found an interest in distorting and representing architecture from my perspective, further leading myself to become inspired by Sitton.

Sitton distorts architecture in a manner that creates the sense that the building is collapsing into itself, this seems to be created by the multiple shots of the building moving away from the origin. The artist stated that the meaning behind his work was to present his experience of moving, "I had just moved here and been a new city was disorienting and exciting and I wanted to capture how my whole world had changed." He is presenting the world the from his perspective. 

I find travelling occasionally daunting because, over the years, I have recognised that I find new places hard to handle with my vision impairment. This is due to the fact that in locations I'm not familiar with, my eyes seem to need to work harder in order to recognise the 3D surroundings, by the use of movement, shadows and size, whereas, in familiar surroundings, I remember and have learnt the distances of objects known to them areas. 

I further tried gaining inspiration from music and media, the sci-fi film 'Inception' challenged the ordinary by creating a dream world that distorted the physics and perspective. Sitton reminded me of this film when I first viewed his distorted photography it. 

Within this single piece from the series, I find that the high camera angle evokes a sense of empowerment within the building, even in this still motion of the building seeming to collapse. The circular movement of the building falling in on its self-doesn't only create the connotation of destruction, but also creation. The architecture of the present day is growing and becoming more advanced than anyone could have ever believed. Lucas Simoes inspired me to view his distortions as representing the growth in architecture, I find that the artist, Nicholas Kennedy Sitton's collection achieves similar. 

This building, known as the Crooked House, in Sopot, Poland. It's irregular-shaped design, had myself believing it was a photo-shopped photograph, inspired by this artists collection. However, this building is one of many that exist within the world that challenges the ordinary of architecture. The Crooked house was designed by Szoty & Zaleski, that were inspired by the fairy-tale illustrations from Per Dahlberg. Another example of architecture this artist has inspired is the dancing house, similar in irregularity.

Per Dahlberg's Work

Cut outs photography

From the cut outs, I decided to use the by-product, which is shapes to further develop my ideas of photography uses. 

I decided to use a photograph of an eye, to emphasis and remind that my concept is about my own vision impairment that challenges the ordinary. I used triangular shard shaped cut outs, that had a glitch feeling to them to surround the eye. This was meant to emphasis that my vision impairment makes the world and my surroundings look differently. 

I found this experiment successful, because the application of the cut outs makes the piece stronger, by creating focus on the eye. The use of a monochrome image allowed the cut outs to be used in order to create colour within the piece, as well as, movement. 







This piece brings to attention similarities to the big brother image. A programme that records members living in a house together.

This piece wasn't successful, I found that the cut outs removed the once beautiful focus of the eye. I had tried to experiment with creating the focus on the cut outs, however, this led to the piece overall becoming unsuccessful. I might in improve this piece, by applying more cut outs and try forming the eye with using them. This idea was inspired by the Big Brother logo.

Paper Cutting Experiments

To continue my exploration in the style of Lucas Simoes, I decided to produce individual pieces that wouldn't be overlapped or combined. With the inspiration of Lucio Fontana, I now decided to work with creating negative space within my pieces, so that the photographs that had been edited using Photoshop, had a developed composition. 


I experimented with different coloured photographs, to find out which colour worked best with the negative space. This first example, seemed too strict and less free because I focused too much on the shapes needing to fit together. 

Throughout this experiment, I found myself wanting to decrease the size of the shapes because I found the large cut outs seemed to remove too much. I liked the fine lines of photo that was in between the cut outs. I thought that to increase the number of these occurring the size of the cut outs will need to decrease. 

This piece wasn't successful because of the edited photograph. The colours didn't compliment the negative space. 

I found that the pink colour worked in well with the white negative space, because more emphasis was put on the shapes then in previous examples. I decreased the size of the shapes within this one, after evaluating the previous piece to find ways of improving the paper cutting experiments.














I further decreased the size of the cut outs. Within this piece I used a combination of right-angled triangles and isosceles to create squares around the centre and then almost around them show little structure, like they were dissolving into the photograph. 

From being inspired by the artist Fontana, I decided to use a black, textured backing to try create a void appearance. I found these experiments reminded me of my vision, by myself taking a photogrpah of a tree and then erasing parts of it from view. Similarly, my vision gives me an image, but leaves the 3D parts out, I find these images best convey this feeling. 

Lucio Fontana

Within my explorations in the style of Lucas Simoes, I came across the idea of cutting into the piece to create negative space. I wanted to find inspiration to further develop this idea and make visible ways of executing it. Lucio Fontana was born on 19 February 1899, Argentina and died on 7 September 1968, Italy. Fontana's 'Spatial Concept, Waiting' is one of many series of work Fontana produced between 1958 and 1968. Fontana's work that consists of cuts in the canvas either once or multiple time, are on the whole recognised as the Tagli cuts. The Tagli cuts were thoroughly calculated yet achieved in a second. This example, similarly the other holes in the canvases, hold the effect of attracting the viewer's eye into the small, yet seemingly powerful space. The puncture breaks out from the surface possessing the gestural force towards the audience in a manner that is threatening. My belief is that this threatening nature attracts us to the hole because we are instinctively attracted to knowing dangers of the world for survival, as well as knowing what is under the surface of everything. 

Fontana declared "I have constructed, not destroyed", I originally did not believe in this point, because I was being single minded and viewed the pieces as portraying actions of violence and destruction until I discovered this interesting point. Which is that these work blur the separation among two and three dimensionalities. Each cut was produced using a sharp blade, and then the canvas was backed on to black gauze. This black backing gave the piece this a void appearance under the surface and through the slit. This slit breaks the layer of two-dimensionality in order to feature the area behind the painting. 

From being inspired by this series of work, I now see my vision as also being a blurred combination of two and three dimensionalities, because I'm unable to see in 3D, however, through years of experience I have adapted myself and the way I view the world to allow me to pick up that the world is 3D, through movement, shadows and other forms. 

The artist was known for respecting the advances of technology and science throughout the 20th century, leading himself to find an interest in investigating and exploring a wide selection of mediums and methods, as shown in this cut series. 

Fontana explored and developed his work through both size and shape of the cuts, as well as altering the colour of the canvases, through the application of bright colours, such as red and blue. I find this interesting that the artist also found an interest in these two colours, because I've been using them throughout my work to link back to the traditional colours used in 3D glasses and images. 

Working in the style of Lucas Simoes

As Lucas Simoes worked in a style of layering of many photos in the series named 'Desretratos', I decided to create my own experiments in the style of his work. I started the process by printing the same image of a close-up camera shot of bark on a tree. I felt that the artist already experimented with doing the style with portraits, so I decided to become more abstract with less figurative photography. 

Each layer was a different colour so that the layers were distinct therefore visible. I cut different shapes out of each layer so that there was an exploration of different shapes on each layer. 

I found myself, not wanting the surface material to come through so I didn't cut into the base layer. However, after combining the layers this would have been a way to develop the piece. The addition of negative space would make the piece more interesting from my opinion because it would make the piece seem less rectangular and freer.  

Once I had finished cutting each layer out, I decided to fix them together using PVA. I found the layering technique successful at distorting and making the photograph less figurative. 

The unusual selection of colours for the photographs reminded me of the way colour-blind people perhaps view the world, one of my friends is colour blind making him find difficulty with distinguishing different colours to the rest of us.  

I thought using the same photograph for each layer, would mean that once combined would create the same images, but with different fragments of colour. I find that this was unsuccessful, however, seems to have worked for the best, as it has made a basic, boring piece of bark look bizarre and unusual. It challenges the way the world should and does look. 

This piece might be improved with the addition of acetate being applied, this would create another layer to view and wouldn't erase too much of the photograph from view because the material is transparent. I might print onto the acetate and then cut the acetate into strips that could be weaved through the distinct layers.

From the cuts out, these shapes were produced as a by-product. I scattered them on to a plain, white background to further develop my interest of these shapes capabilities. I didn't stick them down, due to my belief that I could use them in later experiments. These cut out are of the same object, however, due to the composition and colours a new object is created. 

Bleaching Photography

I've been inspired by Lucas Simoes to distort the photograph using bleach, instead of burning. I found the burning process wouldn't be suitable for my concept of vision impairments (stereo-blindness). I'm hoping, that the bleach will make the photo seem blurred. I've decided to use my own photography of people.

I began with a extreme-close up of a eye, because my work is based on the vision impairment stereo blindness. I believed that one eye would work best, because I only use one eye at once, so I felt that one would do. I applied bleach using a paintbrush, which also resulted in the rubbing effect that is made evident. I like this texture, because it gives the photograph a worn out appearance. It reminds me of the stress my eyes probably go through on a daily bases, because they cant co-operate. 

I decided to use less bleach within this example, however, remain to focus around the eye area, to further emphasis that I have a vision impairment. The people who I took photos of have a vision impairment as well, this person is long sighted and the one before was short sighted. The aim was to weakly remove the parts of the photo surrounding the eye, because of this impairment she possessed. 

I've grown to dislike my eyes, I find that when they aren't aligned their wondering which I find is off putting of my confidence in meeting new people and them talking to me. It's hard for other to know where I'm looking. This is the reason why I wanted to remove the whole eye. I had the person cover her eyes, as if to say she hates them, because that what I feel towards them. I find that the bleaching could do with colour, as it seems to dark and gloomy.  

Instead of turning the photos into colour, I applied a substance of ink and acrylic paint to cover the faces around a single eye on each. I wanted to find out what bleach did when in contract with the mediums. I like the fact that the bleach made the paint seem worn out, which is an unusual appearance for paint in art, I tend to only ever see it on abandoned or neglected wall. 









I liked this piece, the most out of all the experiments. It really captures the emotional feelings I have towards my vision impairment. I'm glad that I'm different, however, its affected me a lot over the years, so I tend to ask myself is different good. I like the ghostly effect that the bleach has created around the face. It's almost like a mist. 

Ink Bleeding on Photography

To further develop the idea of ink bleeding, I decided to produce more bleeding onto photographs, because I have intended on using photography from the being because I have an interest in the medium. I don't believe that it will work, because of the high concentrated ink already on the paper's surface. I decided that my 3D photography could be developed if combined with this process, I decided to use them for this experimentation process.

Front

I thickened the outlines present in this image, and then applied hair spray. On the front, I thought not much had changed. However, the bleeding ink and the removal of a photograph by the Biro being pushed on it, makes the images look like a glitch because it's unusual. 

Back

The ink surprisingly transferred onto the back, even with the material being thick photography paper. The back piece allows the outlines to become the focus, by removing all other details found within the photo. I've decided for that reason to keep the back viewable, by fixing it to the sketchbook with thread. 

Front

Back

I wanted to find out if this technique was successful at capturing a texture. So, I decided to use this photograph of bark I took during my travels. On the other side, lines formed the texture through the quick application of Biro. The back has an expressive abstract nature because the form of the bark isn't visible. 

Front

Back

I found from my experiments off the photography on the previous post, that structures were the most successful for this technique of ink bleeding. Hence, the reason why I decided to use a photograph of a city area. However, from this experience I found the photo over detailed, making it hard to find areas of focus and line. The ink bleed on the front made the image hard to make out, yet this was further emphasised through the pink and green effect I gave the photograph with photoshop. 

On the back, I found the ink spread across the paper like a root. I believe this was due to myself pressing the Biro pen down with more force than the others.

Front

Back 

I found the red background on this piece, allowed the blue Biro to become more clear than in previous examples. 

The aid of Bleaching 

I decided to apply bleach to the photograph to find out the result. I used a paintbrush to apply it, the rubbing of the brush on the photograph removed and faded out parts. I feel that the bleaching on this photograph didn't work very successfully, because of the already rough texture it possessed. 

I decided to try controlling the bleach more by using a biro pen, to remove parts of the photograph. I first applied a layer of bleach over the photograph, and then scratched into it using a pen following the path upwards. The path at the time seemed to possess the most line. The end result reminds me of the long exposure technique used in photography. 



















I wanted to find out what combining both the ink bleeding and bleaching technique would produce. The result is made evident by this example. I first drew the lines I found within the photograph, then I applied hair spray. This resulted in the typical ink bleed. After the ink had dried, I applied bleach using a paint brush. The bleach seemed to have the most effect on where I drew the lines, removing the ink and leaving behind white, plain lines. The bleach seemed to have mixed with the ink creating a tinted effect. 

On the back, the ink remained more evident, than what it does on the front, Furthermore, the bleach seeped through the lines and removed the closest ink present. I like the fact that the lines appear illuminated, like its a neon sign. However, this clearly contrasts the old mansion found within the photograph. 

Front 

I tried applied layers to the process, to find it this was successful and developed the piece in any way. I believed that I had been too strict with applying the Biro pen, so with this one, I aimed to be expressive. I felt that this piece wasn't successful because the layering drew too much attention and almost made the biro unnoticeable. Furthermore, the back didnt capture an expressive tone, it could have done with different colours and movement. It seems roo circular

Back