Modern art and technology are linked so closely, today many artists rely on technology to help enhance and create a deeper meaning to their works. Programs such as Photoshop, enables the artist to create a work that can’t just be captured by a camera. The use of technology helps the artist to create a deeper meaning or mood for the audience this meaning or mood can’t always be captured by a camera. Samantha Everton, an Australia artist who grew up in rural Queensland has made name for herself through her art nationally and internationally. Her collection of underwater images titled “Utopia”, displays various uses of technology. Everton describes her use of technology, “It allows me to create without limitations. I use Photoshop as a tool not a feature”. Everton uses technology to demonstrate elements of surrealism, such as stressing the subconscious, to enhance the meaning and to create a greater depth within the series. The images reveal underwater worlds that describe a place of silent oppressive beauty (Everton. S, Artist Statement). However the use of a minimal approach to technology adds to the raw, vulnerable feeling felt throughout. . Revealing that the works are primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality.
Everton takes a very minimal approach to the use technology and this approach helps to enhance and create depth to her works. Everton strayed away from previous displays that often took 10 hours and 12 different lights to take just one photograph. For the initial photographs, Everton used a basic, plastic, underwater camera somewhat took a serendipitous approach towards the series. Everton relinquished all control and relied on nature and natural sunlight to provide light for these pieces instead of the 8-12 lights often used in previous works. Eventually, after scores of different film type Everton settled on a Fuji Pro 160c that offered a fine-grain film with a dynamic range best suited to underwater lighting and conditions. Then through Photoshop the images where enhanced by adjusting brightness and exposure. Through basic adjustments it is evident that Everton did use a very minimal approach to enhance the meaning of each work. As such as basic use of technology adds to works giving them a raw complexity. In each image it is obvious that she has used some sort of alteration of the contrast and brightness. Everton uses Photoshop it frame and crop the images to adjust them to the right size. Everton uses the positioning of the subject and light to create level of depth in each image. This technique is applied in the image titled “peace”, through light and the position of the subject she is able to create a sense of depth that enhances the meaning of the image. Everton also uses basic visual language to enhance her images, such as a contrast of the colours red and in “solitude” to create a level of unity and balance. The colours are murky and desaturated, contributing to the intense feeling of foreboding that is cast by the image. Along with visual language, Everton is able to encapsulate meaning through subject matter and technology.
Everton uses subject matter and the environment of which the photographs are taken to contribute to the surrealistic qualities of her images. Surrealism is a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images. Through the use of a female subject in dresses, underwater, Everton creates an element of juxtaposition. In her artist statement Everton describes her works as featuring elements of surrealism “My photographic art is primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism, I put together images that show quiet introspective and unconscious moments of life and our relationships”. Through surrealism Everton tries to evoke emotion, psychological and intellectual qualities. It is evident through the body language of the woman that within the series this woman has escaped through water into a different world but still has not found peace. The water is a metaphor for the divison between the external and internal world of our minds creating that element of surrealism. Everton creates this surrealism through the metaphor of water as it creates a feeling of the subconscious. It is evident that through the technology and visual language that Everton is able to engage with what she is trying to communicate. Everton explains the intended meaning of this series in article for the Dickerson Gallery in 2009, “I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape…we may be able to withdraw our bodies and our mind from the world but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears”.Through the use of technology Everton creates a oppressive and sad atmosphere felt by audiences.
The use of visual language and the oppressive, surrealistic atmosphere create a deeper meaning for each piece of which enables the viewer to articulate a response. Everton reveals, “The underwater worlds show in “Utopia” are a place of silent oppressive beauty.” (Everton. S, Artist Statement). This feeling of claustrophobia and suffocation is not only evident within the works but has been felt throughout the comments made by various viewers. Anastasia Ward reveals her thoughts on the pieces “The raw and openness of the subject also suggests the naturalness… this work explores ideas of the subconscious, or developmental transition, or perhaps an intermingling of the two; but there is definitely a relaxed sense of entering unknown territory. “ It is evident that Everton is able to create the same ideas and views of her works with her audiences.
Technology and programs such as Photoshop have become a fundamental tool within modern art today as artists rely on it to create a greater meaning and a greater connection with the viewer. Through the use of technology it is evident that Samantha Everton is able to create and enhance meaning to the underwater world depicted in her series ‘Utopia’ and each photograph.
Bibliography
Artist Statement, Samantha Everton, No date http://www.dickersongallery.com.au/artist/78?exhibitionID=23"
Nichola Garvey BIFB Core Program catalogue 2009-09-04 http://www.samanthaeverton.com/articles.php?id=15
September 2, 2009 “ The Depths that the artist goes” http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/sea-the-depths-an-artist-goes-to/2009/09/01/1251570707911.html
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Research
href="http://www.theage.com.au/news/entertainment/arts/sea-the-depths-an-artist-goes-to/2009/09/01/1251570707911.html
This article talks about Evertons triumph of the sea and the process that she went through to create the images.
Utopia
Nichola Garvey
BIFB Core Program catalogue
2009-09-04
Submerged in chilly waters off the coast of Victoria’s southern tip, in the Southern Ocean, a young woman gasps for breath. Goose pimples crowd her arms and legs as she struggles against the lapping waves, struggles against the cold, her lips as blue as the dress she wears, which sways with the rhythm of the ocean, gently slapping her pale, exposed body.
Again she plunges, sweeping through the water, her focus intent on the mossy outcrop just a few metres away. She’s panicky, from the cold, but the beauty of the underwater scene below calms her. As she draws closer she reaches out to clutch the oceanic vegetation but recoils at the sensation of slick, hardy seaweed caressing her hands and arms. She swiftly changes direction propelling herself upward, quickly, breaking through the surface, spraying water as she gasps for air.
“How long, how long?” she pleads.
“Six minutes,” is the response.
“Okay, let’s have a changeover,” directs Samantha Everton from her submerged position at the far edge of the rock pool. She hauls herself out of the water and sits on a flattish rock inspecting her camera, her legs dangling in the cool water, protected from the cold by the thick, full-body, black wetsuit.
Her Camera, a basic model with just two standardised settings, is a vast departure from the sophisticated equipment she usually employs. The sun, her main lighting resource, is both her inspiration and her inhibitor forcing her to work within its limited dimensions, yet providing ample breadth between shadow and illumination.
“More film,” she requests handing her camera to an assistant, her ‘wet’ assistant, also dressed in a wetsuit, who, in turn, hands it over to a, ‘dry’, assistant who changes the film and hands it back down the chain again. The young woman in the blue dress has been wrapped up in a silver survival blanket and is sipping on a warm cup of coco and in the meantime a second woman wades into the water to knee high, her dark hair a distinctive contrast to her vibrant red dress.
“I’m ready,” she calls.
Samantha slips into the water and flexes her fingers, they’re beginning to stiffen from the cold but the afternoon light has taken on a soft golden hue, so she doesn’t want to stop now.
The red-robed woman dives in and the sudden cold exhilarates her while the familiar underwater silence makes her feel cut-off from the world, if even just for a moment. And in that moment she finds a profound cocoon-like peace. A camera flash cuts through the water like a bolt of electricity, breaking her from her reverie, then, she is in shadow again.
Samantha breaks to the surface. The afternoon clouds have started to roll in and the much needed light source is lost, so she decides to call it a wrap. She attempts to haul herself onto the nearby rock but falls back into the water. She’s tiring. After eight or nine hours in the water the cold has chilled her to the core. She unclips her weight belt and tosses it on the rocks and attempts her exit again, this time she makes it.
Back at the studio she works into the night, dying to discover how the shots have turned out. The whole experience has been quite different to how she’d normally conduct her work which is typically highly stylized and staged; choreographed and planned to the finest detail. Wanting to challenge herself, to test and extend her abilities, this time she threw away the controlled studio environment in favour of a more spontaneous canvas, a less predictable outcome, seeking harmony with the elements around her, while still being challenged to create a story, to create questions and intrigue in the viewers’ minds, offering multidimensional perspectives.
The shots come into focus. At first glance, the two women appear at ease basking in the ocean, their reflections on the water’s surface. Yet, the delicate dresses they wear, barely covering their exposed bodies, hint at a vulnerability, mere feathers caught up in the forces of nature. All alone they are surrounded by shadow and while the sun above tinkles and dazzles what lies below seems more ominous and silent.
The work is mesmerizing, for, it is both calming and unsettling. The underwater silence and the oppressive beauty of the ocean safely embrace us if only for a moment, for it is an ultimately inhospitable environment, providing only momentary reprieve from ourselves, from our lives, a mere blink in defense against the blazing sun.
The vivid colour, so distinctive to Everton’s work, encourages a sense of living, of being alive and this is highlighted by the movement in the works; the ripples on the water, the dancing light particles, the flowing reeds and the women, whose languid movements appear as though they are in a private, indulgent moment.
The grainy imagery delivers a touch of remoteness to the work, harking back to summer days and faded memories, complimenting the series beautifully. The works are a departure from Everton’s signature style but their beauty and complexity prove she can be creatively adventurous and, like the works she creates, multidimensional.
© Samantha Everton 2009
http://www.samanthaeverton.com/articles.php?id=15
This is an artist statement from Everton about her works
Utopia
'The underwater worlds shown in Utopia are a place of silent, oppressive beauty. The women in these scenes appear to have escaped, but have not found peace. What are they searching for? These images capture a sense of movement; there is a disconcerting awkwardness in their pose: something troubling that needs to be answered.
I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape – we may be able to withdraw our bodies and minds from the world, but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears. The surface of the water is a metaphor for the division between the external world and the internal world of our minds. The images show moments of introspection, perhaps deliberately hiding from the outside world.
In some images, the woman is cold, suspended in motion, but seems to be fleeing from something. Others have a more calm appearance, almost as if the woman is taking her last breath and giving in to the darkness of the ocean. The images make one think of the immense power and timelessness of the ocean and water, in contrast to the fragility of the girls. Darkness closes in from the edges of the frame, and the surface of the water, like a low ceiling, gives an oppressive, claustrophobic feeling.'
- Samantha Everton
http://www.dickersongallery.com.au/artist/78?exhibitionID=23"
This article talks about Evertons triumph of the sea and the process that she went through to create the images.
Utopia
Nichola Garvey
BIFB Core Program catalogue
2009-09-04
Submerged in chilly waters off the coast of Victoria’s southern tip, in the Southern Ocean, a young woman gasps for breath. Goose pimples crowd her arms and legs as she struggles against the lapping waves, struggles against the cold, her lips as blue as the dress she wears, which sways with the rhythm of the ocean, gently slapping her pale, exposed body.
Again she plunges, sweeping through the water, her focus intent on the mossy outcrop just a few metres away. She’s panicky, from the cold, but the beauty of the underwater scene below calms her. As she draws closer she reaches out to clutch the oceanic vegetation but recoils at the sensation of slick, hardy seaweed caressing her hands and arms. She swiftly changes direction propelling herself upward, quickly, breaking through the surface, spraying water as she gasps for air.
“How long, how long?” she pleads.
“Six minutes,” is the response.
“Okay, let’s have a changeover,” directs Samantha Everton from her submerged position at the far edge of the rock pool. She hauls herself out of the water and sits on a flattish rock inspecting her camera, her legs dangling in the cool water, protected from the cold by the thick, full-body, black wetsuit.
Her Camera, a basic model with just two standardised settings, is a vast departure from the sophisticated equipment she usually employs. The sun, her main lighting resource, is both her inspiration and her inhibitor forcing her to work within its limited dimensions, yet providing ample breadth between shadow and illumination.
“More film,” she requests handing her camera to an assistant, her ‘wet’ assistant, also dressed in a wetsuit, who, in turn, hands it over to a, ‘dry’, assistant who changes the film and hands it back down the chain again. The young woman in the blue dress has been wrapped up in a silver survival blanket and is sipping on a warm cup of coco and in the meantime a second woman wades into the water to knee high, her dark hair a distinctive contrast to her vibrant red dress.
“I’m ready,” she calls.
Samantha slips into the water and flexes her fingers, they’re beginning to stiffen from the cold but the afternoon light has taken on a soft golden hue, so she doesn’t want to stop now.
The red-robed woman dives in and the sudden cold exhilarates her while the familiar underwater silence makes her feel cut-off from the world, if even just for a moment. And in that moment she finds a profound cocoon-like peace. A camera flash cuts through the water like a bolt of electricity, breaking her from her reverie, then, she is in shadow again.
Samantha breaks to the surface. The afternoon clouds have started to roll in and the much needed light source is lost, so she decides to call it a wrap. She attempts to haul herself onto the nearby rock but falls back into the water. She’s tiring. After eight or nine hours in the water the cold has chilled her to the core. She unclips her weight belt and tosses it on the rocks and attempts her exit again, this time she makes it.
Back at the studio she works into the night, dying to discover how the shots have turned out. The whole experience has been quite different to how she’d normally conduct her work which is typically highly stylized and staged; choreographed and planned to the finest detail. Wanting to challenge herself, to test and extend her abilities, this time she threw away the controlled studio environment in favour of a more spontaneous canvas, a less predictable outcome, seeking harmony with the elements around her, while still being challenged to create a story, to create questions and intrigue in the viewers’ minds, offering multidimensional perspectives.
The shots come into focus. At first glance, the two women appear at ease basking in the ocean, their reflections on the water’s surface. Yet, the delicate dresses they wear, barely covering their exposed bodies, hint at a vulnerability, mere feathers caught up in the forces of nature. All alone they are surrounded by shadow and while the sun above tinkles and dazzles what lies below seems more ominous and silent.
The work is mesmerizing, for, it is both calming and unsettling. The underwater silence and the oppressive beauty of the ocean safely embrace us if only for a moment, for it is an ultimately inhospitable environment, providing only momentary reprieve from ourselves, from our lives, a mere blink in defense against the blazing sun.
The vivid colour, so distinctive to Everton’s work, encourages a sense of living, of being alive and this is highlighted by the movement in the works; the ripples on the water, the dancing light particles, the flowing reeds and the women, whose languid movements appear as though they are in a private, indulgent moment.
The grainy imagery delivers a touch of remoteness to the work, harking back to summer days and faded memories, complimenting the series beautifully. The works are a departure from Everton’s signature style but their beauty and complexity prove she can be creatively adventurous and, like the works she creates, multidimensional.
© Samantha Everton 2009
http://www.samanthaeverton.com/articles.php?id=15
This is an artist statement from Everton about her works
Utopia
'The underwater worlds shown in Utopia are a place of silent, oppressive beauty. The women in these scenes appear to have escaped, but have not found peace. What are they searching for? These images capture a sense of movement; there is a disconcerting awkwardness in their pose: something troubling that needs to be answered.
I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape – we may be able to withdraw our bodies and minds from the world, but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears. The surface of the water is a metaphor for the division between the external world and the internal world of our minds. The images show moments of introspection, perhaps deliberately hiding from the outside world.
In some images, the woman is cold, suspended in motion, but seems to be fleeing from something. Others have a more calm appearance, almost as if the woman is taking her last breath and giving in to the darkness of the ocean. The images make one think of the immense power and timelessness of the ocean and water, in contrast to the fragility of the girls. Darkness closes in from the edges of the frame, and the surface of the water, like a low ceiling, gives an oppressive, claustrophobic feeling.'
- Samantha Everton
http://www.dickersongallery.com.au/artist/78?exhibitionID=23"
Ana's Veiw
I get a sense, from both images, of entering into the unknown. Without knowing the context, I can really only assume psychological; that feeling of delving into realms within the mind that were previously unentered. The girl looks relaxed, so one can assume it is a natural state, either growing up or merely falling asleep and entering the subconscious. The fact that these images are under water give a similar vibe. Water can be interpreted in many ways, including the subconscious and also a cleansing nature, as seen in Bill Viola's work. I really get a sense of internal growth from these images, without being able to pinpoint why, and perhaps the water is this reformation that comes with age. Perhaps I get this feeling from the evident youth in the girl which is interesting, because other artists, like Tom Chambers, clearly try to hide the identity of their subjects. The raw and openness of the subject also suggests the naturalness I mentioned earlier. I am still torn over whether this work explores ideas of the subconscious, or developmental transition, or perhaps an intermingling of the two; but there is definitely a relaxed sense of entering unknown territory.
Essay DRAFT
Samantha Everton Essay PLAFT
Intro:
Samantha Everton’s collection of underwater images labeled “Utopia”, displays various elements of technology. Everton uses technology to demonstrate elements of surrealism, to enhance the meaning and to create a greater depth within the series. The images reveal underwater worlds and describe a place of silent oppressive beauty, however the use a minimal approach to technology adds to the raw, venerable feeling felt throughout. . Revealing that the works are primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality.
Everton use’s a very minimal approach to the use technology and the use very little technology to enhance and depth to her works minimal. Everton strayed away form previous displays that often took 10 hours and 12 different lights to shoot just one photograph. For the initial photo’s, Everton used a basic, plastic, underwater camera somewhat taking a serendipitous approach towards the series. Everton somewhat relinquished all control and relied on nature to provide light for these pieces instead of the 8-12 lights often used in previous works. Eventually, after scores of different film type Everton settled on a Fuji Pro 160c that offered a fine-grain film with a dynamic range best suited to underwater lighting and conditions. Through a minimal approach Everton is able to enhance the meaning of each work as it as to the raw complexity of each image. In each image it is obvious that she has used some sort of alteration of the contrast and brightness. Everton uses the positioning of the subject and light to create level of depth in each image. This technique is applied in the image labelled “peace”, through light and the postion of the subject she is able to create a sense of depth that enhances the meaning of the image. Everton also uses basic visual language to enhance her images, such as a contrast of the colours red and in “solitude” to create a level of unity and balance. The colours are somewhat murky and desaturated, contributing to the intense feeling of foreboding that is cast by the image.Along with visual language, Everton is able to encapsulate meaning through subject matter and technology.
Everton uses subject matter and the environment to contribute to the surrealistic qualities of her images. Surrealism is a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images. Everton describes her works as featuring elements of surrealism “My photographic art is primarly concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism, I put together images that show quiet introspective and unconscious moments of life and our relationships”. Through surrealism Everton tries to evoke emotion, psychological and intellectual qualities. It is evident that within the series this woman has escaped through water into a different world but has not found peace. The water is somewhat a metaphor for the divison between the external and internal world of our minds creating that element of surrealism. Everton explains this feeling in article for the Dickerson Gallery “I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape…we may be able to withdraw our bodies and our mind from the world but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears”.
The use of visual language and the oppressive, surrealistic atmosphere create a deeper meaning for each piece of which enables the viewer to articulate a response. Through interviewing many people on Everton’s works, to help the viewer understand the pieces. Everton reveals, “The underwater worlds show in “Utopia” are a place of silent oppressive beauty.” This feeling has been felt throughout the comments made by various veiwers. Anastasia Ward reveals her thoughts on the pieces “The raw and openness of the subject also suggests the naturalness… this work explores ideas of the subconscious, or developmental transition, or perhaps an intermingling of the two; but there is definitely a relaxed sense of entering unknown territory. “ It is evident that Everton is able to create the same ideas a views of her works with her audiences.
Intro:
Samantha Everton’s collection of underwater images labeled “Utopia”, displays various elements of technology. Everton uses technology to demonstrate elements of surrealism, to enhance the meaning and to create a greater depth within the series. The images reveal underwater worlds and describe a place of silent oppressive beauty, however the use a minimal approach to technology adds to the raw, venerable feeling felt throughout. . Revealing that the works are primarily concerned with depicting an untouchable reality.
Everton use’s a very minimal approach to the use technology and the use very little technology to enhance and depth to her works minimal. Everton strayed away form previous displays that often took 10 hours and 12 different lights to shoot just one photograph. For the initial photo’s, Everton used a basic, plastic, underwater camera somewhat taking a serendipitous approach towards the series. Everton somewhat relinquished all control and relied on nature to provide light for these pieces instead of the 8-12 lights often used in previous works. Eventually, after scores of different film type Everton settled on a Fuji Pro 160c that offered a fine-grain film with a dynamic range best suited to underwater lighting and conditions. Through a minimal approach Everton is able to enhance the meaning of each work as it as to the raw complexity of each image. In each image it is obvious that she has used some sort of alteration of the contrast and brightness. Everton uses the positioning of the subject and light to create level of depth in each image. This technique is applied in the image labelled “peace”, through light and the postion of the subject she is able to create a sense of depth that enhances the meaning of the image. Everton also uses basic visual language to enhance her images, such as a contrast of the colours red and in “solitude” to create a level of unity and balance. The colours are somewhat murky and desaturated, contributing to the intense feeling of foreboding that is cast by the image.Along with visual language, Everton is able to encapsulate meaning through subject matter and technology.
Everton uses subject matter and the environment to contribute to the surrealistic qualities of her images. Surrealism is a 20th-century avant-garde movement in art that sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images. Everton describes her works as featuring elements of surrealism “My photographic art is primarly concerned with depicting an untouchable reality with elements of magic realism, I put together images that show quiet introspective and unconscious moments of life and our relationships”. Through surrealism Everton tries to evoke emotion, psychological and intellectual qualities. It is evident that within the series this woman has escaped through water into a different world but has not found peace. The water is somewhat a metaphor for the divison between the external and internal world of our minds creating that element of surrealism. Everton explains this feeling in article for the Dickerson Gallery “I wanted to show the impossibility of total escape…we may be able to withdraw our bodies and our mind from the world but we cannot break away from our doubts and fears”.
The use of visual language and the oppressive, surrealistic atmosphere create a deeper meaning for each piece of which enables the viewer to articulate a response. Through interviewing many people on Everton’s works, to help the viewer understand the pieces. Everton reveals, “The underwater worlds show in “Utopia” are a place of silent oppressive beauty.” This feeling has been felt throughout the comments made by various veiwers. Anastasia Ward reveals her thoughts on the pieces “The raw and openness of the subject also suggests the naturalness… this work explores ideas of the subconscious, or developmental transition, or perhaps an intermingling of the two; but there is definitely a relaxed sense of entering unknown territory. “ It is evident that Everton is able to create the same ideas a views of her works with her audiences.
This image is called peace. Except its not the feeling that I get from it. When I look at it I feel a sense of meloncholy to best discribe it. Its like I feel this sense of darkness that is hovering over me. I think that Everton creates the feeling through the depth and shadow that is so evident in this image. The depth entices you to feel distant and I think that when you feel distant you feel alone. You feel hopeless and sad. With the dark space that has been created with shaddow takes up the whole image, almost swallowing the woman.
Again this image by Samantha Everton is an image of a woman submersed in water however she is not completely underwater. Her head is still above the water. The woman's body language appears to be tense in a calm way. The woman looks as if she is just swimming, clamly emersing herself in the water, splashing about. In this image the woman is dressed in a pale blue dress, possibly suggesting her frame of mind or just to give the image more meaning. However I don't know what that meaning is yet.
This image by Samantha Everton depicts an image of a young woman, submersed in water. Her eyes are closed and her body is clam. She seems very relaxed almost as if she is sleeping and as she is submersed underwater she is shut out from the world. Water can be interpreted in so many different ways, including the subconscious and it also brings a cleansing nature to it. The image is very raw as you can see the girls face and nothing is hidden everything is there for you to see. Unlike a Tom Chambers work that the identity if often hidden. As the water and her body language reflect that idea of the subconscious, I really think that this work explores the subconscious. As when you are under water you are in a different world, nothing sounds the same you can talk, you can't see you and relaxed. As I think that when you are sleeping (an element of subconscious) you feel all these things.
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