Miroslav Tichy

Miroslav Tichy is the first pinhole photographer I looked at. I really love his work, although many would disagree since none of his subjects know that they are having there photo taken, but I think that's what I like about the they seem more real that way. Also they may not be licked so much since they are all basically of women. 

 They are dreamy in a way. An image caught between sleep and dream, before your eyes are fully opened.

He makes all his pinhole cameras, out of all sorts of materials such as lou paper rolls, thread spools, rubber bands and so forth.

Artist Biography:



One of tischys homemade cameras



After studying at the Academy of Arts in Prague, Miroslav Tichý (born 1926) withdrew to a life in isolation in his hometown of Kyjov, Moravia, Czech Republic In the late 1950s he quit painting and became a distinctive Diogenes-like figure. From the end of the 1960s he began to take photographs mainly of local women, in part with cameras he made by hand. He later mounted them on hand-made frames, added finishing touches in pencil, and thus moved them from photography in the direction of drawing. The result is works of strikingly unusual formal qualities, which disregard the rules of conventional photography. They constitute a large oeuvre of poetic, dreamlike views of feminine beauty in a small town under the Czechoslovak Communist régime.

 

This is one of my favorites!

Sculpture/Combined-media - Pin-hole Cameras

"Photograph:  a picture painted by the sun without instruction in art."

-Ambrose Bierce

 
For the past two weeks, (two weeks this Friday.) I have been in Sculpture/combined Media. This is the first of my three disciplines that I will be doing for the next six weeks. Two weeks per discipline.
Our project for sculpture was based on the five sense's or the five vital singes. We did some brainstorming of each of these ten words, and then picked a verb out of the selection of words that branched off from the main topic. I focused on the word sight, but also the verbs, to blur, to blind, to watch, and so forth I haven't really settled on a particular one.  My tutor Mr. Cannon suggested I look at the artist, Miroslav Tichy, since I was interested in photography. Tischy make his own pinhole cameras. I'll add more information about him in another post.
I really liked his work and his cameras. I thought it would be a very interesting idea. So that's what my project came to be about. Making my own pinhole cameras out of whatever I can find, and seeing what happens!
Its very interesting, and is something I would possibly like to continue with after this project, its just very hard to find information on them, such as shutter speeds and such. But it is really all just trial and error I sapose.

Berlin

I was in Berlin for five days, as part of a college art trip. It was most enjoyable, although I would never live there its most certanly a place i'd like to go and visit again. There was so much to see, if only I had four more days!

Assement set-up

"My studio has a personality of its own. It can be a monstrous clutter from one end to the other or, at times, the very model of simplicity."

-Harley Brown

Well all my work has been set up for my assessment tomorrow, Tuesday the 11th at 11:45.

Looking at everything set up in this photo makes me feel ill. It doesn't look like I have a lot done. It takes so long to do so little. I just want everything to be perfect.

Hopefully it looks ok and my work will go down well tomorrow.

I'll be glad when it is all over.

Artists Statment

My work on this project has always been about the dying earth and the growing city.

It started out on more of the emotional side, trying to illustrate the frustration of a dying land, and the closterfobic feelings one has when in the full of people, and pollution.

It then turned more surreal after I focused on the wild animals that are learning to adapt in their new urban environment. Such as the fox and the hare/rabbit.

I wanted to focus on mother earth, combining her image with that of animal and human, living amongst the city.

I wanted to tell stories, and to explore hidden worlds in the city streets that we as humans choose to ignore, and forget about as we grow older.

In the end the pieces I created focused on nature, and that even though it is delicate and fragile, in reality we are the delicate ones. It wouldn’t take much for nature to wipe us out and to start fresh.

We are small in her hands.

"The studio, a room to which the artist consigns himself for life, is naturally important, not only as workplace, but as a source of inspiration. And it usually manages, one way or another, to turn up in his product."

-Grace Gluek

Ode to Joy, - Fin

Just some photos of my sketchbook for this project.

 Its stuffed and its spine is broking.

A well loved book and an enjoyable project even if the original\subject might have been a bit dry and challenging.

 I think I made the most out of it..:O).

"Learn to draw so effectively that it becomes second nature – almost another language. Carry a sketchbook at all times"

-David Curtis

My Final Piece!

"Forget not that the earth delights to feel your bare feet and the winds long to play with your hair." 

-Kahlil Gibran

Below are photos of my final piece for this project. I hope it goes down well with my tutors, its hard to create something in two weeks or less. I started comparing paintings of the Virgin Mary and of the more Pagan styled paintings of the green woman by Brian Froud.

I wanted to create an image of Nature herself, a person of living energy. Holding a city plucked from a dying world in the universe's garden.
I wanted the city to be small in her hand. showing that even though something so big and that is growing so fast, can easily be plucked form history, wiped out by a single wave of the hand......

"This is a beautiful planet and not at all fragile.  Earth can withstand significant volcanic eruptions, tectonic cataclysms, and ice ages.  But this canny, intelligent, prolific, and extremely self-centered human creature had proven himself capable of more destruction of life than Mother Nature herself.... We've got to be stopped."

-Michael L. Fischer, Harper's, July 1990

For the background I printed out a whole bunch of lyrics by Iron and Wine and some poetry on Nature by Emily Dickinson, then pasted them in rows, from top to bottom, left to right, onto the board.

Close-up of background

I then painted it with a thin layer of gesso. Thin enough so you can still see the lyrics, but also creating a surface to paint over.

Using a sponge I painted a layer of gold mixed with slow drying fluid retarder to thin it out and such.

The original drawing

I transferred the drawing onto the board

I taped the edges so I could get an even line when I painted the dress.

I mixed slow drying fluid retarder with the paint so it would go on very thin. The added gold stars to the dress.

"Climb the mountains and get their good tidings.  Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flows into trees.  The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. "

 -John Muir

I stupidly didn't take picture as I was going along, but this is it before I added the horns and city.

Close-up of face after I added the antlers.

Close-up of Antler. The antler is made with hard moulding paste creating a relief. I also used he molding paste for the hair that is wrapped round the antler. I've never used moulding paste before so It was pretty cool that I got to use all these different mediums and such for this piece.

Close-up of texture on antler.  I mixed the base colour with the paste then when it was dry, I sponged on the darker colour so it got in all the nooks and crannies, then using a lighter colour I sponged it lightly so the top bits lightened up.

Close-up of city. I used found photos of down-town Manhattan and New York, cutting and pasting the images together. Then I placed them inside a pressed rose. Its funny I got the rose when I graduated from primary school. All the girls were given one. So I might as well put it to good use I suppose. I painted the rose with gold paint and added a bit of red on the edges. I wish I did more with the city. Maybe build it up with a bit of cardboard at the back. Unfortunately I didn't realize this until it was to late, if I had more time, I'd have to press another rose, and basically start all over again......

This symbol is in the bottom right hand corner of the painting. I thought about putting in on her forehead or something but decided it balanced out the painting a lot better to put it in the corner. The symbol is the Ruin symbol for love. I also thought about using another one which is the symbol for healing. But I chose love. Because without love we are nothing, how can we heal without love, even if its just love for ourselves..

The Final Product

"A living planet is a much more complex metaphor for deity than just a bigger father with a bigger fist.  If an omniscient, all-powerful Dad ignores your prayers, it's taken personally.  Hear only silence long enough, and you start wondering about his power.  His fairness.  His very existence.  But if a world mother doesn't reply, Her excuse is simple.  She never claimed conceited omnipotence.  She has countless others clinging to her apron strings, including myriad species unable to speak for themselves.  To Her elder offspring She says - go raid the fridge.  Go play outside.  Go get a job.  Or, better yet, lend me a hand.  I have no time for idle whining." 

 -David Brin

Sketchbook: Comparing pictures of the Virgin Mary to more Pagan paintings by the artist Brian Froud. Looking at how hands were positioned.
Hands are good at telling stories all on their own.

Sketchbook: Initial Sketch with reference photos

Sketchbook: Experimenting with Conte pencils and looking at other artists who used conte on their own and with acrylics. I didn't have much success as I am not very familiar with conte pencils and decided that it wouldn't work.

Sketchbook: Close up of head. Looking at other abstract portraits that other artists have done

Sketchbook: Text used for background, paint and cut-outs.

Sketchbook: Testing colours and paint.

My workspace while working on this piece.! Complete chaos! Beautiful! :O)

All the palettes I used for this painting. I put this in because as corny as it sounds we need to all remember were we came from. Were our roots lie. Whether we came from nature or from a dried up palette of paint. It makes us who we are.

"Memory is a way of holding onto the things you love, the things you are, the things you never want to lose."

-From the television show The Wonder Years

It may sound silly but it is worth it if you listen to this song while looking at the final painting, it really brings it alive!