S+ART

A Colorful Blast from the Past

                         

 Photograph of General Dwight D. Eisenhower, Harry Warnecke Studio for The Daily News/The Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery. The Smithsonian Associates.

 

Survived from Harry Warnecke’s Studio and now on display at The National Portrait Gallery are 24 color photographic portraits of notable stars, athletes, military heroes, and historical leaders. The exhibit, In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits from the Harry Warnecke Studio illustrates the dramatic shift from black and white to color photography during the last half- century.

Harry Warnecke (1900-1984) was assigned by The New York Daily News to photograph these American idols in a whole new way. Warnecke specifically took these color portrait photographs for the Sunday magazine, which at the time was viewed like everything else in the media, as vague images in black and white. Now characters we have been accustomed to seeing in monochromatic tones are brought back to life by Warnecke’s creation of the one-shot camera, designed for color reproduction. TV and movie stars like Lucille Ball and Irene Dunne shine in their portraits, sporting brightly colored attire and brilliant red lips. Other note worthy gems featured in the show include, military men: Dwight D. Eisenhower, George C. Marshall, and General Patton and other stars on the scene like Ted Williams, Edgar Bergen, and Dale Evans.  

Great links to slide shows, biographies and more:

NPG exhibit, "In Vibrant Color: Vintage Celebrity Portraits From the Harry Warnecke Studio"

NYTimes Slide Show of "In Vibrant Color"

NYTimes Article: "Adding a Colorful Gloss to a Black-and-White World"

Take a trip to the 1930’s where color photography became a whole new phenomenon!

The Portrait Gallery is open 11:30 am- 7pm daily

Located at 8^th and F St. NW ( Gallery Pl-Chinatown Metro )

 

Here’s something to look forward to:

The Smithsonian Associates presents Camera-Ready Color as a Mingle at the Museum featuring the exhibit ‘In Vibrant Color’. During the Event (scheduled to take place on June 6, 2012 from 7:30-10pm), DC based Artist, Alexa Meade  will be exploring the concepts of mixing color, portraiture, personality and photography in her compositions. Meade will be painting a pair of portraits with live models. The first one will be created in a black-and-white scene while the second portrait is created in a full-color set.

Keep a look out for the event, soon to be posted online at Resident Associates- Mingle at the Museum.

 

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~Margaret McClung

The Best Cure for Spring Fever

 

          
           Photo by Margaret McClung

If you’re like me when spring time rolls around, then you must be itching to get outside and bask in the glorious sunshine. How about killing two birds with one stone? You can make your way to the National Mall to work on your tan and infuse your brain with the rich history of the cherry blossoms, the Enid A. Haupt Garden and much more.

Every year, falling between Mach- April  The National Cherry Blossom Festival  takes place. The festival celebrates the 1912 gift of the Cherry Trees from the Japanese Mayor Yukio Ozaki. The gift of the trees resembles one of the many principles of the United States, the significance of friendship between two countries. Today, millions of people travel to DC each year to marvel at the cherry blossoms and partake in the festivities.

Situated in between the Smithsonian Castle and Independence Avenue and above The National Museum of African Art  , The Arthur M. Sackler Gallery  and The S. Dillon Ripley Center   lies The Enid A. Haupt Garden. Enid Annenburg Haupt was a horticultural expert who passionately dedicated her life to funding gifts to build, restore and maintain gardens around the world. The Garden opened to the public in 1987 featuring various landscape components, such as the Parterre, Moongate Garden and the Fountain Garden.

The Victorian inspired Parterre  is a formal structured garden designed with elaborate colors, symmetrical patterns and designs. The specific layout of colorful planting on the Parterre fluctuates between seasons. In conjunction with the Asian inspired Sackler and Freer Galleries, the Moongate   Garden represents a similar design to the architecture and gardens of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing, China. In Chinese culture, the main two components of the garden, granite and water symbolize the body and spirit of the earth. The garden was successfully designed to be a place of relaxation and contemplation for its visitors. The Fountain Garden, located near the entrance to the National Museum of African Art is a representation of a 13^th century Moorish palace and fortress in Grenada, Spain. The Fountain Garden includes a central fountain and water channels, which symbolize the four rivers of paradise as described in the Koran.

 

Photo by Margaret McClung

Check out these sites for more information on the Cherry Blossom Festival and Smithsonian Gardens:

Smithsonian Garden Tours

Cherry Blossom Festival Events

2012 Bloom Watch

Enjoy!

 

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~Margaret McClung

Something I Have Noticed as a Graphic Design Student

I got into graphic design because it was something I enjoyed doing in high school. I loved the impermanence of my creations regarding its ability for future edits and that while creating my masterpieces I never ran out of paint. However, many people study graphic design in college for another reason.

Many kids in high school love art: the freedom, the ability to express oneself, and most of all its fun. Naturally, these kids want to go on to study art in college. They really enjoyed painting amounts other fine arts classes in high school so, why not? This is unfortunately where reality sets in for many extremely talented budding young artists. They come to realize that being a fine artist and going to school for it is not a particularly lucrative business. This is the part when they hear about graphic design. They hear that it is a way to be an artist with a stable paycheck. So the seed is planted and they decide to study graphic design in college. I have noticed in creative fields due to their emotional attachment, a passion is necessary. If you love to paint, paint. If you love to draw, then draw. Find a way to use these talents. Right now there are so many kids in design school that really do not want to design but, they want to make money. Struggling your way through design school is not going to make you money because it is not your strong suit. If you also barely get through school with a degree in design, you are going to get looked-over by people that are seeking designers with a passion anyways. I deeply enjoy kerning a letter or creating layouts but that is me. Design is my field of passion because I honestly enjoy it. I just feel that you should follow your passion even if the road is bumpy to success because without drive it is hard to make it up the hill to the top.   

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~Griffin Baker

Well, My Camera Can Shoot Video

Graphic by Griffin Baker 

If you have been in the market for a DSLR then you probably have come to realize that there are several DSLR cameras out there that can shoot video. In fact, most of the top camera manufacturers put a video function in their new camera bodies. The video function has become a prerequisite rather than an extra; but why? Are not cameras for shooting pictures and camcorders for shooting video?

 Initially this was the case. However with DSLRs shooting in 1080p, they have caught the attention of many videographers out there. Now, DSLRs still have a long way before they even think about surpassing our old friend the camcorder for a few reasons. The biggest one being that most DSLRs do not have an auto focus feature while shooting video. There are some that do but the feature is far from flawless. There are usually many instances of the camera trying to cycle through its focus much like when you are trying to autofocus to shoot a picture in the dark. However, videographers have worked around this by utilizing manual focus and becoming well adept at this technique. So why would anybody want to use a DSLR if it has so many issues? Well, as you photographers out there know, DSLRs offer a little thing called depth of field. This, along with lens variety is the primary reason for using the DSLR for video. Just as in photography short depth of field offers the photographer, or in this case the videographer, the ability to have something in focus while others are out of focus or “bokeh.” This helps to point the viewer in the direction of what is important in a photograph or what to pay attention to in a video. Though the DSLR will probably not replace the video camera, it still can offer creative solutions to your work.

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~Griffin Baker

A Misconception in the Art World

Art has always had certain stigmas that go along with it. Usually these taboos surround the mystique of the artist. This idea of boundless creativity being a mysterious gift is false. Sure, natural talent helps; however, it takes a lot of hard work in order to channel that talent into the production of art. This creates a pitfall that separates artists from society at a fundamental level.

 First, artists cannot be put on schedules. You cannot expect to tell a painter to paint 12 paintings in a certain amount of time and achieve positive results. This misconception of artists being whimsical and lazy is not as obtuse a concept as many make it out to be. Artists require a great deal of time to manifest ideas. The idea of true creative originality is what drives many artists to madness. Because not only are artists expected to come up with ideas but they cannot be like anything before it. Sure in the business world there are many things that one must solve in order to be successful like for example, how to make more profit in the next quarter. However, a solution can be reached by researching how other companies achieve greater revenue or one can completely model there company’s business plan off of another. Yet, artists cannot simply copy and sample. They are expected to be original! To define our cultural zeitgeist! Artists have a hard time doing this in society due to falling into the loophole of funding cuts and a lack of understanding of the artists needs time and time again. This is what resulted in the creation and the culture of the “art world.” The separation of cultures and the misinterpretation of each has resulted in pushing them further and further apart. Now society views the art world with feelings confusion and the art world shocks the masses to hopefully be heard.  This issue will almost always be valid as long as these two ideologies continue to diverge.  

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~Griffin Baker

Post Suggestions

Christmas Card, Photo by Angela Kleis

 

Last week I asked for your help in compiling a list of topics you, the reader, would like me to cover in the upcoming months.  I am keeping the survey open through the end of the month to give everyone the opportunity to offer suggestions on subjects, people, techniques, and anything photography-related that you would like to learn more about.  The topic is wide-open - anything and everything to do with photography is welcome so don't hold back.

 

In the meantime, there are so many cool things to do around town right now that reading my posts shouldn't be at the top of your priorities list - hopefully there will be plenty of snow days (or at least really cold days) to stay in and do that over the coming months (fingers crossed!).  For example, the National Christmas Tree display (complete with trains!! and trees representing each state, territory, and disenfranchised locality), the Capitol Christmas Tree (it's 65-feet tall, so bring the wide-angle), and the National Menorah on the Ellipse (set to start on December 20) are three local holiday lighting displays just waiting for your long exposures and creative processing.  While you're out there, redirect your focus to the crowd for always interesting people-watching - and, I bet enough ugly holiday sweaters to keep you occupied for hours.

 

Ice skating has returned to the National Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden - a great opportunity to practice some of the tips I covered last year for shooting on ice and other bright, reflective surfaces.

 

When it gets cold, head inside.  The National Gallery of Art is photography-heavy with Warhol: Headlines - feating photography and other mediums exploring the sensationalism of contemporary media using news headlines, Harry Callahan at 100 - one of the most innovative and influential photographers of the 20th century, and The Solemnity of Shadows: Juan Laurent's Vision of Spain - a preeminent figure in the history of Spanish photography.  And, that's just the one museum - there are so many more.

 

At home, there are even more once-a-year holiday photo opportunities you won't want to miss, like lights and ornaments, tables of food, that burning turkey deep-fryer in the backyard, more ugly holiday sweaters, the Griswold's eye-searing display next door, family and friends, and that Santa hat you bought on clearance last year for your cat (you know you have one (I do!)).  Pay attention to the background; rather than lining up on the sofa with a distracting painting behind their heads, have kids gather around the tree and sit on the floor.  Open the aperture up as wide as it will go (F1.4. for example), for that sweet, sweet light bokeh background. 

 

This is also my last post of 2011, as it's been a very busy year and I need a writing vacation.  Please take a few minutes and let me know what you'd like me to write about in 2012 and I'll see you in January!  Happy holidays!!

 

~Angela

Originality

Graphic by Griffin Baker

Originality is one of those things that can seem so mysterious in the art world. In fact striving for true organic originality is enough to make an artist go absolutely mad. It is also something that can create a lot of legal trouble for artists. However, what is original?

The word original implies the beginning, the first, the one. This creates a curious dilemma. For example, printmakers edition their prints which means, there are 12 originals but really, the first one that you ran through the press is the original or is it the first proof that went through? The situation gets sticky rather quickly. Or for example, photos of artwork off the internet. The original is in the museum and the picture is online but, if you take it off the internet and adjust, say, the contrast in Photoshop and then repost it on a personal website then you are already quite a few levels from the original. Yet, if the picture does not have the proper source noted, it then becomes illegal. The idea of originality and the debacles it creates in the art world is definitely something to be aware of.      

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~Griffin Baker

No Photos Please!

Graphic by Griffin Baker

Something that I have become aware of when it comes to reviewing exhibitions is that it is nearly impossible to take photos. In museums, unless the work is in their permanent collection it cannot be photographed. I find this to be frustrating because often times what I want to see or document are the artworks in traveling exhibitions. I mean, if I can see it anytime at the museum, then why bother with the pictures? The whole lure of a photograph is to catch a moment in time, or in this case an exhibition, before it passes. Most recently I was dealing with this issue with some of the temporary exhibits around the Mall that showcased work by Andy Warhol. I just could not help but notice the irony.

As known by many art enthusiasts out there, Andy Warhol loved the media. In fact, there is an exhibition right now at the National Gallery of Art that is all about it. Warhol also spent a great deal of his time working to break down the boundaries that we have regarding copywriting, commercializing, and originality. The idea that you cannot take pictures of his work flies in the face of Warhol’s spirit. Most of his work is manipulating photos, copying labels, and breaking down clichéd images. I understand the need to protect the rights of an artwork. However, I feel that the way the artwork is treated should speak for the artist’s intentions rather than hypocritically destroying them.

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~Griffin Baker

What do you want to see here?

After over two years writing a near-weekly photo-related post for the Smithsonian Studio Arts blog, I'm running out of ideas. Since September 9, 2009, I have written 89 unique posts covering a broad assortment of subjects and people with the help and generousity of many of my friends.  Finding a subject on which to focus each week can be a daunting process, particularly when I'm not sure what you guys are interested in.

 

Please help me stay motivated and on-track by compiling a list of topics that you, the reader, would like to see - the processes, techniques, people, places, ideas that interest you. Any and all suggestions are welcome so don't hold back. Are you interested in astrophotography? Traditional processing and printing methods? A review of new gear or a retrospective on a camera line? How exactly  film is made? Food photography, sports photography, taking pictures in bad weather? Suggestions don't have to be concise or well-thought, either, so don't hold back.

 

Please use this form and share your ideas - Angela's S+ART Post Suggestion Box

 

Thank you!

 

Angela

Shih Chieh Huang: The Luminescence of Creativity

Shih Chieh Huang is an installation artist who builds sculptures that resemble bioluminescent organisms of the deep sea.  He creates his installations from common household objects like small electronic devices, plastic, and computer fans. He then illuminates them with LED lights. The construction may sound a bit primitive, but this is what makes these sculptures so fascinating. He is able to achieve building these machines to move and act, like for example, a deep sea jellyfish out of objects that you probably have lying around your garage. Huang controls the movement of the “organisms” through the use of a TV monitors with eyes on them. Somehow the opening and closing of the eye acts as a switch to initiates various movements for the installations to make. Huang is also noted for building giant “worms” out of painter’s plastic, box fans, and bungee cords in public places. The creations he calls “organic concepts” move about and are made to be for viewer to interact with.

What makes Huang so special to the Smithsonian is that in 2007 he examined many specimens of the Natural History’s collection of deep sea animals specifically those with bio-luminescence. His research allowed for him to understand how these creatures adapt to their dark environments and their biological make-up that allows them to illuminate. Huang has an exhibition currently in the Natural History Museum called The Bright Beneath that is from September 3, 2011 to January 8, 2012 in the Ocean Hall. There will also be a special event featuring his work held by the Smithsonian Resident Associates on December 1, 2011 at 6:30pm. Link Below:

 

 

Check out these links:

Art and Science Meet (special event): http://residentassociates.org/ticketing/tickets/reserve.aspx?performanceNumber=223652

Shih Chieh Huang’s website: http://www.messymix.com/index.php

 

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~Griffin Baker