Big Ideas and Artmaking

S. Walker's article on Bartlett's artwork, In the Garden, features a simple concept of rules and systems created into a complex structure of 200 different drawings.

I was most surprised to find that the way Bartlett connected her drawings to the big idea of rules came about as she was drawing them. In the article, it states that as she was going she created certain rules for drawing this garden. I could hardly believe that she was able to compose 200 different styles.

Walker's article helped me to understand the difference between big ideas and subject matter. Just from a brief introduction, it seemed very similar, however Bartlett's work on In the Garden allowed me to understand that the concept, or big idea, can have several kinds of subject matter.

When pondering about what I may have done to create rules for a concept, the first thing that comes to mind is the color scheme. I think that colors bring cohesiveness to many pieces of related art and would be the simplest to keep throughout 200 different styles. However, I definitely do not have the artistic skill to create the different styles of drawing Bartlett's art must have required.

Think...Big Ideas

Value
     What is value? We often think of money when we think of value. How much is that worth? How many things do you have that are worth this much? Value connects to materialism and all the things that we can buy. We judge people on how much we think they have, how rich they are. Another way to think of value is how much we care about something. We value our relationships, our ambitions, etc.

Identity
     Culture is a significant factor in defining identity. Whether we grew up in the states or overseas in a European or Asian country, we all have culture. The people around us, and our environment make up everything about our identity. What we surround ourselves with makes us who we are because those things are important to us. Our identity is often found in how we react to our culture.

Purpose
      When I think of purpose, I can't help but think of the path I chose to follow for my purpose in life and that is to follow the God Almighty. His purposes for me are what I rely on more than my ambitions because I feel like the things I want have so much uncertainty in the way they will work out. To fulfill my purpose in life is to seek God's will. Purpose is a big word. I think that people will often think of purpose as life goals, why they do what they do, and why they choose to persevere.

b l o g o n e

  

h o p e f l o a t s

     Tim Walker's imagery above denotes a single girl with an seemingly blank expression. She has her lips slightly parted, and her eyes are staring into an unclear direction. She is wearing a glittering top that is catching the lights around her. The small mirrors on her chest are different colors from the reflection. She is positioned in a corner in which her body is touching the lit up walls. The glow from the walls are shining on her face and body. The colors are rainbow colored. The girl's hair is overpowering, large on her head and curly.
   The blank expression on her face connotes the feeling of being lost in a large place where she should be having fun or "partying". The fact that she is positioned in the corner makes her seem like a loner. Her gaze in that directions makes her look like she wants to be a part of something else. Her attire lets us know that she went out to a club type setting where it's dark and glittering clothes are all that's seen. The overdone hair shows that she tried, put effort into her appearance. The way her body language comes off, this image connotes someone that put effort into her looks, expecting to have fun, but instead is alone.

Another of Tim Walker's work. The photograph denotes a female who is dressed to go to a special occasion. The length of her dress is short and the color is bright pink. She is holding several balloons that appear to be lifting her. She is in a city during the daytime. Her left arm is carrying an abnormally large jar of perfume. The buildings around her all look similar and she is standing on a rooftop. The sky is pale.

This image connotes a woman who is ready to be carried away. The slight lifting of her feet connotes that she is light enough to be taken away from the ground. Her dress is short, which means the occasion she is going to is not very formal, but more of a party. The perfume tells us that she is feminine, where she is going, she wants to be noticed from her scent and the bright color of her dress. The similarity of all the buildings connotes "regularity" and "boredom" if you will. Tim Walker portrays her as someone who wants to get away and go someplace where there is fun.



http://fytimwalker.tumblr.com/

In the dead of winter...

I always want to get away. Someplace warm, with sunshine, sea, and sand.