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impressivepress · 3 years

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Henri Matisse and the nun: Why did the artist create a masterpiece for Sister Jacques-Marie?

Henri Matisse’s greatest masterpiece resides not in a gallery, but on a peaceful hillside near Nice: a chapel he designed in gratitude to the nun who helped him through a troubled convalescence.

Famous as a great colourist, towards the end of his life, the artist Henri Matisse moved from painting towards a new art form: cut-outs. He likened the process to sculpture – “carving” into colour – as he sliced into huge sheets of vividly painted paper before pinning the shapes in place on a canvas. This novel approach – which produced some of the most recognisable pieces of art from the 20th century, such as his Blue Nudes, Icarus and The Snail – is being celebrated in a major new exhibition at Tate Modern, in conjunction with New York’s Museum of Modern Art.

Yet it wasn’t any of those works that Matisse himself termed his “masterpiece”: that honour he bestowed on the Rosaire Chapel in Vence, in the south of France. He worked on it for four years, from 1947 to 1951, designing the building, the stunning stained-glass windows, the tiles with monochrome religious imagery on the walls, even the zany chasubles (vestments) the priests wear. Still a place of active worship for Dominican nuns today, it was an ambitious challenge for Matisse, who was no architect, and was very unwell at the time – and he considered it “the achievement of an entire life’s work, the outcome of tremendous, difficult, sincere work”.

It might have been the pinnacle of his career, but the Vence Chapel was also a way for Matisse to use his talents to produce a heartfelt gift for a Dominican nun named Sister Jacques-Marie.

As a young woman and student nurse, then going by the name of Monique Bourgeois, she had cared for Matisse after a gruesomely botched operation for intestinal cancer in 1941, from which he was never to fully recover. Yet it was being confined to his bed as a physical invalid that in part led to his new cut-out technique – and he would never forget the kindness of his nurse.

He immortalised her in several paintings at the time, and their friendship endured – although she later quashed rumours that their affection might have strayed into the romantic, saying in an interview in Paris Match in 1992: “I never really noticed whether he was in love with me… I was a little like his granddaughter or his muse.”

Some years after nursing Matisse, in 1946, Bourgeois wrote to him to say she was becoming a nun. The Dominican sisters settled in Vence – coincidentally, very close to Villa Le Rêve, where Matisse was living. In one of their many conversations, she mentioned to Matisse her desire for a chapel for the sisters on this pretty hillside. Initially, the artist offered to help design the windows, but soon he was involved in the whole building, right down to the candlesticks (modelled to look like long-stemmed anemone flowers). He worked alongside Brother Rayssiguier, who oversaw the construction of the chapel and was far-sightedly enthusiastic about getting such a well-known artist involved. Rayssiguier thought a splash of modern art might help bring the church’s appeal up to date.

Matisse, however, was less concerned with the revival of Christian art than with a personal sense of the spiritual – and the creative challenge such a building would present to him. “He wasn’t religious – he was raised Catholic but was not practising,” explains Flavia Frigeri, assistant curator of the Tate show, which features sketches, maquettes and photographs from the Vence Chapel. It was more the chance to create a whole building, she suggests, than any particular Catholic calling.

However, the chapel has been a place of worship since it was unveiled in 1951, and – although modest and small – it is charged with a serene beauty that can be spiritually affecting to not only the nuns who pray there today, but to visiting art lovers and tourists. Even stepping foot inside in January, as I did, with a weak sunlight coming through his gorgeous “Tree of Life” stained-glass window, you feel enveloped in pure colour that is both revivifying and calming. The vibrant hues – “ultramarine blue, bottle green, lemon yellow”, to use Matisse’s labels – are reflected in and dappled across the polished pale marble floor and white walls. His imagery, though typically abstract, draws inspiration from the natural world, making it emotionally accessible to all, not just those steeped in scripture.

“The spiritual expression of their colour strikes me as unquestionable,” wrote Matisse of his leaf patterns in 1951. “Simple colours can affect innermost feelings, their impact being all the more forceful through their simplicity. Blue… affects feeling like a vigorous stroke of a gong.”

The Vence Chapel stands apart from archetypal Catholic iconography – even the images of Christ are abstracted into pure line, while an image of the Virgin Mary and child comes surrounded by almost hippyish flowers. It’s a far cry from the gruesomely realistic emaciated crucifixion imagery often associated with Catholicism. Yet Sister Marie-Pierre, a Dominican nun, echoes Matisse’s sentiments when I ask how it feels to worship in the chapel. In broken English, a thick French accent and a beaming smile as radiant as the buttercup-yellow light filling the room, she says: “We worship in beauty, instead of in bad things. It feels special. And I think it is better to pray in beauty.”

She leads us through the 14 images that make up “Stations of the Cross”, a series of rather furious-looking paintings on the back wall, which are complemented by enormous but simple outlines of Saint Dominic and the Virgin and Child on two other walls. The latter, Matisse wrote, “have a tranquil reverent nature all their own” while the “Stations of the Cross” are “tempestuous”. All three were painted in bold, sweeping black on white enamelled terracotta tiles.

The process wasn’t simple, however. In those four years of preparing the chapel, Matisse would practise his designs on paper, over and over again. From initial early studies of religious art by Rubens, Dürer and Mantegna, he developed his own iconography. “There were many images as he worked it out; he simplified, intensified, condensed,” suggests Nick Cullinan, co-curator of the Tate show alongside Nicholas Serota. And Matisse’s pious muse, Sister Jacques-Marie, continued to discuss the different designs with him, their affectionate friendship allowing her to be free with her opinions; Matisse later described the chapel as their “shared project”.

The images he worked on were several metres tall, and required fluid, long lines drawn in one smooth motion, so Matisse would practise using a charcoal stick at the end of a bamboo wand about two metres long, allowing him to reach. In his seventies while working on the chapel, and unable to stand for any length of time, this long “wand” had the added advantage of letting him practise from a chair or in bed. He was known to even paint on the ceiling if he woke up, restless, in the middle of the night.

And so it was that the chapel came to life around him. Matisse was now working in his apartment in the grand old Hotel Regina, in nearby Nice. Long rolls of paper cascaded down the walls for him to paint and draw on with his k stick, while he perfected the stained-glass windows using his cut-out technique: snipping out the brightly coloured plant shapes and pinning them to his walls. Photographs reveal how the artist even mocked up an altar in the middle of his room, using boxes, chairs and a table. He spent nearly two years in this work-in-progress world, inside his studio, inside his apartment; “He really lived in it,” says Frigeri.

Eventually, Matisse had practised the outline of his figures so often, he was able to draw them blindfolded. Appropriately, the artistic experience became almost divine: he commented that all the studies “enable the painter to give free reign to his subconscious… after a certain point, it is no longer up to me, it is a revelation: all I do is give myself up.”

And so by April 1949, Matisse was ready to paint on to the tiles which would be mounted on the chapel’s walls. He did not sign the works – they were to be viewed as integral parts of a religious building, not as collectible pieces. “They were not designs, but signs – to help praying,” says Sister Marie-Pierre. Matisse was, she insists, quite adamant that the Vence Chapel should “never become a museum”.

Matisse kept his hand in even until the final finishing touches: he designed the pews and altar, set at a jaunty angle and made of pierre de Rogne stone he specially selected because its pale-brown grain made it look like “a piece of bread”, according to Sister Marie-Pierre. Most fun, however, are the chasubles that the priests still wear – Matisse made several designs for different Holy Days. Some are gloriously bonkers, with bold patterns – very much in his late style, mimicking the cut-outs in cloth – of flowers, leaves and starbursts, as well as abstracted crosses and crowns of thorns. The eye-popping colour schemes throw together lime, yellow and black or lilac, green and rose, and would look as at home on the cover of Sgt Pepper’s as swishing through the Vence Chapel. They were hailed by Picasso as the best bit of the whole project.

The chapel was consecrated on 25 June 1951; thousands of locals and visitors turned up, but sadly Matisse was too unwell to attend. The chapel soon attracted great international attention. Matisse’s cut-outs had not always been viewed in a positive light by the art establishment – there was a sniffy sense, initially, that they were inferior to paintings, suitable for magazine covers but not for art galleries. But the chapel was recognised immediately as a significant work: “With the cut-outs, people express misgivings, that the old man’s past his best; but the stained glass – that’s fine, that’s well-received,” explains Cullinan. Time, Paris Match, and Vogue all reported on the chapel with delight, the latter dubbing it a “Church Full of Joy”.

It’s an apt phrase for the building. But the chapel also had a significant impact on the final years of Matisse’s artistic career: his subsequent cut-outs, until his death in 1954, went super-sized, growing to a scale similar to his preparations for the chapel, taking over whole walls. And for Matisse, there can be no doubt about the importance of the chapel: although unable to be there at its unveiling, he sent along a written statement. It read: “This work… is the result of all my active life. Despite all its imperfections I consider it as my masterpiece.”

Born in 1869, Matisse qualified in law before studying art in Paris. As a painter, he was influenced by Impressionism, before developing his own style – using brilliant swathes of colour – that was dubbed Fauvism. He later also experimented in Cubism.

The cut-outs were a major development towards the end of his life. They began for practical reasons: with commissions for the Ballet Russes in 1939 and for the covers of magazines such as the art and literature review ‘Verve’. These were followed by an artist’s book, 'Jazz’, featuring the well-known image of Icarus in 1947.

To make the cut-outs, Matisse had his assistants paint sheets of paper in bold, luminous colours; using large shearing scissors, he would cut into the sheets and pin the cut-out shapes first to his walls to perfect the look, and then permanently to canvas.

The technique prompted renewed interest in the human form; but as well as a solidity and stillness, the technique also offered a sense of vivacity and movement.

Matisse was prolific in his final years, despite ill health, and the cut-outs grew in scale. 'The Snail’, one of the most famous, epitomises his large-scale, bright, abstract approach.

Matisse also used them as trial-run maquettes for large-scale ceramic commissions. In 1952, Sidney and Frances Lasker Brody asked him to create an outdoor tiled mural for their LA house – it took him four attempts to satisfy them, the final result being 'The Sheaf’, which features his favourite wobbly-leaf designs seen in Vence.

The cut-outs were initially met with dismissive bemusement, seen more as decorative than fine art; but by the late 1950s, the art world had recognised them as significant achievements, and Matisse’s bold use of colour and shape has influenced everything from abstract art to fashion to graphic design ever since.

~ Holly Williams · 30 March 2014.

#matisse #the chapel of the rosary #art article #painting #The Independent

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stevenuniversallyreviews · 7 years

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Episode 52*: Joy Ride

“Everyone needs a break once in a while!”

It’s easy to take for granted how crazy a character’s life can get in serialized television, and the toll that it might take on an actual person. This goes double for cartoon characters, whose medium gives them an extra layer of separation from reality than their live action counterparts. Full Disclosure, which was written to immediately precede Joy Ride, revolves around the aftermath of one crazy event. Now it’s time to see how the rest of Season 1B has affected Steven Q. Universe.

And who better to sit down and reflect with than the realist humans this side of Ocean Town? The Cool Kids make a triumphant return to bring a much-needed outside perspective and help their unlikely friend, just in time to remind me how much I’d love to see more of them. It might be unrealistic for three teens to go through such lengths to chill with a much younger kid, but their dialogue flows so naturally that it balances right out. This is extra impressive when you consider that Buck is portrayed by storyboarder and then-rookie voice actor Lamar Abrams and Sour Cream is just Brian Posehn using his regular grown man voice. These kids have no business lugging around this much verisimilitude, but I never get tired of watching them shoot the breeze.

Joy Ride wisely keeps its focus on Jailbreak’s destruction at its onset, showing just how monumental the finale was (we already had an entire aftermath episode, now this!) and how much work it takes to get things back to normal. We’ve dealt with some of the emotional fallout, but now it’s time for the legwork; Steven even gets to show off his casual super-strength as he shovels a massive chunk of debris from the sand.

Despite my aforementioned hesitance to believe how much they want to hang out with a child, even a child as great as Steven, it does make sense for the Cool Kids to show up. The beach is the epicenter of a cosmic disaster, of course teenagers want to check this out. That they see how hard Steven is working and shift gears to help him out speaks to the kindness they exude in Lars and the Cool Kids, and that their idea of help involves throwing someone else’s pizza at his window and sneaking him out speaks to how wonderfully dumb teenagers can be.

Most of the episode from here is the four of them chatting, and there’s really nothing more we need when the writing’s this good. The venting sequence is a thing of beauty. Sour Cream feels that his passion is being stifled by a parent figure that doesn’t understand him. Mayor Dewey, who we know from Lars and the Cool Kids has been stingy with his daddy kisses (ugh, that phrase sounds so creepy when Lamar Abrams isn’t saying it), continues to be stern with Buck. And while we know from past and future episodes that Jenny gets along with Kiki, she also seeks an independent identity from her twin. These are all valid concerns!

In fact, Steven’s initial complaint is the one that seems pettiest: that he’s grounded from television. A huge deal for him, sure, but pretty tame compared to adolescent family tension. Yet the Cool Kids nod with sympathy and don’t try and belittle his situation.

The reason I love this writing is that I can easily imagine a situation where the teen’s problems are trivial, or they follow Steven’s complaint with another “oh please” or “you think that’s bad?”, and it would still be a decent scene! There’s nothing wrong with teenagers griping about nothing and trying to one-up each other, because teenagers do that all the time. But the crew puts in the work to give our Cool Kids real issues, and remembers that they brought Steven along to help him out, and they’re all the more lovable for it.

Then of course Steven gets to unload about the Gems, beginning with things we know and ending with the brilliant reveal that Steven is more aware than he’s been letting on. He knows that in some dark way, the Crystal Gems blame him for the loss of their leader and loved one. And that’s exactly why he’s never mentioned it before, because how do you even broach that subject?

Again, the Cool Kids are nothing but helpful, not only sympathizing with him but praising his resilience. But because these are still realistic teens, they then get distracted by a weird glow in the fields and scramble to investigate. As in Lars and the Cool Kids, Steven is wary of humans messing with Gem stuff, and the teenagers still don’t care. Their escape pod antics escalate naturally, stopping at the all-important selfie stage before Steven is coaxed into getting inside (the use of Jenny’s photos to show the pod screen closing is a neat visual touch).

There’s peer pressure here, sure, but the Cool Kids are still trying to help. Steven entering the device doesn’t make him the butt of a joke, it makes him awesome, and like Jenny says, he really needs to have some fun like this after episode after Gem trauma, dreading a Homeworld attack, and the attack itself. Even if they discourage him from being responsible, they never resort to tropey negativity (calling him a buzzkill, etc.) while egging him on.

All this kindness is great, but conflict has to arrive sooner or later, and as amazing as it would be to see these four fighting Peridot, it’s the Crystal Gems who crash the party. We’ve only seen bits and pieces of their lives without Steven around (or rather without them knowing Steven is around) prior to the invasion, and for the bulk of the past ten episodes they’ve been working their way through intense fear. Here instead we have a glorious moment of Garnet in full badass mode, her righteous fury unrestrained by Steven’s tempering nature. Does it make sense that her future vision didn’t inform her that Steven is inside? Nope! But getting these new perspectives on established characters is worth a little suspension of disbelief.

I love that it’s Jenny who stands up to Garnet, for three reasons. First, she’s the only one of the Cool Kids who has actually met the Crystal Gems on the show before (give or take an infant Sour Cream), so it makes sense that she’s a little braver around them than her friends. Second, she’s the Cool Kids’ mirror of Amethyst (just as Buck resembles Garnet and Sour Cream resembles Pearl), so who better to argue the merits of fun? And third, she knows the value of taking a break far better than Buck and Sour Cream; she’s the only one of them with a job, and we usually see her when she’s on the clock. Her work ethic might not be terrific (see: shirking deliveries in Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service, that time she let her friends throw a customer’s pizza at a kid’s window like five minutes ago), but the pressure of helping a family business stay afloat is sure to make her relate the most to Steven’s situation.

And really, how great is Jenny? She throws herself in front of a punch that could sink a friggin battleship and initiates a talking-down of all three Crystal Gems without a second thought. Buck and Sour Cream might get more laughs with their more extreme personalities, but between her boldness and her facilitating both of the episode’s titular joy rides by driving the car and prompting Steven to enter the pod, Jenny is the real hero here. Reagan Gomez-Preston, the only Cool Kid actor with experience portraying realistic teen characters prior to Steven Universe, more than earns the spotlight here.

Steven’s ungrounding is a long time coming, and I appreciate that its impact isn’t immediately felt; his ability to watch television again won’t be all that important until Cry for Help. It’s just one last moment of kindness in a surprisingly upbeat episode about teens working through their problems (and remember, at age thirteen Steven is technically a teen here!). After so many episodes about fighting, it’s just nice to relax a little.

Future Vision!

Jenny isn’t kidding about metal concerts, which become a weirdly important plot point in Kiki’s Pizza Delivery Service.

You really wouldn’t think that the diamond-shaped impact crater of Peridot’s pod would matter too much outside of Homeworld symbolism, but you’d be wrong! How else could you used a crashed ship to play baseball?

I’ve never been to this…how do you say…school?

Another case where the High School AU gives us the main promo image, but Hilary Florido generously provided another image for the episode that now doubles as a wonderful tribute to the late Prince.

I guess you could read it that way…

Probably the biggest change in the order shift is moving Shirt Club behind Joy Ride; I definitely remember being confused about how cold Buck was to Steven so soon after being buddy buddy. Buuuut this behavior is essentially just as confusing before Joy Ride, considering how nice Buck has been regardless, and it’s nice to see more of him and his dad individually before bringing them together for Shirt Club.

(Still, I can imagine a lot of folks don’t like the shift for this reason.)

Sour Cream’s reveal that Yellowtail is his stepfather backs up the hint from Story for Steven that Marty and Vidalia are his parents. This isn’t affected too much when Joy Ride is watched first, but it’s worth noting.

We’re the one, we’re the ONE! TWO! THREE! FOUR!

An episode with Cool Kids and no Lars? Sign me up! As a breather episode it’s not quite as memorable as its bombastic brethren, but it’s important to appreciate the value of hanging out.

Top Fifteen

Steven and the Stevens

Mirror Gem

Lion 3: Straight to Video

Alone Together

The Return

Jailbreak

Rose’s Scabbard

Coach Steven

Giant Woman

Winter Forecast

On the Run

Warp Tour

Maximum Capacity

The Test

Ocean Gem

Love ‘em

Laser Light Cannon

Bubble Buddies

Tiger Millionaire

Lion 2: The Movie

Rose’s Room

An Indirect Kiss

Space Race

Garnet’s Universe

Future Vision

Marble Madness

Political Power

Full Disclosure

Joy Ride

Like ‘em

Gem Glow

Frybo

Arcade Mania

So Many Birthdays

Lars and the Cool Kids

Onion Trade

Steven the Sword Fighter

Beach Party

Monster Buddies

Keep Beach City Weird

Watermelon Steven

The Message

Open Book

Enh

Cheeseburger Backpack

Together Breakfast

Cat Fingers

Serious Steven

Steven’s Lion

Joking Victim

Secret Team

No Thanks!

4. Horror Club 3. Fusion Cuisine 2. House Guest 1. Island Adventure

#joy ride #steven universe #su #steven universally #review

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apdo703 · 7 years

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Assignment #3

Jamie Wiedmann

I really enjoy the rule of tenths because I love the drama of having a subject against a vast background, as I sort of did for Week 2’s assignment unknowingly! I think it works really well for scenery or larger subjects, but the drawback to that is you don’t always get the detail you would with a closer photograph. I also liked the framing technique a lot; it is so creative and lead to some fun photographs. I liked coming up with different ways to frame a subject, it also changes the way you might take a picture, such as the angle you take it from, the framing makes it look very realistic, like an image you would see in your daily life, looking through a crowd of people or a window.

Overall I found this assignment much more challenging than Assignment 2, but particularly the dynamic diagonal was the hardest for me because I didn’t quite know what would fall into that category and it was hard finding preexisting conditions or objects I could use to manufacture the diagonal shape. Also finding objects to photograph for the rule of tenths with a primarily plain background was challenging as well.

I disagreed with John Berger from the very first paragraph, as I had always considered photography to be a form of art. However as I read further to understand the main points of his argument, I found myself agreeing partially with him, but mostly disagreeing. Berger is not wrong that many more museums are dedicated to paintings, sculptures, drawings, etc. however modern art exhibits are becoming more commonplace. Additionally, even if the resulting work of art is not a photograph, people have been using photographs in art for decades. I also disagree with the argument that a photo is not unique. As we saw with our last assignment, lighting and exposure can alter an image entirely. The shadows, colors, and organization of the objects will never be the same again. Iconic photographs capturing scenes from history (riots, celebrations, performances) will never happen again. The angle from which the photograph is taken, how small or large the subject is, where the subject is positioned also make the image unique, as we saw from assignment 3. Yes, locations do stay the same and they do not belong to an individual (usually), a field or hiking spot will still exist tomorrow and hopefully a century from now, but the minute details that make a photograph unique do change. This paragraph also reminded me of a documentary my art philosophy class watched on Andy Goldsworthy. Goldsworthy goes out into nature and creates beautiful arrangements and manipulations with the objects around him but they are not meant to last, part of the beauty in some of the pieces is watching them be absorbed back into nature. The only way anyone besides him gets a chance to see his work is via photographs he takes. I agree the more something is done the less meaningful it becomes, however meaning is entirely subjective. 100 photographs of a child’s first birthday or a wedding or graduation are different from 100 photographs of a car or household appliances. Also, the beauty in photographing daily life objects that are somewhat meaningless is the fact that the photographer can make them beautiful using lines, focus, lighting and various other elements.

I understand where Berger is coming from when he says composition should not enter into photography, there are many aspects of a photograph that are out of the photographers control, especially when photographing outside a studio. In a painting, everything from the size and color of an object are under the painter’s control, in photography one must work with objects that already exist. However a photographer can have manipulation over many elements in a photograph. Just because composition is challenging or limited does not mean that it should not enter into photography, so I disagree with his statement. Being able to manipulate models, alter the arrangement of objects, is part of what makes photography an art form. By saying one should not be allowed to influence the image is not pointing out why photography should not be considered art, but simply ignoring or discrediting one of the reasons it already is considered art.

Prior to this assignment I mostly only took pictures when I was moved to, pictures with friends and family, pretty scenery or really good food. I like to keep my picture-taking spontaneous and try my best to capture the emotion of the moment then move on and experience it, before coming home and immediately looking at my pictures. I’d say I had a good mixture of unplanned photographs and planned ones. When I take pictures with my friends sometimes we choose where/how to stand, like if we are at a specific place or scenery, or where the lighting is best, other times there is not as much planning. When I am taking pictures of objects like food I do plan more, I usually consider the lighting and arrangement of the objects as well, although I often find the less planning and fussing the more I tend to like my pictures, which helped me notice that just because I can take unlimited photographs of an image does not mean that I usually do, as I often go with one of my first attempts, I do not take many photos of the same thing. I had always been aware of things like balance, perspective, symmetry, and so on, but I feel like they are easy things I often forget that could enhance my photographs even more. This assignment challenged me to think about all 10 basic elements before taking a photograph, and I was able to include more of them in my photographs. The assignment also made me consider things like the dynamic diagonal and the way space is broken up in the image and how that space is filled or not filled.

Rule of thirds: My subject in this photo was the book I was reading. I found an empty table and used the grid lines on my camera to line it up with one of the intersecting points. I wanted a fairly plain background to help the book stand out more, but I wanted a slightly visible pattern in the wood to create more interesting texture so the background was not completely solid. There was light coming in from a window that created a gradient effect where it was lighter on the side opposite the book, which formed a nice balance. I angled the book intentionally but wanted to keep the table straight. I took this photo from directly over the table looking down as opposed to straight on from the side because I wanted to show different shapes you get from a different perspective. Originally I put the image in grayscale because it enhances the effect of the light and the white pages of the book in contrast to the dark wood of the table, I also like that being in black and white unifies the elements of the image, making everything seem less distracting as I wanted to highlight the book itself. However after reviewing the document I realized my goal was to capture the moment of curling up with a good book and I think using the natural brown colors in the image conveys that more.

Rule of tenths: It was a rainy evening when the sun was setting and the lights were starting to come on in the buildings and I was actually driving home, but it looked really pretty outside. I was not going to use this originally because it turned out pretty messy, but the more I looked at it I liked the way the water on my windshield distorts the shapes of the buildings and the lights as well, it’s an effect that is harder to get by only using your phone. I put this one in black and white to enhance the lighting and in an attempt to create stronger, more defined lines due to the image being out of focus. My goal was to capture the setting of a dark, rainy city.

Diagonal: My subject was the houses and wires. I took the photo from my viewpoint where I was standing, slightly diagonally off to the side, to capture the natural angle formed by the houses, and use the wires, which were hanging at an angle to accent it. I placed the houses at the bottom of the frame to draw attention to the top half of the houses as well as the space and lines formed by the roof and wires. I put this image in black and white mainly because I did not like the color combination of the sky and the fronts of the houses, and by getting rid of the distraction of the colors the diagonal lines are more apparent as well. The sky was grey and cloudy so it caused the light to disperse and shine from the sky as a whole instead of one specific point like on a clear day, which provided a bright background against the buildings and dark wires. I also like the marbled effect grayscale has on the clouds in the sky.

Frame: I wanted to use a real frame to frame my subject but in a more creative way. So I stood in front of a plain background to make the subject pop more and held an empty frame out in front of me. I wanted it to look like a 3D photograph, like the subject is coming off the page, or out of the frame. I also put this one in black and white because the colors clashed, but also to highlight the shadows adding to the 3 dimensional feel of the image. I tilted the frame because it was more natural to hold it that way; I wanted to convey a more relaxed version of those famous portraits I’ve seen where the subjects look very upright. I was inside so I turned the lights up so it would mirror a photography portrait session with artificial lighting. Looking back, I wish I could have fixed the shadow on my forehead from the frame but I tried several angled and, because the light was coming from the ceiling instead of straight on, or various angles as in a photo shoot, it was hard to avoid.

Middle Placement: I liked the idea of using the sun in the middle because it was so condensed and defined, which has not been happening lately due to cloudy, rainy weather. I used the weather and time of day to my advantage because my goal was to depict the sunset and the nice weather in between several days of bad weather. I remembered that objects should be towards the bottom of the frame, so I put the sun fairly low in the image to help show the expanse of the sky above. While the sun is technically the main subject, the additional subjects, the road, trees, and sky play off each other to emphasize each other without distracting from the sun. The distance allows the viewer to get a sense of place and time. I took this photo straight on to get a realistic representation of what my view was from where I was standing.

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erriikkka · 6 years

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As I develop my capabilities, I’ve been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact. Since then, it has always been a part of me to pay attention to these movie pictures that accompanied and innovated me throughout the years. Furthermore, i have abide to tackle the route in reaching my dreams and I have these bundle of films that represents my childhood in which i can relate to. These movies are the reason that at some point in my life, it also happens to me, and there, I see myself in my that particular scene so what are you waiting for? come on and see what’s inside my movie blog!

I. Beauty and the Beast

the 18th-century fairy tale was brought into life.

Beauty and the Beast

Disney has already given us live-action versions of animated films like Alice in Wonderland, Cinderella, and Sleeping Beauty in recent years but in a way, Beauty and the Beast feels like the riskiest of them all so far, as far as potential backlash is concerned. Beauty and the Beast is still much more recent than those other animated classics, and many can clearly remember growing up during the film’s initial release and explosion in popularity. Starting from editing, the musical, the casting, setting and the whole production staff made everything possible for this film has to be brought into life and its just very alluring, it will never disappoint you. There are numerous scenes from the film that leave me breathless and had me in tears. One of these scenes is when Belle and the Beast had their first date and dance in the tune “Beauty and the Beast” which depicts their love story. Speaking of their lovestory, the story’s fantastical elements made it feel truly “realistic,” these touches the hearts of its viewers especially, the die-hard Disney fans who waited for this time to happen. It was like a time travel from time to time through the use of the music box which plays the life of Belle since she was born. Lastly, it was when Gaston fatally shoots the Beast from a bridge, but it collapses when the castle crumbles, and he falls to his death. The Beast dies as the last petal falls, and the servants become inanimate. As Belle tearfully professes her love to the Beast, the enchantress reveals herself and undoes the curse, repairing the crumbling castle, and restoring the Beast’s and servants’ human forms and the villagers’ memories. The Prince and Belle host a ball for the kingdom, where they dance and lived happily ever after. With that, I could definitely say that i am mesmerized by this film and it has a huge impact in my life. This movie get to be my favorite movie. 10/10

II. Frozen

Frozen.

My happy pill.

Frozen desalinates the new generation, our generation. Wherein, the youths are being portrayed by Elsa who would always keep a particular secret from everyone for the reason that she’s afraid that the society wont accept her. Within her, i saw myself, i saw how excruciating it is for her to lose her loved ones, i’m not saying that the same thing occurred to me but, even my family’s complete, there’s always that something that’ll be missing. Since then, this film has been my happy pill and Elsa served as my spirit animal and just like her, I should be continuing what I’ve started and what I want because basically, it’s me, that is me. No one could ever deny the hard fact that these challenges will always come and test us, but we should all believe in ourselves that we can like what Elsa did. She stood up for herself and she even managed to grow into a beautiful rose even if she’s all alone. The reason why i really can’t resist this film is about it’s life lessons that we should always think first before we should do any decisions for it might affect our future.

III. Inside Out

The universe is full of dark matter and black holes, of planets made of diamond and space clouds that smell like raspberries. It is beautiful, terrifying and very, very odd. but none of that wonder holds a Christmas candle to what goes on in the mind of an 11-year-old girl. Take Riley—a fun, goofy, hockey-loving kid from Minnesota. Sure, she might not look all that unusual from the outside. But dive into her gray matter and you’ll see towering shelves full of memories and terrifying forests of broccoli in her subconscious, cloud cities forming in her imagination and elaborate dreams taking shape on the sound stage of her psyche. Above it all, in the control tower, work Riley’s core emotions: Joy, Sadness, Disgust, Anger and Fear. They push buttons and twist knobs and help power Riley through each and every day, making scads of marble-like memories all the while. Most of those marbles are eventually whisked away to long-term memory storage. But a handful stay in the control room. They’re her core memories, moments so critical in Riley’s development that they’ve spawned whole islands of identity. When Joy is sucked out of the control tower, though, it becomes impossible for Riley to do much but sulk and cower and occasionally blow up. And while that’s not good in and of itself, it’s a fantastic depiction of what kids feel when they’re under a lot of stress. When you’re 11 and your whole world has changed, your inner world is shaken, too. And we learn here that our emotions, even ones that might seem, on the surface, “bad,” can help stabilize things. Riley’s parents don’t understand what’s going on with their suddenly sullen daughter, but they want to help. And so they do—through love and patience and understanding. It’s pretty obvious that Mom and Dad are great (though not always perfect) parents, and Riley, eventually, sees them as such. That means Inside Out isn’t content to depict how awful things can get when our lives take a sudden downward turn. No, it also wants to show us how important family can be in the process of picking yourself up and moving on.

IV. Moana

Princesses come in all shapes, sizes, and colors, though Disney’s latest addition to its ever-growing gallery of empowered female heroines, Moana – The sail of the century. It is a tale of the young daughter of a Polynesian chief who seeks to explore the world beyond her island in the Pacific and save her people in the process. Moana’s father continually asserts that because her role is to be the island’s next leader, she must remain on the island. However, her decision to defy her father’s orders leads to a fulfilling experience. She skillfully incorporates Polynesian culture into its plot, demonstrating its beauty and intricacy while respecting its origins. The film includes the traditional Polynesian legend of Maui, a demigod known for his mischievous personality and contributions to mankind, most notably his creation of the Pacific Islands by pulling up rocks from beneath the ocean. Maui’s character is cleverly utilized to highlight the significance of Moana’s agency as a young woman. Demonstrating his rude personality, Maui constantly doubts Moana’s ability to navigate the ocean and help her people because of her status as the young daughter of a chief. Moana’s continual capacity to prove Maui wrong emphasizes her independence and inherent talents regardless of her social standing or gender. Though Maui and his godly powers contribute to the storyline, Moana’s strength and determination are central to the film’s plot and communicate a stirring message of female empowerment. Patience is the key to happiness, they say, and nearly the entire film embodies that belief. For example, Moana must find enough patience to learn how to sail, patience in Maui who doesn’t trust her at first, and patience throughout her entire journey. During the film we see Moana fail a few times before she finally succeeds, and that added humanity to her character, which a lot of protagonists tend to lack. When a lot of people see this, especially our youth, I think it will help them realize that mistakes are a part of our journey through life, and some things require patience before success. The film will be cheered as many things — an entertaining holiday film, a princess story without the slightest hint of romance, a multicultural addition to the Disney family — but best of all, it’s a sharp attack on helicopter parenting. Unlike most of the young women we meet in fairy tales, Moana has a happy childhood and never wants for anything. Like many middle-class American kids today, she has two wonderful, caring parents who only want what’s best for her. Otherwise, the movie offers positive messages of self-discovery and empowerment. And Moana herself is a great role model, demonstrating perseverance, curiosity, and courage.

V. Coco

They say, Coco is the best movie of Pixar in years, and I totally agrees with it. Most of the scenes in the movie takes place in the Land of the Dead, but the movie never stops overflowing with life. Colors riot and effervesce, Mexican folk-art patterns tease the eye, music and song ride beneath each scene and goose it forward. The movie’s so exuberantly visual that it feels as if you’re sticking your head inside the collective unconscious of an entire culture. Not to mention it’s soundtrack “remember me” which says the whole story and within that, we can all see that many people can relate in this kind of music especially the emotional ones. Although out the movie, it made me cry for the reason that at some how I can relate and I know how it feels when your parents are contradicting the things you wanted to do. This movie is a 10/10 for me. It’s really nice and knowing me, being emotional this movie suits my sentimental heart. While all is well in the end, the movie can be dark and sad , especially for those who’ve lost beloved relatives. But it also has powerful themes of perseverance, teamwork, and gratitude and encourages audiences to love and appreciate their family and always follow their dreams.

5 worthy movies that you shouldn’t miss! As I develop my capabilities, I've been really a hoarder of movies, Disney films to be exact.

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