Digital Artist:  Rado Javor

            It is hard to get a lot of background information about Rado Javor because he is Slovak and his biographies all seem to be written in that language (or French, for some reason).  All that I could find out is that he works in Photoshop, Corel Painter and 3DSMax, he studies physical copies of many of the historical things he draws, and he is inspired by Tolkien, Sherlock Holmes, colonial America, Halloween, and Star Wars.  Fantasy Worlds of Rado Javor. 2010, Sept. 14. Weird Existence,  Retrieved from http://www.weirdexistence.com/fantasy-worlds-by-rado-javor/

            Javor’s digital art looks a lot like old paintings.  His work is very detailed and mostly kind of monochromatic (in either blue-gray or tan-gray).  He seems to create either historical scenes or futuristic scenes, but they both have the same look, which is kind of dream-like.  One of his ship pictures (and he has a lot of ship pictures) that I really like is the “Susan Constant.”  I like the monochromatic color scheme, the detail, the light, and the peacefulness of it.  Digital Painting Gallery from Rado Javor.  Gods of Art.  Retrieved from http://godsofart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Susan_Constant_by_Radojavor.jpg   I also like his “Prometheus” which is his fan art of the movie. I like these kind of movies too, and I think Javor has a great look for a dark, futuristic movie (although I guess you can’t make one in Photoshop).  Retrieved from http://godsofart.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/prometheus_by_radojavor-d4kispb.jpg

            Other than the information discussed above, I could find out little about this artist.  He does appear to sell his art on the internet through a dealer (price not specified).  Rado Javor.  Fine Art America.  Retrieved from http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/rado-javor.html  Much of the work that he makes is concept art for video games, like Empire: Total War.  But there is something about his pictures that works on its own—and he has made several “best digital artists” lists.

Digital Artist:  Karl Sims

          And now for something completely different.  Karl Sims is a specialist in computer graphics and a software engineer.  In addition to creating art, he started a company that does special effects for movies.  He studied life science at MIT, but went on to computer graphics (also at MIT).  His science background is an important part of his work, and computer programming is too.  Sims, K. (2013).  Karl Sims.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/index.html

            What Sims does is program his computer to make art, using scientific principles.  Some of it is really beautiful.  I loved his whole “Fractals” series, which he generated “by iterated function systems related to Julia sets” (whatever that is).   Sims, K.  (2013).  Fractals,  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/fractals.html  I especially liked the top and bottom images, the top one because of the effect of the light and the shadow on the intricate detailed shape, and the bottom one because who would ever think that this wild 60s type design was created by some scientific principle. He also has had some very cool ideas, like creating an exhibit where computer generated creatures evolve before your eyes. But. Some of his stuff, like the reaction-diffusion series, seems very soulless, which I guess in a way it is, since it was generated by the computer using science, and not the human mind.  Sims, K. (2013).  Reaction-Diffusion.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/rd-images.html  It is almost like the idea is more interesting than the art.  And I thought his clip “Primordial Dance” was terrible—lots of dancing squiggles to really bad music.  At least it was short.  Sims, K (1991).  Primordial Dance.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/primordial-dance.html 

            But I guess I just don’t get it.  Sims has won many prizes and awards—so many that you actually have to scroll way down on the link that lists them all.  One of them was the MacArthur Fellowship.  He writes a lot of articles too, like “Artificial Evolution in Computer Graphics.”  He also has shown at the Center Georges Pompidou in France, and a lot of other places as well.  (Sims 2013). Karl Sims.  Retrieved from http://www.karlsims.com/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9kax2DZ0CY&feature=youtu.be

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the concept of sounds, to make a story of my day.      

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think this piece is successful because I think it accurately describes my day, without me having to describe it in words.

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

While working on this piece, I learned a lot about using Audacity.

What challenges did you face?

My sounds were too dim, too soft, at first.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

I used the amplify feature of Audacity to make it louder. 

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I would get a better audio capture of my class. 

Digital Artist:  Jeff Huang

The next digital artist that I love is Jeff Huang.  Unlike some artists that have a “look,” he works in very different styles.  Some are just interesting fantasy creations.  Some have something to say.   He grew up drawing Dragonball Z characters and superheroes.  He always wanted to be an artist.  Then he picked up a copy of Photoshop, and began to immerse himself in the digital world.  He says that he wants to reach people’s emotions and create powerful images.  Huang, J. (2014).  The Fifth Order: About Us.  Retrieved from http://www.thefifthorder.net/about/

I really love his picture “The Cracked Face.”  It is supposed to be a representation of what we will look like in 2030.  It shows a close up of what seems to be a child, staring straight at you, and wearing a protective mask—but the child’s skin is cracking and flaking off.  To me, it is about what we are doing to the earth.  But instead of showing the earth, or pollution, he shows an intimate and creepy portrait of what we may turn into in the future.  18 Digital Artworks and Illustrations by Jeff Huang.  Retrieved from  http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=jeff+huang+digital+art&id=BF3D13A70E04D87BE2CA475C75695049B25F3B78&FORM=IQFRBA#view=detail&id=BF3D13A70E04D87BE2CA475C75695049B25F3B78&selectedIndex=0itI   Another picture of his that I really love is called “Memoir.”  It is a surreal illustration done in a muted green and orange color palette.  There are many moons, and a deconstructed house that has turned into some kind of space house on legs.  An empty birdcage (and other objects) hang from the raining sky, and big black crows are circling.  I don’t really know why, but I can’t stop looking at this picture.  I guess because it is moody.  It is kind of futuristic surrealism.   “Discover Jeff Huang.”  Behance.  Retrieved from https://www.behance.net/gallery/103110/Memoir.

Huang is very successful.  He runs a design studio in New York called the Fifth Order.  He has designed for “The Walking Dead”!  Also, CNN, Broadway, the Grammy’s, etc.  Interestingly, he says that he will help companies with their branding.  I suppose this is by giving them a look.  It is interesting that he can do so many looks, and does not really have a signature style.  Maybe this is more possible with digital art?  

Project Critique Form                   

Sam Utiger

AVT 180-008

Critique of Project 4

What ideas did you incorporate into the piece?

I incorporated the idea of motion, slow and calculated motion.  This is what the stop motion gives you. 
Specifically, I incorporated a fight.

Do you think the piece is successful?  Why or why not?

I think it is successful in that I accurately portrayed the movements. 

Self-evaluation

What skills did you learn through working on this piece?  How did you employ these skills in your work?

I learned stop motion skills, like batch processing.

What challenges did you face?

I had to redo many of my slides because I forgot the background.  Also, it just took me a really long time to get the right number of frames.

Did you find a suitable resolution—if yes, what?  If no, what would you change?

Eventually, I did redo the frames.

What revisions would you make if you were to do the work a second time?

I might have paced the last few frames better—but I just didn’t have the time to get back to it.                

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZapFRt8ngDE&feature=youtu.be

I think that Tabaimo’s work is successful because you cannot help being emotionally effected by it.  I think this is what she means when she says that the work is 50% her responsibility and 50% the viewer’s responsibility.  To me, it was really creepy, nightmarish, and weird. 

I see her point about the instability of her world in her work.  This is true even in the design of the building she designed.  Yes, it lets nature in.  But it is also a building with a hole in the roof and a hole in the floor.  Talk about instability.  And her idea that public toilet stalls can represent private internet communities (with a toilet that looks like a camera), and that a baby could be pulled from the nose of a woman and placed in the toilet—this is all pretty much horrifying to me. 

But there were also some things that I found very good.  The idea of a women making dinner, who just continues on as she listens to horrible stuff on the TV—isn’t that really how we all just continue living our lives while horrible things are happening around us?  I also liked the almost jerky old-fashioned look that her technique gives to the movement.  It looks a bit like a comic book.  The brains cooking on the stove reminded me of my brain during mid-terms.  And the way she used an area of glowing light with her hands (colored in orange and red) in a black pool also was very interesting.  Her description of the technique involved in producing this was fascinating—and it sounds very difficult.

Tabaimo certainly makes you feel something.  But I doubt that her stuff is hanging on anybody’s wall.  Still, I somehow can’t help but admire her art.