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L.A. Sunset Primitive 01

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
The challenge on sunsets here has had me thinking about using the images of sunset in a different way. So here the original shot, itself, is just a primitive element to build a picture hopefully worth contemplating, but not surely not purely for sentimental or romantic reasons.

I plan to attempt a series. Here's the first.


MG_89600001Sunset__Primative_01_400pxl.jpg


Asher Kelman: Sunset from a Primitive: #1


Look carefully at the lower unit of the triptych. It's not entirely black on the left. The color it is appreciated full size as a print. I hope you like it!

Asher
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Excellent work, Asher. It has just enough familiarity for anyone to grasp, yet it's a rich and personal time series that clearly whispers "California".

Very nicely done!
 

fahim mohammed

Well-known member
Asher, have stared at it for sometime.

Love the sequence of colors, their juxtaposition and the time frames. I particularly like the red contrasting ' frame holder '.

That it is California, is not obvious to me; maybe it was not meant to be. ( other then from the title !!)

It deserves more thought and I shall revisit it to further appreciate it.

Yes, indeed a lovely, eye catching imagery.
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
ell thanks to both of you for fast reactions. I do hope you will still have opinions after a good night's sleep, LOL!

I do like this, Asher! It's creative and elegant. I like the shapes and colors and how they are juxtaposed. I like this a lot.

It's designed to be printed approx 33" x 60". The test is really in the print.

Excellent work, Asher. It has just enough familiarity for anyone to grasp, yet it's a rich and personal time series that clearly whispers "California".

Very nicely done!

Ken,

I value your generous consideration. It's tough to take the ethereal sunset, which in itself has beauty at the core of so many memories and make something new. It's a bigger challenge to build a picture that relies on our collective libraries of sunsets for creating a private space for our meandering.

Thanks for the good words. It's encouraging. The test for me is gong further. Shortly.

Asher
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Love the sequence of colors, their juxtaposition and the time frames. I particularly like the red contrasting ' frame holder '.

That's gratifying Fahim! I appreciate the approval!

Asher, have stared at it for sometime. ........


That it is California, is not obvious to me; maybe it was not meant to be. ( other then from the title !!)

Fahim,

You are right to be hesitant, as you would walking up a long flight of stone steps, passing below an emblem of the scales of justice. The outcome is always uncertain. It's no more than a prayer and a hope, but we have no choice but to try to be an advocate for our own ideas.

This picture is only the first in a series I will try to build. The title in a picture or series is allowed to set the stage for us. As we proceed, it should become more probable.

It deserves more thought and I shall revisit it to further appreciate it.

Yes, indeed a lovely, eye catching imagery.

Thanks for that.

Asher
 
Excellent work, Asher. It has just enough familiarity for anyone to grasp, yet it's a rich and personal time series that clearly whispers "California".

Very nicely done!
Ken,

Uh...I have been relegated to depths below the abilities of "anyone".
Time? California?

HELP!!
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Ken,

Uh...I have been relegated to depths below the abilities of "anyone".
Time? California?

HELP!!

Winston,

It's fascinating that you use a metaphor of "relative depths" at which one might be cast by Ken's decree, LOL. That, approach, perhaps, is ultimately a way of reaching the picture. It might be that I will be more fortunate with the next in the series!

Asher
 

Ken Tanaka

pro member
Ken,

Uh...I have been relegated to depths below the abilities of "anyone".
Time? California?

HELP!!

I certainly did not intend to whack you with my back-swing, Winston.

By way of explanation for "...just enough familiarity for anyone to grasp", I had part of the day, earlier to my comment, sliding down the pole of work by Uta Barth.
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
Asher

This is interesting from a very contemporary art point of view
it has an island feel to it but then again not-
it looks as though the night is coming
sleep is dark in the lines of red
which red denotes energy
a complex mixture you have going on- for me the red lines add and is its main attraction to the piece

Charlotte-
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
I'm sure some good photographers here might just wonder, "What on earth is this picture about?" You are, perhaps, too well-mannered to say "this is nonsense, not my language" and the like. Well, if you want to fnd out, this might help.

Hopefully, after reading more, there will be some later pictures in this series that will resonate with you better.

Asher
 
I've been looking at the image for some time and for the same bloody reason I can't see any details on the last one (I 'll sort it quickly). And made me wonder how it'll react if screen printed, probably badly but it was an idea. reminds me when I saw an exhibition in London, few years ago from Richard Avedon" where the pictures were "gigantly" printed on some plastic tarpautin (that's what my dictionary says). I'm not into giant printing usually but these ones worth it as there was enough space around to step back and see the lot. you might have said that the process leads to a lack of details and modulation but nothing of that sort even at a reasonable viewing distance it was very nice....

Anyway I like the picture, but I wonder if you might have tried any other colors less related to a standard sunset such as a "duck egg" blue or an aqua green...There are the colors I should have used If I had to do this...But it's only a matter of personal taste.
 

Charlotte Thompson

Well-known member
I completely understand the art in this picture and the intention of the art- We can only express our own intentions by such an honest direction- who cares if it's not cliche or hallmark expected so others can understand the same ole' pictures over and over ad nauseum- I for one have expressed in many ways an idea that was different and had some flack thrown at me- LOL who cares- a true artist is true to his own vision and not the vision of the masses who don't try to look at some art in a much different way- I say bah! to that and go on-
each one should see something a bit different and not all should see the same old "apple" and be bored to extreme- My pov-
I say go on and do where your drive as an artist sends you-

Charlotte-
 

Doug Kerr

Well-known member
HI, Asher,

The challenge on sunsets here has had me thinking about using the images of sunset in a different way. So here the original shot, itself, is just a primitive element to build a picture hopefully worth contemplating, but not surely not purely for sentimental or romantic reasons.
I think the tryptychity is spoiled by the inconsistent separation between "tiles" - thin red lines, like the trace of an errant laser - of differing luminance. I would have preferred, for example, thin white - or maybe even black - mullions between the tiles.

Best regards,

Doug
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
HI, Asher,


I think the tryptychity is spoiled by the inconsistent separation between "tiles" - thin red lines, like the trace of an errant laser - of differing luminance. I would have preferred, for example, thin white - or maybe even black - mullions between the tiles.

Best regards,

Doug

Thanks, Doug.

In a final print, there may even be painted elements added too, especially in the lower panel. My work is always a wrestling match between original intent and the impudent life force of the damn art! Each makes shifting demands.

Asher
 

Jean Henderson

New member
Hi Asher,

I also like the red/black tension in your image, but would also prefer consistent luminance of the red lines. I can only see the very slightest trace of something in the red family in the left hand side of the lowest panel. Conceptually, I like it, but think that more "action" of the red/black tension in the lower panel might serve the whole image better.

Jean
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Asher,

I also like the red/black tension in your image, but would also prefer consistent luminance of the red lines. I can only see the very slightest trace of something in the red family in the left hand side of the lowest panel. Conceptually, I like it, but think that more "action" of the red/black tension in the lower panel might serve the whole image better.

Jean

Jean,

Thanks for your comments and ideas. The last panel is the toughest.

As I mentioned to Doug, above, likely I'll be adding red as paint to the lower panel after it's printed rather than alter the photograph. I want it to be more organic and based on my own relationship to the full size image.

Asher
 

Mark Hampton

New member
MG_89600001Sunset__Primative_01_400pxl.jpg


Asher Kelman: Sunset from a Primitive: #1

Asher,
I have come back to this since you posted it a few times.. so here are my impressions.

the bottom frame kills me - I want to look @ it 100%.. the muted tones (in my mind) pull me around - searching for shapes - things to rest on.. and then the red lines pull me back - but not out because of the tonal shift

I understand it is in essence the start of something - the last frame is like a good wine...

Cheers
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Hi Mark,

I work in a strange way. I shoot a lot and then might put images aside and harvest parts much later to see if it still works for me or to wait for one more element to photograph or else to paint the final component.


Here I plan to paint the last section after it's printed. A lot of my interest is in compound images where I use "primitive" elements that are combined later. Sometimes, the entire image has been drawn and each shot is taken with its place in a composition predefined. Other times I combine elements that were not part of any plan when the pictures were taken, just that there was something I could use.

Here, the latter is the case and the stage shown now is what I have developed short of printing. Once it is printed then, the picture, itself, will help argue for what is allowed in the lower panel. I cannot do it beforehand.

However, I promise to photograph the print and share it here. Hopefully, it will have dealt with the shortcomings you observe.

Asher
 

Mark Hampton

New member
Hi Mark,

I work in a strange way. I shoot a lot and then might put images aside and harvest parts much later to see if it still works for me or to wait for one more element to photograph or else to paint the final component.


Here I plan to paint the last section after it's printed. A lot of my interest is in compound images where I use "primitive" elements that are combined later. Sometimes, the entire image has been drawn and each shot is taken with its place in a composition predefined. Other times I combine elements that were not part of any plan when the pictures were taken, just that there was something I could use.

Here, the latter is the case and the stage shown now is what I have developed short of printing. Once it is printed then, the picture, itself, will help argue for what is allowed in the lower panel. I cannot do it beforehand.

However, I promise to photograph the print and share it here. Hopefully, it will have dealt with the shortcomings you observe.

Asher

Asher,

Killing me - man it must be a Scottish thing - it means I really like the bottom section - no short comings were noted... I was just saying how much I liked how the last sections play on my mind...

about how you work - I can understand that manner - I like how life informs the proceedings - I think pictures should be worked and enjoyed - connections made between things that are desperate in time but part of a whole -

I have years of negatives to re-explore and I still enjoy making... it is good!

Cheers
 

Asher Kelman

OPF Owner/Editor-in-Chief
Asher,

Killing me - man it must be a Scottish thing - it means I really like the bottom section - no short comings were noted... I was just saying how much I liked how the last sections play on my mind...


Mark,

That's cool! I appreciate your encouraging words!

about how you work - I can understand that manner - I like how life informs the proceedings - I think pictures should be worked and enjoyed - connections made between things that are desperate in time but part of a whole -

"desperate in time but part of a whole" I like that turn of phrase, desperate in time. Its might explain art and religion in one succinct phrase! Still, I suspect you mean "disparate in time" but "Desperate in time!" is far more moving!

I have years of negatives to re-explore and I still enjoy making... it is good!

Well, we can look forward to a good supply of new work!

Asher
 
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