Looking at War

overlay, coloring and photos, Charlotte-

charlotte thompson said:

overlay, coloring and photos, Charlotte-

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Hi Charlotte,

To me, but that's just me, the patterns looked more like an Aurora Borealis (in red, for a change) than war. Red doesn't necessarily associate with blood/agression, it also associates with love. Strong emotions, but not all negative ...

Bart

overlay and photos are mine-

Hi Charlotte,

I take this is the start of a new idea. If so this will be interesting to watch since it is so different from your faces. I will comment that the trees, being so identifiable, might do better being seen to the bases of the tree trunks, at least for a significant part of the image with such a perspective.

If we were looking down from the sky, then we wouldn't expect to the the tree trunks so easily.

While I like the direction, in using fire and trees as elements, this picture, to me at least, lacks form sufficient to keep my attention. Yes its fire, but still amorphous and so undefined as to let me say "Hmm?" but walk on.

I hope you will continue to work on this theme and then the subject matter will have time to mature in your creative mind.

Asher

Asher

war used as a verb-

to carry on active hostility or contention: Throughout her life she warred with sin and corruption.
12. to be in conflict or in a state of strong opposition: The temptation warred with his conscience

indeed there are many definitions if one wants to look at a piece of art such as this and think about the special effects of the word war- and all the ways one could war in there lives-
this is the spirit and meaning of my overlay-
red in itself also has many meanings yes love is one- energy is one-blood is one-in this case it is all of those infusions

Charlotte

Charlotte,

Your picture does have some nascent elements of impressive activity. To me, however, it lacks definition and structure sufficient to allow it to breathe. Perhaps it was larger and you have cropped it? If so, I'd love to see the larger version*. I have the feeling that more real estate around your central idea might allow the picture to have more life breathed into it.

Does the picture satisfy you in its present form or is this just the start?

In any case, I am intrigued by this new path of work and hope there is more development.

Asher

*This reminds me of the fashion of so many pictures today being over-cropped following the aphorism to frame closely and then crop tighter.

charlotte thompson said:

Asher

war used as a verb-

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Bart was warring with you on the subject, "War", not I. Still, since you mention that it is a verb as used in your title, "Looking at war", there the word war is a noun.

"War", like "burn" and "pleasure" involves activity, I admit. Nevertheless they are all nouns when serving as the predicate of a verb like "is".

Asher

no cropping at all- metaphorically speaking would be the titles intention and question-
I thought I posted another version in my last reply-a different overlay but it disappeared*
I write always in metaphor so I think now it is showing up in my photo overlays

Charlotte

War is not overlays of colors. I've done the research.

I'd like to echo another person who said that this photo looks more like the aurora borealis than an image of war.

Doug
first thank you for coming by-



War is not overlays of colors. I've done the research.

in art I do believe that one can express his or her feelings in colored visual media
war could be no color at all-
the overlay is to express-incantate feelings of your inner demons that one wars with
I simply used the colotrs smeared extended red with yellows
and the human eyes a reflection of wars of any kind if you have different ideas to interpet the piece is all-
I do very much like your response-very poetic indeed!

Charlotte

charlotte thompson said:

Asher

no cropping at all- metaphorically speaking would be the titles intention and question-
I thought I posted another version in my last reply-a different overlay but it disappeared*
I write always in metaphor so I think now it is showing up in my photo overlays

Charlotte

Click to expand...

Charlotte, both pictures are here at the beginning of the thread.

Asher

yes I of course saw both-I must have misposted the third one-yikes-LOL

Charlotte

Doug

war can represent many things to many people-these shots for sure
but was not my intention with my art
I think your response is very inappropriate in my thread- please can some one take these photos out of my thread!

Charlotte

charlotte thompson said:

overlay and photos are mine-

Click to expand...

Folks,

This is the subject of Charlotte's thread! The idea in this part of OPF, in this Riskit! forum only, is for photographers to document their own new journey. The idea is to perfect and bring about some novel way of looking at things or some part of photography they are not as yet known to be masters of. So we can comment here, that is essential. But do not post other pictures unless it's to make a point on what, for example, Charlotte, has shown here.

This does make it more difficult to contribute to the thread. For example you might think her picture is rubbish and superficial and that real war pics should be shown. Alternatively you may feel she has tapped into a unique way of expressing ideas, but you are intimidated from adding your questions. Hopefully, we'll have guys "in betwee"n who can recognize worth and yet see what might be tried to better execute her ideas.

So we, as viewers on the way, should give Charlotte feedback, critique, warnings and guides to encourage her on her own journey.

So that's what it's about. Charlotte's Journey about expressing her unique vision of war. Still, I'm super glad that this work has allowed the showing of pictures we generally do not choose to see.

Asher

P.S. the pictures of real war are important, iconic and should be paid attention to in the new thread I have moved them to here.

Asher
whoa the shot blown up looks better ans senses more of the intention

"can the human spirit look above what war is"

Charlotte

Charlotte,

I didn't understand totally the language of the picture. I hold in reserve my strong critique pending some definition in my mind of your signals within the picture. I really try to put myself in the mind of the artist so as to approach a position where the arc of communication is completed.

I'm looking forward to more along this line as the project develops.

Asher

Asher

the world is full of war and in many respects it touches all of us
this overlay is the idea of spirit-human spirit overlooking the world of war*

Charlotte

I've been following this thread for a bit and maybe I'll quit lurking... the image does not strike me as "War". My first and lasting impression is of a major forrest fire. If not for the title, I doubt if "war" would have entered my mind as an association to the image.

Gary

Hi Gary,

Here the presented image in its current form works as a personal art form to the artist but not yet to us. That's because symbols and forms used have not been chosen from a set of possibilities and combinations that register with us in anyway so that a feeling or idea of "War!" is evoked. It could be that what's intended turns out to be a simple declarative sentence, where the subject, "War" is derived from the title and the object is equated to is "destruction" or fire which spreads beyond control. So the meaning might, for example be:

War is destruction!
War spreads like fire!
War consumes everything in its path!
War is orange, red and black.
War is not what we think it is.

However, these ideas are transitory to me and there is no magnet to draw me back to converse with the image. So to me, at least, the work lacks the power to be public art. Now for people that don't think like me and have other experience, it may be different. My guess is that it won't.


Hi Charlotte,

I know you are on to the book cover illustrations you have been asked to do. You may have taken a rest form this picture. However, this piece is perplexing. Perhaps it's an early form and the full power is nascent. OTOH, maybe if you gave us an introduction or guided us, everything might snap into place. We might, after all, be missing a key ereference in our own experience. Or else perhaps there is some test of us, a challenge to think differently. In any case, this picture does not, as yet, direct me to think of war without the title.

Of course, with the title, we are directed to think about "War!". There's destruction, but no conflict. We can only report back what we see, feel and are induced to think. Perhaps if this was made 20ft high, we'd have a different experience.

I'm not saying it's good or bad just that the "Arc of Communication" does not bring to me more than fire and destruction.

Others may "get it", but that's how art works.

Asher

Gary

combining the overlay and the idea of war was what I wanted to do-wars always cause fire, yes? as we as humans watch,yes (the eyes overhead of the fire)
it is the idea of all kinds of wars
the demons of war
war on drugs
war on poverty
war
I am merely string to state "we as humans watch these wars"
include our humanity inside them(the overlays intention)
I wanted to go beyond just the polictical wars we are always involved in-
it may be hard to see war in other ways- but was my intention to do so in this piece

Charlotte

Hi Charlotte,

Glad you are online! You might have replied so fast that my complete post was not yet online. So could you review it again. You may have more ideas to share.

Asher

Asher

yes a challenge to think in a different way for sure- it is an artist expression if you look at it with your art eyes
you may see *human spirit* in the eyes over the destructions we as humans have placed on our own selves- another explnation of this work-

it is maybe

"a grotesque reflection"

a look at humanity and war if you will-

"You can't say civilization don't advance --" for in every war, they kill you in a new way." Will Rogers
I believe who said this about war-
what a great thought!!


this is another idea-
The Grotesque Reflection of The Sadness of War

Hi Charlotte!!

Bravo! Progress at last! I have no thrill or turning upside of my heart. However, now I'm engaged!

I see an overlay of a left and right eye placed almost but not horizontally in the upper part of the picture. A lips, nostrils and chin are found in succession in the center and lower portions of the picture, but cramped together. So we have the twisted alignment of the eyes above an oversized mouth with little expression. The fire below erodes much of the chin.

The picture is then broken by a panel in the center which is given a shadow and appears to be superficial to the lateral components of a segmented image, a pseudo-triptych.

Now in this version in contrast to the previous attempts, there are at least two components, the complex de-constructed face and the fire. However, what's missing, to me, at least is a reaction of the fire in the face. Not that there has to be. Still, I'd be interested in seeing smoke in the nostrils or over an eye. There's no response in the face to the fire at all. It's just two elements, the face and fire, with no intercourse.

I'm now interested in the picture and wouldn't accept it to be immediately dismissed or classified as plain garbage, crap, rubbish or nonsense. On the contrary, I'll come back and think about this some more and so should you. Art is an iterative process. As long as you keep in your own head all the keys, it's just something for you, yourself and in that, it's personal art. Here you have given us so much more. Now I can see the externalization of more of your ideas. That is what is needed!

We are not looking for clarity, just sufficient to allow us to bring our own booze to the party and start a conversation.

Asher

Asher

bringing your own booze to the party is exactly the intention of art and the artist
that conversation-
what art is for me in definition is "seduction"
this is seducing conversation with the onlookers* whatever he/she sees is important
because that is an evolution- I express what I can-what I feel-what I see-
all will not see and feel the same way which is a good thing because I think that in order for life to portray itself forward and evolve there MUST be a different view- art shows us that way-

Charlotte

another look

this overlay for me dipects the very color of death asscoiated with war and wars of all kinds- the black empty eyes the tree of life within also black
will we ever stop the destruction" can we see ourselves as this picture of emptiness"