Crystallised! Achieved by applying another filter in Adobe Photoshop!
I find this image more fascinating than the previous ‘Mosaic Effect’. At first glance, I was all ready to trash this image because I couldn’t quite make out what it was. Then, I realised that as I narrow my eyes, a clearer image emerged! Unlike the ‘mosaic effect’, where I knew what to expect, I didn’t expect this image to have this effect at all!
In this piece, I used Adobe Photoshop filters to create this mosaic effect. By so doing, the whole image is broken down to little squares… How does it affect the way the image it viewed?
It depends on the size of each ‘mosaic’ in relation to the size of the whole image. If the size of each ‘mosaic’ is big and the overall size of the image is small, the image may be less legible from near. The image may only be visible when the viewer stands a distance from the image. With this effect, if viewed from a close range, some viewers may not even be aware of the meaning behind the image. As they move away from the image and start to view the work as a whole, they may start to realise that what they thought were mere squares of random colours actually form a coherent image. In viewing this image (with the moasic effect), the initial fascination with the image may not be with what this image is about but rather the process of how the image becomes clearer and reveals itself as one moves away from the image.
In a way, this image echoes Seurat’s Divisionist style because his original painting is composed of multi-coloured dots. A full appreciation of his work would be from a distance, as the dots would juxtapose and allow the viewer’s eyes to blend colours optically, rather than having the colours blend on the canvas or pre-blended as a material pigment.
This ‘mosaic’ effect of breaking down the whole picture into squares (pixels) makes the re-creation of this piece of work more possible for many people, in particular crafters, who are into cross-stitching and the likes. I must also mention, though, that I do enjoy cross-stitching and find it therapeutic but there not much creativity involved in the craft. May I be so bold as to suggest that Seurat may not have felt particularly creative while he was caught up with the laborious process of ‘dotting’ his large 185 cm x 150 cm masterpiece 😛 !
If Matisse were to re-interpret Seurat’s The Circus, how would he have done it?
Matisse was considered one of the greatest colourist of the 20th century. He was fond of using bright and expressive colours. His paintings during his Fauvist years are characterized by dramatically simplified areas of pure color, flat shape, and strong pattern. Towards the last few years of his life, even as he was too weak to paint, he created papercuts, carving and scissoring out coloured paper into shapes, and collaging them into sometimes vast pictures.
Maybe he would have done it as above… 🙂
With increasing commercialisation, reproductions of art works are common and these may be reproduced on many products and souvenirs by various organisations. Examples abound, such as umbrellas and mugs by museums, stamps by the state and images of art works on even T-shirts, coasters, paper plates and cups, balls and toys by enterprising companies. Below are examples of some products that have art works reproduced on them.
How does this affect the way the image is viewed?
Well, in my opinion, it depends on what product it is imprinted on, the purpose tthe image serve on product and who produces and distributes the product…
A work of art printed on a stamp would be seen as an honour, while a poorly reproduced image on a ball for children to play would seem to ‘cheapen’ the work of art.
Just another thought…
The type of frames, the design of the frame, the materials that the frame is made out of (wood, plastic etc..) and the colour also play an important role in the viewers’ engagement with the image…
The original masterpiece in solid timber frame would probably be taken more seriously and generate more interest and discussion than a print in a plastic frame. The type of frames gives a subtle cue to the value of the image.
Having fun with all the Adobe Photoshop tools… 🙂
Just exploring the effects of using a circular frame instead of a rectangular frame… The circular frame brings the level of interest in the image another level. Because we commonly see images placed in a rectangular frame, images placed in a circular frame seem more interesting and refreshing. Besides, the circular frame fits this composition well because it complements Seurat’s intention of showing the relationship of the acrobats and the horse, caught in the middle of this skillful act.
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Now, instead of focusing on the acrobats, I have chosen to focus on the spectators. The spectators are sitting unnaturally upright. This is probably a conscious decision on the part of Seurat, to compensate for and balance the flamboyant actions of the acrobats. These still, upright shapes are balanced by almost perfectly horizontal lines. Seurat is known to be obsessed over science of art and composition!
By zooming in on this part of the painting and using a circular frame, it feels that the viewer is not just looking on at the scene, but rather peeping through a hole, and seeing the almost passive faces of the spectators who are not aware that they are being looked at and attracting such attention.
An image can be framed in various ways. By this, I mean the cropping of part of a larger image can affect the meaning and content of the painting as this changes the focus of the composition.
In this first frame, the focus is on the two acrobats, showing how their actions are related to each other at this moment of the act.
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By zooming in on the male acrobat, the focus is now on his posture, the agility of his body and his acrobatic act of flipping himself upwards. In this frame, because not much is shown of the ground, we can only get a clue that he is in mid-air because his hand does not cast any shadow on the ground.
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Similarly, by cropping the main image again in this manner, the focus is now shifted to the gracefulness of the lady acrobat and her balancing act on the horse.
Still having fun with hue and saturation of the image. The highly contrasting colours of the image is shocking but the distribution of colours (done by the Adobe Photoshop programme, probably by detecting the intensity of colours in the original image), helps the viewer to understand how Seurat used elements of design – colours, lines, textures etc. to create balance in his work.
However, when looking at this image, rather than linking it to a masterpiece by Seurat, I am inclined to think of it as a draft or a sketch that is part of an exploration for a graphic image or poster.
In this image, I continue to play with the hue and saturation of the image. The complementary and contrasting colours add excitement to the painting but again, the interpretation of mood and emotion is symbolic rather than realistic.
The wonders of technology! By using the Adobe Photoshop software to manipulate the colours, saturations, contrast and balance, the effect of and response to the image is changed as shown in the four examples below…
Hues and saturations affect our emotional response. When the image no longer resembles the scene we expect to see in reality, with its natural colours and textures, we begin to interprete the image intuitively, associating colours with emotions and our experiences. The colour in the original image gives a warm glow to the painting. The whole atmosphere in the circus tent is bathed in warm yellow light. The feeling is warm, happy and pleasant.
When the hue is changed, to red, for example, we no longer associate what we see to a realistic scene, but rather associate it with a particular mood. The ‘red’ image evokes a mood that danger is imminent, although at the present moment in the image, all seems well… The ‘blue’ image give off an air that something mysterious, strange and unnatural is happening.
The last two does not conjure up much excitement… In fact, it gives a feel of plainness and dullness (especially the ‘greenish-brown’ one).
Hue and saturation matters a lot to how a piece of work is read and interpreted!
ESTHER'S studio 
