Critique 2 (Photography) Love Shouldn't Hurt

I'm going to be doing the "darker" side of romance with this critique. I will be using a photograph that is meant to portray a domestic violence victim.

Photograph by Andy Armstrong

Abuse is not something that is extremely rare within our society. Though we like to think that it does not happen, it does, and it is not something new. Abuse is a terrifying actuality within many women's lives. Domestic violence is something that is tackled within art countless times, but many artists cannot grasp the pain of these women correctly and tastefully, Andy Armstrong does both of these things. In Andy Armstrong's photo "Love Shouldn't Hurt" he utilizes gritty color and harrowing characterization to portray the devastating pain all victims of domestic violence feel while tackling their lives on their own.

The gritty colors of the photograph only enhance the striking emotion flowing through it. The image itself is uncomfortable to look at, but way the colors makes the scene just that much more unbearable, it is truly amazing. There is a chartreuse like filter across the scene, painting it in an almost nauseating fashion, in a sense trying to push that unsettling envelope just that much further. The color also holds a gritty tone, almost a texture within the filter as if it is trying to manifest what her emotions look like in color and feel. This gut wrenching color is magnificent and horrifying; proving that such raw emotion can be captured within a single frame is something that is truly fascinating.

The characterization of the model is something that is extremely unique about the photograph. The model clearly shows such a terrifying emotion, something that she (probably) has never felt, but is still able to embody the fear and helplessness of all the women subjected to domestic abuse. She portrays a simple woman stuck within an nightmarish relationship, something that only haunts our dreams, but lurks dauntingly within this woman's everyday reality. It is hard to imagine living such a devastating life, and knowing that woman do actually live it is hard to take. The model within this image is so breathtakingly painful to view, and I find that all the more fantastic,

Photography is a hard art to master, but Andy Armstrong seems to be making his way there within "Love Shouldn't Hurt". The biting emotion displayed within it is nauseating and surreal. The way he is able to portray such a heartbreaking life in such an artistic and careful way is superb.

Sculpture and Painting

NYC LOVE Sculpture by Robert Indiana



Trust in Love - Beth Budesheim

Critique 1; "The Lovers" Rene Magritte

Love has always been, and always will be, a powerful and strong emotion. It is a force on this earth, something we all crave. Though some believe that beauty is a key element within this emotion, it is known that beauty is only skin deep, and as they often say, love is blind. "The Lover's", Rene Magritte skillfully utilizes contrastingly dulled colors and stark, striking symbolism to bring forth the concept of love as a blind and pulling force within us all.
The dulled colors throughout the painting provide a deeper look into the concept portrayed. The colors of the painting are dulled down and pulled back, drawing the focus away from them. This further brings out the idea that love is blind and beauty is not necessary to feel such a strong emotion. Even though the colors of the painting are dull they still bring out beauty within it. Bright colors are not necessary to have a fantastic paiting, much like beauty is not necessary to having a loving relationship.
The symbolism within the painting also further shows that love is blind. Each of the lovers is hooded; they have a thick bag covering each of their faces. And though they are cloaked from each other, they still have the passion to kiss one another, they still have that electrifying connection between them, though their faces are shrouded. This love is blind, they cannot see one another, but they know what they feel, and beauty has nothing to do with any of it. They are able to look past what is before them and see the one they love for who they are, exactly that, their love. All love should be this strong and powerful, all love should be blind and fulfilling.
Rene Magritte's painting portrays the concept of blind love through its symbolism and coloring, bringing forth such a powerful emotion in all of us and proving that beauty does not matter, it is only skin deep. Love triumphs over all and needs to be seen that way.

Declaration

My concept is "Through Rose Colored Glasses: The Influences of Love and Passion". I chose this concept because "looking through rose colored glasses" is a phrase that I have used throughout my entire life. It's an old fashioned saying that means you are looking at a bad situation in a good light because you have strong feelings for someone involved, or just hold a loving and optimistic personaility. I figured that such a phrase would be perfect to title my conceptfolio based upon such a sweeping emotion. Throughout my concept I will delve into the confusing emotions of love and passion and how they make people go off into directions that they never saw themselves traveling to. I will cover every type of love from elementary puppy love to the sweeping romance of soul mates, from the crushing blow of heartbreak and the feeling of a blow from a love. Love and passion make people do crazy things, and that is when real art happens.