Chapter 6 Light 09 24 2012 Light The Dan Flavin Art Institute NY Light creates shadow and thus defines figures and mass Light influences space and spatial relationships o Flavin 1977 Fluorescent tube lights Fluorescent sculptures together with architectural interiors o Notre Dame du Haut at Ronchamp La Corbusier By French Architect Le Corbusier Important religious architecture of 20th century Interior lighting dramatic religious awe inspiring Concrete stone construction o Linear perspective One point perspective Frontal recession Atmospheric Perspective Another manner of depicting the illusion of depth Objects in the background become Less distinct Less contrast Cooler in color Leonardo mondona on the rocks o Atmospheric o Perspective o Less clear due to depth Atmospheric or aerial perspective was used extensively by painters in the 19th century Thomas Cole VIEW FROM MOUNT HOLYOKE NORTHAMPTION MASSACHSEETS Joseph Turner Ruskin said of Turner o He who most stirringly and truthfully measured the moods of nature o Ofthen described as the greatest English painter o J M Turner RAIN STEAM AND SPEED THE GREAT WESTERN RAILROAD Linear and atmospheric persepective Rembrandt van Rijn THE MILL TURNER SPEAKING OF REMBRANDT S THE MILL o A veil of matchless color o That lucid interval of morning dawn and dewy light on which the eye dwells o With Linear Perspective one describes physical reality o But with Atmospheric Perspective with light one reveals a greater spiritual reality Techniques of Chiaroscuro Modeling manner in which artists depict the gradual transition from light to dark around a rounded surface Paul Colin FIGURE OF A WOMAN Chiraroscuro the balance of light and shade o Pierre Paul Prud hon STUDY FOR LA SOURCE Modeling techniques Hatching closely spaced parallel lines Crosshatching multiple series of hatching lines gives a greater sense of volume and form Mary Cassatt THE COIFFURE Shading Hightlight direct reflection of light source Penumbra Umbra Cast shadow Value the gradual shift from light to dar Value is the ralative degree of lightness and darkenss of any color The Gray Scale Gradual transition from black to white Pat Steir Night o o o Chrysanthemums 1984 Increasingly up close Increasingly abstract Increasing value contrast Hue Color Palette color selection Tint color with addition of white Shade color with addition of black Mary Cassatt IN THE LOGE JUDITH AND MAIDSERVANT WITH THE HEAD OF HOLOFERNES Tenebrism from tenebrosos hidden in the shadows Creates drama using highly contrasting light and dark High Drama o Judith and Maid seduction of Holofernes invading army o Slaying heroines Drama Composition o Light contrast between light and dark o Tenebrism Class Notes 09 24 2012 General Light is at least as important to the rendering of space Light creates shadow and thus helps to define the contour of a figure or mass Color is essential in defining shape and mass Light Natural light helps us to define spatial relationships it stands to reason that artists are interested in manipulating it Dan Flavin began working exclusively with fluorescent fixtures Green is the most luminous fluorescent light so much so that especially when emitted from multiple tubes it fatigues the eye and quickly appears to be white an effect the viewer immediately experiences upon entering the front door of the building Atmospheric Perspective Leonardo da Vinci is known for creating the rules of what we call atmospheric or aerial perspective Objects farther away to us appear less distinct often bluer in color and contrast between light and dark is reduced Clarity precision and contrast between light and dark dominate the foreground elements in Leonardo s Madonna of the Rocks o Chiaroscuro one of the chief tools employed by artists of the Renaissance to render the effects of light is Chiaroscuro Chiaro means light Oscuro means dark Chiaroscuro refers to the balance of light and shade in a picture especially its skillful use by the artist in representing the gradual transition around a curved surface from light to dark The use of chiaroscuro to represent light falling across a curved or rounded surface is called modeling Figure of a women by Paul Colin Has employed the techniques of chiaroscuro to model his figure Drawing on light beige paper he has indicated shadow by means of black crayon and has created the impression of light with white crayon Basic types of shading and light employed in chiaroscuro are Highlights o Directly reflect the light source are indicated by white and the various degrees of shadow are noted by darker and darker areas of black Shadow o Shadow proper which transitions into the cord of the shadow the darkest area on the object itself and the cast shadow the darkest area of all Reflected o light cast indirectly on the table of which the sphere rests lighten the underside of shadowed surfaces Judith and Maidservant with the Head of Holofernes Gentileschi utilizes a technique that came to be known as tenebrism from the Italian tenebroso meaning murky Unlike chiaroscuro a tenebrist style is not necessarily connected to modeling at all Tenebrism makes use of large areas of dark contrasting sharply with smaller brightly illuminated areas Competing against the very deep shadows in Gentileschi s painting are dramatic spots of light Hatching and Cross hatching Other techniques used to model figures include hatching and crosshatching Employed especially in ink drawing and printmaking where the artist s tools do not readily lend themselves to creating shaded areas hatching and cross hatching are linear methods of modeling Hatching is an area of closely spaced parallel lines or hatches The closer the spacing of the lines the darker the area The Coiffure by Mary Cassatt Parallel lines of greater or less density define the relative deepness of the shadow in the room Head of a Satyr Michelangelo s Cross hatching that the greatest sense of volume and form in space is achieved One set of hatches is crossed at an angle by a second The denser the lines the darker the area Value The gradual shift from light to dark that characterizes both chiaroscuro and atmospheric perspective is illustrated by the gray scale Whenever black is added to the hue we are dealing with a shade of that color Pink is a tint and maroon a shade of red Pat Steir Pink Chrysanthemum The light painting becomes increasingly energetic and alive Pat Steir Night Chrysanthemum Becomes more increasily less somber but at the same time