Initial Responce
INTRODUCTION:
The piece I have chosen to explore is 'City Sweepers' by Nicolas Ballesteros. Nicholas Ballesteros is a 27 year-old photorealist painter residing in the upper Midwest. Nicolas is work primarily consists of collage created from repurposed materials, such as old newspapers and photographs. I have chosen to analysis Nicholas is work, as our unit is collage and I find his pieces to be very minimalistic yet appealing, furthermore they convey deep meaning and are often centered around social issues.
VISUAL RESPONCE:
My first reaction when I saw these piece was 'progressive', at first glance this piece looks as if civilians are making an effort to clean up their city, hence the city was progressing in a positive direction. However when I observed the piece further, I instantly associated the individuals in the image sweeping, to be woman wearing 'burkas'; a burka is a long, loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet, worn in public by many Muslim women. I have been born in raised in Oman, my home-country and I am very accustomed to seeing woman dress covered from head to feet in such attire, in the region of Oman the burkas worn are typically solid black, similar to the individuals in the piece above.
EMOTIONAL RESPONSE:
On observation of this piece , I am reminded of the many workers I see frequently around the school. Seeing the figures in the image, depicted as if they were struggling and exhausted but working tirelessly, made me feel empathy towards the workers I encounter in my life, who similarly work tirelessly in harsh weather conditions.
MEMORY & EXPERIENCE:
As previously stated, the figures in the image remind me very identically of the woman I am accustom to seeing on daily bases in my life here in Oman, hence I do feel an a connection to some extent with the figures in the image. Furthermore the iconic skyscrapers and city skyline reminds me fondly of a summer spent in America, and the highlight of the trip was our stay in New York City. The background photograph of New York, although aged, as inferred by the print and color of the paper, still distinctly reminds me of New York.
The piece I have chosen to explore is 'City Sweepers' by Nicolas Ballesteros. Nicholas Ballesteros is a 27 year-old photorealist painter residing in the upper Midwest. Nicolas is work primarily consists of collage created from repurposed materials, such as old newspapers and photographs. I have chosen to analysis Nicholas is work, as our unit is collage and I find his pieces to be very minimalistic yet appealing, furthermore they convey deep meaning and are often centered around social issues.
VISUAL RESPONCE:
My first reaction when I saw these piece was 'progressive', at first glance this piece looks as if civilians are making an effort to clean up their city, hence the city was progressing in a positive direction. However when I observed the piece further, I instantly associated the individuals in the image sweeping, to be woman wearing 'burkas'; a burka is a long, loose garment covering the whole body from head to feet, worn in public by many Muslim women. I have been born in raised in Oman, my home-country and I am very accustomed to seeing woman dress covered from head to feet in such attire, in the region of Oman the burkas worn are typically solid black, similar to the individuals in the piece above.
EMOTIONAL RESPONSE:
On observation of this piece , I am reminded of the many workers I see frequently around the school. Seeing the figures in the image, depicted as if they were struggling and exhausted but working tirelessly, made me feel empathy towards the workers I encounter in my life, who similarly work tirelessly in harsh weather conditions.
MEMORY & EXPERIENCE:
As previously stated, the figures in the image remind me very identically of the woman I am accustom to seeing on daily bases in my life here in Oman, hence I do feel an a connection to some extent with the figures in the image. Furthermore the iconic skyscrapers and city skyline reminds me fondly of a summer spent in America, and the highlight of the trip was our stay in New York City. The background photograph of New York, although aged, as inferred by the print and color of the paper, still distinctly reminds me of New York.
Contextual Understanding
THE ARTIST:
Nicholas Ballesteros is an American collage artistic who lives in Chicago, Illinois. Nicholas's work is primary collage, however he also works with a range of mixed media. Ballesteros received his formal education in Fine arts, and received his Bachelor of Art from the University of Minnesota, and Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois.
BACKGROUND:
Nicholas Ballesteros as a 'photorealistic painter, is interested in the human qualities that get ported into images. Nicholas uses his own life as resource, and while working he uses a specifically autobiographical lens. His work consists of producing scenes and portraits, that he encounter in his daily life, and 'he further amplifies the aesthetic charge of the personal through painstaking painterly portrayal' Nicholas strongly advocates Deleuzes beliefs that "a work of art does not contain the least bit of inspiration, In contrast, there is a fundamental affinity between a work of art and an act of resistance." Ballesteros advances beyond creating art that is rational, and easily comprehensive, however his art depicts the reality of the circumstances we live in, he commonly explores themes such life, death, war and beauty.
ASSOCIATIONS AND INFLUENCES:
Ballesteros is heavily influenced by varied artist, from Manet, Whistler and Cassat, to Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Paul Strand and Sally Mann. He states "In a stylistic nod to those latter photographers, I produce images serially, privileging mechanical iteration, which in the context of the subject matter establishes a meta-narrative about love, labor and human freedom"
IDEAS & INTENTIONS:
In my personal opinion, the image is a satire illustration depicting and mocking societies view on lower class citizens. Ballesteros has illustrated the lower class citizens to be 'city sweepers' a minimal paying occupation, and one viewed as a lower social class. However Ballesteros is attempting to illustrate not only their position on a social ladder, but how society views them as less substantial and belittles them. He has taken the literal conation of belittling, and created this satire mockery of society, but enlarging the 'city sweepers' to be humongously proportioned.
Nicholas Ballesteros is an American collage artistic who lives in Chicago, Illinois. Nicholas's work is primary collage, however he also works with a range of mixed media. Ballesteros received his formal education in Fine arts, and received his Bachelor of Art from the University of Minnesota, and Masters of Fine Arts from the University of Illinois.
BACKGROUND:
Nicholas Ballesteros as a 'photorealistic painter, is interested in the human qualities that get ported into images. Nicholas uses his own life as resource, and while working he uses a specifically autobiographical lens. His work consists of producing scenes and portraits, that he encounter in his daily life, and 'he further amplifies the aesthetic charge of the personal through painstaking painterly portrayal' Nicholas strongly advocates Deleuzes beliefs that "a work of art does not contain the least bit of inspiration, In contrast, there is a fundamental affinity between a work of art and an act of resistance." Ballesteros advances beyond creating art that is rational, and easily comprehensive, however his art depicts the reality of the circumstances we live in, he commonly explores themes such life, death, war and beauty.
ASSOCIATIONS AND INFLUENCES:
Ballesteros is heavily influenced by varied artist, from Manet, Whistler and Cassat, to Robert Frank, Walker Evans, Paul Strand and Sally Mann. He states "In a stylistic nod to those latter photographers, I produce images serially, privileging mechanical iteration, which in the context of the subject matter establishes a meta-narrative about love, labor and human freedom"
IDEAS & INTENTIONS:
In my personal opinion, the image is a satire illustration depicting and mocking societies view on lower class citizens. Ballesteros has illustrated the lower class citizens to be 'city sweepers' a minimal paying occupation, and one viewed as a lower social class. However Ballesteros is attempting to illustrate not only their position on a social ladder, but how society views them as less substantial and belittles them. He has taken the literal conation of belittling, and created this satire mockery of society, but enlarging the 'city sweepers' to be humongously proportioned.