Reading by Lamplight
2020, An Extended Study
Fragments, Oil Paint on Canvas, 70 x 80 cm, 2020
Step Away.
Naturally, an extended study focusing on only one subject would cause a viewer to lose interest and distance themselves. That was the effect I wanted to convey and achieve with this study, starting intimately with the interaction of hands and book pages and moving back to looking at sunlight and shadows in hallways.
An Excerpt from the Notebook - I chose this topic to be able to study closely how variations in viewpoints and perspective can change our thoughts associated with a subject. Throughout this component I will start off looking at the subject of a person reading by a lamplight and then slowly move back and away from the subject in each board, from close and intimate studies all the way to empty halls and the way light from the lamp falls on the interior of a house. The running theme of perspective and shadows will be experimented with throughout the boards and how it can be used to convey a certain desired feeling and associated emotions.
ONE : ‘An Introduction’
Primarily inspired by Anne Zahalka’s The Mathmatician and The Merchant’s Agenda. These early studies makes use of the chiascuro technique where subjects seemingly appear from darkness.
TWO : ‘Study of Pose and Light’
An Excerpt from the Notebook : After Initial studies sprouted from the theme, I have now decided to study a more narrow subject applicable to my ideas which is the study of pose and light. In this board, I looked more closely at how body language, levels and eye line and distort and influence the overall implication of the piece on the sentiment of the viewer. Along with this, though photography and drawing, I studied closely how different light sources, angles and intensity has an effect on the shadows and light falloff of a subject.
THREE : ‘Study of Interiors’
An excerpt from the notebook ‘Pulling back and away from figure and item studies, I will now be studying the effect of this action on the interiors of a house and how the light of the lamplight falls on the walls, doors and mouldings of a house. What I will be studying is the materials, decorative accents of a house and with that, the temperature, softness and intensity of light. Along with this, I will be studying how variations in visual depth, colour and perspective can change and deviate one’s implication of the work itself.’
FOUR : ‘Final Piece Plan’
Building up to my final piece, I have now studied all the intimacies and detail work associated with the theme of reading by lamplight and will deviate into studying this now through different mediums and different styles. More particularly looking at scaled down installation type sculptures and painting expressed through the styles of abstract expressionism and impressionism; alongside the intimate study of light, perspective and depth.
Through studying the simplification from realism all the way to cubism, I created this painting combining the skills I have required to focus on looking at form and values as well as expressionism in brushstrokes and how that affects implications.
As I have studied the theme of ‘reading by lamplight’ only through realism, a practice and experiment like this one really helped me simplify and be able to look at lines and shapes rather than their literal form.
