ARTIST CRITICAL ANYALIS

Influenced By Artist Research/ In depth Analysis

John Baldassari Analysis

Biography

Based in Los Angeles since the 1960s, John Baldessari's (b. 1931) is one of the most influential artists of his generation. Making his name as a pioneer of conceptual art in the 1960s with his text and image paintings, he shocked the art world when he announced in a newspaper that he was cremating all the artworks he had produced between 1953 and 1966. He then turned his attention to photographic works often incorporating found film stills, trawling dumpsters for discarded material from which he created his famous photo compositions. Baldessari's lifelong interest in language, both written and visual, has been at the forefront of both his artwork and his teaching, through which, over more than thirty years, he has nurtured and influenced succeeding generations of artists. His work has had a huge influence on Cindy Sherman, David Salle, and Barbara Kruger among others. His works incorporate wit and irony, both mocking conceptual art and delivering it in his iconic work I Am Making Art; superimposing media images and painting with his trademark dots and over-painted figures in The Duress Series; and exploring the idea of subliminal images in advertising in his sequence of ice cubes containing the words of his name, 'U-BUY BAL DES SARI'.

Subjective Frame WorkI chose to look at the work of John Baldassari because when walking around the Victoria and Albert gallery I his work struck me, and I was drawn into looking into this artist. I like the way his composition works, and how he uses colour differently to Andy Potts, I think his work is unique as I have recently learnt how to create Pop Art Illustrations of people, I feel I can use these new techniques and develop them into a similar style to this. I feel his work shows many stylistic influences throughout my journey, and I particular inspire to the 19060’s pop artistic movement.

Structural framework – Materials ,media and composition principles

John Baldassari uses a limited media, and clever composition making his pieces successful. In his later work he uses photography and takes the meaning of the piece as a concept with a new meaning by using colour dots, to portray this concept.

His composition is very effective and his work, is a basis for a much simplistic version of pop art, and

possibly a starting point from my design work. His composition shows his techniques of using space, and

clear cut shapes to express, his photography in different way, a new ‘light’.

In The Style Of John Baldassari

Cultural frameworkThe use of black and white photos often link Baldessari's work to an earlier time and suggest a sense of history in the designs. The photos used in the image feel as though they may be taken from the 1940’s and 50’s due to the style of the clothes. Stylistically the work may have been influences by artists working at this time such as Andy Warhol, Andy Potts, Picasso and many other pop artistic and minimalistic inspirations. As well his black and white photography, which may have inspired John Stezaker use of black and white film to create his pieces.

Post modern Frame WorkJohn Baldassari is not an artist who is often producing images to be used alongside editorial type stories they frequently have a link to events that are happening currently in the news or reflecting a specific social or political standpoint. However the way he design his imagessuggest of historic culture events, due to his use of black and white photography and his concepts, and minimalistic and pop art influences within his design work.

Andy Potts: Biography

Paul Potts is a London based illustrator/animator, originally from Kingswinford in the West Midlands. Since graduating

with a BA Hons degree in illustration from Portsmouth in 95 his career has comprised image making, graphic design,

animation and art direction including a 7 year stint as Lead designer at Abbey Road Studios. Over the last ten years

the illustration has taken centre stage in n his life and Paul Potts has worked on numerous commissions with a wide

variety of clients in advertising, book covers and editorial work for international newspapers and magazines. Andy

Potts’s versatile style is a contemporary fusion of traditional and new techniques mixing hand crafted elements with

digital collage and lots of colour. I decided to look at the artist Andy Potts and I researched into him and his work, I

found that he done several pieces to do with London, so I looked into these images in more depth as I felt that they

can help me when designing poster’s for the London Transport. In all of the work I have looked at Andy has clear cut

shapes and composition. These modern contempory designs are unique, and very colourful, I feel these images

demonstrate that Andy Potts used colour because he enjoyed creating this work and the colour are happy symbolic

colours so the passionate way he felt about his work. I feel Andy Potts’s designs represent London and Cityscape as

well as using various Iconic images; the society of London reflected in these pictures is the 21st century. I feel these

designs represent this time period because it uses new modern buildings such as the London eye, however I also feel

his work is quite urban and this reflects that youthfulness of London today. All the photographs Andy Potts has used

have been edited and manipulated in some way and have been re-contextualized to make these designs and the

compositions of these designs work.

Andy Potts

Subjective Frame Work

I chose to look at the work of Michelle Andy Potts because I wanted to study an

illustrator that would help me to create a contemporary feel to my project designs as

well as being someone who would help me to create strong compositions by putting

together a range of ideas and images. using colour. I like the way he combines bold

contemporary colours and old black and white in this design. He uses an unlimited

range of colour and balances her compositions effectively. This is a new technique I

will explore in my experimentations, and maybe my outcome, as it is one that takes

time, and care, in order for this simplistic approach to maximise its full effects.

Structural framework – Materials ,media and composition principles

Andy Potts uses a wide variety of different media in her work combining collage, of

colour as well as patterns and other techniques. He often combines brush

techniques within his pieces adding effect. Her uses the canvas to explore different

compositions and this works effectively because although they seem randomly

placed at times the images are balanced by colour coordination, dividing the design

into thirds or quarters by the placement of dominant images or colour areas such as

the to pieces I have chosen. The use of limited colours in these two designs helps to

guide your eye around the page and hold the design together. The Patterns also

used may sometimes be seen as less important in some designs but are used in the

prominent figures to give the design depth ..

Cultural Frame Work/Andy Potts Analysis

Cultural framework – stylistic influences and time periods/ cultures influencing the work The use of colour often Link Andy Potts work to the cultural Pop artistic movement of the late 1950’s to 1960’s, which such Influences as artists Andy Warhol. The photos used in these images relate to the modernistic society of the 21st century, with references to the pop art design with a modern contempory effect. Having also Stylistically being influenced by artists working at this time such as, Pablo Picasso. Andy Warhol /Pablo Piccasso Influences Work

Post modern Framework- Comment on the works meaning in today’s context or links to recent news

Andy is an artist who by the nature of his work constantly re contextualises images and ideas in her work.

Because he is often producing images to be used alongside editorial type stories they frequently have a link to

events that are happening currently in the news or reflecting a specific social or political standpoint. He uses

images from society such as this piece below which shows a timeline of events from the past, about marketing

research, and in society currently due to recession market research is currently changing even more..

My Initial Influenced Studies/Responses

http://www.hongkiat.com/blog/40-incredibly-inspirational-retro-vintage-photoshop-

tutorials/

These are my initial designs, which were inspired by a retro, 1960’s pop art theme particularly the

one on the left. To improve these designs I would think about the composition of the typography on

the right hand side, and add some typography to the other design. I would add stylistic influences of

artists to make my work look better. I feel these designs work well, however they do not show the

quality of work I can produce, and my full potential as a graphic designer. I will continue to develop

and create more design pieces, and use artist research to improve my design work.