Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #13

2/9/2018

Today you will be writing about a photograph by artist Lori Nix. This image is from her series titled The City.

Write 4 paragraphs, 5 sentences minimum per paragraph. Remember to post your analysis as a comment to the blog post that corresponds to your class. If you post your analysis to the wrong class's post, it will not be graded.

Remember, refer to your "How to See" handout for analyzing a photograph--

Describe specifics.
Describe form.
Describe the content.
Evaluate the image.

Your analyses will be graded on:

meeting minimum length requirements
depth of organization
evaluation of the content
grammar/punctuation

Before you write, read the artist statement:

I consider myself a faux-landscape photographer. I build meticulously detailed model environments and then photograph the results. Through the photographic process, the fictional scene is transformed into a surreal space, where scale, perspective, and the document of the photograph create a tension between the material reality of the scene and the impossibility of the depicted narrative. In this space, between evidence and plot, the imagination of the viewer is unlocked, engaged, and provoked. I want my scenes to convey rich, complex, detailed, and, ultimately, open-ended narratives.

Several common themes prevail throughout my work: the constructed photograph, the landscape in turmoil, and danger married to humor. I present these elements as the raw materials of stories with messages, but without conclusions.

The photographs I create do not reflect the tradition of the grand idyllic landscape. Rather than showing the beautiful or heroic vista, I look to the darker corners of life. I am interested in the forces of entropy, in the ruins left in the wake of human pretense of grandeur. My scenes are usually devoid of people, and this emptiness becomes an important element. In this way, the impact of civilization is shown by what remains in the absence of humans. Evidence of humans may still be visible, but the cause for their absence is left unclear, allowing the viewer to complete the narrative.

In my current series The City, I focus on the ruins of urban landscapes. I have chosen the spaces that celebrate modern culture, knowledge, and innovation: the theater, the museum, and the library. Here the monuments of civilization and material culture are abandoned, in a state of decay and ruin, with natural elements such as plants, insects, and animals beginning to repopulate the spaces. This idea of paradise lost, or the natural world reclaiming itself, becomes more forceful as we face greater environmental challenges in the world around us.

Ryan Kyle

2/9/2018 11:53:31 am

This image is of a laundromat in a post-apocalyptic world with no humans. The image uses a lot of grey and beige in order to convey the post apocalyptic feeling. The lighting is very dark and gloomy inside of the laundromat. The objects in the image are a bunch of washing machines and baskets that have been tossed all over the floor. Nothing is really happening in the laundromat because it is post-apocalyptic and nobody is there.

The composition is kind of pleasing to look at because the artists focused on everything and added and outdoors scene as well as indoors. The rule of thirds is not being used. There is a deep depth of field being used in this image. The image is asymmetrical because it gives you more of an idea that everything has just kind of been strewn all over. The edge of the image is just basically the walls of the laundromat.

The theme in the image is the idea of a world without humans. There is definitely a story being told but the artists designed the photo specifically so that the story was open ended. The artist made this image as part of the collection called the city, in which there are many scenes like this where everything is destroyed and rusted. The image is definitely noteworthy for a couple of different reasons. The main reason is that the laundromat itself is dark but the outdoors is full of light, maybe to indicate that the outdoors is really the good place and whatever the humans have created is bad.

I like the image because there is a lot of detail. When the amount of detail that went into this image goes into any image, there are lots of things to see and pay attention to. It almost keeps you looking for something new every so often. The photograph is successful because it gives a very open ended story. It just makes you think which is why I like this image.

Mikaela Mumme

2/9/2018 11:55:42 am

This image is of a public laundromat that has been abandoned. There are lots of little things in the image that add to its detail such as the clutter on the ground. This image also has great detail in the background making the setting the city. The image uses warm colors which helps set the time of day. The lighting is very diffuse and it gives the image a good quality of light.

It is pleasing to look at because the lighting is good and the colors all are cohesive. This image was constructed on a set. This image has a deep depth of field. This Image does not have a main focal point but many and all the clutter and the background come together and make the focus. This image uses shadows to tell its story and set the mood. It also add to the feel of the picture. This image was taken on flat foot allowing us to be in the scene as if we were there.

This image is narrative and tells a story about watching your surroundings. I think the mood of his image being lonely or abandoned. In some ways the image gives a feel of almost anxiety through all the cluster. This feeling stands alone and the image is so empty it's almost like your the one there looking at this for yourself. This image is good to empathize with because you can almost feel like your their in the image and your the photograph is what you would be looking at if you were there.

I think this image is very successful because it tells a narrative and has a
good composition. The personal feel is added to the image by the artist constructing the setting and scene. I enjoy this photo because it transports you and makes you feel like your somewhere else. I Like that this images challanges you and give you the opportunity to empathize.

Pato Wray link

2/9/2018 11:56:29 am

This photo is from the artist Nix and it is of an old laundry at but after an apocalyptic stage. The artists clearly took lots of time for the art tone made. This is made in dark shadows because of the lack of light in the laundry mat. Theres lots of bad chairs in the room and it does effect the image in lots of ways. Nothing really is happening in the image but showing the laundry mat after the apocalypse.

The image is not pleasing to the eye because of the dark presence. The rule of thirds is not being used in the image because everything is everywhere. The image is from 3rd person because it doesn't show anyone and it shows it very tall like. This image has a deep depth of field because everything is in focus. There aren't any lines directing us anywhere but everything is being focused on. The image is overmuch balanced and symmetrical. At the edge of the image, at the top there are some lights and nothing very outputting. Their is a negative space in the image. There isn't any ides but what the world might look like in the future if there is an apocalypse. No story is being told in the image. The intention is manly not anything in the photo but how long "The City" is took for it to be made. The image only brings back memories from my dreams and not really anything else. I don't think it is beautiful at all.

I honestly don't like the image at all because it brings some bad feelings into peoples head as with mine. The image was very successful and was well done.

Larissa Esparza

2/9/2018 11:56:40 am

This image is taken by Lori Nix. Lori Nix doesn’t go out and take images of things but build the things to take pictures of. The point of this series is to make humans aware of what could happen if we continue treating the world like we do. If we mistreat this planet then bad things could come out of it and she shouse us we it would look like afterwards. This image captures an empty machine laundromat that has been run down.
Lori Nix and her partner Gerber make sets of the city to take images of for their project named “The City”. It takes Nix and Gerber seven months to construct a scene to take images of it. They build the scene by getting very detailed things to make the image seem more real. The little details are what make Nix’s images. Gerber takes care of the smaller details while Nix takes care of the larger details and construction.
Gerber and Nix use small things that serve other purposes to make objects for their images. Gerber and Nix make sure to include the smallest details to their images so they seem more real. In this image they make sure to make the ceiling be peeling from the roof and to make it look like water is leaking onto it. The image is using darker colors to make it seem more spooky but has some colorful details to show that there was life there before. The image is using darker lighting closer to the camera and further away from the camera where the outside is its brighter.
This image includes a background with other building in it that makes it seem more real. Inside of the laundromat there are several bright colored chairs and a bent over cactus. The chairs are all rusted to make them seem unused and the cactus jar is dirty with dirt. Above the door there is a broken and rusty air conditioning system the door is broken off of the hinges and barely hanging on the wall. There are many laudry detergent soaps and powders around the ground that have logos from nowadays. Those small details really make the image because it makes it feel so real. I like this image because of the details and the reasons behind it.

Troy Rollwitz

2/9/2018 11:57:16 am

This image is of a laundry mat. There are laundry machines on both sides, and in the back there are windows. Behind the windows there is a city. It uses a lot of colors, and there is no main one. The lighting comes from the windows in the back, and a light on the ceiling. The image is mostly dark except for a couple of places.

There is a deep depth of field, because everything is in focus. In the center of the image there is the windows. The lines on the image are on the ceiling, floor, and in many more places. There are pointing our eyes to the windows. The subject of the image is not very clear, but if it is the windows, then they do not completely fill the frame.

The main theme of the image is what the world looks like after humans. The story is telling us about our effect on nature. This image reminds me of abandoned cities. The image is beautiful because of the “disaster” is it showing.

I like this image because of how realistic it is. It really does look like abandoned cities I have seen in pictures before. I do not like the way they made it though, as in I would never do it. But I do think they did a good job representing their theme and making a good picture.

Maria Tirado

2/9/2018 11:57:28 am

This image is of a laundromat, much like the kind of laundry rooms that are used in colleges. This image is different than any typical laundromats because this one is supposed to look like a modern room in post-apocalypse time. That is why Lori Nix chose a bright color palette to represent the original modern place, and dark neutral sort of dead colors to make the place seem old and abandoned. The lighting is pretty dark inside the room, to represent how there are no longer any humans occupying the electricity, but there is bright light outside. The objects included in this image are washing machines, clothes baskets, soap and detergent, and lots of plants.
This image is very pleasing to look at because the lighting is concentrated in the center and brings close attention to the 4 pastel colored chairs. This image is also semi-symmetrical, because there are washing machines on one side and drying machines on the other. The point of view of this photo was taken in a third person point of view. The camera was directly centered and pretty elevated as well. This image is also framed very nicely, because you can clearly tell this is inside in a room where there are walls and doors, so there is a lot of use of lines.
The theme of this image alone is just to represent how humans are now extinct due to maybe the whole world ending for just the human race and nature staying with the Earth and everything in it. There is no one living in this post-destruction era so modern places are slowly being taken over by nature. The rest of the images in her project are all based on the same idea of creating models that she can shoot images of and make them look realistic. Realistic, not in the sense of something that could happen today, but maybe later on in the future when the world comes to an end and humans become extinct. This image is very interesting to me, because even though Lori Nix is capturing a sort of dead looking room, she is using a lot of colors to represent the growing beauty of nature now that is is free from the Humans.
I really like this image and I absolutely love what they do. To create models that take 7 months to build to capture an image that is used for a project is completely insane and requires a lot of dedication and passion. I admire both Lori Nix and Gerber and I could say it is one of my favorite projects we have seen. Even though I wouldn’t like living in a very disorganized and messy house, the pictures are definitely worth it. It makes me appreciate nature a lot more and gives the message to become more aware of what we are doing to our surroundings and to take care of nature for all of the future generations.

2/9/2018 11:58:28 am

Marissa Elizondo

2/9/2018 12:30:51 pm

This image is about a empty laundromat. You can see laundry machines and dryers. You can also see chairs and old baskets and a cactus in the back. The colors scheme in this picture is actually really colorful. The are lots of reds, blues, and yellows. The lighting however is sort of dark which gives the image a spooky vibe. This picture is using artificial lighting because this image was constructed entirely by Lori Nix.

This image is part of a series called The City. The photographer, Lori Nix, has built many sets in her own living room to create the images in her series. Lori Nix spends seven months creating and building each scene. After she builds a scene and is done photographing it, she keeps stuff that could be used in her next scene, and the rest of the stuff gets thrown away. She also has a partner, Gerber, who helps her build the scenes. Gerber mainly builds small items and does all the little details and Nix mainly deals with all the big and heavy pieces to build the sets.
Her whole series shows how typical places we go to in our lives would look like after a apocalypse, where humans no longer inhabited the earth. Nix’s main message with her series is to show people and to make them more aware of what humans are doing to the earth. However, the picture are open narrative, which allows the viewer to come to their own conclusions and feelings to each particular image. This particular image gives a sense of loneliness. It also gives a sense of growth because of how the environments and animals are taking back the earth.

I personally really like this image. You can tell how much work the photographers really put into their work. I also like how these images are open narratives which can allow different people to interpret the image in different ways. I think this image is successful. The dark lighting gives the image a certain vibe, but at the same time the colorful color scheme gives the image image a sense of life, or at least that there once was life. There is also so much detail in this image that really intrigues the viewer.

Jessica Mims

2/10/2018 02:58:02 pm

This is an image by Lori Nix. The photo is of an abandoned laundromat. On both sides of the image, laundry machines are lined against the walls, and at the center of the image, we see a door and a window. The inside of the laundromat is messy and appears to be damaged. There are a lot of colors in this image, but they all have a tint over them to emphasize the state of decay that is occurring.

The composition of this image is pleasing to look at. There are lots of details that add to the quality of the image, and all of the parts are well thought out. The rule of thirds is not used in this image. The photo has a deep depth of field, we can see clearly see all parts of the image. I think that the washing machines are leading lines, the rows that they are in lead your eyes through the image. The image is not symmetrical, the laundromat does not look the same on both sides.

This image is a part of a series called The City. This series was created to display what the world might look like in the absence of humans. The destruction of the laundromat might have just happened over time since there would be no humans to keep it clean. Some people might think that the destruction could have been caused by whatever caused the humans to disappear. There are lots of open ends with this series of images, but I really like it, because it lets you imagine and have your own opinions.

I really like this image, it is very creative and original. Knowing how much work Nix and Gerber put into their images makes you appreciate them even more. All of the images have months of hard work behind them. There are so many small details that they create by hand to make the images more realistic. By looking at their project, it makes you aware of our surroundings and the state of our world.

Zach Burgos

2/11/2018 06:26:09 pm

The image is a laundromat store in a post-apocalyptic setting. The store looks broken down with all of its insides scattered and rusted. The colors the image is using are grey, green, brown, and red. The lighting is studio set-up. There aren’t any people in this image because it is a post-apocalyptic setting.

The composition is pleasing to look at because of how realistic the tiny sculptures look. The rule of thirds is not being used. The image has a large depth of field. The image is asymmetrical because both of the walls have different laundry machines models. The lines of the image are the sides of the floor tiles and they go toward the front of the laundromat store.

The theme for the image is what this store would look like if human life stopped existing. The story of this image is a worn down laundromat store in a post-apocalyptic world. The reason Lori made this image was to show an idea of what the world would be like without humans and how nature reacts to that. The image reminds me of the old 60s movies that would always have a laundromat scene where the characters would meet each other at. The image is really interesting because of it being so realistic even though it's a tiny model.

I really like this image mostly because I like miniature models of real things, but I usually never want to make them either because I don’t have the time or I don’t want to spend my effort on it. The detail on the model is extremely well done and it almost looks real. The photograph is successful for portraying what a laundromat store would look like in a post-apocalyptic setting. The photograph is also successful for its accuracy in is models. The photograph is really successful in how it shows how much effort that was put into it by Lori.

Kate Madison

2/11/2018 07:33:31 pm

This image is of an abandoned Laundromat. This image is using darker colors to make things appear to be more worn out than they actually are. The lighting in this image looks like it has many shadows because of the lack of light within the building. There are many items within this image including washing machines, dryers, laundry baskets on wheels, seats, and cleaning detergent laying on the ground. In this image I think that there was a nuclear war that wiped out the human race for centuries, however some cities and buildings are still intact and animals have began repopulating and entering the cities.

This image is pleasing to look at to me because I think things that are post-apocalyptic are interesting to look at and see what the world might be without humans to take care of things. The rule of thirds is not being used in this image because it has no true focusing point to look at. This image is from third person point of view because of how it does not include Lori Nix in the image but it does show what life might look like. This image is using shallow depth of field because the entire image is clear. In this image, there is not true focal point, whatever catches your eye may not catch another person’s so you create your own focal point.

The lines in this image are in the angles/corners of the building and they guide your eyes to see outside of the glass wall. This image is not balanced because it includes different things on opposite sides which carry out their own meanings but do not make the image symmetrical. This image fills the entire frame. At the edges of the image are washing machines and dryers. The negative space is the floor where there is nothing.

I like this image because post-apocalyptic scenarios are interesting to me. I think this image says a lot about how humans impact the environment like the dust bowl. This image is successful because of how you would never realize it is not real. This image is open-ended so you can think up as many ideas as you’d like for why this may be this way. I also like how much time and effort the creator put into this.

Marynez Cantu Cardenas

2/13/2018 07:15:55 am

This is a photograph taken by Lori Nix, she mentions that she sets up meticulously detailed modeled environments and then she would eventually photograph how the set came out to be. She also mentions that she focuses on the ruins of urban landscapes, I think that she did an amazing job at capturing this moment. There is many times when we don’t even realize that there are still parts of town in which there is not as many resources or some people just don’t have the same opportunities that we do and I think that when Lori Nix photographed this it opened people’s eyes and basically told them that yes this is going on and you didn’t even know it.

I think that the lighting in this photograph is perfect because it adds on to the story with all of the shadows that it has. I would say that it is natural lighting because there doesn’t seem to be any studio lights and the window that is at the end of the picture is producing all of the lighting. There is also some very cheap lights in the ceiling but they seem to be falling off, i don’t know if they would produce any light in this photograph.

This photograph was taken in the urban part of town, it is a place where people who don’t have a washing machine come here to clean their clothes for very little money. This place is not taken take of, the ceilings are falling off, the lights are coming down with it, there is detergent everywhere, the washing machines are open and untaken take of, and the place itself is very dirty, certainly a place that you wouldn’t like to be in.

I really like this photograph because it is very well planned out and it has a meaning to it. Lori Nix is trying to get the idea out that there are parts of town which are not taken take of and we don’t really give it the importance that it needs and I think that this photograph definitely opened people’s eyes and told them that things like this are going on and that we should do something about it. Overall I would give this photograph a very high evaluation.

Josh salehi

2/15/2018 09:15:58 pm

This image is in a laundry place in the apocalypse era. There is a lot of thing laying on the floor and it adds a lot of different details to the picture.The image is shot in high aperture and it has warm colors and looks really good and tells the story with details.

This picture was shot in a deep depth of view and it is not pleasing to the eye because I find it very scary too look at and I would personally never want an apocalypse to happen in real life. There is lines on the ceilings. I like when they added the bright chairs and I think it brings a lot of positive energy to the spooky picture.

It took Lori Nixon 7 months to create this set and to just take a picture of it. I really appreciate the hard work she puts in her photography.The photographs name is called the city and there is also a version of the night time online somewhere and it looks really cool. There are a lot of tiny things on the ground and if you look carefully you see all the details.

I think this picture is successful Because it makes us the viewers look and think about how life could be a hundred years down the line if the human population all died off or something.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #13

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