Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #2

10/15/2019

Exit, Self-Portrait, © Cig Harvey

Today you will be writing about this image by artist Cig Harvey. Your analysis must be 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.

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

Tomas Espejo

10/15/2019 11:46:37 am

Some of the colors that are being used include: blue, green, black, brown, and white. The color blue is being used for the lighting above and beneath the stairs that Harvey is sitting on. Green is also being sued above and beneath the stairs. The dress that Harvey is wearing is white, and that is how the color white is being used. Black is being used for the trim of the doors and brown is the color that was painted on the walls and doors.

This photo has multiple outer-parts that are being cut off because of the frame. One of the parts that is being cut off is the top of the stairs. Where Harvey is sitting right above her is perhaps more stairs, but we wouldn’t know because it has been cut off. Another part of the photo that has been cut off is the end of the hallway. The photo was taken at an angle that you can not see the full length of the hallway. If Harvey would have backen up a lot, then you would have been able to see the entire hallway; from start to end.

This photo kind of reminds me of a cruise that I went on. This photo reminds me of a cruise because of the lighting above and beneath the stairs. Another reason why this photo reminds me of a cruise is how the stairs are shaped and the color of them. The doors and the structure of the hallway, is another reason why this photo reminds me of a cruise. The final reason why I think this photo resembles a cruise if because of the lighting outside of the window. I remember when I took a cruise that it was really bright when you woke up for the day.

I like this photo and I also dislike it. The part that I like about it is how the lighting above and beneath the stairs. I like how Harvey kind of mixed green, and blue on the stairway, so that also the dress pops out in the stairs. Another reason why I like it is because it reminds me of a cruise and I love cruises. A reason why I don’t like it because of the paint on the hallway. The color of the hallway and the doors is kind of dull, and I don’t like that.

Jacob Perez

10/15/2019 11:48:43 am

This is an image if Harvey sitting on a staircase in some building. She has her wedding dress on, but she does look sad despite the fact just getting married. I can see an exit sign above the staircase, so i know it is some public buildings. I also see several doors so i can infer that its a hotel, and I see a brightly lighted window behind the staircase. Due to the fact that she is in a hotel in her wedding dress, i can infer that her financial levels are low, and another reason for her sadness. It is using the color blue to emphasize her sadness and the exit sign is green to contrast the blue.

This image is not pleasing to look at due to the fact that it is very gloomy and sad. It has the point of view of a child’s height. And the child would be seeing it first hand. The focal point is her white dress, which sticks out in the blue. The lines would be the railing, which I follow up the stairs, see Harvey then follow them up the staircase.

I believe the idea of this image is she got married, and now regrets doing so. The theme is, accomplishing the things you want in life don't always make you happy once you achieve them. I think her intention is to not rush or force into things, and to always think twice before doing something. Once you can interpret the image in your own way, then it is interesting to look at. But before that i was just confused.

At first glance i don't like it, mostly because it has a very sad tone entwined with it. But once I found my own meaning with the image it learned to appreciate the sadness and what it represents in the message as a whole. I believe she was successful getting her message of think twice before doing something through. But it is hard to receive this message, because it was difficult to get the whole backstory involved with the image.

Andy Cubriel

10/15/2019 02:54:24 pm

The photo depicts a lady wearing a light pink dress sitting on a stair-case in what looks like a hotel. If you look closely, you can see a smoke detector, a spot for a light that is not on, and a pane of glass that looks like where an ax used for fires might be placed. There is a hand-railing to help get up the stairs, and there are also several doors on each side of the hall.The colors used are mainly dark, with lighting being mainly a dark blue. I believe it is using dark colors to make the lady in the dress seem sad. The lighting is studio set-up, and it looks like the photographer had an over-all dark exposure being that the light you can see from the window looks blinding.

While this is a good photo, I do not think it is pleasing to look at. The majority of the photo is in dark colors, and causes the viewer to strain their eyes to see, while blinding light from the window causes some slight irritation to the eye. The photographer took this image from an eye level point of view. The lines of this photo are the walls on each side, and the stair railing. They direct your focus towards the lady in the dress, and the window. There is not really any extra space in the photo.

The main theme in this photo I see in this photo is mystery. The light from the window causes some of the photo to come off as hazy, which adds to a mysterious theme. The light from above the staircase also adds a blue tint to the lady which makes her seem even more mysterious. The story to me looks like a woman is sulking after being left at prom or something important. The photo is actually a self-portrait of the artist, Cig Harvey. The photo reminds me of the book A wrinkle in time.

I do not like this photo, nor do I hate it. I don’t like the exposure on it. It forces you to strain your eyes to see all the details. I also do not like the blinding light from the window. That also bothers my eyes. What I like is the effect that the light from above the staircase has on the photo. It makes it seem like underwater or something similar. I do believe this photo is successful. Even though I don’t like the exposure, it isn’t bad. The artist’s goal was to find magic in the real world, and the image seems to have a magical effect. This means her goals were successful.

Alissa Welsh

10/16/2019 01:59:24 pm

This picture was created by Cig Harvey. It looks like it was created on a cruise, hotel, or department. There is a woman on a light pink dress sitting on the stairs without shoes, there are four doors on that hallway, the women is looking down at her dress. The colors that are being used are blue, green, white, black, light pink, light purple, and cream. Harvey chose these colors to make a dramatic, more calm, and interesting effect on women. The lighting that is used is dark shadows without studio set-up. There is a woman holding something in her left hand and looking down while sitting on the stairs.

It's pleasing to look at since it is calm and not hard to focus. Harvey took this picture from an eye angle. The focal point is the woman sitting on the stairs with blue lighting. Since the depth of the field is wide it would be a big number. The line is on the bottom left and it directs us to the center then to the right then you finish. The image cropped off the rest of the hallway and doors and it doesn’t fill up most of the space since there is a big bap on the blank spaces that are like the floor, the stairs on the right, and the window.

The theme of this picture is a man with nature. It is a man with nature since the blue lights make an effect that for a moment, it looks like it’s underwater. There is probably a story behind this image but I don’t know it. This picture reminds me of a picture that I took underwater of my brother. I was trying to get him to “walk” on the water since it would represent that there is always another way. It questioned my belief at first since I thought tho women were underwater. This image is interesting and beautiful in its way.

I like this picture since it looks relaxing and underwater. In my opinion, Harvey was successful because since the photo that she presents is clear to make a story, she has this calm vibe with an illusion that makes the photo interesting. This picture also just shows a photo that doesn’t have a setup or was in the studio so it shows a new set up. The way Harvey took the picture make it interesting for me and engaging. By the looks and color, when I first saw the picture I came quickly to a fantasy, creative, and under the sea kinda vibe conclusion about by the blue color that covers almost all the picture and the woman sitting calmly on the stairs.

Gabby Beck

10/16/2019 06:02:11 pm

The image shows a woman in a dress sitting in the middle of a stairway. There is an exit sign with stairs leading to a lower level in the building and a window that lets in a lot of sunlight. Multiple doors are on either side of the hallway leading me to believe that this was taken in a hotel. Most of the colors in the photo are cool or neutral like blue and beige. There are more shadows that face to us because the main source of light is coming from a window facing us. The woman and the exit sign are objects that stand out because they seem to try to say something. The woman seems a little depressed and sat down at the stairs for a break.
The image is pleasing to look at because all the colors blend to create a specific mood that drives your emotions. The woman in the photo is being framed by the walls around her. The photographer takes this image level and uses a deep depth of field to make everything in focus. The image seems balanced because there are two doors on either side of the hallway and the handrail splits the image in half. Most of the photograph is filled with the exception of some wall spaces.
An idea that is expressed in the image is a sadder, more depressed tone with the dark colors and the woman’s expression. The woman seems to be having a tough time, but the EXIT sign with the sunlight from the window is a possible “way out” of her misery. This scene reminds me of being on a cruise ship where it is all cramped inside. This was a self portrait of the photographer herself, Cig Harvey, and is part of a collection of photos that show beauty in nature and ties with the world. This photo is beautiful yet mysterious because the lighting on one side is darker and the other is drastically lighter.
I have mixed emotions about this image. I like it because it uses many shades of blue (my favorite color) and it creates emotion. The thing I don’t like is that the sensation it portrays is gloomy and almost miserable. I think this image is successful because it is intriguing to a person who would look at it. The colors make you feel many emotions that take you deeper into the image

Suly Welsh

10/16/2019 08:22:00 pm

BLOG #2 | 10/15/19

'Exit, Self-Portrait' by Cig Harvey

This is a very calm picture. There isn't a lot of movement or actions in it as we have seen in past images. It is an image of a woman sitting on some stairs, at the end of a hallway, but we don't know where they lead. The image has a lonely feel to it which is emphasized by the cool colors; the neon green exit sign, bright white window light, and the blue stairway light. The lighting is fairly dark except for the blue stairway, the window, and the green circular light and exit sign. The window appears to be natural light, but the blue light could be a studio light.

This picture is pleasing to look at because it's very symmetrical. The hallway that leads to where the woman is sitting shows two doors mirroring each other on either side of the hallway. Further down are two windows also mirroring each other. And after that, there's the stairway with the woman on the left side and the window on the right. This picture looks like it was taken at eye level as if the audience was standing in the middle of the hallway. A deep depth of field is used because we can see the whole hallway and stairway with clarity. I would say the focal point is the woman and she is surrounded by the hallway and the walls beside her. The lines all direct to the woman, starting from the corners of the picture until they reach into where the woman sits (the frame of the hallway). The frame cuts off the hallway that is in front of the woman, and we only see a small part. The only negative space is the window and the floor.

We don't know much about this image but I view it as having a connection with being lonesome. The woman is dressed in a light-colored strapless dress and has no shoes on. She seems to be holding a flower on her left hand, but it's not very clear. The woman is alone, and the viewer can assume that she has left a party of some sort or a gathering since she is dressed so formally. The woman is looking down and is by herself, so it's safe to assume that she might feel lonely instead of lonesome. The blue and neon-type colors make it seems more gloomy because there are also many dark shadows except for the window on the right side of the stairs. The fact that she is on the darker side of the stairs gives it that gloomy feel. I think this questions the social norm of always keeping up with appearances and living up a robust social life.

I actually really love the picture. I've always enjoyed aesthetically pleasing works of art that express the moments of being alone and being in one's thoughts uninterrupted by others. I found it interesting that she is placed sitting in the stairs since a hallway and stairs are usually not where people hang out. The parties would be inside a room, a person would go watch tv in a room, you go to clean up in a room, which only hints that she is just chilling by herself. Lonely, or at least by herself. I think this picture is successful in showing a more gloomy and lonely feel.

Ahmad Al-Hakeem

11/6/2019 09:25:26 am

The image is a self portrait of Cig Harvey sitting on a staircase. The image uses dark color, like dark blue, and in the window is very bright with white. Most of the image has dark lighting and the window creates bright lighting, making shadows on the ground. The image shows Cig Harvey, the bright green exit sign, and the doors. The image shows that Cig Harvey sitting on a staircase looking sad or like something is wrong.

The image makes the audience feel bad for her through the gloomy colors. It gives out a negative vibe to the audience. The image is a little symmetrical because while the background and setting looks symmetrical, Cig is sitting on the stairs, making it asymmetrical. The name of the image, which is exit, does not fully describe the image as it does not show the backstory on why this image was taken.

The image could make the audience think that a person is so close to the exit but never makes it to their destination. You can kinda see a story about a person who gave up finding the exit to their conflict. The artist was making a self portrait of herself. This image is interesting to the eye.

I think this photograph is successful in making us think about what is happening. I love the way she used the colors and made the window like a symbol of hope.

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Period 5 -- Critical Analysis #2

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