Period 6 -- 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.

Claire Williams

2/9/2018 12:39:20 pm

This image is of an old subway car that is empty. The floor is covered with mounds of sand, and the doors are open. You can also see the city’s tall buildings in the background. Everything inside is rusty, darty, and just old looking. The main colors are browns, orange, red, and tan. Although it depicts a dark and old subway car, there is still lighting that is well spread out around the whole image to keep it at a high quality.

This is really pleasing to look at because of the leading lines, and the good level of exposure. The rule of thirds is not being used because there is no main subject that is placed anywhere. The point of view is like form a person standing up towards the back corner of a subway car. The car fills most of the frame, and on the left side through the door’s windows you can see the building lines of the city. I think that a deep depth of field is being used because most of the image is clear except for the building lines but that is just because of the blurriness through the windows.

The main theme of this whole project and this individual photograph is a post-apocalyptic view of urban areas. This particular one shows an abandoned subway car on the outskirts of the city. I think the story is the same as the theme. You can tell that everything is different and flipped upside down. This image reminds me of a movie I saw once about post-apocalyptic society where everything is crazy like this.

I love this photograph. It is so amazing to know how Lori and Kathleen did all of this. I don’t know the specific time that it took to complete this one photograph, but I think it was proabably around a year. The fact that this whole set is about the size of a table is insane. All of the little details that had to be completed are so intricate and it is amazing how they had the patience to do it all. Overall, this photograph is definitely successful at catching my eye and making me want to see more and love the image.

elizabeth wray

2/9/2018 12:40:51 pm

Lori Nix and Kathleen Gerber were two women that were partners. Lori was the photographer and Kathleen was the “set maker”. For all of there images, they used different small items to create small versions of large things. Her series is called The City, where it is a future tense of when the human race was wiped out by some storm. This image is called the subway and was shot in 2012.

I think that it looks very hard to make every little detail in this image. From the chairs, to the skyscrapers in the background, every little detail was put into perspective. This project took a very long time to make, around 7 or 8 months. In those months, they made the chairs, pols, grass, and bought some sand for the project. Thesis diorama is very cool to me especially because in some movies or TV shows it shows what the world would be like with no humans on it. Most of the time, it looks exactly like how it does in the image, a subway or a way of transportation, with sand in the middle, showing desert like aspects.

The time of day in the image looks like it is about 5 or 6 in the afternoon. The sun looks like it is setting, almost that “golden hour”. The sun is coming into the image from the left side, through a subway door left open. The colors in the image are very vibrant. Lots of yellows, oranges, and rusty browns.

Honestly, I really enjoy this image. It is always fascinating to me to see what other people think the future would look like. It is a fascination of mine. This image really speaks to me and tells me that maybe, something like this could happen. You just never know. I think this page is realistic, something that doesn't normally happen in photos. Most of the time, photographers would capture an imaginary image, but not Lori Nix.

Payton Down

2/9/2018 12:40:57 pm

This is an image of a substation diorama. The colors make it look rusty and as if its been left there for a while. The colors being used are rusty reds, oranges and tan. This might help portray the thought of the substation being left in the dust. This is a studio set-up and is made with the artist hands. The studio set up makes it look like it is bright and sunny out. You can see some of the shadows in the subway. There are no people in the photo, the main subject is the train. There is no action happening in the photo but it does tell its own story.

It is pleasing to look at because you can create your own opinion and story behind the photo. It looks very interesting and people who see this will probably be curious in how they did it. The photographer took it as if someone was standing in the front right corner looking out into the rest of the subway. It is shallow depth of field, you can barely see the background which is a city. The focal point is what's happening inside of the train. It isn't framed by anything just more of the train. The lines direct your eyes to the back of the train with all the poles and such the lines direct you to the back. This image isn't perfectly balanced it is a bit asymmetrical because the train is over to the side a bit. There is no extra space. The frame cuts off the rest of the train.

The theme is this photographer wanted to create senses of what the world would be like if humans no longer lived on this earth. So this photo gives you the idea and impression of deserted. Yes, there is always a story being told about a photograph but depending on the viewer's perspective they can all by different. This artist created all of this set up for her project based on the theme i explained above. No this doesn't remind me of anything in particular but it is very interesting photo.

Yes i did like this photo because i respect the time and effort the artist put into this set up. I think it was a cool project to do and very creative. Yes this photograph was successful very well photographed. The background really makes the photo come to life because without it would be able to tell that the set up was fake. You can still tell that it isn't real but it looks interesting and cool.

Annie Mosis

2/9/2018 12:43:09 pm

In this image conveys an abandoned subway. In the subway is sand and some grass. All of the subway is rusty and the space is empty. The image looks apocalyptic in its emptyness.In this image it is using warm tones with the sand and the chairs that are yellow and orange.In this image the lighting is artificial lighting,the lighting is even and causes some shadows but not very much. In this image there are no people but their is some building tin the background. There's nothing going on in the image just empty.

I think this image is pleasing to look at. I enjoy the content of this image. The rule of thirds is being used in this image by the door being on the first third of the image.The point of view in this image is someone looking in a subway, it's not birds eyed or bugs viewed. In this image a deep depth of field is being used due to the whole image being in focus. There are also leading lines in the image by the poles in the subway.

This image is not framing anything and and there is no real focal point. This image is asymmetrical due to the sides of the image not being symmetrical. In this image they do cut of some of the subway from the image. I think the artist was trying to give a message that we should try to save the planet and conserve what we have. Because we might not live to appreciate all the natural things in life. This image reminds me of post apocalypse movies. Maybe containing zombies in them or some weird fictional character.I find this image interesting and unique.

I like this image for it's individuality and uniqueness. I also appreciate all the time and effort the artists put into the creating the set and scenes in this image. I also believe that the artist was successful in her message of saving the planet. Overall I enjoy this well composited image.

Matthew Weiss

2/9/2018 12:45:23 pm

This image is of a model of a subway train, that has been left and abandoned for a long amount of time. It was made to look, worn down, old, and as if nature has began to come back in the image, as seen with the grasses that grow from the sand covering the ground. Between the rusting, metal walls of the train and the sand covering the floor, this image is made to look old. The grass, the sand, and the rust, the image looks like it was left for entropy to run its course over many years.

Perspective is present in the image, as it lends itself to the leading lines along the sides and roof of the train, to guide attention to the back of the train. The image has a very warm tone to it. This is partly due to the red, orange and yellow seats in the image, and partly due to the rusty reds in all of the walls and ceiling. The focal point of the image seems to be the back of the train, as the leading lines point back to it, as well as the lighting being brighter and more prevalent towards the back of the train.

This image was part of a series, that examined fabricated miniature models of a city, left in peace. The series shows nature returning to different places in the city, and while subtle in this image, the grass is still shown growing in the train. This shows nature returning to even urban areas. In addition to the return of nature, the series depicts entropy at work, as everything looks worn down and as if it were going backwards from the organization of humans. In this image, the train is rusted, and there is sand on the ground. Both of these things are happening slowly, make the train return to a state of chaos and disorder.

I like the image. I think that it did its job well in depicting a post apocalyptic scene, while also reflecting the effects of entropy, as disorder and nature return to places that were ran on human organization. It shows a peaceful deterioration of human constructs and nature returning to everywhere.

Brandon Collins

2/9/2018 12:45:48 pm

The image is of a subway car that is rusted, with sand on the floor and the view of a city skyline in the distance. The colors that are being used are bright colors but it isn't afraid to use some dark shadows to complement the bright colors. The image is using bright colors to show how it was before and the dark shadows to show the decay.The light is artificial from a lamp to make it look like the outside is bright and hot. The objects in the image are plants that grew from the sand, a rusted safety sign, orange and yellow chairs with different objects on them, and the poles and rails to hold on to when standing on a subway car are there.What is taking place in the image is a post apocalyptic scene where something happened to mankind and shows how all the structures survived and how nature is slowly taking over in some parts.
The composition function is great wich makes the image very pleasing to look at. I feel like the rule of thirds doesn't apply to this image because the frame is filled with detail. The view point is in third person from an angle that shows the inside of a train car but also the door to the outside. The depth of field is shallow focusing on the inside of the car and making the outside blurry. The lines are the poles and rails on the side and the roof of the car. The subject fills the entire frame and leaves no room and there is no negative space it is all positive being filled up with detail.
One of the themes of this i would feel like has a environmentalist approach that we have to take care of our planet. The story being told is that something happened to the human race leaving only the architecture to survive the long period of time. The image reminds me of a lot of different post apocalyptic games and movies like Fallout 4, The Last Of Us.
I do like the image cause the post apocalyptic feel it gives.

naty orquin

2/9/2018 12:50:09 pm

Specifics:
The image is a rundown train in an urban abandoned city. The train has colorful seats from a variety of oranges and yellows. The ground is covered in sand and has weeds growing out. The ceiling is very rusty and is a auburn brown dirty looking. We have very rustic and neutral colors happening throughout the entire image. The light comes through the doors and windows of the train. It gives the image a variety of darks and lights throughout the train. The objects included in the image include the silver poles, the seats, and the background includes some skyscrapers that give the urban feel with the rustic ceiling,

Form:
The image is so pleasing to look at because of how the image was composed. The rule of thirds is used to give the image a more realistic depth of field. The angle of the image was shot right in the middle of the action. The image is not framed however the o,ge frames itself with the train. The lines of the train direct the eye to the center right of the image. The image is not balanced because it was shot unsymmetrically, but it gives the image more personality.

Content:
The theme of this image was to shot the natural beauty of nature coming back to reality. The artist was shooting images of abandoned place as if humans had left the world and nature came back. The image reminds me of my train ride through switzerland because the sand reminds me of being a place of natural beauty through the alps and this reminds me of it. It however does not question my beliefs but how I see the world and how I know it will come to this some day.

Evaluate:
I loved this photo because it was so detail oriented. The artist really took time to make sure everything in the image looked good. It was successful in portraying its message across. It was very easy to understand. The image was very relatable in the sense that we could all say oh yes this reminds me of something..

Jordan Bell

2/9/2018 01:18:36 pm

This is a photograph of a subway by Lori Nix from her The City series. For this image, the artists went into extreme detail in making the photograph. The metal walls of the subway are rusted and there are reminisce of words written on a whiteboard. The orange chairs and the floor are covered in sand and growing weeds. The sand stretched out like a blanket, reaching the city. This image uses predominantly earthy colors. Shades of reds, yellows, and oranges provide a contrast from the blues, whites, and silvers used in the rest of the photo. This photo was taken in a studio setup with the sun looking as if it had just risen. The only objects in this image are the buildings of the city in background and the subway.

This image is slightly unnerving because the composure of the image gives the viewer the feeling that something went horribly wrong. The rule of thirds is not being used, however, the end of the subway is angled to the right. This photo was taken from an eye level point of view with a shallow depth of field. The focal point of the image seems to be the back of the bus and is framed by the walls of the subway. This image is asymmetrical. The subject of this image fills the frame. The frame cuts of the right side of the subway off.

In this image, the artists are trying to convey the atmosphere of a post-human world. The artists made this image not only show their prediction of a post-human world, but to motivate people today to become environmentally conscious. This image reminds me of a scene out of the movie Scorch Trial and it seems like it could be in the Walking Dead or some other TV show or movie similar to those. It does not challenge any beliefs but enforces the common image of a post-apocalyptic world. This photograph is interesting because it begs the question, what happened?

I like this image, however, it is a little unsettling. The appeared run down state of the subway paints an image of abandonment. The sand covering the ground of the photo hits to a deserted world that is no longer dominated by humans. However, the pop of the bright red, yellow and orange subway chairs sets a slightly happy, calm, or even blissful mood. This is a stark contrast to the ominous, dingey rusting metal walls of the subway.

Kylie Bruehler

2/9/2018 07:44:03 pm

This is an image by a photographer named Lori Nix. The photographer did build the set for this image rather than going to photograph something that already exists. This image does have a very animated look to it as it looks hyperreal, like someone has laminated it. The hyperreality of this image is what makes it so different than most. The set of the image also looks very worn out, which must have been done purposely to create a different feeling by the image and help the image to tell a specific story.

There is not a specific subject to this image, the set of the image alone acts as the subject. There is not a real sign of life in the image which tells a certain story and causes one to question. The story that this image is trying to tell is about a world without people and that that world would be like left without anyone to care for it. The word that comes to my head when I see this image is “apocalypse”, which is the main idea that this image is trying to depict. Though a very dark topic, the photographer brings up an important topic through these images.

The different lighting present in this image is very important to the story it tells. Some areas are light and some areas are filled with shadow. Each detail in the setting of this image is important to the entire image and the story that the image tells as well. Most of the colors in the image are vibrant but the creator of the set has added a distressed look to the set of the image which helps create the illusion and tell the story that the photographer had intended. There is certain signs of good and bad of life and destruction in this image which are made clear through the small details to each of the set pieces, the lighting, the background, etc.

This image is very successful in my opinion. This image uses extremely small details to create its illusion and tell its specific story and I think that it does this very successfully. The creative part that went into this photograph took much time, effort and patience and an amazing end result was created. This image also causes one to think about what the image is exactly trying to say. The hyperreal look to this image also makes it very pleasing to the eye. Overall, this image is extremely successful.

boyd meltzer link

2/11/2018 04:42:55 pm

This image depicts an abandoned train car that is situated on a beach. The train car is partially buried underneath the sand and is rusty and unused. However, the seats in the car have held their bright colors. In the background, a faint city skyline is visible. The colors present in this photo are mostly metallic and rusty. However, there are some little things in the photo that hold color, such as the seats in the train. The lighting in the photo is only the light of the sun. There are no people in the image, and there have been no items placed in the image. However, there are faintly visible buildings in the background. There is nothing in particular happening in the image, giving it a peaceful appearance.

The image is peaceful to look at due to the aforementioned absence of activity. One could argue that the rule of thirds is being used due to the location of the end of the train. The photographer took the image facing the end of the train at an angle, so the cab of the train appears as if it is at an angle. The depth of field is deep because it appears as if the entire photo is in focus. I think the focal point of the image is the city outside the train car. It is partially framed due to the small opening in the train door. The lines in the image direct your eyes to the end of the train car. The image is not balanced, but that was the intention of the photographer. The subject does not fill the frame. In fact, it only fills a small portion of the frame.

There are quite a few ways that this image can be interpreted. The train seems old and useless, but it still does have some vibrant and new - looking qualities. The seats are still colorful, and they can still be used. Additionally, the city in the background is modern and up to date. However, the time of this train has passed and it has been kicked to the curb. The artist made this image to bring this concept to light. This image might challenge the belief that things that have been discarded and are thought to be irrelevant might have some special qualities. This image is interesting because of the thought - provoking qualities.

I like this image because, to me, it challenges popular beliefs that have been accepted for years. This image is pleasing to look at as well if you don’t consider the meaning. I enjoyed paying attention to details in this image. This is because there are a lot of them to look at. The photograph is successful for these particular reasons.

Luke Prado

2/12/2018 11:00:49 am

This is an image of the inside of an abandoned subway in a desert. There is a city in the background, though it does not appear to be barren. The subway is very deteriorated, with sand covering the ground and some of the seats. The walls and roof are all very rusted, and parts of them are covered in sheet metal. However, the seats still retain most of their color, and seem to stand out against the bleak sands.
The image does use the rule of thirds, with the city on one side and the subway door on the other. The image has a deep depth of field, the city is clearly visible even though it’s far away. The lines along the subway lead us to the subway doors, with the city behind one of the open doors. The vast majority of the photo is taken up by the interior of the subway, yet at the edge there’s still a little bit of room for the city. The image definitely isn’t balanced, with the subway being viewed at an angle.
The main theme of this image seems to be about the world without us. It depicts what abandoned places would be over a long period of time. There's also the theme of nature taking back these abandoned places, as shown by the sand covering the subway and grass sprouting. The intention seems to be to show people that even without us, the world would still go on. The ruin from this image actually seems to bring into question how we are going to be lost to time eventually.
I do like this image quite a bit. It brings into question the impact that our lives will have in the end and I worry about such things quite a bit. I like that this image can convey the message without the need for many extra props for symbolism: it’s just an abandoned desert. The simplicity of the image yet the ability to convey a message clearly seems to distinguish it from some of the other photos that I’ve seen, and I like that about it. Even though the photo is meant to be open for interpretation, it is successful in that it can convey a message.

Gilly Thompson

2/12/2018 11:18:10 am

This image is of an abandoned subway, or train. The subway appears to have just stopped or had been left in the middle of its route. The subway is filled with sand and weeds, the metal walls of it are rusted and a sign on the left side, saying “Take a break from life” is extremely faded. The seats in the subway are bright colors , oranges yellows, and pinks. The subway sliding doors are open and the city and buildings are in the far distance. The windows on the subway look dusty and dirty. The lighting is perfect in this photo. Because they used the correct entry way of lighting , which was having the lighting come in through the subway sliding doors. In this image you can see many details. The detail in the shadows and lighting and the details regarding all the grains of sand and details of rust.

The lighting is very warm and the photo almost looks like a painting. There are many details in this work and it makes you want to examine the photograph over and over again. I like the details and shadowing of this image. The image looks like it has been taken after this area has been forgotten or abandoned. This image fascinates me because of the way it appears to be after a time where nothing in nature looks disturbed by anyone, except that past items in the history are there and will remain there.

The theme of this image is probably supposed to foretell the future of what life will be like and look like when places become abandoned or when the world starts to lose population until people are not even there to do anything. It looks as if people had been there one day and the just gone the next. I think this image was very successful. It amazes me that they are able to make tiny sets of a scene with such extensive details. The amount of time and work they put into each individual set amazes me. I've never heard of any photographer using a diorama until i heard about Lori Nix. The reasoning behind this image being made was that they wanted to show an “apocalyptic” view on the world. This view they created interests me a lot.

A lot of things about places and abandonment of places interests me. I like this image and the reasoning behind this image. I think they were able to get their views across to people. I like that they talk vaguely about mankind being wiped out but they dont give exact detail leaving the on looker able to use their imagination on what catastrophic events may have occurred .

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Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #13

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