Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #13

2/28/2020

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.

isabella grossman

2/28/2020 12:24:26 pm

This image is a still life miniature sculpture of an aquarium. This aquarium appears to have been abandoned for many years. The ferns growing on the wall and the yellow water of the unkept glass aquarium make it look as if it has been unattended for a long time. The light of the still life is as if it was taken in broad daylight which takes away the weariness of the photo a little bit. The lighting is warm and soft and there are no intense highlights or shadows. The objects in this image include typical aquarium hardware and exhibits and what you would think of when you thought of an educational facility.

The image is composed using the rule of threes in which the main focus of the image, the glass aquarium tank, is in the far right corner. The point of view is taken from the perspective of someone standing in the abandoned aquarium alone. The aquarium seems a bit scary and the tunnels give a sense of mystery to the image and make us wonder where they lead and what the rest of the abandoned aquarium might look like. THe focal point is the aquarium tank and the lines of the walls almost lead the eye to it. The entire image is framed by the infrastructure which is quite beautiful and ancient greek looking. The image to mee feels a bit off balance and not symmetrical due to the amount of objects to look at and the lack of even distribution of them around the image.

The ideas in this image that appear are post-apocalyptic ideas of what the world would look like once it was abandoned. This is the story that I feel is being told in the image. The image reminds me of a scary dream or thriller movie where you're the only one left on the planet and you're trying to survive and keep yourself from going insane. This image definitely questions beliefs such as what will happen when the world ends. It challenges climate change and religion and other controversial social subjects. The image is interesting and there is a lot to examine and wonder about.

I really enjoy this photograph because of its scary theme and warm feeling. It almost provides a sense of security and shelter as well as comfort. Although the image makes me feel alone and a little bit scared it also makes me feel at peace with the emptiness and lifelessness of a place we usually consider to be packed and crowded. I feel like the artist was very successful and after watching her video on her process I have a deeper appreciation for her work. I am very intrigued by the level of detail applied to her work and really applaud her artistic talent.

Abby Muir

2/28/2020 12:27:56 pm

This image is of an aquarium if humanity was wiped from the face of the Earth. Photographer Lori Nix created her series “The City” because she wanted to recreate what she thinks the world would look like if there was an apocalypse and humanity was wiped out. I think she did a fantastic job recreating her idea. If I didn’t know it was a diorama I would never know it wasn’t a real building. I love all the little details and additions, they really add a creative and realistic touch.
There are a lot of blues, varying from light greens to sky blues to navy. The tank is obviously the focal point; the brackish yellow water makes it stand out. The lighting is what I would think of if you were in a building where the ceiling had collapsed, very natural and soft. There are some shadowy parts in the back halls. One thing I don’t get is why the lights are still on if there aren’t any people and no electricity.
To me this is a very fascinating photo. After watching the video and seeing how much time and effort goes into these, it makes me appreciate all the hard work obviously put into this project. The carvings in the walls, tanks in the background, the plants in the old aquarium. I love the point of view, it really allows the viewer to see a lot of the diagram, while at the same time covering up a little to add a little mystery. This makes me want to go into the photo and go explore the aquarium.
This almost reminds me of The 100 or the Walking Dead. It’s creepy and mysterious, but at the same time bright and waiting to be explored. I love the amount of detail she puts into her work. The water stains on the walls, algae and ivy everywhere, and peeling paint on the ceiling add an exciting element of mystery to the photograph. I love how she describes it; danger married to humor. It has a perfect balance of fun and exploration, while also putting an element of creepiness to it.

Flint Rose

2/28/2020 12:34:01 pm

This piece depicts the inside of a blue aquarium. There is a tank in the bottom right corner. The inside of the tanke is very yellow in comparison to the rest of the aquarium, drawing your eyes to it. There is green moss all over the inside of the aquarium, this aquarium has clearly seen better days. If you look inside the tank you can see plants that are out growing their enclosure.
The rule of thirds is being used, putting the tank in the bottom right corner point of the rule of thirds. The depth of field is deep, giving the viewer the perfect exposure to see the entire shot. The color difference between the overgrown tank and the rest of the aquarium makes the difference in negative and positive space apparent. The piece is from a birds eye view, making the viewer feel even more like they are an outsider looking in. The shot looks like it is framed by the edges in the octagonal room.
This piece certainly has a mysterious feeling to it. The question of what happened to the aquarium to make it in this state is asked, and there are not many answers. The piece is very beautiful to look at, the orange of the tank contrasts the aquarium and makes it very interesting to look at. The piece also almost looks like a painting, the vivid imagery and depiction of the aquarium make it hard to imagine that it is real. The piece is also very dream-like, playing into almost a painting aesthetic.
I really like this piece, specifically how interesting the history behind making it must have been. I like to work with my hands and create things, so I can see the amazing work that went into this. The smallest details are meticulously made, and finely detailed. I also like the story behind this piece, that being post apocalyptic. The beautiful and intriguing nature of this piece makes it interesting to look at for lots of time.

Chloe Clark

2/28/2020 12:36:24 pm

Lori Nix’s image is of a diorama depicting an aquarium in a post-apocalyptic world. The building itself looks run down and abandoned by the cracks in the ceiling and the way it is swarming with moss. The lighting in this image isn’t too bright or too dark. The fish tank provides a warm contrast from the blue surroundings of the building. There are no visible fish in the tank, but there is a habitat which would seem to provide for one.
The rule of thirds is being used with the fish tank. It is placed toward the right side of the image and stands out due to the contrasting colors. The tunnel openings lead the eye into them, and they make me want to explore what lays behind them. The framing of this image is satisfying and doesn’t cut off any necessary components to the image. If I had to choose what I thought was the most clear subject in this image, it would be the fish tank, considering it stands out so much. However, it does not fill the entirety of the image at all.
The theme of not only this image, but Lori Nix’s entire series is the theme of civilization being abandoned, leaving nature to take over these spaces. Lori Nix says herself that this idea of nature reclaiming the world around us is becoming more powerful as we continue to face such challenges. That idea is what story she is trying to tell through these diorama images. The idea of this series of images reminds me of the walking dead. Although I have not sat down and watched this entire series, the idea of zombies taking over and leaving civilization in ruins is the feeling that I get from looking at her images.
Personally, I really enjoy Lori Nix’s images. Mainly because a post-apocalyptic world is always something that has interested me. Not because I want an apocalypse to happen, but because it would be interesting to see how nature reclaims itself. Being able to see that play out in the form of visual art is very satisfying. I’ve seen it played out in stories and books, of course, but the photography just helps make it that much more real.

mateo

2/28/2020 12:40:45 pm

This image by Lori Nix, from her series, The City is about a post apocalyptic world without humans. To get this effect, she makes tiny models of a setting she wants, she makes the structures look broken down and worn and she introduces nature back into the human made structures. She decided to use blue colors and lighter colors for her theme of an abandoned aquarium. There is bright window light being used to light the image. There is an empty aquarium in the middle of the room and there is grass growing on the floor and vines and cracks on the walls.

The photographer took the image from the perspective of someone who just discovered the setting. The depth of field is deep to capture the full area. The focal point is the empty aquarium tank. It is being framed by the distinct lighting and very different shape compared to the rest of the room. The image is asymmetrical because of the main subject being on the right side.

The idea behind the image is that all humans were extinct and that all human structures were taken back by nature. The artist made this image to explore the idea of what would happen if humans were extinct. This image reminds of the movie WALL-E because on earth in that movie, all humans left earth to live in space and the main character, WALL-E the robot, was left on earth and we get to explore nature thriving in places it was eradicated.

I like this image because of the way it was created and the amount of time the artist took to create the image. I like the story behind the image and I like the idea of nature thriving. I think the image is interesting because once you realize these are tiny sets you like the image even more. This image is successful in painting a picture of what would happen after the extinction of humans. I overall like the image and think it is beautiful.

Ben Barlow

3/3/2020 08:04:10 am

The City is a photo series by artist Lori Nix that depicts a post apocalyptic urban landscape. In each of her works, Nix illustrates how elements of human society would look after hundreds of years of being abandoned. In every photograph, Nix builds a highly realistic diorama that resembles the setting she chooses. More often than not, these models can take months to construct from the ground up. This particular photo takes place inside of a dilapidated aquarium with moss growing on the walls and sand covering the ground.

Although I do not find the image especially pleasing to look at, I find certain aspects to be particularly interesting. The central container for example, contains water that looks to be turned yellow from the plant life growing inside. In the background, corroders are seen leading to other exhibits of aquatic life. On the ceiling, cracks form concentric circles around the skylight, as if the roof was about to give in. The point of view is taken from above instead of from the perspective of someone visiting. Towards the edge of the image, intricate detail has been put into the wall which frames the shot.

The main theme this image conveys is a society that has been forgotten. With so many people on earth, carrying out their functions daily, it is hard to imagine what the world would look like if there was no one to take care of it. At the same time however, the artist might be suggesting through her work that the effect of modern culture could be detrimental to the environment. After being left untouched by humans for decades, nature appears to be reclaiming the setting as the aquarium is crumbling to the ground. For something that is ordinarily so hard to picture, I find the post apocalyptic world Nix augmented fascinating.

Taking all of this into account, I really appreciated Nix’s image of the aquarium. Putting months of work into a diorama just to throw it away is not something everyone would do just for the perfect picture. Yet Nix did exactly this, and I think the final product was worth it. In all of her sets, they become so realistic that it becomes difficult to distinguish them from real life. In such a dark subject, Lori Nix has found a way to make her series of images not only aesthetically appealing, but also intriguing and thought-provoking.

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Period 6 -- Critical Analysis #13

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