Composition Essay Digital Photo Period 1

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Composition Essay Digital Photo Period 1

• As we have been discussing in class, it is
  important to be able to articulate about
  composition and the elements of design present in
  works of art to fully understand them.
• What I would like you to do is pick 3 of the five
  images included in this powerpoint and describe
  using at least one paragraph for each image as
  many points that make the composition interesting
  as you can. Talk about subject matter,
  directionals, positive/negative space, contrast,
  etc. Try to really dive down to find different
  design elements and discuss how that makes the
  work better or worse. What do you find
  interesting? Be specific.
• Lastly, pick one of the 5 images and tell me why
  (using the critical terms we have used in class)
  it is your favorite.
• This paper should be at least one page long
  typed, (please note that you shouldnt use more
  than 12 point text or go crazy with spacing)
  due Monday, September 8th, 2008.

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Jean Louis Davids Death of Marat This is an
important composition as it illustrates the
obviously very recent murder of Marat, a
prominent figure in the French Revolution. The
directionals in the composition are the bathtub
the horizontal line from right to left leads us
into his arm, into the letter, into Marats fatal
wound. The linens draping his table also lead
into Marat. The angle of Marats arms, both the
one hanging down as a vertical from his head, and
the one clutching the letter, also lead us to his
wound and face. The draping arm is bright and
there is a vertical fold by that arm that leads
us right to the murder weapon. Both arms are
shadowed from light to dark the forearm that
clutches the letter, contrasting the darker
background. There is a great deal of contrast
between Marat and the linens draping behind him
and the bathtub. Marats headdress is the
brightest point in the composition. There is
foreshortening in the arm holding the letter, and
also the letters themselves especially the ones
that are riding the edge of the wooden box,
giving us a good idea of depth. There is
interesting negative spaces the draping arm
against the white linen forms a triangle, there
is another triangle between Marat and his
foreshortened arm that gives us an idea of how
gruesome his death was. There is repetition in
the horizontal lines in the bathtub, table and
wooden box as well as the tassles on the green
sheet. There are also repeating vertical forms in
the blankets themselves. There is a great deal
of contrast between the top and bottom, the
brightness of the lower half of the picture is
balanced by the dark textured background.
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Imogen Cunningham
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Alexsander Rodchenko
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Bernice Abbott
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David Plowden
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Margaret Burke-White
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Annie Liebowitz