Chapter 1 Response

            I found a couple images and concepts interesting and compelling in Chapter one. First was the Beauty Composites by Nancy Burson. I find it interesting that when all these famous people’s faces are combined, you get a pretty yet mediocre face. I did think the concept behind the two pieces was original and inspiring.

This takes me to the next piece I found particularly interesting, I think Leonardo would think so as well if he were around. The Mona/Leo piece by Lillian Schwartz is so dynamic in many ways. The science of the works of Leonardo Da Vinci will probably still be uncovered in the future, as so many of his works have deep secrets. The Shroud of Turin, thought to be the cloth Jesus was wrapped in after death, was actually carbon dated back to the time of Da Vinci and is linked to him specifically. At the time Leonardo was experimenting with chemicals used in photo development. He dipped the cloth (Turin Shroud) in a chemical and stood back, the light hit the cloth and the image that developed instead of being Jesus at the time of death is Leonardo Da Vinci standing in his workshop, successfully creating the first photograph. I find anything to do with this great man fascinating and it is very interesting that technology is needed to crack some of his life’s works secrets.

I also found the ghostly fingerprints in Horror Vacui interesting. It is very innovative the way the artist used the hand to create depth, light, and shadows. It is a very naturalistic piece and yet it does have this scary feverish tone to it, kind of like old depictions of the writhing creatures that inhabit the underworld.

The last piece that I found intriguing is EYE by Jochem Hendricks. It is so interesting how the eye movements that were captured reflect the image of what the person was looking at, for example, the face on the outward facing page. I think it shows the similarities between human beings and technology. Our eyes work like a printer slowly working their way down the page, creating images as they go. I thought this piece was original in concept and very interesting visually.