Analysis Of Artworks Research Articles

The allegorical re-presentation of colonial cinema in Sammy Baloji’s Pungulume (2016)

This article analyses artist Sammy Baloji’s video installation Pungulume (2016) with a focus on its recycling of film clips extracted from an archival colonial film from 1912. Inspired by art historian Georges Didi-Huberman’s anachronic approach to art history, and through a sketch of the history and present-day social and political context in the Congolese Katanga region, this essay contends that these archival clips speak primarily about the present and contain a topical significance. As the author demonstrates, this topical significance can solely be assessed when the viewer is knowledgeable about current political and social debates taking place in the former Katanga province. Additionally, this present-day relevance of the archival film clips also exists in terms of the video installation’s reception – the archival film clips reflect dynamics occurring in the spaces in which the video installation was conceived and continues to be exhibited. Through this reading that ultimately causes the ‘re-presentation’ of the anachronic archival film clips (while acknowledging its indebtment to Congolese popular painting), the author recalls the necessity of considering the historical production context in scholarly analyses of artworks – even when artworks reuse archival documents that stem, for example, from colonial cinema.

Terahertz Spectroscopic Analysis of the Minium Pigment: Evidence of Low-Temperature Phonon Splitting.

Terahertz spectroscopy has been increasingly utilized as an effective nondestructive tool for the diagnosis, analysis, and restoration of artworks. In particular, in the case of artist's pigments, the terahertz probe reveals the vibrational modes that are unique to a given pigment species under study, motivating the ongoing efforts to establish a comprehensive terahertz spectral database of representative pigments. Standard archived spectra are typically acquired at room temperature and susceptible to spectral broadening, which often renders pigment identification difficult, if not impossible. In this paper, we report the frequencies of the vibrational modes of minium (Pb3O4, red lead) by performing terahertz time-domain spectroscopy at room temperature and also at low temperatures. Clear absorption peaks appear at 54.9, 62.1, 71.3, and 83.9 cm-1 at room temperature and blue-shift as the temperature decreases. In addition, new absorption peaks of 59.8 and 66.4 cm-1 are observed below 150 K, which signify a structural phase transition occurring at 170 K in minium. Our results are expected to enhance our understanding of the vibrational activity of minium and suggest a future direction for how to improve and refine the existing terahertz spectral databases for pigment analysis.

A k-means clustering and histogram-based colorimetric analysis of metal album artworks: The colour palette of metal music

Because of its marketing impact and key role in the definition of a band’s visual identity, the artwork of a metal album is carefully designed to reflect the music played by the band. Bearing in mind the historical association between colour and music, we performed a quantitative colorimetric analysis of 1150 metal album artworks (MAA) (and of 400 non-metal artworks for the purpose of comparison) in order to study the place of colours in metal artworks visual identity. In each artwork, we have extracted its five dominant colours (with a k-means clustering algorithm) and underwent a colour histogram analysis. We showed that MAA appear darker than their non-metal counterparts. We derived a colour palette of MAA and showed that black, (dark) grey and brown/orange tones are by far the most frequently used colours. The presence of these ‘metal colours’ is very consistent between metal subgenres. However, the visual identity of some metal subgenres encompasses specific artwork colorimetric rules. Black metal album covers are darker and mainly use black and dark grey. Groove metal artworks tend to display warmer and more saturated colours with an increased use of brownish and orange tones. Drone metal albums are lighter while crossover albums have a mottled appearance. Nevertheless, for most of the metal subgenres the artwork visual identity seems to rely on colour-independent elements. We suppose that this identity might rather be built on thematic elements and probably also on the logotypes’ style. A lot of work remains to be done to clearly understand what makes metal albums look so peculiar.

Neural Networks for Hyperspectral Imaging of Historical Paintings: A Practical Review.

Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) has become widely used in cultural heritage (CH). This very efficient method for artwork analysis is connected with the generation of large amounts of spectral data. The effective processing of such heavy spectral datasets remains an active research area. Along with the firmly established statistical and multivariate analysis methods, neural networks (NNs) represent a promising alternative in the field of CH. Over the last five years, the application of NNs for pigment identification and classification based on HSI datasets has drastically expanded due to the flexibility of the types of data they can process, and their superior ability to extract structures contained in the raw spectral data. This review provides an exhaustive analysis of the literature related to NNs applied for HSI data in the CH field. We outline the existing data processing workflows and propose a comprehensive comparison of the applications and limitations of the various input dataset preparation methods and NN architectures. By leveraging NN strategies in CH, the paper contributes to a wider and more systematic application of this novel data analysis method.

Subject playing with flat images: Transmedia spreadability of anime and manga character images

Anime and manga characters are so ubiquitous in Japan that people see them anywhere, regardless of public or private. The two-dimensional flatness of line drawing allows the character images to straddle the boundaries of the worlds of works and media. The analysis of individual artworks needs to be revised to understand the transmedia spreadability of characters and our living conditions. This paper, thus, overviews the preceding discussions of anime and manga scholars on human-character relations and compares them with the theory of subject formation in film studies, whose realist tendency once emphasized the three-dimensional space and time. While psychoanalysis-influenced theories such as suture and male gaze model after one-point perspective and subordinate two-dimensionality, Thomas Lamarre formulates a de-unified perspective in relation to the multilayered image field of Japanese anime. In conjunction with the orientation of cultural and fan studies to emphasize audience agency, this article discusses the de-unified perspective on flat images which has the potential for understanding the complexity of subject formation through the interplay with two-dimensional images.

Naples yellow: Experimental re-working of historical recipes and the influence of the glazing process in the in situ analysis of historical artwork

Naples yellow was widely used across different types of artwork. Technical studies identified a binary Pb–Sb type as well as modified ternary variants with either zinc or tin in the structure. Although these variants were the object of previous experimental studies, a better understanding of the impact of the glazing procedure on the chromatic, chemical and crystallographic characteristics of the pigment is still lacking. In this work, several historical Naples yellow recipes were re-worked and subsequently applied and fired on test tiles, over a white glaze. The results show that the interaction between pigment and glaze produces important modifications to the colour, chemistry and structure of the pigment. Such modifications will strongly impact the reconstruction of historical recipes, with major consequences for identifying Naples yellow variants on artwork and investigating artistic practices.

Embodied encounters with AntheA Delmotte's performance of Return to Chaos

The theme of embodied engagement with art is explored in relation to the work Return to Chaos, which was created by South African visual artist AntheA Delmotte in 2017. Following a brief introduction to the artist and her works, my own embodied, sensual encounters with Return to Chaos are investigated in order to establish the usefulness, or not, of this way of looking. Delmotte's oeuvre shows that she intertwines painting styles of carefully planned studio based realism with deep trance-state public performance paintings that usually result in relatively unplanned abstract artworks. The latter painting performances are often conducted to the accompaniment of live music. Sound, and the presence of co-performing musicians, play an important role for Delmotte while delving into her subconscious to find colour and imagery that best expresses her emotions at any particular moment while deep trance-state painting. This article goes on to explore the possibility that Delmotte's incremental creation of artworks such as Return to Chaos give insight into colour synaesthesia and cymatic effects in action, and that this artwork shows visible manifestation of deep trance-state feelings embodied by her in response to the music at that particular moment in time. Finally, it is suggested that enrichment offered by analysis of artworks arising from full bodied encounters be extended to include investigations into embodied acts performed by artists as they explore and express their ideas.

VNS Matrix-Pilled: Three Propositions for Revisiting 1990s Cyberfeminist Art Now

Cultural studies scholar Jeremy Gilbert has argued for analysis of ‘the long 1990s’—a post-End of History period of technological advancement, cultural stagnation, and increasingly entrenched neoliberalism. According to Gilbert, the long 1990s are now—hopefully—over. This article argues that the Australian cyberfeminist artists VNS Matrix are, like the decade, overdue for comprehensive critical reassessment. As a starting point for this project, I set out three propositions for considering VNS Matrix’s artworks in light of current discourses at the intersection of art, technology, and feminism. Firstly, VNS Matrix wanted to abolish the family computer (meaning change the patriarchal structures of emotional attachment that shaped how women and queer people approached new technology). Secondly, VNS Matrix’s playful exploration of queer cyborgian sexuality pre-empted the ways in which sex, gender, and technology have become entwined in our ‘pharmacopornographic’ age, to quote Paul Preciado. Thirdly, decolonial critiques of art history mean that a technomaterialist approach is crucial for analysis of net art works; all that is digital begins in the physical. In the case of VNS Matrix, this framework means situating digital artworks in relation to the land that underpinned their genesis—Tartanya/Adelaide.

Evolution of children’s assortment, cut and color clothes on the basis of analysis of art works of the XVIII-XX centuries

Evolution of children’s assortment, cut and color clothes on the basis of analysis of art works of the XVIII-XX centuries

Review: Selling Black Brazil: Race, Nation, and Visual Culture in Salvador, Bahia, by Anadelia A. Romo, and Modernity in Black and White: Art and Image, Race and Identity in Brazil, 1890–1945, by Rafael Cardoso

Review: <i>Selling Black Brazil: Race, Nation, and Visual Culture in Salvador, Bahia</i>, by Anadelia A. Romo, and <i>Modernity in Black and White: Art and Image, Race and Identity in Brazil, 1890–1945</i>, by Rafael Cardoso

Evolution of costume and its role in shaping process a child's social status and image

The article considers the methodology of image analysis using several methods of artwork analysis from the periods from the ancient world to the 16th century, where the image of a child and its clothing based on artwork are considered chronologically for the first time. The article also considers an algorithm for designing products for the children's segment.

Utilise Screen Printing to Express the Facial Gestures of Extended Sorrow

This project intended to utilise the screen printing medium to depict the facial gesture of extended sorrow. The process of making this artwork began with the subject, which involved the Analysis of related artworks with the methodology of Feldman theory, followed by the visual data collection, which supported the creation of artwork that expressed the facial gestures of extended sorrow through an in-depth screen printing process. This project contributed potential artistic work that expressed the idea within the media and developed a specific four-color separation technique that utilised the medium into a realistic photo style in contemporary printmaking.

Pace by Nino Migliori: Examination, Analysis and Treatment of a Contemporary Color Photography Experimental Artwork

The present work intends to focus on the examination, analysis and treatment of Pace, a contemporary color photography experimental artwork created by Nino Migliori in 1973. Given the particular nature of the artifact, in which the photographic materials and the media of contemporary art coexist in a complex interaction, an in-depth study of its creation, structure and components was deemed necessary to plan and perform an adequate conservation treatment. The preliminary research was conducted in order to contextualize the artwork within the author’s production, to understand the creation process, to identify the photographic technique of the print and the stratigraphic sequencing, and to characterize the constituent materials of each layer through non-invasive and micro-invasive diagnostic analysis. The severe detachments and lifts of the print from the underlying aluminum panel and the subsequent planarity alterations of the photograph, strongly compromised the legibility of the artwork and put its future conservation at risk. Therefore, the elaboration of a minimally invasive intervention methodology was required. Approaching contemporary works of art, which are at the same time also photographic objects, can present some theoretical and practical challenges, and in the near future lots of professionals in the field of art conservation are probably going to face analogue conservation problems on similar objects. The results obtained through the preliminary study phase and the conservation treatment may offer a good starting point for further research on how to examine, analyze and treat this kind of photographic objects.

Artwork Analysis of Anastasis Fresco at Khora South Chapel and Its Interaction with the Architectural Program

Bu makalede Kariye Manastırı güney şapelinde yer alan Anastasis freskinin ikonografik olarak çözümlenmesi ve bu yapıtın yapının mimari programıyla kurduğu ilişkinin irdelenmesi hedeflenmiştir. İlk olarak eserin yer aldığı Kariye (Khora) Manastırı mimari nitelikleri bakımından incelenmiştir. Eserin sanatçısı ve hamisi hakkında bilgi verilmesinin ardından, esere konu olan Anastasis temasının mitolojik kökeni irdelenmiştir. Anastasis freskinin yapımında kullanılan tekniğin özgün tarafları ortaya konmuştur. Yapıtın ikonografik çözümlemesi yapılırken Erwin Panofsky’nin geliştirdiği yöntemden faydalanılmıştır. Bu kapsamda Anastasis freski incelenirken ilk olarak biçimsel analizi yapılarak kompozisyonda yer alan figürlerin birbirleriyle ilişkileri irdelenmiş; ikinci aşamada teolojik ve alegorik bilgiler ışığında figürlerin temsil ettiği karakterler ve aktarılan kavramlar ortaya çıkarılmaya çalışılmıştır. Üçüncü aşamada ise yapıtın, dönemin koşulları içerisinde sahip olduğu anlamlar irdelenirken; yakın döneminde üretilen, benzer temaya sahip eserlerle de karşılaştırılmıştır. Son olarak yapının mimari ve ikonografik programları arasındaki etkileşim ele alınmıştır.Kariye Manastırı, mimari programla ikonografinin iç içe geçtiği, hatta ikonografiyle anlatılan hikaye dizisinin mimari elemanları belirlediği bir düzene sahiptir. Bu nedenle Rönesans’a öncülük yapan Bizans Sanatı ikonografisinin incelenebileceği özgün örnekler arasında sayılabilir. Kariye güney şapeli apsis yarım kubbesi üzerinde yer alan Anastasis freski, Hristiyan literatüründe önemli bir yeri olan diriliş temasını işlemektedir. Şapeldeki ikonografik programın bütünü düşüldüğünde diriliş sahnesi ana temayı oluşturmaktadır. Anastasis freskinin parekklesionda yer alması, mezarı burada bulunan Kariye Kilisesi’nin hamisi Metokhites’in ölümsüzlük / diriliş beklentisini de simgelemektedir.

Une sociopoétique des stations-service

This article proposes a sociopoetic reading of gas stations based on a corpus of American and French cultural representations. An analysis of literary works (by Cormac McCarthy, Shirley Ann Grau and Alexandre Labruffe) and artworks (by Edward Hopper, Walker Evans and Ed Ruscha) reveals the complexity of these modern stopping points. What could be considered initially as a perfectly ordinary "non-place", the gas station emerges, as it turns out, as a space of vitality. It feeds our imagination. It is a place of different possibilities: temple of triumphant modernity, transit zone, theater, site of our fantasies of adventure and of our of the end-of-world catastrophes.

Expressing the Prolonged Grief Disorder through Face Expression by using Silk Screen

The purpose of the project is to express prolonged grief through facial expressions. Grief is a natural response to loss because it is a universal and singular experience. Art students and academics frequently employed art-based study as a technique and research strategy. This study's methodology includes the processes of artwork analysis, visual data collection, and artwork making. According to the researcher, this study will significantly impact the art scene, especially among printmakers. The outcomes will be implemented in producing artworks incorporating silk screen printing techniques.

Meaning-making and interpretation through personal mandalas in the context of visual literacy

This research investigates the significance of creative freedom and self-expression through the visual analysis of artworks produced in a workshop under the theme ‘Visual Literacy’. This multi-layered qualitative study presents the findings from a participatory arts-based research approach that elicits students’ creative expression through their personal mandalas. Artworks collected from this creative process were assessed using the interpretive phenomenological analysis method whereas the Common European Framework of Reference for Visual Literacy (CEFR-VL) was used as an assessment tool. Supporting youth through arts-based interventions and motivating them to communicate their feelings and perceptions can be an integral part of students’ creative development. Hence, as the focus of the study, this paper aims to illustrate the youths’ perception, interpretation, and meaning-making through the artistic creative processes to stimulate their creative and critical thinking.

The Globetrotter’s Identity: Michel Sittow in the International Historiographies

Michel Sittow was a disciple of Hans Memling and a follower of the fifteenth-century school of Bruges, who led the art of northern portraiture through the Renaissance. This painter from Reval (currently Tallinn) travelled around Europe, working for the most significant monarchs of that time: Isabella of Castile, Margaret of Austria, Charles V, Christian II Oldenburg and perhaps Henry VIII. Even though studied by multiple researchers from Europe and the US, his oeuvre is still giving rise to many questions for art historians. This study’s aim is to analyse the international historiography of Michel Sittow, starting with the first attributions of his artworks, and comparative studies of German historians who called the painter Michel Sittow and the Spanish school where he was known as Melchior Alemán. In 1940 Paul Johannsen published the document that indicates Michel Sittow’s stay in Spain. The post-war historiography was not interested in Sittow’s life, except in the work of the Latvian origin Belgian researcher Jazeps Trizna, who published the first monograph on his artworks in 1976. He was the first to unify both historiographical personalities the one of Michel Sittow, and the one of Miguel Alemán. Meanwhile in Estonian literature, Sittow’s story appeared as a romantic symbol of independence from the Soviet Union in Jaan Kross’s novel. In the last twenty years, with the development of the radiographic method of artwork analysis, researchers such as Else Kai Sass, Matthias Weniger, Chiyo Ishikawa, and Pilar Silva Maroto have revived many questions about Sittow’s career, style, and globetrotting around European courts. However, the first exhibition that reunited Michel’s artworks, held in 2018 in Washington and Tallinn marking the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Estonian independence, did not solve many of Sittow’s life secrets.

Subjective Experiences of At-Risk Children Living in a Foster-Care Village Who Participated in an Open Studio

The open studio art therapy model offers a space for free creation; in this space, the art therapist supports the participants’ art process. According to this model, the creative process is the central component of the therapeutic work. This qualitative study seeks to learn, through an analysis of interviews and artwork, about the subjective experiences of at-risk children living in a foster-care village who participated in an open studio. In addition, it seeks to identify changes in the artwork over time. This study involves a qualitative thematic analysis, while the analysis of visual data is based on the phenomenological approach to art therapy. The data include interviews and 82 artworks of five participants, aged 7–10 years. Five main themes emerged from the analysis of the visual and verbal data: (a) engaging in relationships; (b) moving along the continuum from basic, primary, art expressions (e.g., smearing, scribbling, etc.) to controlled expressions; (c) visibility, on a range between disclosure and concealment; (d) holding versus falling/instability; and (e) experiencing and expressions of change. The discussion expands on the themes in relation to key concepts in the field of psychodynamic psychotherapy and art therapy. It also examines the unique characteristics of this population in reference to empirical studies on developmental trauma and challenges of out-of-home placement. Finally, it discusses the study’s limitations and presents recommendations for further research.

UK street art and the meaning of masks during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2020-21

ABSTRACT This paper contributes to social and cultural geographies of the COVID-19 pandemic through an exploration of the role of UK street art in documenting the remarkable shifts in the practice of wearing facemasks, the tensions and emotions involved, and the transformations in the meaning of facemasks during the pandemic. Street art has become an important outlet for political critique and social engagement, capturing the public mood in response to policies and recommendations attempting to stem viral transmission, including the requirement to wear facemasks in some public places. Drawing primarily on image analysis of street artworks produced during 2020 and sourced using online search tools, and qualitative interviews with UK street artists in 2020 and 2021, the paper first explores the changing geographies and politics of street art during the pandemic. It then examines the ways in which street art portrays mask-wearing simultaneously as reassuring, protective and fear-inducing, and reflects the meaning of masks in relation to protecting public health, managing anxieties concerning health risks, boosting morale, and symbolising solidarity and public spiritedness. The paper argues that pandemic street art contributes to public dialogue by articulating emotion and deeply held concerns, and communicating the intimate politics, semiotic meanings and social properties of objects associated with disease.