Surreal Photo Montage

Surrealistic Theme'
For my project I am going to have a pciture of me floating in air while holding an umbrella.  The backround is going to be somewhere vacan in nature, like an ocean or desert.  The message I am trying to get across is that people don't dream enough and too many people set boundaries for themselves.  My goal is to inspire people to go after what they want and do not let others dictate what you can and cannot accomplish. 

Man Ray- Born August 27, 1890 in Philadelphia Pennsylvania.  He attended Ferrer School in 1912, where he began to grow as an artist.  He then began working in New York until he decided to move to Paris France.  In 1925 at the first surrealist exhibition in Paris he was a participant.  Man ray began to become famous for his work in surrealism after his work in France.   Man Ray invented his own techniques including solarization and photograms.  He died in 1976 of a lung infection.

Ben Goossens- An agency art director for 3 decades in Belgium.  After retiring from being an art director Ben began creating surrealist photo montages.  Ben won numerous awards including Gold and Silver medals at the Trierenberg  Super Circuit.  Ben has been published in many magazines including Photo Art International.

Artist Name: Man Ray

Title: The Misunderstood

Date: 1938

Description: A leaf and flower with what looks to be an eye on it.  There is a single door with a mysterious pattern of floor tile.  The floor does not follow straight lines and goes in every direction.  There is a line beneath the door that is not straight and ventures off into the room.

Analysis:  In this painting the subject is in bright colors while the background is dark.  The orange and blue parts of the flower stick out the most and draw your attention.  This photo is unbalanced because there is nothing one side while there is a plant on the other.

Interpretation: I think this painting is trying to say that there is always life in the world no matter where it is.  The room is dark and spooky, but there is still a vibrant plant living in the room.  Even in total darkness life will exist and persevere.  In a world of confusion and mystery there is always a constant that remains through it all.  That constant is life, which always watches over you.

Judgment: I think this painting is successful in serving its purpose.  The title is misunderstood and that’s what the painting is.  I gave my opinion on it, but that could be completely wrong or right.  That is the point of the painting to confuse the audience and make them think for themselves what it represents.

Artist: Ben Goossens

Title: Enlightened town poet

Date: Present

Description: A lonely man who has come out of the dark and had an epiphany.  The town is dark, but moves towards the bright light.  There is a leading line pointing towards the ever glowing light at the end of the town/road.  The man is holding an umbrella and his head has taken the shape of a light bulb.

Analysis: The picture leads you into the man standing in front of the light.  There are special effects done to the man’s head to make it brighter and clearer than the rest of the photograph.  The buildings begin to brighten at the end while in the beginning they are dark and colorless.

Interpretation: I think this photograph is meant to capture the monumental moment of a person life when they finally work to come up with a brilliant idea.  The image is meant to show the magic involved in the ability to think and create.  I also believe the photo is trying to say that when a person begins to think for themselves and create for themselves they enter into a new stage in their life.  This place they enter is new and filled with a brighter future than what you had experienced before.

Judgment: I think this piece is very successful because it gets its point across well.  The photo captures the pivotal moment when a person has an idea so well.  The colors add to the piece because they show how an idea has enlightened someone and showed them a new path.  I also like how the man’s head is also a light bulb.

Comparison: These two artists both liked to use to color to emphasize their subjects and to get their points across.  Man Ray definitely likes to leave the audience with questions about his work like why he did this and what did it mean.  Goossens on the other hand enjoys showing his audience his clear intentions and meaning of his photograph.  Man Ray painted an image that could be interpreted any way.  Goossens’s piece was a story that could be read by the audience observing his piece.  I think Goossens piece comes to life more because of the technology in Photoshop, the brightness of the light is very luminous.  If Man Ray had access to that technology when he was alive it could have made his painting stand out more and have more life in it.







Photo Montage