Robert Trudell

This weeks assignment from Joe Medina is to study several Photographers and choose one as a mentor.   

Then we are required to chose a photo from them and reproduce it as closely as we can.   

 
 
 

 
 

Okay, after looking though the work of most the photographers I think I like the playfulness of Gregory Scott the best.  There are several photos I’d like to try to reproduce from:  http://www.gregoryscottimages.com/impositions.php  I think I’ll try this Arrangement In Black 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

Or maybe this Disconnect 
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

Why did you choose this particular artwork? How does this artist/artwork inspire you? I felt connected to the room, the doors, and the ability to demonstrate a surrealist idea in a B&W photo. I thought I could achieve a similar work while learning new techniques and gathering a better grasp of perspective and how to use it to tie things together. I’m inspired by the absurdity, cleverness, and humor Gregory Scott uses to comment on art as he displays his own. His methods remove barriers while using tried tested and true artistic guidelines.
 
 

 
 

  Gregory Scott identifies himself as a Painter and Photographer. He tells us his early paintings are often based on photographs and that the 2 mediums were always connected for him. The photo highlights his skill and power to use the 2 connected mediums to open a door, disconnect from their limitations and define a new art. As I notice the method he places his hand on his head and the Impositions title of the series, I consider Gregory symbolically anoints himself in this photo to confirm his graduation in learning and mastering this art form.
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

  Gregory uses Line in the wood flooring, the coaxial cables, the door openings, his hand gesture, the connections of perspective and line from the painting to the photos perspective to demonstrate his idea of connecting things to honestly and openly disconnect limitations they introduce.
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

And here’s the B&W Film version:
 
 

 
 

 

 
 

 
 

  

In the 2nd part of the assignment we are supposed to take some of the techniques learned from the mentor and apply them to a work of our own.   

Here I’m seen eating Breakfast -   

When I went to pick up my 50 4×6 Digital prints from Walgreens, the Photo guy asked if I was making a game.  See the actual print at: Walgreens Prints and print your own game… 

Robert Trudell, 20 October 2010

Photography 191

Research Report Artist As Mentor

Gregory Scott’s photo, Disconnect, conveyed a feeling of connection with me to his room and his doors. Gregory’s ability to demonstrate a surrealistic idea in a Black & White photo inspires me.  I thought I could achieve a similar work while learning new techniques.  I chose to study Gregory to gather a better grasp of perspective and use it to tie things together.  I’m inspired by the absurdity, cleverness, and humor Gregory Scott uses to comment on art as he displays his own.  His methods remove barriers while using tried, tested, and true artistic guidelines.

Gregory sees himself as the Everyman; he explores and asks the “What if” question with himself.  Is he different inside if he is fatter or taller?  What if?  Gregory is driven to “capture emotional states such as laughter, loneliness, futility, desire, insecurity, confusion and play.”  His desire to show moments that elude verbal description are defined in asking thought provoking questions. His art demonstrates serious art doesn’t have to be serious.  He’s made the work accessible to all audiences.

Gregory Scott’s Imposition series showcases his discovery combining tightly cropped body part paintings into artistic photos.  They lead us through him placing the paintings in cleaver places and creating humorous scenes.  As he progresses the paintings evolve tailored fit for surrealistic scenes rather than just placed in and made to fit.  The spontaneous flippant seaside work leads him to a higher level of sophistication as he blends his legs into trees and the trees into his arms as branches.  While the lines and perspective blend together, he purposefully leaves the apparatus supporting the paintings visible. He maintains a level of honesty not always seen in sophisticated Photoshopped pictures.

In Gregory’s later work Contraventions and Outside the Frame, he seamlessly blends Flat Screen Video, Painting & Photography.  When art critic Doug McNash compares Scott’s work to Rene Magritte in a different time, I felt compelled to research Magritte as well.  Magritte stated images of men aren’t men so they don’t have to follow the rules of men.  Scott explores placing images in scenes we might not generally expect.  Most of the work is a commentary on art and illusion; he does takes from Refrigerator Art to Escher-esque perspective illusions. He woes a reclining nude painting as her feet move periodically and provides biting commentary of Thomas Kinkade’s perfect world as he is tossed out of his painted house.

I’d like to learn to introduce absurd, thought provoking and humorous art with the clever use of mixed media.  I want to follow Gregory’s exploratory nature and examine visual perspective, light and illusion to reveal concepts and show things that aren’t always seen.