Art 220, Burton Silverman

Image 1: Beach Topless, 2004, graphite
Image 2: Waiting for Spike, 1997, black and white charcoal
Image 3: Summer of '82, 2004, oil on linen

I like the work of Burton Silverman because it looks very raw, and realistic. I can imagine the people that he draws and paints in his portraits and I can imagine the life that he depicts. Not only are his subjects realistic, but his style is also very realistic. I especially like his drawings, in particular, Waiting for Spike, because it has an unrefined quality to it. You can tell the head of the figure was paid extra attention to and it clearly becomes the focal point of the drawing. His drawings are similar to what we do in class which is why I think he work seems so applicable and almost achievable. It is obvious that he uses a light stroke to get the proportions down which is what we try to do every class. I also like the way he combines shading with line work and blends the two styles so you don't notice a dramatic change. His drawing techniques apply to the high quality of his portrait paintings as well. Silverman's work isn't about depicting perfection, it's about capturing the figure as naturally as possible in simple strokes.

Art 220: Ellen Altfest

Image 1: Armpit, 2011, Oil on canvas
Image 2: Sleeping Man, 2007, Oil on canvas
Image 3: Torso, 2011, Oil on canvas

The work of Ellen Altfest looks very creepy and almost abstract at first glance. For instance, her work entitled Armpit, you might not realize what you're looking at immediately. Most of her paintings are done in this style, a very zoomed in view of the male figure. When she started her career she painted a lot of vegetation and the detail she portrayed in plants definitely carries over to her detail in the skin of her male figures. The gradual color changes and attention to detail in the hair on the body are what stand out most to me. You can tell the skin is alive and very fleshy, very touchable with almost a soft texture. Every body part looks so well rounded because the shading is done very gradually with a light touch. The highlights and shadows balance one another out to create a visually cohesive image. I especially like that she uses purple to shade for the dark areas on the skin. Not using black makes the figure seem much more alive.

Art 220, Margherita Manzelli

Image 1: Untitled A, 2002, graphite and pastel on paper
Image 2: Diencephale, 1998, oil on canvas
Image 3: White Spirit, 2012, oil on linen

The work of Margherita Manzelli is so much different than the artists I have looked at earlier for these blog entries. Her work is much more illustrative and very graphic. I like the way she uses negative space in the backgrounds behind her figures. It makes them pop and also gives each work a sense of curiosity and eeriness. In each of her paintings and drawings there is an aspect about the piece that is peculiar and intriguing; in the first work it is the orange underwear, in the second work it is the hat, and in the third work it is the eyes. What I noticed about her work is that she does not compromise accuracy and realism in making the subtle changes and intriguing aspects to each piece. Even though the figure may have an unusual feature they are still rendered very realistically. The most inspiring work for me would have to be Untitled A because of the gentleness of the drawing. The lines are simple and clean but are able to convey form at the same time. Clean edges and curiosity are two aspects I am going to take away from Margherita Manzelli's work.