Exhibition Text
Title: Right in Front of Me
Medium: Photography Size: N/A Date: August 2022 |
"Right in Front of Me" is a series of photographs taken during the summer of 2022 across the state of Wisconsin. It was inspired by "Waterfall in Norway" by Johann Wilhelm Lindlar. These photos were compiled showcase the beauty of my home state; from a simple field of wildflowers to breathtaking waterfalls. These photos are meant to help the viewer reconnect with the amazing structures of nature, as I feel we have become too distanced from our earthly roots.
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Inspiration
I was inspired by "Waterfall in Norway" (19th century) by Johann Wilhelm Lindlar. The painting, made of oil on canvas, was one of the portraits I saw whilst visiting the Milwaukee Art Museum. The first thing that struck me when I saw it was the subject matter. My dad and I had been planning a trip for three years to go on a road trip around Wisconsin to see natural landmarks. Things had gotten in the way in the past, but this year we were sure to make sure everything fell into place. We planned on stopping at a few waterfalls during our travels; one of which was similar to the piece in its breathtaking gorge and rock formations. The piece is separated into three distinct areas; the rocks on the lower right, the waterfall itself and river spray, and the cloudy background. It has little-to-no symmetry throughout it, with a heavier weight in the middle and towards the right. The movement of the work starts in the center with the crashing waterfall, then travels downwards in the direction of the river flow. Once at the bottom, the jutting cliff pulls the viewer towards the right and then up the piece, finally taking in the shades of gray and blue and purple at the top and left side. You can clearly feel the power of the water through the heavy mist created by the force of the water meeting the bottom, as well as in the rapids above and below the waterfall. By using a splotching technique, he created a cloud-like appearance that becomes translucent with light amounts of paint.
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The tones are muted and cool in color, adding to the idea of cold, rushing water and mountainous regions. The painting is also realistic, so all the movement and feeling is generated by expert blending and color theory. It is common to create realist art with oil, as it provides time to fully shape and layer the colors in the painting. This allows for more depth and overall helps take the viewer to a place where they are seeing the waterfall as they would in real life.
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Johann Wihlem Lindlar (1816-1896) was a German painter known for his landscapes and painting of nature. Not much is known about him as a person, nor the details of his personal life at the time he created his works. Most information about him is in German, which I myself do not speak. What is known is that he studied at Kunstakademie Düsseldorf, a German art school, and traveled to different locations to find his inspiration. A great deal of his paintings were centered around waterfalls. Truth be told, I almost missed the painting entirely, but went down a separate hallway and staircase just before leaving the Milwaukee Art Museum. I found it oddly beautiful to look at, and immediately my mind went straight to the trip my dad and I had been planning for years now to see a multitude of natural areas in the State. Capturing the beauty of natural elements and wonders not built by humans was alluring to me-so what better than to photograph views that I found represented the organic artistry of my home state.
Planning
The first stage in my planning was to find places that could serve the purpose of fulfilling my desire to find interesting natural elements but also be suitable for an art project. In other words, I didn't want to simply take a picture of one tree, a couple of leaves, and call it a day. I went to multiple locations to take photos, including prairies, marshes different wooded areas, state forests, rivers, waterfalls, gorges, lakes, escarpments, and sand dunes. The variety of Wisconsin landscapes is something I find interesting, so I wanted to capture as many of them as I could. As a nerd, discovering new geographical formations brought a lot of excitement to this project and further added to my personal connection with the photos. The places we ended up traveling to were the Wehr Nature Center, Horicon Marsh, the Niagara Escarpment along Lake Michigan, Pattison State Park, Copper Falls State Park, Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, and a little into Ottawa National Forest.
The major issue with this project comes through the planning and experimental stage. At this point, I am quiet comfortable with my small digital camera, and I couldn't plan on my subject matter more than just the location. For example, I did not know that I would find a specific spiderweb inside of a fallen tree trunk over a stream with a specific lighting and focus-all of it was done in the moment. I suppose that this could count as experimentation, but it is definitely lacking.
Process
The process in this work was rather simple, yet slightly unconventional. It required "in the moment" decisions about positioning, lens focus, distance, angle, subject, and composition. Doing work like this on the fly, as was required by our limited time frame, forced me to move quickly and not wait to take too many shots of the same subject. Camera battery and storage were other factors that created a barrier between this project and the traditional guidelines for process.
The first location was in the area surrounding my friend's lake-house in Kettle Moraine. The lake is filled by natural spring water and surrounded with moraines, for which the city is named for. Moraines are caused by retreating glaciers as they leave behind large areas of debris. This becomes more relevant in the later locations as well, as some of them are also affected by the glacier activities in North America. Out of the pictures I took at the location, these four were the best. Upon closer inspection, I believe that the spiderweb and the lake photo on the bottom were the best, both of whom had good color, clarity, and composition.
The next area showcased for this project was the Niagara Escarpment, but with two different locations. The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in Canada and the United States that runs predominantly east–west from New York through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Illinois. The escarpment is most famous as the cliff over which the Niagara River plunges at Niagara Falls, for which it is named. It begins in the Waukesha county area and ends in New York. It is actually the reason my home state, Wisconsin, has its unique "thumb" appearance through the peninsula into Lake Michigan. As a self-proclaimed nerd, this ancient structure fascinated me. The geoglogy and biodiversity of the region, as well as its stunning beauty, made it a prime place for photography.
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We went to two places on our journey along the Niagara Escarpment, starting near the Horicon Marsh. The wooded area was filled with large rock formations and had paths winding past, over, through, and under the broken pieces of the escarpment. . following are my favorite selections from the area. The lush green and dark rock were a beautiful sight to behold, and I attempted to capture as much of the feeling of being there in the photographs.
After we had hiked a couple of miles, we trekked back to the car and made our way further up north, towards Sturgeon Bay. Here, we would be further along the uniquely formed peninsula and directly next to the lake. It further develops into the cliff-like structure more commonly associated with Niagara falls, before it disappears beneath the water level and reemerges in upper Michigan. At this location, it was much more difficult to get unique perspectives/points of view on account that I could only shoot to either side or down towards the water.
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From my vantage point, I still tried to use the rule of thirds and create interesting compositions of the foggy weather, lake, and forest. It was absolutely stunning and beautiful and I hoped to convey the majesty of the rock faces that were millions of years old.
The next road trip I took, up north, followed some of the largest waterfalls in the state. While they aren't much in terms of scale in comparison to others, like Niagara falls, I still wanted to go and see them. My dad and I drove up, stopping at different locations along the way, and going as far as upper Michigan to see the Interstate Falls, Upper Potato
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Falls, Lower Potato Falls, Red Granite Falls, Copperstone Falls, Brownstone Falls, Little Manitou Falls, and Big Manitou Falls. The Red Granite Falls, Copper Falls, and Brownstone Falls were all inside Copper Falls State Park, and both the Manitou falls were in Pattison State Park. We also visited two national forests along the three-day trip.
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Out of all the photographs I took during the second trip, I was able to narrow it down to those that I believed had the most artistic composition and that represented my purpose for the project. As stated earlier, some of the locations made it difficult to get unique angles and perspectives on account of the geography of the area. For example, the gorges surrounding the areas are very dangerous and a single wrong step could easily mean death. Safety precautions for the public have been put in place to prevent falls and accidental drownings in the rapids. I wasn't willing to sacrifice my safety for a photo, so some of the photographs are limited. However, I did my best to capture them as well as I could.
Upper and Lower Potato River Falls
The falls along the Potato River were the first large falls we had encountered. there are two-one higher up, and one lower downstream, that are part of a large gorge. It's obvious from the moment one gets there that this is part of Iron County-distinctly named for its high iron in the soil, which makes it a reddish-brown color. We were able to walk in the river (stupidly, without sandals) and got as close as we could without having to swim or endanger ourselves to get beautiful shots of the river and waterfall. It was very sunny at that time, providing good light to illuminate the water and vibrancy of the area. I got as many angles as I could, from atop the Upper Falls and at the bottom of the Lower Falls, along the gorge, etc. This provided me with an excellent selection of photos. I particularly enjoyed the photos of the water more up close-the contrast between the falling water and the wet rock make it interesting to look at. |
Copper Falls State Park
Within the state park are three large waterfalls, named the Red Granite Falls, Brownstone Falls, and Copper Falls. The last two are more inaccessible due to the large gorges, but they were much taller than the Red Granite Falls. The first falls we visited, the Red Granite Falls, were very accessible and we were able to climb directly onto the large rock slabs decorating the rapid river. I felt very at peace for the first time in a long time as I lay against the sun-warmed rocks. They glittered softly in the light and the only thing I could hear was the rush of water. A wave of calm came over me and I knew that this was why I had taken this trip-and why this project was so important. I wanted to share the beauty and connection we have been losing with nature as the world becomes more industrialized and stuck to technology. Also, as a huge nerd, I was also exited about the geography, geology, and history of the area. The Bad River, nicknamed for its notorious and deadly floods, fueled a great number of the waterfalls on the trip. I also got to see firsthand the basalt layers that formed these gorges millions of years ago. It was amazing to see periods of years where changes took place in these rock layers. I was absolutely fascinated and hoped that some of that fascination could be spread with the viewers of this project.
Within the state park are three large waterfalls, named the Red Granite Falls, Brownstone Falls, and Copper Falls. The last two are more inaccessible due to the large gorges, but they were much taller than the Red Granite Falls. The first falls we visited, the Red Granite Falls, were very accessible and we were able to climb directly onto the large rock slabs decorating the rapid river. I felt very at peace for the first time in a long time as I lay against the sun-warmed rocks. They glittered softly in the light and the only thing I could hear was the rush of water. A wave of calm came over me and I knew that this was why I had taken this trip-and why this project was so important. I wanted to share the beauty and connection we have been losing with nature as the world becomes more industrialized and stuck to technology. Also, as a huge nerd, I was also exited about the geography, geology, and history of the area. The Bad River, nicknamed for its notorious and deadly floods, fueled a great number of the waterfalls on the trip. I also got to see firsthand the basalt layers that formed these gorges millions of years ago. It was amazing to see periods of years where changes took place in these rock layers. I was absolutely fascinated and hoped that some of that fascination could be spread with the viewers of this project.
Pattison State Park
Pattison State Park was the last park on our itinerary. It hosts the largest waterfall in Wisconsin, which stretches around 175 feet (about 54 meters). The Big Manitou Falls and its smaller, upriver Little Manitou Falls. Manitou, similar to the Iroquois term "Orenda" (extraordinary invisible power), is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in some Native American theologies. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere; as organisms, the environment, events, etc., The full name of the large waterfall is "Gitchee Manitou", meaning "Great Spirit" on account of local indigenous people believing the roar of the water was similar to that of the Creator. Visiting this place felt very sacred, as it was to the Anishinaabe (which included the related tribes in living in the Great Lakes regions, such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Mississauga, Nipissing, and more). The Great Lakes were once home to many indigenous people before colonization and Westward expansion. The area greatly resembles the wild frontier it once was, and I believe that it is important to recognize both the natural state of the land and the historical significance behind it. I recognize that the land was stolen and that I am privileged in being able to experience these spaces. Photographing this area was a vital part of that recognition. In fact, every place on this road trip, I would like to hold special.
Pattison State Park was the last park on our itinerary. It hosts the largest waterfall in Wisconsin, which stretches around 175 feet (about 54 meters). The Big Manitou Falls and its smaller, upriver Little Manitou Falls. Manitou, similar to the Iroquois term "Orenda" (extraordinary invisible power), is the spiritual and fundamental life force among Algonquian groups in some Native American theologies. It is omnipresent and manifests everywhere; as organisms, the environment, events, etc., The full name of the large waterfall is "Gitchee Manitou", meaning "Great Spirit" on account of local indigenous people believing the roar of the water was similar to that of the Creator. Visiting this place felt very sacred, as it was to the Anishinaabe (which included the related tribes in living in the Great Lakes regions, such as the Ojibwe, Odawa, Potawatomi, Algonquin, Mississauga, Nipissing, and more). The Great Lakes were once home to many indigenous people before colonization and Westward expansion. The area greatly resembles the wild frontier it once was, and I believe that it is important to recognize both the natural state of the land and the historical significance behind it. I recognize that the land was stolen and that I am privileged in being able to experience these spaces. Photographing this area was a vital part of that recognition. In fact, every place on this road trip, I would like to hold special.
CritiqueOverall, my work and that of my inspiration are very similar. The subject matter, while different waterfalls/landscapes, both had the idea of capturing a beautiful moment in nature. Using the natural lines and movements created by organic structures provided composition for the pieces. Contrasting colors in the images came without editing or work on my part. While my inspiration was a painting in oil, which required the work of the artist to come to life, I used a camera. The use of a camera verses a paintbrush definitely adds a separation of texture and representation, which is expected through the use of the different mediums. "Waterfall in Norway" (19th century) by Johann Wilhelm Lindlar and I, overall, captured the same ideas with different mediums.
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Reflection
As a whole, I believe my project is quite lacking in the planning and experimentation stage. Looking back, I feel like I missed a lot of opportunities to make sure that my work would look as professional as possible. I rushed, didn't take my time when I made my shots and that made some of them turn out blurry. I was too blinded by the non-art project of this trip that I focused more on myself instead of on taking photos. Some are poor angles, or have a weak composition that makes them less valuable. I think that the camera, also, is of a lower quality, which makes it difficult. Using more recent technology would definitely help in taking better photographs. As far as journaling and keeping track of my progress along the way, it was essentially impossible. However, I felt like there was no other project I could create at that time, as I was in an artistic block and photography felt like the simplest route. However, as I had to hold onto the camera as I took the photos, I couldn't film/record myself doing the work. In that sense, I am extremely lacking and can do little for this part of the process.