Muhammed Muheisen

 Muhammed Muheisen, a photojournalist that specializes in wartime photography, has made quite a name for his self.  His resume includes notable accomplishments such as working for the New York Times, the Palastinian Authority and many notable pictures of the Gaza Strip.  I relate to his photos because he mixes human emotion with color  to create amazing stories.  The picture above was taken at a bycicle vendor where the boy shown above was purchasing a new tire for his bike.  In this moment, seemingly meaningless to anyone else, he captures beauty.  The contrastting colors on the wall, coupled with the lifeless expression tell a story of hope. 

Susan Moore

Using nothing more than a red pencil, Susan Moore created an entire gallery of thought provoking drawings on canvas.  Ranging in size  and intensity Susan's artwork  creates an almost addictive feeling.  At first look, the work appears ordinary and monotinous.  But as you walk through the gallery you begin to notice subtleties and minute details that had avoided being noticed until just the right time.  It is then too late, you are standing there for what seems like two minutes, but in all actuality is an hour.  In my favorite peice, Pilgrim's Pride, Susan jabs the super company and attempts to create a slight sense of awareness of the brutality of animals.  She seems to use alot of negetive space to make the viewer choose what should go there, forcing the work to mean something different to each person. 
Susan does alot of sculptures and in sculpture, one does not usually include a head, and the influence is obvious in the work.  Susan more explained in the meet and greet that her work is simply her way of expressing memories and experiences in life, mostly concerning her role as a mother of four.

Andreas Gursky

I first learned about Andreas Gursky from my professor, Chad Smith at Texas A @M Commerce.  Chad showed us a few pictures, a couple of them are pictured above.  This print is called 99 Cent Diptychon and is on record for the highest price fetched at an auction, chiming in at over three million dollars. 
I like Gursky's work because it is such large scale yet remains detail oriented.  I attempted to recreate this image in the local mall in Dallas but just could not get hte same effect.  His prints remind me of the tricky pictures that change into something if you stare at them long enough, but unlike those, Gursky's prints do not change-they just reveal more and more detail the more I start at it.  He uses primary and passive contrast to create an eye catching, curiosity grabbing photograph that I will never forget. Born in Germany in the early 1900's, Gursky did not believe in post production of photos, until later in his career.  He is known for his vast scale and architecture photos.  His art includes skyscrapers, stores and buildings.

Bracketing Assignment

I learned many things during this assignment.  I think the most important aspect that I learned is that the content of the picture is not always what we photograph.  I thought that the photo that I took of the Echo Street intersection was self explanatory, but it was too much so.  The content was so obvious that it was not an interesting photo for the viewer.  I also learned to not take pics of things that you see every day, and if one does, make sure it is a new perception. 
The critique was harsh but informative.  I was told that my contrast was off and that I need to adjust it before printing next time.
Some of the other classmates had some great photos, but a few of them I did not perceive the color meaning that was intended.