Simon Kavanagh

Simon Kavanagh’s snapshots of photos from his extensive travels are a wonderful group of work. He does not let on to which country any of them are from, but invites you to see if you can guess. He utilizes both a manual and digital camera for these pictures. No image is enhanced or altered from the original. The photos represent architecture, signs and people that inspired him along the way.  

I appreciate the wide range of content in this series. Kavanagh also takes advantage of different elements of the camera and film to compose his perfect snapshot. The use of slow shutter speed to accentuate the city lights at night is very effective. As a photographer, living in DC, I did an entire dedicated the magical quality these lights take on when blurred and splashed across the film. They truly do seem to vibrate like musical notes. 

Kavanagh’s perspective is quite interesting. He continually crops out elements leading one to focus on only what he saw. One picture is even taken from an upside down perspective. All of the pictures capture a mood. He achieves this through his use of available light, film choice, angle, depth of field or time of day. Even the blurry images convey a sense of urgency. The images, as a whole, were a delight to view.

 The images can be seen at:

http://www.mediartists.net/

Joseph Joy

I am reviewing Joseph Joy’s Paintings. His style has a pop art feel. His paintings seem to comment on the important issues within our culture. The work touches on sex, politics, pornography and fast food just to name a few. His seems to interpret his own experience involving these subjects into his work.

The paintings themselves are simple and straightforward in their content. In most of his work he uses vibrant and muted colors in contrast. The subjects are not very detailed. His line detail is minimal. The color has more impact. His work has a cartoon feel to it.

A few of his pieces deal with homosexual/transgender content. He has a painting of a woman in a pool that could be interpreted to have a male profile. Another one of his paintings reads, “God Said Kill Fags”. I interpret this as a stab at the religious right that believes homosexuality is a sin. I think this is an absurd statement. Joseph Joy could have been expressing his own disgust at this by painting this extreme statement.

I enjoyed his paintings because although they are simple, the content invites one in to dig for the deeper meaning behind each piece. America is overwhelmed with fast food, over consumption, politics and sex. It is always enjoyable to see art that comments on relevant issues.

*these paintings can be found at:

 http://www.furtherfield.org/jjoy/caribbean_sunshine/index.htm

Interview with Charles Cohen

This interview discusses Charles Cohen's Buff series. In this series he utilizes the cutout effect. Cohen explains that the viewing experience is divided into three effects. The first is the initial recognition of the cutout.  The viewer notices the void straight away.  The second effect is the abstract effect. He explains this as any intellectual activity that the viewer goes through after noticing the void of the cutout.  The abstract effect is the time when the viewer is deciding how to comprehend each picture. This is the time where one might recognize what the cutout was before it was removed. The results might vary depending on who is actually deciphering the piece. 

In the Buff series, some viewers assume the images are pornographic.  Despite the fact, that it is unclear whether the cutout parts are clothed or nude.  The title of the series suggests that they are nude, but it is obvious that Cohen is interested in pushing the question: What is pornography?

Is it created in our minds or is it a tangible issue. I believe it is formed within our minds. Society instructs us to what is acceptable and what is not, but how is this determined? Who is the authority on the manner? What makes one person uncomfortable is not necessarily offensive to the next. Pornography is a booming business, so why are people reluctant to admit they buy it?

In the Buff series, the pornographic element is created within the subconscious of the each viewer. This conclusion sets up the third element of the viewing experience, which is the reflexive effect. During this stage, the viewer combines all viewing modes and constructs the meaning of the entire experience.

This is when one might “assume co-authorship with the artist.” Cohen's theme revolves around the absence of presence. His work encourages people to explore bigger issues than the actual cutouts. Without this exploration, the series would not be so interesting. It is effective because the shapes are recognizable to every viewer. The final reflexive effect will vary depending on each participant.

*This information was taken from an interview between Mark Cooley and Charles Cohen on September 28, 2006