Illustrated Discussion

Illustrated Discussion

Exam Question:
Colours can be selected to create mood or used for their symbolic associations. Annie Leibovitz often made a feature of particular colour combinations in her portraits of famous people. Sandy Skoglund's photographic installations frequently make use of just two colours to create dramatic contrast between visual elements. Wes Anderson used both contrasting and complementary colours in many of his films to evoke character or atmosphere. Produce your own response, making reference to appropriate work by others.

Selected Colour :Using or isolating one colour to create an effect. 
Synonyms: Isolating, singling out, separation, segregation, setting apart, seclusion, partitioning. 

Mood Board: 

I chose the topic of isolated colours to study as I liked the possibilities that stem from this single idea. Every artist and photographer will interpret a brief differently, I have chose to interpret this topic in the many different shades of the colour spectrum. For example, for the colour green I could look into green foods for my first shoot and green landscapes for my second shoot. This would allow a wide range of photography techniques/ styles as well as varying subject matter as I will be shooting both Macro and Landscape. 

One of the artists named on the exam brief is American film director Wes Anderson who uses both complimentary and contrasting colours to create different effects in his films and pays attention to every detail, right the way down to the colour of the actors costumes. 

Here are some example of the work that he has created. Every colour in this image compliments the others and so has created a calm, harmonious scene that reflects the characters and the current moment in the plot. 

The above image is comprised of a grey scale, the only two colours which are outside of this scheme are red and green which themselves are contrasting colours. Anderson has done this to highlight the character in the foreground and bring him away from the setting he is  situated in. This creates context for the person as an odd ball and eccentric character before he has begun speaking. The effect of this on the viewer is a greater understanding of the character and ultimately the plot itself as so it will be easier to watch instead of the viewer having to analyse what is happening in every scene. 

These images relate to the theme of selected colour as Anderson isolates certain colours to achieve what he wants in a specific scene and removes any colour that doesn't fit within his vision by either using editing techniques or being meticulous with the clothes and colours that are present in the shot while he is still filming. 

I would like to respond to his work by using pastel colours either in a landscape or creating a small dining scene in the studio. The landscape shoot could be achieved by shooting someone in pastel colours, and the studio shoot could be achieved by using pastel crockery. 


Another artist on the specification is Annie Leibovitz who shoots portraits of celebrities using complementary colours both in the landscape and the clothes that the model is dressed in. 

This image uses a red and dark colour scheme to reflect the characters in the shot. The dark black and cobalt blue create a dark and mysterious background which creates an ominous atmosphere. This is then paired with the bright oranges and red which are synonymous with warnings of danger which suggests that the characters in the shot are dangerous. 

In this image there are many organic greens and browns, these are then contrasted with the splash of red from the crocodiles mouth and Captain Hook's clothing. These colours suggest that both of these character are dangerous. However, if you look at the characters themselves you can see that Captain Hook is cloaked in red to symbolise danger, then if you begin looking closely at the crocodile he has hints of pink in his mouth and yellow in his eye. The crocodiles skin is also similar to the colour of their surroundings and so may suggest that the crocodile has the upper hand which will give him the upper hand, allowing him to eat Captain Hook.  

 These fairy tales use colour schemes that are both fitting in their environment and in accordance with the story, this is something that Wes Anderson has difficulty with. He creates his vision of what he thinks the scenes should look like and then merges the story, this creates serene settings that have extravagant colour schemes that are foreign to the natural landscape of the setting. I think this is both a flaw and a strength of his work, depending on where you stand. Sometimes his style can be overpowering and so distract from the story and sometimes it enhances the characters and the plot points. 


The final artist that the specification mentions is Sandy Skoglund. She is an American artist and photographer that creates installations to take photographs of. I like this approach to photography; planning a shoot usually involves choosing a location and then working with the environment when you've arrived. Skoglund works in reverse. She plans and creates the landscape before she arrives to take photographs and thus making a bizarre series of stunning images that utilises colour theory perfectly.   

 Revenge of the Goldfish 1981 
Colour photograph approx.27 x 1/2 x 35"
Individually crafted ceramic goldfish 
Live models in a painted set. 

This first image looks extremely strange. Everything in this image is blue apart from the people and the fish, thus creating an intense focus on them and their body language. In regards to body language the man who is sitting on the edge of the bed has his shoulders slumped and his head looking down. This position could mean that he is deep in thought or is simply upset. I believe that Skoglund wanted the man to look mournful as this would refect the blue in his surroundings. The significance of the woman remaining asleep could mean that the man is struggling with emotional problem that he cannot share with the woman or a problem with the woman. 

The title of the image is 'Revenge of the Goldfish', I think this is in reference to the man's body language and possible emotional state as goldfish a constrained to water, trapped and unable to move freely because, we as a species, have rightly or wrongly domesticated them. The windows in the set have been blocked out with blue along with everything else apart from the people and the goldfish. 

Technically the image is thoughtful and intelligent. She has planned every item in the room to make the viewer know precisely where it is set. Skoglund has even included goldfish peaking out from the chest-of-drawers symbolising that these fish, which represent problems, are spouting from everywhere. 

A Breeze at Work

1987 Colour Photograph 38 x 54"

Bronze leaves and painted office furniture 

Live Models

In this image the people are displaying very casual body language like they are in an ordinary room. This adds to the dramatics of the piece as they are totally oblivious to the 'Breeze' that is wafting through, a breeze which has seemingly brought with it whole trees. I believe that this is a comment on a 9-5 job. The bright blue leaves are coating the office but the people don't notice; the whole scene is coated in orange - even the people. This suggests that they are slowly becoming part of the scenery after having worked in this environment so long. They also not talking to each other which could mean that they have become emotionally isolated also.  

The significance of the clashing colours is to both highlight and camouflage the people working in the office. 

Fox Games 

FOX GAMES
1989 color photograph, approx 46 1/4" X 63"
Hand-sculpted epoxy resin foxes 
live models
Fox hunting is a sport that has existed for hundreds of years, and for almost as long as it has existed - it has been opposed. This is mainly because the foxes aren't killed by the men in the hunting party but by the dogs that chase them out of their dens and kill them. The title fox game could infer that the foxes are running around the room of what seems like an expensive restaurant as the two upper class people eat their meal. Due to their red pigment it can be said that they represent foxes whose deaths people have justified for entertainment. I believe that they are crawling across every surface that they can as they are both scared and defensive, while the couple sips wine like nothing is wrong these poor animals are running for their lives. 

This relates to my exam theme of selected colour. In this image Skoglund has chosen two contrasting colours to direct the attention of the viewer specifically on the foxes and then the couple. This is ironic as the people are being displayed as inferior to the foxes, or they were dressed in grey so they could melt into the background.