Week 4

Chiaroscuro In Black & White

1) Immediate Response

My first impression of this photo is one of attitude. The thing that I see first is the cat with a look upon him that says, "What?" as if he was just interrupted in his bask in the sunlight. The shadow that he casts stands out against the light reflected on the floor and it has an affect me by giving a feeling of balance to the photo.

2) Objective Description – Describe what is in front of you. Describe the photo to someone who cannot see it.

My objective description of this photo begins with the cat as the center focal point. As I described previously he looks as if he has just been interrupted in his bask in the sunlight. He is sitting on linoleum flooring in front of a door with the light of the window shining through. The black and white contrast of this photo helps to show the variation in line and space. As well as the detail and different markings on the cat.

3) Formal Matters

I think that this composition has great balance between the light and dark. The light of the window and on the cats back is balanced by the darkness of the shadows. Also, the light reflected from the window on the floor and the pattern in the flooring itself shows a lot of variation in line quality. There are many straight, diagonal lines as well as curvilinear to keep your eyes moving about the photo. The many different shades of black and white help to show lots of detail throughout the entire photo.

4) The Story It Tells

The story that this photo tells is one of a cat with an attitude. He looks distracted from his daily routine and is not necessarily happy about it. If I were to name this photo with one word I would simply call it "Disturbed."

5) The Work in the World

This photo connects to Albrecht Durer's drawings because it has much of the same line quality and lights cast upon the different objects which he uses. It also demonstrates the same general composition of chiaroscuro in which he used.