Ukraine – Photo-roman

Posted: May 12, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: subject | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

Using the images from my Ukraine conflict project I have created a photo-roman, a film composed of stills. To go with the images I have selected various sound clips. The first section begins with sounds of the riots in Maidan which go with the images from the event. This is followed by a news report of the MH17 crash, followed by more sounds of the riot against some rather still images. Then images from the battle of Donetsk are accompanied by sounds of rebels taking and tormenting Ukrainian soldiers, I have used sound effects to aid the effect of zooming in on the situation. Over the Images of Boris Nemtsov death is Putin’s victory speech from the election. The last images are accompanied by Ukrainian pianist Vladamir Horowitz playing a piece by Scriabin a Russian Composer. Over the top of this is a recording from a vigil to remember the lives lost in the Maidan riots.

Donetsk Airport

Posted: May 10, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: subject | Tags: , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

glass Using imagery from the Donetsk airport where there was intense fighting I have experimented with range. The first image is of smashed glass stained with blood. I’m not sure that the texture f the sharp glass fragment has been properly realised. The second is zoomed out much more to an aerial view of the airfield after heavy shelling. The difference in the viewpoint of these two images creates an element of abstraction as they are removed from our everyday view. I think that the painting could have been a little stronger as this looks to be a bit rushed. airportThe third image is of the destroyed tower at the centre and provides a mid level viewpoint. I quite like the elongated shape of this painting but again I think it could have used more detail.tower

Ukraine – more images

Posted: May 10, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , , | Leave a comment

holeThis image is of a crater left by shelling, it has been centred so that all attention is on it. The markings are a little vague  but Ithink that the texture I’ve created is quite like the concrete it is aiming to emulate. By focusing on the crater so much it is left to the viewers imagination as to what other damage has been caused. shields This is three of the shields used commonly in the rioting at Maidan. The first is of a blood stained shield with flowers placed in it by way of memorial. The second is a police shield with flowers of peaceful protest places into the holes. The third is a more battered one emblazoned with the flag of the pro-russian rebels. Through these three objects the different aspects of the event can be seen as well as showing something they all have in common.plane This is a fragment of the MH17 flight shot down over Ukraine, some of the photos taken of this event were particularly gruesome but I didn’t want to show the dead bodies of the passengers. I think that twisted metal shows enough for you to now that people have died. The rather abstract shape when placed in this black space further removes it from reality. Meaning the viewer must take more time to consider and understand the image.

Russian Politics

Posted: April 28, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: , , , , | Leave a comment

putinI have used this image of Putin taped to a balloon from the festival marking the one year anniversary of the taking of Crimea. This object seemed rather strange to me as people wouldn’t tend to have heart balloons with politicians on in Britain (unless it was ironic). This shows the love for Putin by some of the Russians and there support for the actions in claiming Crimea. I was pretty pleased with this portrait of Putin as I haven’t drawn people for a while and as a highly recognisable figure he needed to be quite accurate, as people were able to recognise him I was fine with it. I think I should have put a little more effort into the texture of the balloon, but too much may have distracted from the picture.

This image takes place after the assassination of Boris Nemtsov, where the blood is being washed from the streets. The blood stained suds were a pain to paint and I will try to avoid painting suds ever again. This event took place very near to the Kremlin and the news took advantage of framing the two together in a suggestive manner. To frame the two together would have been awkward so I used the reflection of the lights on the street above which are in the colours of the Russian flag, this is probably a little too subtle and unnoticeable. In Photoshop I have taken away the street texture to leave just the suds and blood, which I feel is more powerful but would need some information to go with it to give context.flowersThis image is of the flowers placed at the same spot as in the picture before. This picture is definitely more pretty and the flowers are often emotive to people.

Ukraine Conflict

Posted: April 26, 2015 | Author: | Filed under: subject | Tags: , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

I have started a new project looking at the recent conflict in Ukraine. Using the footage and photography as a starting point I have started to make images which show the situation in the cold and detached style I have come to develop. hotelThis image looks at a hotel lobby nearby to Maiden square on the day of the bloody clash between the police and anti-government protestors. Taking from footage from BBC news I have shown the bodies laying on the shiny floor covered in a sheet. It is the sheet that stops this image from being to graphic. I have put in a small amount of blood so as to make clear that it is a body under the cloth, but I feel that this may be a bit much. I think that the aesthetic of the hotel makes this feel more familiar to people as it looks part of the western world and brings the issue closer to home. greyThis image is of a building that has been damaged by shelling, I think I could have put a little more time into this image as it is a little crude. While the colour is typical of the war torn buildings, I think that more detail and sharpness would have made the image more convincing. I should have probably also tried to make the tiles straighter as that would have created a greater feeling of solidity. crossThis cross is one held up by the orthodox ministers standing in-between the two waring sides calling for peace. While I feel this image does give across an emption quite well with its clear symbolism and eastern european style, I think the painting could do with some work. The shapes are distorted and the highlights are inconsistent, this problem mainly arose from the very low resolution images which I worked from. The paintings on the cross are also very crude, while they are meant to be painted in a medieval style they still lack detail but this would have been tricky working at the size I was. crashShowing the wreckage of the MH17 passenger flight which was shot down over Ukraine, this image creates a very grey landscape. It doesn’t show any of the human aspect of the incident, leaving that to the viewers imagination, on how the people could factor into this desolate situation. I find that the conversation works fairly well in this image but maybe the painting could be less washy.