Ukraine – Photo-roman
Posted: May 12, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, photo-roman, Russia, Ukraine, video Leave a commentUsing 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.
Ukraine – Windows and Spaces
Posted: May 11, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, Odessa, oil paint, Ukraine, windows Leave a comment
Looking more at the spaces which have been affected by the conflict, I am able to represent the situation without needing people. The paintings of Edward Hopper came to mind which showed spaces in a very cold and melancholic manner, I wanted to do something similar but without any people, just using architectural space. I like the composition of this image and the play of light. It could be improved by straighter edges and better rendering of the glass.
This is a window covered by a sheet from what I think were military exercises. Here the space is limited and flattened but I think that the glow provokes an emotional response through its stillness.
This window is on a wall that has been damaged by shelling, the flat straight on view draws in attention. The marks however draw your attention outwards to what is happening outside the frame of the picture, leaving the viewer to ponder the surrounding situation.
This image probably needs more definition as it feels a bit fuzzy, but I think that the colours and composition work well. This room is probably relatable to most people as it is not far from rooms common to the western world, so a greater empathy can be created.
This is another space in which someone is living and again modern conveniences bring this closer to home. My favourite part of the image is the way the light interacts with the material and creates shadows. I think I should have put more time into painting some of the individual objects as they aren’t all recognisable.
Donetsk Airport
Posted: May 10, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: airport, art, conflict, Donetsk, illustration, oilpaint, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment
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. 
The 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.
Ukraine – more images
Posted: May 10, 2015 Filed under: Uncategorized | Tags: art, illustration, MH17, oil paint, Russia, Ukraine Leave a comment
This 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. 
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.
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.
Ukraine – living in a war zone
Posted: April 28, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, oil paint, peaches, still life, Ukraine Leave a comment
Returning to a more classical still life setup I’ve used the water bottles which are used by the people surviving in the areas without power. The bottles aren’t perfect, I’m going to blame that on working from a very small and poorly lit photo. 
Again using a classical still life setup Ive chosen three items from what was a cluttered kitchen. The objects speak of survival rationing and aide. I quite like the idea of this image but I would have preferred the objects to be more definite. They look a bit Cézanne-esque with the imperfect ellipses which isn’t really the style I was going for. I think the surroundings would benefit from a reduction or increase in detail as they seem a washy and flat.
Ukraine conflict continued
Posted: April 27, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, illustration, maidan, oil paint, shelling, statue, Ukraine Leave a comment
This image uses the statue at the centre of Maidan square which is a calm point at the centre of what was a violent revolution. The black background gives more calmness and stillness than if it was against the smoke and destruction. I do like the colour scheme although it just the actual colours of the statue. 
These are the paving stones which were torn up by the protestors to be used as projectiles. I don’t think this image works too well as the shapes are off so they don’t have the feeling of solidity. A lot of the image also feels rather vague resulting in there being no clearly identifiable subject.
Taking frames from some amateur footage of a town that had just been shelled. This painting focuses on the body of a dead person who’s clothes have been torn in blast. By cropping in it removes the immediate shock or gore of a dead body. Although the visible bruised flesh is still gruesome and of the body which i think may be a bit much. The main problem is that it is once again not entirely clear what it is this picture is of. More detail or a different composition would have helped to give a better sense of what one is looking at.
For this image of destroyed trees I have removed the background buildings to allow more focus on the trees and to keep a more simplified colour palette. While I quite like the composition, I find the painting is a little lacking. The beaches were very fiddly looked very stylised, I would have also preferred a richer texture on the trunks and the exposed wood. The trees are in some ways personified, allowing people to relate to them, but without having to show actual people who are being effected by the conflict.
Ukraine Conflict
Posted: April 26, 2015 Filed under: subject | Tags: art, crash, illustration, Maiden square, MH17, oil paint, protests, Russia, Ukraine, war Leave a commentI 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. 
This 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. 
This 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. 
This 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. 
Showing 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.
matt beese 
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