Bennett's Studio

This assignment proved to be the most challenging of the projects so far, in my opinion. Because I mainly work with photography, I had to challenge myself to manipulate the image I took in order to really embody the Gestalt principles. I tried to focus on the Lupton Philips quote that reads "designers crop, overlap, and fragment images to create dynamic forms that exploit the brain's powerful ability to fill in missing information." I first edited the self-portrait I took to isolate solely the form of my head, upper body and trombone. This created an abundance of negative space in the image that allowed the text to capture more of the viewer's focus. I chose to create a concert poster because musicians like myself haven't been able to play shows for live audiences in months. Sharing music with others is a large part of identity, and I wanted to tap into that facet of my life through this project. Instagram link:  https://www.instagram.com/bennetts_artjournal/

Although Appleton’s storefronts fill College Ave with color, I found the alley behind them to be more appealing with their more subtle but unique splashes of purple and turquoise. I tried to tie the images together by focusing on doorways, separates from their respective buildings. In the image of the garage with the moped, the hint of red on the scooter draws the viewer’s eye into the otherwise cluttered garage, and creates narrative possibilities. I was drawn to the alley doors because of their vibrancy despite being tucked away in a back alley without many passerby. To me, color represents personal expression. The addition of the “Charles the Florist” sign in the first photo further personified the image and associates the purple color and bright tones of the flowers with Charles and his business. In the last photo, darker blotches of green represent past graffiti or logos. instagram link: instagram.com/bennetts_artjournal

I found the rhythm component of this assignment to be challenging but eye-opening. I don't think we often think of rhythm visually, so it was an interesting exercise to try to capture it with a camera. I settled on a group of 3 similarly built sedans that formed a repeating image. Facing a blank stonewall, it almost looks like a scene from a drive-in movie theater. The photograph demonstrates the idea presented in Lupton-Phillips that variations to an established rhythm provoke visual interest. The car on the left is unevenly spaced compared to the center and right cars, which adds an imperfect dynamic to the image.  It was easier to find texture while I was out taking photos, and the rusted tailgate of a 1950s era Studebaker pickup truck provided weathered and rusted texture that almost concealed the Studebaker name. Focusing on capturing texture provided the opportunity to appreciate the decades of wear and the design details on the truck.  The social media link for the images is