Passing Glance: Student Art Analysis

The annual Student Art Show has opened up at my college, and I have been assigned the task of viewing two of the Show's submissions and performing a sort analysis on both. Posting photographs of the works are not allowed, so I will do my best to describe them as I go.

The first submission to catch my attention also happened to be the second place winner for the Show. It is a photograph, no more than a foot wide by one foot high, capturing what appears to be a derelict escalator leading up to a gated-off abandoned structure. There is debris on and around the escalator, which is the central focus of the photo, and graffiti can be seen on the wall behind the escalator. What drew me to this work was its proportionality. The escalator itself runs down the exact center of the image, and the structure above and around the escalator divides the rest of the scene into near perfect thirds. Though the setting is littered with debris and dirt, this photo really satisfies my more OCD side with its framing. On an emotional level, this work gives me a somber feeling, with an undertone of past destruction. Its abandoned, derelict state leaves me with a combined feeling of dread and curiosity. The lighting comes from, as far as I can tell, the orange hue of the rising or setting sun, giving this piece an additional natural mood. Overall, this was easily my favorite submission from all of the entries I viewed at the Art Show, and I am very glad it at least earned second place.

The other work I viewed was also a photograph, but was different from the first. Smaller in dimensions than the first, this image captured what appears to be a light being trailed about a room. The capturing of the long trail left behind by said light suggests, as far as I known since I'm not a photographer, the photographer used a longer period of exposure to capture it. There is energy in this photograph. The light captured in motion gives it a sense of life and emotion, and really draws its viewers in (thus why I chose it for analysis). The white-purple-blue light is contrasted by the dark background of the room (likely a bedroom) it inhabits. Something akin to a terrarium can be seen also in the background, and the heat lamp within projects and reddish-orange glow, further contrasting the light. This image reminds me somewhat of lightning. The bright, energetic flash amid the dark environment is very captivating. Though not receiving any award in the Art Show, this photograph was very interesting to me. Its colors and life offered much more to me than many of the other submissions could.