R.J. Kern really made sheep and goats very aesthetically appealing to the eye in this series. I admire the technical decisions he made in regards to the composition of the subject(s). He prioritizes the animals as they are obviously the emphasis of the work, yet he doesn't forget the importance of the landscape/setting. The sheep and goats are all put up against different terrains and are usually intrigued by the camera and the photographer and stare into the lens. In some images they are running from what appears to be the photographer. In these instances I appreciate his usage of the slower shutter speed which gives a blur and provides a sense of motion and action. Each image also deals with a wide depth of field which captures the sharp, detailed, saturated areas of the settings which are very important as they are the habitats of these animals.
I believe the artist's intention is to emphasize the natural beauty of the landscape in which these animals live in. based on what I read, he likes to bring the painter's eye into all of his projects. Meaning, he likes to bring "old master lighting to the natural world." He does that well in these images through having softly, evenly lit scenes through the use of what appears to be solely natural light. Natural light is definitely the way to always go if possible.
Personally, I appreciate works like this that focus on the beauty of the natural world. That is because they always have an underlying message of the importance of the natural world and how we need to preserve it because it is the most amazing thing that we have been gifted with. The natural world is something that can't quite always be renewed. If we aren't careful we could be staring down the business end of climate change destroying many environments are killing species. This message is one that stands out to me in this work and I think it should not be overlooked even if it isn't the artist's main point.
No comments:
Post a Comment