When viewing art, allow a few minutes just to observe. Careful observation allows time to use all the senses, become engaged, and notice things missed at first glance. Make a list of everything observed: objects, colors, shapes, patterns, as well as the feelings that the work conveys to you.
WORK OF ART
Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Floor with Light at Noon, 1972, Gift of the Alex Katz Foundation, 2005.32
Guiding Questions:
- What shapes do you see?
- How did this artist use line, color and light in this image?
- Check out all the angles: How did the artist use the angles to create an interesting composition?
- What does this image reveal?
- Why might an artist create a composition like this?
Let’s create an image with color and perspective:
All you need for this project is your phone or a digital camera and an investigative eye. We are going to be watching for LIGHT!
First step:
Look around an inside environment for corners and windows that might be in close proximity.
Second step:
Second step: Pay attention to when and where the light comes through this window. Is it in the morning or afternoon? Or is it a north facing window without benefit of direct light? We’ll need the sun for this composition.
Third step:
We’ll be looking to compose our image with the shapes made by the sun on the floor. On a sunny day, observe where the light lands and the shape it makes on the floor surface in relation to the corner of the room and other parts of your composition.
Fourth step:
Take some photos! Notice if there is a change in the light on different days? And different times of day? Look for the contrasts that the color of the shape made by the sun makes with other parts of your composition. Try moving slightly to the left or right to get a different perspective. Try standing on a chair or get down to floor level to take a different view.
Fifth step:
Share your creations with us by uploading your finished work here:
Reflection: What did you discover about the interior space you photographed? How did the light make a difference in your composition?
For more information on this artwork visit this page on the Farnsworth Art Museum website:
https://collection.farnsworthmuseum.org/objects/3666
Artwork: Sylvia Plimack Mangold, Floor with Light at Noon, 1972, Gift of the Alex Katz Foundation, 2005.32
View more works by Eve Peri in the Farnsworth’s collection.