Circles in Space

 

Poetschner 150

This series from the Spring 2010 course is one of the most compelling demonstrations of how artists can use MediaScripting to make complex images.

As the columns go from left to right, the circles become longer, darker and further apart, mimicking the diffusion of light from a single source. This gradation from white to black is caused by both the darkening color of the circles and the greater amounts of background color showing between the circles on the right.

If the viewer focuses on the image, the circular shapes, light-to-dark gradation and arc along the right converge to give the impression of roundness on a flat surface.

To keep the repetition of circles from appearing monotonous, the student has varied the distances between the circles so that some adjacent shapes run together while others appear farther apart. When viewed with the whole work, this technique creates interesting patterns in the negative space that in turn create movement. The viewer’s eye is drawn from left to right across the center of the work, then swept upward and back as it reaches the strong curves of the right corners. This nearly circular motion evokes infinity, as the viewer’s eyes again travel along the center, up through the corners, and back to the start of the visual path.

Another benefit of the student’s decision to vary the spaces between the circles is that it allows the image to take on the appearance of a more ‘human’ work: in the seemingly random spaces we get the impression of handiwork rather than the methodical creation of a computer.

Advertisement