danyens

[danyens]

final project portfolio - "dimensions of light"

Shot on Sony A6400, low light - artificial lighting

Artist Statement: In this series, I explore the liminal space between two-dimensional photography and three-dimensional perception through the manipulation of projected colored light. By capturing fragments of light cast against walls and then reassembling these images into abstract "joiners," I create works that challenge the viewer's understanding of depth and dimension. The geometric formations emerge not from physical objects but from the interplay of light, shadow, and surface—transforming flat planes into seemingly tangible spaces.

My process involves positioning colored light projections, photographing moments of these illuminations, and then reconstructing them into cohesive and abstract compositions. The resulting are simultaneously flat photographs and illusory three-dimensional spaces that invite the viewer to mentally reconstruct their spatial relationships. The vibrant colors and dark shadows dominating the works evoke feelings of depth, mystery, and introspection.

Through this exploration of constructed space through light, I seek to question our conventional understanding of photography as a medium that simply documents reality. Instead, these joiners propose that photography can actively create new realities—spaces that exist only within the frame yet feel dimensionally authentic. By working with projected light rather than physical objects, I emphasize the nature of perception itself, suggesting that our understanding of space is as much a mental construction as a physical experience. The series ultimately invites viewers to reconsider their relationship with both photographic images and the spaces they inhabit.

[danyens]

in-progress critique final

Shot on Sony A6400

For my final project, I am creating a series of joiners creating abstract 3D spaces using images of colored light projected against a wall. The individual photos themself were created with an LED light pointing in various directions in a dark room.

[danyens]

blog prompt: artist research assignment

Artist: Ed Ruscha

Ed Ruscha Standard Station 1966

Ed Ruscha Hollywood Study 1968

Ed Ruscha is a contemporary American artist known for his striking use of text, architecture, and iconography of the American West, especially California. The two pieces shown—one of a bold, stylized gas station and the other of the iconic Hollywood sign—reflect his fascination with pop culture, commercial design, and the urban landscape. Ruscha’s work often blends fine art with graphic design, presenting familiar objects and words in nostalgic and strangely detached ways. His use of clean lines, bold typography, and vibrant color gradients gives his work a cinematic quality, capturing a moment frozen in time.

What inspires me most about Ed Ruscha’s art is his ability to elevate everyday American imagery into thought-provoking visual statements. His work invites viewers to reconsider what is considered worthy of artistic attention, like a gas station or a roadside sign. It presents them with a sense of irony, beauty, or quiet commentary. I admire how he balances simplicity with complexity: his art is visually minimal but conceptually rich, offering layers of meaning beneath its sleek surfaces. Ruscha’s style reminds me that creativity can come from observing the ordinary in extraordinary ways.

[danyens]

blog prompt - passage part 2

To me, "Passage" represents the movement of time and transformation—whether it’s a shift in light, nature, or human activity. I chose to represent Passage through a time lapse because it visually compresses time, allowing subtle transitions to become visible. I focused on the change in lighting and the cars and people passing by. I didn’t use people directly as characters, but their movement through space became part of the visual rhythm. I leaned toward an abstract and symbolic representation, letting repetition, color shifts, and motion convey emotion and meaning. I reshot the time-lapse, and I think it came out better than the original take. Rather than a one-second interval between each shot, I did two seconds. I also started later in the day for this time-lapse because I wanted a more drastic change in lighting. One unintended element that I liked from this take was the light behind the trees that grew brighter as it got darker. The editing I did was minimal. I removed shots at the end and did some color correction to make the dark scenes more visible.

[danyens]

blog prompt - passage part 1

To me, "Passage" represents the movement of time and transformation—whether it’s a shift in light, nature, or human activity. I chose to represent Passage through a time lapse because it visually compresses time, allowing subtle transitions to become visible. I focused on the change in lighting and the cars and people passing by. I didn’t use people directly as characters, but their movement through space became part of the visual rhythm. I leaned toward an abstract and symbolic representation, letting repetition, color shifts, and motion convey emotion and meaning. I'll be honest when I say I didn't have a straightforward plan going into this assignment. Creating a time-lapse video was the first idea that came to my mind. I do want to reshoot the time-lapse with a longer interval between each shot (for a more dramatic change) along with higher quality shots. After shooting, I noticed that the quality of the images was low, so I want to fix that.

[danyens]

blog prompt - what is video art?

Video art is a form of artistic expression that utilizes moving images captured through video cameras or digital means. Unlike traditional cinema, which primarily serves as entertainment, video art is often experimental and conceptual, exploring the boundaries between various art forms. It emerged prominently in the mid-1960s with portable video technology, allowing artists to create and distribute their work independently of conventional art institutions.

Moving Imagery: - Captures motion, time, and change, providing a narrative or experiential dimension. - Allows for the exploration of movement, rhythm, and temporal progression. - Engages viewers through continuous visual and auditory stimuli. Still Images: - Focus on a single moment in time, emphasizing composition, color, and form. - Allows for intricate detail and focus on specific elements within the frame. - Encourages viewers to contemplate and interpret the image at their own pace.

Interpretation Changes: - The dynamic nature of video allows for multiple layers of interpretation, as viewers can perceive changes over time and respond to evolving visuals and sounds. - The meaning derived from video art can shift based on the viewer’s personal experiences, cultural background, and the context in which the art is presented. - Video art often requires active participation from the viewer, encouraging them to engage with the content more deeply compared to static images. Meaning Changes: - The temporal aspect of video art allows meanings to develop and transform throughout the piece. - As technology advances, the tools and techniques available to video artists expand, enabling new forms of expression and altering the ways meaning is conveyed. - Incorporating elements like virtual reality and augmented reality can change how meaning is experienced and understood, making it more immersive and personal.

Joan Jonas is a pioneering video artist who revolutionized the medium by integrating performance and experimental techniques. Her 1972 work Vertical Roll used the rolling shutter effect to create fragmented, disjointed visuals, challenging traditional representations of the human form. By distorting video imagery, she questioned the objectivity of the medium and explored themes of identity, perception, and technology’s influence on self-representation. Through her innovative approach, Jonas expanded video’s expressive potential and reshaped how media constructs reality. Bruce Nauman is known for his minimalist video works, where he performs repetitive actions in isolation, emphasizing the artist's presence over elaborate narratives. His introspective approach challenges traditional performance art by focusing on process and self-examination. Through repetition and minimalism, Nauman explores themes of routine, artistic limitations, and human behavior. His work redefines video art as a deeply personal and psychological experience.

I particularly admire Joan Jonas for her innovative fusion of performance and video technology. Her ability to manipulate video effects to convey complex themes offers a powerful commentary on media and identity.

While Bruce Nauman's minimalist approach is stimulating and offers deep insights into the nature of artistic creation, it requires more contemplation that I find less impactful compared to Jonas's dynamic and intricate works.

[danyens]

blog prompt - gifs

Both shot on Sony A6400 - artificial lighting Creating a GIF involves capturing a series of frames to convey motion, while normal photography typically captures a single moment in time. This difference allows GIFs to depict ongoing actions, creating a sense of movement that can evoke a more dynamic or fluid perception. The use of motion in a GIF can shift the interpretation of the image, adding layers of context or emotion that a still photo may not convey. In contrast, a photograph’s static nature invites the viewer to focus more intently on a single moment, often leading to a deeper or more reflective interpretation.

[danyens]

Art Event - Dual Lives: Chinese Opera in New York City, Photographs by Alan Govenar

Attending Dual Lives: Chinese Opera in New York City, a photography exhibition by Alan Govenar, was a compelling experience that offered a glimpse into the vibrant and complex world of Chinese opera performers in an urban American setting. The exhibition, through a series of color photographs, captured the duality of the Qi Shu Fang Peking Opera Company performers’ lives—both on and off stage. The intimate images showcased their elaborate costumes, makeup, and expressions, juxtaposed with their everyday attire. The contrast between performance and reality was a central theme, emphasizing the dedication and transformation required to bring Chinese opera to life in New York City.

The mood of the exhibition is one of reverence and introspection, capturing both the grandeur of Chinese opera and the quieter, more personal moments of its performers. The life-sized images evoke a sense of immediacy as if the performers are standing directly before the viewer, inviting an intimate engagement. My initial reaction was admiration for the precision and discipline evident in each pose and expression. Govenar’s intent seems to be to highlight not just the external transformation of these artists but also the internal balance they maintain between their stage personas and real-life identities. The side-by-side compositions successfully communicate this idea, reflecting on duality and dedication.

Govenar’s use of composition and photographic elements conveys meaning throughout the exhibition. His strategic use of line and pose in both the opera and casual portraits maintains a sense of balance and control, suggesting that these performers are as much in character on stage as they are off stage. Texture is also significant—elaborate embroidery, bold facial paint, and intricate headdresses contrast sharply with the softness of everyday clothing, reinforcing the theme of transformation. The bold color in the costumed images, further emphasizes the performative nature of the opera, and the subdued tones of the casual portraits highlight the grounded reality of life beyond performance.

Beyond aesthetics, the exhibition carries deep cultural and social significance. It captures the tension between tradition and modernity, showcasing how these performers navigate their roles both within and outside of Chinese opera. The dual portraits reveal not only the dedication required to sustain this historic art form but also the personal sacrifices involved, as many performers must balance other jobs and family responsibilities. Govenar’s work is both inspiring and historical, shedding light on an art form that continues to thrive despite shifting cultural landscapes.

[danyens]

blog post - midterm project

All images were shot on Sony A6400

Artist Statement: In this project, my goal was to subvert expectations by placing my cat into improbable situations with human-like reactions. There is not a linear storyline to follow but they are all tied together by the different boats present in each image. My inspiration came from AI images and videos of cats where they personify the cats and give them human emotions.

I originally planned out a different set of images, but they didn’t work out, so I created my pictures spontaneously. The shooting process spanned a couple of days as I took photos of my cat at various angles (to make them flexible in their use). After shooting, I edited the photos mainly with the masking, gradient (used to make lighting match the background image better), and background removal tool (masked with this and cleaned up with brush). I also used some blending options but they aren’t very noticeable.

[danyens]

in-progress midterm update

The theme of my photographs is putting my cat into various boats to create fun images. I'm mainly using scale to maybe not trick the viewer but go against their expectations.

Here are two of the images I've worked on:

[danyens]

response - copyright and ai in photography

AI, or artificial intelligence, refers to computer systems that can perform tasks requiring human intelligence, such as recognizing patterns, generating images, and making decisions (Aperture). In photography, AI is increasingly used for editing, enhancement, and even generating entirely new images, as seen in Boris Eldagsen’s AI-generated photo that fooled judges at the Sony World Photography Awards (The Guardian). While some photographers embrace AI as a creative tool, others, like those in Aperture, raise concerns about authenticity and the shifting role of human vision in photography (Aperture). I see AI transforming photography by challenging authorship and truth, and while I appreciate its creative potential, I share concerns about its ethical implications (The Guardian).

Images and photographs are copyrighted as soon as they are "fixed" in a tangible medium (Copyright). You need permission to use an image if it is being used for personal gain (royalty-free images also exist).

[danyens]

blog prompt - surrealism

Surrealism is an art movement that seeks to transcend reality by blending dreamlike imagery, unexpected juxtaposition, and irrational elements. In a sense, it is art that is unconventional. One of the early photographers in this movement was Man Ray and his rayographs. To create the rayographs, objects were arranged on light-sensitive paper and exposed to light.

[danyens]

blog prompt - joiners, triptych, grid

Shot on Sony A6400, natural light - cloudy Number of Photos: 8 Photos

In this joiner piece, I took 8 photos of the same stairs from 8 different perspectives and combined them into a single image. I wanted to change the straight stairs from going in a single direction to having multiple curves. In doing so, the image created is truthful in its individual photos but together it creates a perspective that does not exist in the real world.

[danyens]

blog prompt - glitch

Shot on Sony A6400, natural light - sunny Image: Previous Assignment

The first image I edited was of a Crayon Shin-chan figure. In this image, I took inspiration from one of John Pomara's works shown in his studio tour. Rather than having an image be disrupted and put back together, I wanted to show the subject in the process of being disrupted. To do this, I loosely followed the RGB glitch guide as the base for my image. I then used the marquee tool to select and duplicate the parts moved from their original locations. Since I wanted to make the displaced parts stand out more, I applied a separate RGB glitch and made their original locations solid white.

Shot on Sony A6400, artificial light - dim Image: New

The second image I edited was of my cat. In this image, I took inspiration from Heitor Magno and explored identity. When looking at people, their face is usually the most recognizable feature so I wanted to hide/censor that with glitching. I applied this idea to my cat and went for more of a pale background and vivid glitch to adhere to Magno's style more. To do this, I created linear glitches by copying and pasting the surface of my cat's face. I then applied the RBG glitch and a little bit of wave distortion to the linear lines. For the background, I desaturated it and changed the curves to wash it out more.

[danyens]

response - artist's in glitch

John Pomara John Pomara's approach to their work is very free-form. His work does have intention but he also welcomes "happy accidents" in its creation. He views the glitch aesthetic as a form of creative disruption as it creates a visual alternative to what's expected. In one of his recent projects, he investigates the connection of painting to the digital. This project contains 6 paintings that were disrupted and put back together.

Heitor Magno Heitor Magno is a Brazil-based visual artist who specializes in eye-catching double exposures. Many of his works mix the human body with natural elements. He often explores the themes of identity and self-perception in his ethereal pieces. In his glitch pieces, he particularly likes to wash out the photographs to make the vivid color of the glitch stand out more.

[danyens]

blog prompt 6

Shot on Sony A6400, Sony NEX-5R, and iPhone Some of the images were sourced from my family's old digicam photos.

In this photomontage, I wanted to start by reusing the photos from my visual identity assignment and retain that symbolism. My intention behind this piece was to create an amalgamation of who I am by not only looking at my experiences now but also those in the past. To do this, I included images of objects and places that have built my sense of self. Within this photomontage, there are images of technology, my ethnic culture, and the changes around me.

When creating this image in Photoshop, I mainly made use of the masking, eraser, and adjustment layers. To layer the images over my cat, I used blending options and a soft eraser to transition them. The rest of the images were mostly masked or erased to create more cutout-like edges. The cutouts in their original color didn't feel that cohesive so I changed the hue and added a paper texture over all of them.

[danyens]

reading two - response

According to Curious Muse's video on Dadaism, DADA is an art movement that was started in a nightclub named Cabaret Voltaire in Zurich, Switzerland. The art group was made up of artists from all over Europe who fled World War I and settled in Switzerland. At the core of DADA artists' beliefs or motivations was essentially "anti-everything." They aimed to destroy everything conventional or reasonable by the standards of their time. Dadaists expressed these ideas through avant-garde artistic means such as performances, poetry readings, dances, and exhibitions. As Dadaists moved to other places around the world, it began to spread and evolve into different forms of conceptual art.

One of the DADA artists presented was Marcel Duchamp. Duchamp pushed the boundaries in art by redefining what an artist is and what art is (MoMA). One of the ways he did this was through his idea of "Readymade" art where he would purchase items and label them as art. Another artist presented was Man Ray who closely worked with Duchamp before they split (SFMoMA). Man Ray pushed boundaries in art by photographing regular objects and later objects in darkrooms which became known as Rayographs (SFMoMA). Both of these artists contributed to the push of creativity and exploration of ideas in photography.

References: - Hannah Höch, Cut with the Kitchen Knife—Dada and political chaos, Berlin in 1919 - Dadaism in 8 Minutes: Can Everything Be Art? - Marcel Duchamp | HOW TO SEE “Readymades” with MoMA curator Ann Temkin - “Crimes against Photography”: Man Ray and the Rayograph