Part 2 - Research point 2

Positive and negative space

My course manual shows the work of Patrick Caulfield's  reserved Table (2000) and I was prompted to look a little further.  I like the image of his Large white Jug (1990) which is a screen print on paper.

Large White Jug - Patrick Caulfield. 1990.
www.tate.org.uk 1

I was reminded of various illusions and found many that relied on positive and negative space.

Witch or beautiful woman?
www.opticalillusioncollection.com 2

The eye cannot see both pictures readily and I have to concentrate to see the witch.

Sean Williams

With this monochrome idea in mind Word Art artist Sean Williams uses the words of songs to create the faces of famous people.  They are clearly very contemporary and are an intriguing use of positive and negative space using technology.

Harry Styles by Sean Williams
www.mymodernmet.com 3

Harry Styles
www.hairnext.com 4

I've had to check it out but Harry Styles is a singer best known for his involvement in One Direction.  I  must assume that the lyrics are relevant to the portrait.  I simply have no idea how this is done but it is a very good reproduction of this photo.

Malika Favre

Handsome Frank is a UK based illustration agency who acts as an agent for Malika Favre's work. She is French and studied graphic design in Paris.  She is now sought after as an illustrator.  Her work seems very familiar probably because it  is a style used often in advertising.

Malika Favre 5

Malika Favre - the cover for the Washington Post 5

On the Handsome Frank website these images are neither titled or dated.  I find them fascinating.

David Hockney

Hockney seems to be able to come up with anything and I found this image fitted my purpose and is lovely at the same time.

Four Flowers in Still Life David Hockney.  1990
www.tate.org.uk 6

Once again, but in an entirely different way the negative space is used to define the positive.  This image took me while to get to grips with.

I had begun to think that producing images in this way would inevitably lead to a certain flatness but that simply isn't true in this Hockney work.  There's lots of texture.

It's not in the same league but I recall doing a collograph earlier in the year where the negative was very important.

Silver birch in the woods - Irene Burkitt

1  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/caulfield-large-white-jug-p79190

2  http://www.opticalillusioncollection.com/2013_12_01_archive.html

3  http://www.mymodernmet.com/profiles/blogs/sean-williams-hip-hop-type

4  http://www.hairnext.com/harry-styles-haircut-color/

5  http://www.handsomefrank.com/illustrators/malika-favre/

6  http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hockney-four-flowers-in-still-life-p20131

Malika Favre
Sean
Irene Burkitt