I was very taken by the beautiful composition of Bruce Davidson's Illustration No10 in East 100th Street (OCA p93). Looking through my photos in search of rectangular compositions I realised just how few of them there were. In spite of being more basic than triangular shapes in terms of composition, they don't usually occur in nature, and are more likely to be found in man-made, urban landscapes (OCA p.93). I had already looked at the image of the swimming pool in relation to balance and dividing the frame in Unit 1. Looking at it again in terms of its rectangular composition, I can see how the feeling of calm and slight eeriness is reinforced by the rectangular composition, as rectangles are often associated with compositions that are formal, artificial, and static (OCA, p. 93). This image also illustrates the importance of precision when taking photos of rectangular composition, as edges should align perfectly with the frame, otherwise, like here, they appear trapezoid (OCA p. 93)
In these photos at the MACBA, the contemporary art museum in Barcelona, I return to the subject of photographing people and works of art. I took several pictures of two elderly visitors in from of the large picture. The one where the man is standing felt potentially more interesting when I was taking the photo, because of the difference in heights between the figures, and because of the interplay between the rectangular shape of the painting and the implied triangle made by the figures and the bench.
However, I think the first image works better. The two figures are sitting down, both facing inwards and looking at the painting. They form a a self-contained rectangular shape themselves, which echoes the rectangle of the painting, and the image conveys a very still, calm feeling, which you can sometimes get when contemplating a large abstract work of art. |