Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Title shamelessly plagiarised from Monty Python's Flying Circus.

The Atrium, The British museum.
Does it work for you, if not why not? If it does work for you why does it?

Graham

amyinsparta Loc: White county, TN

Hmmm... Doesn't work for me. For me, I would lose the people. They aren't that photogenic. What's left is terrific minimalist.

On the other hand, if your aim is to show the lack of attention and appreciation of great art, then it's on the money.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Lose the people in the BM? are you looking for miracles? :-)

It's actually a poster advertising an exhibition of the art of the Medici family.
Thanks for commenting,

Graham

Bob Yankle Loc: Burlington, NC

It works, but with a caveat. Firstly, I, too, have photographed spectators within an art museum as I wish to convey the art is there for the public to appreciate (although, ironically, a previous comment pointed out this paricular crowd doesn't seem particularly appreciative - but that's still OK, at least it shows that art has not disappeared from the world altogether). Secondly, this almost approaches true B&W, 2-toned art. That can usually only be pulled off, though, in pen and ink drawings where fine hatching conveys grey colors. Which brings me to my caveat - to me, the contrast is TOO great. I would have wished for more of the grey tones to be presented, to give roundness or depth to the people. However, I would selectively apply them to the people only, and do nothing to put more detail in the background.

jgordon Loc: Boulder CO

It is dramatic. It catches my eye. But for some reason the woman that gets lost in the bottom part of the poster bothers me. And, once I noticed that my eye just keeps going there. My reaction is probably just a personal quirk, but for that reason the image does not work for me.

MtnMan Loc: ID

No.

On the positive side the balance of the elements is very nice.

It appears to be a blown out photo. I know it is "high key" and that doing it this way suppresses unwanted detail but I can't help the impression that the exposure wasn't done right.

I can appreciate some might like it, though.

Emm5

I like it, the first thing that came to my mind when I saw this was the song by Rockwell " I always feel like somebody's watching me"
Different works Graham

jonsommer Loc: Usually, somewhere on the U.S. west coast.

Graham, you've done it again - and shown us how to have a photograph include tons of both irony and humor. As I kept looking at this image I was impressed by the very abstract placement of the various shapes and forms, the conflict between the straight lines of the formal Medici portrait, and the 'splatter' of the museum goers, and they are even well balanced. So, abstract B$W shapes that work well from a compositional perspective.

Then I became aware of the irony, which adds tremendously to the statement you are making here, the look on the face of the Medici seems to say " I, a Nobel Medici, have to hang around here all day for these COMMONERS to come and stare and gawk at, to give themselves some 'culture', and they don't even take the time to look at me" - and then she makes eye contact with you, the viewer, and seems to size me up with the hope that at least I know enough to appreciate what she is offering.

Of course, the museum goers in the photo are totally ignorant of the communication that is going on between me and the Medici, and her disgusted sentiments towards them. And, then we become aware of the stairs that offer us both an emotional and a visual escape from the intensely judgmental stare of the Medici, and I can't wait to take them.

I like the bright B&W contrast that adds substantial harshness to the image, it's appropriate, and almost Jackson Pollack like, in its contrast of dark forms and randomly 'splattered' abstract shapes.

Hmmm, I guess sometimes I get a little carried away and overly flowery in my descriptions and comments, but it seems that a simple 'I like it' just didn't do appropriate justice to the image.

My only reservation is the crop of the man in the lower right corner, I would have liked it if he wasn't cut in half - but maybe that's the revenge of the Medici's, getting even with them all for turning their backs on her.

Oh, in case you were wondering, I really enjoyed looking at this image.

Bushpilot Loc: Minnesota

I really like this a lot, I wouldn't want to lose the people, but I think it would have a little more impact without that tight group on the right.

Bmac Loc: Long Island, NY

I like it. The composition does it for me with the stairs and banister leading right to the focal point which looks like "big sister is watching you." Except of course, the folks don't notice that do they. Different and enjoyable, thanks for posting Graham. 8-)

R.G. Loc: Scotland

If I was in there alone at night, I think that face would freak me out.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Funny you should say that R.G, I've done a lot of work in the BM over the years. The joinery company I worked for used make display cabinets for museums and I fitted them. Much of the work had to be done at night when the galleries were closed. The Egyptian Gallery with it's rows of mummies, only illuminated by security lighting, were very scary places to walk through alone at night :shock:

Graham

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Thank you Bmac.

Graham Smith Loc: Cambridgeshire UK

Thank you Jon, you are seeing exactly what I see, an immediate and intimate connection between her and you the viewer, a knowing look that almost treats others in the room with disdain.

Graham

minniev Loc: MIssissippi

It works for me. I like the high-key look of it. I don't think it would be as appealing with all the detail of the walls and floors visible. The Lady, whose face is cut off a bit by the corner or the edge of her own frame, appears to be smirking secretively at the crowd from her slightly hidden viewpoint, as if waiting behind a door or curtain. The viewer certainly has to attend to her first! The busy, inattentive tourists are valuable to the scene in my opinion. I wish the lady in front of The Lady were either looking at her or at us because the side of her face is hard to distinguish from The Lady's neckwear. And I wish the gentleman on the far right was either in or out of the frame rather than bisected. But these are the hazards of photographing crowds. You can wait, but they may do something even less photogenic.