More Silhouettes

I love that the original silhouette portraits were named after Étienne de Silhouette, a French finance minister who, in 1759, was forced by France's credit crisis during the Seven Years' War to impose severe economic demands upon the French people, particularly the wealthy.  Because of de Silhouette's austere economies, his name became synonymous with anything done or made cheaply and so with these outline portraits. Prior to the advent of photography, silhouette profiles cut from black card were the cheapest way of recording a person's appearance.

Here are mine from the last class, also made very cheaply...  I definitely am in the market now for an overhead projector.  There must be hundreds lying around in school basements.

My "Dancing Tree" photograph enhanced with ballet dancers

On Blue with movement!

Swimming in Ice

A little whimsy added!

Tatted Snowflakes

Silhouette Photography Fun

I am taking a class at Helen Day Art Center on making silhouette photographs using an overhead projector, transparencies and various collected cut outs and small objects. The class is taught by artist Michelle Saffran (one of the members of my art group).   
I have so many ideas that I really wish it was more than a 2 day class!  I just may have to purchase an overhead and keep doing this!

In America, silhouettes were highly popular from about 1790 to 1840. They consisted mostly of "portraits" that were cutouts on black paper put against a light background. This was often the work of specialist artists, working out of booths at fairs or markets. A traditional silhouette portrait artist would cut the likeness of a person, freehand, within a few minutes.

You may also have seen illustrations in books that use this technique including the work of Hans Christian Anderson.

With the invention of the camera, the formal silhouette portrait began to disappear. 
Now, some digital photographers and other artists are using different techniques and ideas to create silhouette art.  One of my favorite artists Kara Walker uses silhouette art along with other unique methods to combat racism.  Here is one of her gorgeous and disturbing silhouettes:

And a link to her show at the Domino Sugar Factory which is not silhouette based but amazing art, some of which she created using molasses.

BUT I am getting off the subject of my photography class which is a much simpler version of creating silhouette art.  Transparencies, cut-outs and objects are stacked on the over head projector and projected onto a wall or board.  The projection is then photographed.  

I had my grandmother Buchta in mind for this first silhouette.  I placed a "babushka" doll and a pair of rosary beads on a transparency of trees and a fence.  It took awhile to discover how to arrange the objects on the overhead projector to create the image I wanted.  I love the result for it's nostalgic and haunting image of my starynka.

My love of birds inspired this next one.

Circles upon circles using bubble wrap as the transparency.

Thinking about my father and death.

Playing with objects....

My next class is Thursday--stay tuned for more images soon.  I've been out there looking for things to use and have some new and quirky ideas!