Visual Research: Reading Images

The image that I have decided to choose is an art piece created by the artist Bart Hess. Hess’ creations are innovative and ahead of the time. He uses the body and a wide range of materials to create almost disturbing pieces of art work. There’s just something about his work that I get drawn to personally as a designer myself so I can see why Iris van herpen uses his mind blowing work as inspiration for her own fashion garments. Like Hess, Herpen also explores and experiments with unusual materials in order to create memorable artworks. The specific image I have decided to focus on is is collection of artworks called ‘Mutants’. He has covered the body in latex in which he then lit up with a fluorescent tube light giving the latex a reflective effect. I love how ‘out of this world’ these pieces look. By using simple materials and such a small concept Hess was able to create something truly magnificent. Not only that but you are also left to interpret his work however you see it. For example, his mutants piece I could interpret many different ways. Not only do I see this extra terrestrial life form recently landed from a different planet but I could also see a new hatched life and egg hatching possibly a human egg hatching. Its crazy where the mind can take you with his work. This is something he wants you to see, and endless possibility of ideas generated from his own artwork. The textures he uses makes you want to touch and feel to get involved with his work something else that herpen also likes to do. That is why his work is hard to translate or read because its left up to you to decide where to take it  in your imagination.