The Commons Mural

Influences

Artists

  • Paul Cézanne:
      • I have always admired Cézanne's use of brush strokes. Often, the image looks blurred or rough, as his brushstrokes are sharp and frantic. However, if one backs away and views the painting from further away, it blends into a remarkably clear image. My favorite aspect of Cézanne's work is that as opposed to realism, one is continually away that the image is a painting.
  • Roy Lichtenstein:
      • What I particularly admire about Lichtenstein's work is his strong since of line. He uses crisp line and stark colors to imitate images from contemporary comic books. Perhaps my favorite pop artist, he commented on the nature of art itself by dipicted images usually thought of as childish, arguing that it was as worthy of fine art as anything else traditionally hung on an art gallery's walls.
  • Claude Monet:
      • Monet's ability to portray not only a landscape, but capture the esscence and atmosphere of the moment. One can get lost in the intricacies of his brushstrokes, which gracefully blend together. The scale of his paintings is particularly impressive, and one of the main reasons he was a direct influence to this particular project. He created enormous artworks, which carry a uniformity of brush movement, which brings the image together perfectly when viewed in full form.
  • Eugène Delacroix:
      • Delacroius has solidified himself as one of the foremost realist painters throughout history. His depictions of the horrors of conflict during the French Revolution are truly awe-inspiring. Life-like figures leap from the canvas, bright reds and blues illuminating the subdued yellow tones so prominent in his works, and reminding the viewer of his favoritism of French nationalism.
  • Dave McKean:
      • McKean is the first person I think of when I think of photomanipulation and montage. He masterfully crafts often oddly disturbing images, which border the line between ones dreams and reality. His work often references the unknown dream world, emphasizing line and texture, while combining images that suggest the image sprung directly from one of McKean's dreams, or even nightmares.