129. Edward Hopper: "Camera as Narrative"
atelier ying, nyc.
Edward Hopper's paintings are a wonderful focus for camera investigations as their pictorial strategies allow for variations on ways a camera can be designed, in my opinion.
Much of the wisdom of Hopper's work which I refer to comes from the poet Mark Strand's book of essays on Hopper.
This proposed design carries through one concept of Hopper's work that Strand has perceived, that there is a constant tension in the paintings that both push the view forward and keeps the viewer stationary. This camera has this pictorial strategy built-in. It is a quasi Beacon Hill-styled dollhouse on a simple diner table (recalling other Hopper scenes) that melds two well-known Hopper paintings. The viewfinder is a mini room that is built into a model replica dollhouse window with elements that keep the viewer away:
1.the half shuttered windows the viewer has to squint through
2. the edge of railroad track looming over the camera back and in the viewers field of vision
3. the wood backed dollhouse at the camera front is private and forbidding
4. the numerous (though soft) screens built into the viewfinder to block the view.
5. the viewfinder glass is glazed with layers of antiquing brown glaze to give a faded look.
All this is up against the luminous patch of light that opens to the view seen from the camera to the subject view and the set of stairs that lead the viewer out the same window. The replica window both keeps the viewer from an easy view and invites the viewer for a peek as it is the only detail that is operable on this camera; pulling the screen pull down on the window takes the exposure. I will have more Hopper designs for cameras coming out in the near future.
Design, text and drawing are copyright 2013 by David Lo.
129. Edward Hopper: "Camera as Narrative"
atelier ying, nyc.
Edward Hopper's paintings are a wonderful focus for camera investigations as their pictorial strategies allow for variations on ways a camera can be designed, in my opinion.
Much of the wisdom of Hopper's work which I refer to comes from the poet Mark Strand's book of essays on Hopper.
This proposed design carries through one concept of Hopper's work that Strand has perceived, that there is a constant tension in the paintings that both push the view forward and keeps the viewer stationary. This camera has this pictorial strategy built-in. It is a quasi Beacon Hill-styled dollhouse on a simple diner table (recalling other Hopper scenes) that melds two well-known Hopper paintings. The viewfinder is a mini room that is built into a model replica dollhouse window with elements that keep the viewer away:
1.the half shuttered windows the viewer has to squint through
2. the edge of railroad track looming over the camera back and in the viewers field of vision
3. the wood backed dollhouse at the camera front is private and forbidding
4. the numerous (though soft) screens built into the viewfinder to block the view.
5. the viewfinder glass is glazed with layers of antiquing brown glaze to give a faded look.
All this is up against the luminous patch of light that opens to the view seen from the camera to the subject view and the set of stairs that lead the viewer out the same window. The replica window both keeps the viewer from an easy view and invites the viewer for a peek as it is the only detail that is operable on this camera; pulling the screen pull down on the window takes the exposure. I will have more Hopper designs for cameras coming out in the near future.
Design, text and drawing are copyright 2013 by David Lo.