Art

Leonid Afremov: Artist & Inspiration

The paper explores and analyzes two images. The paper describes how they are related and how they are distinguished. The paper interprets the images as art and representations of cultural ideas of the respective locations and artists.

The Border and the Hug

“The Peak of Hong Kong” is a digital photograph. It is taken at night, and as the title implies, the content is mainly the skyline of the city, Hong Kong. This is a realistic image of the actual skyline. The skyscrapers in the foreground make a curved shaped, an arc, a piece of a circle. The skyline looks like it could be a wall that keeps out intruders, invaders, or outsiders. The skyline of buildings additionally resembles a sort of hug that encloses the city, keeping it warm and safe.

Whether the buildings are a hug or a border, there are many of them and the skyline is several layers deep. The power and prestige of Hong Kong is glamorous and alluring, just as the skyline, yet at the same time, what makes HK such an international powerhouse stems from the many layers of power and protection of/in the city. The peaks of the skyscrapers of Hong Kong symbolize the city itself. The peaks that make up the skyline of HK speak to the peaks of achievement of the city and its people throughout its significant history.

Describing “Alley”

“Alley by the Lake” is the response drawing to “The Peak of Hong Kong.” There are only trees and perhaps a mountain in the distance in “Alley.” The trees line a path along a body of water. Two distinct individuals are on the path and they hold umbrellas. There is some photo realism, but this is not as exact of a realistic representation as “Peak.” Just as in “Peak,” the landscape is both a border and an enclosure. In both images, there is both openness and enclosure. There are manmade skyscrapers in “Peak.”

Although “Alley” takes place during a later part of the day, the image is bright. It is much brighter than peak. There is brightness in “Peak,” but it comes from the lights illuminating the interiors of all the buildings. The brightness from “Alley” comes from the color palette. One half of the image is bright and saturated with warm colors. The path along which the people are walking is neutral, and a mixture of the warm colors from the left side of the image, and the cool colors that compose the majority of the right side of the image.

An Abnormal Alley

One often imagines an urban landscape when thinking of alleys. Alleys are usually found in cities. They are usually unsafe, or at least have great potential to be unsafe. In the painting, the alley is outside and a part of nature. There is a lake, so in that respect the title is accurate and realistic.

It is unorthdox to describe the area where the people are walking as an alley. Alleys additionally are closed and narrow. The alley in this image is mostly open. One on side it borders a lake. On the other, though there is a dense forest implied, the trees are quite high and we can still see into the forest giving the impression of relative openness. There is some contrast between what some people would describe as an alley and the representation of an alley in the painting and drawing.

References:

Afremov, Leonid. “Leonid Afremov — Biography.” Afremov.com, 2014, Web, Available from: http://afremov.com/pages.php?pageid=2. Accessed 2014 April 06.

Draw as Maniac. “Leonid Afremov — Painter.” Drawasmanic.com, 2012, Web, Available from: http://drawasamaniac.com/2012/12/leonid-afremov-painter.html. Accessed 2014 April 03.