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inspirational painters.. Whose yours?


Jesse Cairnie

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In one job interview, a producer referred to J.M.W. Turner who I couldn't remember being a famous British landscape painter. I didn't get the job I'm sure because of this. Most recently for me, Directors and Producers have been referring to films and images from pop culture.

 

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In one job interview, a producer referred to J.M.W. Turner who I couldn't remember being a famous British landscape painter. I didn't get the job I'm sure because of this. Most recently for me, Directors and Producers have been referring to films and images from pop culture.

 

post-3699-1209173197.jpg

 

 

Does it bother anyone else how much some directors and producers (and even D.P.s when I was gaffing) speak almost exclusively in reference to other works?

It's one thing for somebody to be inspired by somebody but it's crazy when people say 'look at this scene in "J.F.K." (playing on DVD at base camp) and "light it

just like that" and who also think "paying homage" means "okay to rip off entirely".

 

This post is a good question so to add something positive, I can say that I'm always thinking of Norman Rockwell pictures because of how they tell stories.

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I'm very drawn to the compositional chaos in Peter Paul Rubens' work.

 

I'm also fascinated by Kandinsky, both his art and his philosophy; i.e. "Color is the keyboard, the eyes are the harmonies, the soul is the piano with many strings. The artist is the hand that plays, touching one key or another, to cause vibrations in the soul."

 

Japanese art as well, I saw an exhibit at the LACMA a while back that blew me away...

 

Kano Tanyu (狩野探幽):

Shunkeizu.jpg

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One of my professors used to say that it was alright to steal anything you wanted to, partly because it would never turn out the same as the original and it would always be interpreted through you. It's a liberating thought when you think about it.

 

My favorite painter for inspiration is Caravaggio, this is a painting titled "Narcissus" that I was looking at recently.

 

Caravaggio.jpg

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forgive me if my post wasn't clear.. I'm refering to paintng in specific.. "stealing" is different from inspiriation.. A direct copy to sereve no other purpose but to look like is stealing.. Inspiration is something that you see and gravitate towards.. Something that inspires your voice to come out.. There are peopele who make their career out of "stealing".. But that persons work is not inspiring.. To be inspired by say Degas.. A personal favorite.. Molds both my view of the world and his..

 

This is my question.. Whose work inspires you to create.. Whose work do you find inspires other people to create..

 

Because as we all now.. Photography is 150 years old.. Painting is much much older..

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John Singer Sargent, an esteemed portrait painter from the early twentieth century, with a knack for atmospheric settings brought to life by his compelling compositions and masterful brushstrokes. Sargent has always been one of my favorites, unfortunately I've yet to have an opportunity to create a look based on his work.

 

seargent%20small%20venice.jpg

 

 

 

EL_JALEO-SINGER.jpg

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The most obvious would be the Dutch, Caravaggio, Goya, etc... very cinematic painters because of their use of light. But also Edward Hopper is one of my personal favorites. Maybe the Mexican muralists for the sense of composition and depth. So many, so many...

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For me, Rembrandt. Whenever I get to the Getty, I get lost in his room.

 

I also draw inspiration and tangible "advice" from his paintings which comes in handy doing what I do. It's nothing for a feature DP to line up a shot when he has the full support of several departments at his beckon call.

 

But I am always thrown into "make this work" situations that are usually less than ideal. I'm usually in the position of having to light an interview subject and "create" something out of a nothing background. At that point, I opt for what I call "EPK Noir" wherein, as the philosophy goes, if it looks like crap, then don't show it. So I "enhance" what is available to me and let everything else drop into black. Rembrandt comes into play because he typically has some element that is "blown out" while other aspects of his frames dropped into utter darkness. That's usually my goal whenever I shoot whether the background is relevant or not. In an interview situation, it is the "talent" who needs to stand out and be highlighted, but the background must also do the dual role of "speaking to" the topic while also not overpowering the focus of the shot (the talent).

 

Rembrandt was a master at that with his paintings and I attempt to emulate the philosophy whenever I shoot.

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John Singer Sargent, an esteemed portrait painter from the early twentieth century, with a knack for atmospheric settings brought to life by his compelling compositions and masterful brushstrokes. Sargent has always been one of my favorites, unfortunately I've yet to have an opportunity to create a look based on his work.

 

EL_JALEO-SINGER.jpg

 

Sargent's paintings are amazing. But this one above does not seem possible without SFX or green screen. The shadows on the musicians to the left seem to indicate that the emanating light source is directly on the floor in front of them. While I love this look, I think it would be hard to get. Any thoughts on the subject?

 

Sorry, I didn't mean to hijack. A huge modern inspiration for me is Pino Daeni. I love his pastel color palette and wonderful use of highlights and texture. Though I normally love deep shadows, his work does not seem to focus on this. When I first started as a DP I actually worked on something that allowed me to work in a similar style, but I hadn't really discovered his work at that time, so it was more of a hindsight wish that I had experienced his work before then. Enjoy some of my favorites.

 

TheDailyPaper24x30_000.jpg

At-the-Balcony.jpg

contemplation.jpg

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Oh i do so love this thread! We can't know all the painters or photographers in the world so this is a good place to come and see something that may be new and inspiring!

 

Personally I always take a look at Vermeer's paintings especially when it comes to realism and soft light.

Recently i got interested in beksinski and his strong contrasty fantasy works. Maybe a good reference for art directors too.

Friedrich is another artist that is always in the back of my head. His paintings are always more than the mere reproduction of reality, with areas that are dark but full of details and strong lights that are confined in a precise place. Often his subjects are seen from behind and silhouetted.

John William Waterhouse is another painter that i found interesting lately.

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As a filmmaker, I'd have to say that my most inspirational painter would be the guy that just painted my house. He worked with a small crew, came in on time and under budget, stayed true to the script, and there were no problems on the set.

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One of my professors used to say that it was alright to steal anything you wanted to, partly because it would never turn out the same as the original and it would always be interpreted through you. It's a liberating thought when you think about it.

 

My favorite painter for inspiration is Caravaggio, this is a painting titled "Narcissus" that I was looking at recently.

 

Caravaggio.jpg

 

Wow, another great piece. Thanks for posting these amazing pieces guys and gals.

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Starting to explore Rothko:

 

 

 

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I've just recently seen quite a few Rothkos in both Washington D.C. and San Francisco, and I just don't get it. His stuff just doesn't do anything for me.

I'm a Jackson Pollock fan myself.

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