Can ugly be attractive at the same time? Working within the grunge genre one has to question this. Grunge is fascinating, the amazing textures the colors the implications. Take today's image for example.
Grunge green dominates the image. But if you look very close you see the street sign "Lovers Lane." A real street near Battle Creek, Michigan. Also looking closer you can make out the Gaussian blurred kiss in the center of the piece.
So is this piece too much Grunge or just enough to make it more interesting? Using PhotoPaint I merged 3 images to create this image. The Kiss from some marriage photographs, the floral grunge texture from Autumnights, and the photograph of "Lovers Lane."
Each image was manipulated prior to their merging into the single image you see here. I used a filter on the lovers lane photograph to simplify it. I used the Gaussian blur on the wedding kiss. And I used the object property Multiply on a piece of the floral grunge image.
What I see personally is a piece with depth. But even I wonder when is manipulation too much? I say it is when the images by themselves won't stand on their own, you manipulate till the image says something to you, as an artist. Then you stop.
Granted the image may not appeal to all who view it, but it will make a person look more closely at it to see the pieces put together. In part that is a successful image. If it holds their interest more than a cursory glance, you have accomplished something. That something is important to the artist. When the choice is made as to if one likes the image as it stands is very personal and should be allowed for every viewer. Like it or not, they have an opinion. That's the beauty in it.
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Now playing on Windows Media Player: Arlo Guthrie - City Of New Orleans
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