COMPOSITION

Even though yesterday was awfully gray, I couldn't keep myself from dragging my brand new camera out for its first official photoshoot! These photos represent my first round of self portraits using a tripod and self-timer.

Since the weather wasn't particularly inspiring, I wanted my outfit to be bold enough to reflect my cheerful mood. I ended up channeling one of my favorite artists, Wassily Kandinsky.

Kandinsky approached his paintings as though they were musical or poetic compositions. Each aspect of the work was fully considered on its own and as a part of the whole.

Composition X, 1939

He said, "Each true painting is poetry. For poetry is not made solely by use of words, but also by colours, organized and composed; consequently, painting is a pictorial poetic creation...The source of both languages is the same; they share the same root: intuition -- soul."

Around the Circle, 1940

I like to use Kandinsky's approach to getting dressed as well. Each piece of an outfit should have a particular function that relates to everything else--and the overall effect.

I used the long black leather skirt as an opaque balance between the busy silk blouse and bold aqua boots, much like Kandinsky's use of a black ground and wiry, unexpected moments of color and shape.

This outfit was a great way to perk up a dreary day! I'm wearing a vintage silk blouse, vintage leather skirt, UO glass bead necklace, and aqua leather Durango boots.

[Kandinsky images from abcgallery.com and amazonaws.com, respectively; Kandinsky quote from Kandinsky by Ulrike Becks-Malorny, 187.]