Conceal/reveal images: Layers

This building on King's Road that I photographed for the 'manmade' part of the course, uses layers to conceal and reveal, and to add interest.

The gaps in the outer layer draw my eye in to the underlying layers. The green/salmon reflective sparkle on the lower parts of the solar panels increases this effectbby increasing the contrast with the smooth blue glass beneath.

This is a photo I took of a wrapped building on Southwark Bridge Road, reflected in an office building opposite.

The wrapping is to protect workers from falling builders debris, but has a similar effect on me as a person wearing a veil - mysterious and uncertain whether to be curious or feel cheated in some way



The little photo shows it as more monumental and imposing, as if the sheets are keeping whole swathes of people out of somewhere.

This is a barrier in the British Museum, which has clearly been designed to prevent visitors from seeing through, but has been made interesting in itself by making it out of layers of different opacity. What appeals is the way this combines the textures of glass and something softer behind, and allows some light and pattern.

The curling bark of this tree reveals the tree, and conceals the light behind it.

The fence below is on my way to work in Streatham.
I noticed the effect of perpective on it revealing less and less of the background train tracks as it recedes into the distance.

I wonder if this is something that I could use.

The photo below is of stained glass windows looking through Bethlem Hospital chapel.

I have included this one because it is my only stained glass photo, and the intention was to explore layers of stained glass, but it didn't work out the way I had hoped (partly because there was not enough light coming through).

Again, the things that appeal most are the texture from reflected leaves at the top, and distortions in the old glass below.

I have been seeing natural layering in plants, and wondering how best to illustrate this. Parts of plants shade other parts, or cast different colours onto them, and you can't always tell waht's going on behind.

I think this huge bit of lichen on the branch of an old apple tree gives you a good idea of what I mean. I love the strange shapes and the unexpected range of colours.

This photo is of another wrapped buding, this time with geometric shapes in different translucencies.

I really want to use something like this.




It reminds me of a work of textile art I saw in Ontario a couple of years ago....see below

I don't know who made this, as it was hanging on someones wall.







Fashion conceal and reveal
After doing this blog page, I looked through some fashion magazines for this year and made a collage of conceal and reveal layers in my sketchbook. For obvious reasons there was a great deal of use made of this idea by fashion designers. This year particularly, there seems to be more use of translucent fabrics in layers. And of course netting and other varieties of layering.