PABLO THECUADRO
Artist Gallery
Artist Analysis
Pablo Thecuardo is a Spanish artist well known for his collages of photographs in a way that aims to demonstrate to the viewer the complexity of the world. He was born in Saragossa, Spain, in 1992, but moved to and subsequently now lives and works in Madrid. Through his work he includes not only the combination of beautiful, high-quality images, but also the duality of being human, and his work serves as an abstract exploration of the human essence.
With this particular art work, my immediate impression was that his work was much brighter than Draxler’s and that I felt a much greater sense of humanity and time, that encouraged interest through the depth of the image rather than through a morbid curiosity which acted as a driving motivation for further investigation into Draxler’s. They encourage a more positive introspection regarding what we show to others versus our true selves, and ‘how time affects us, concepts like before and after, create and destroy’.
This art work is of an image of a woman, layered behind various outlines of the same person. The image is bright, lit with high-key, what appears to be a particularly bright, lighting. The focus is on the woman in the centre, outlined by the various super-imposed images. The lines are curved and fluid, acting as a border for each layer, suggesting inward motion. The 3D shape is human, adding to the humanity of the image, and the 2D images are smooth and gentle, indicative of a gentler composition than that of Draxler’s. The colours are varied, but, in this image in particular, muted, and create again a gentle, more human view on the depth of the woman’s character.
The aperture is low to blur the background and focus on the person in the foreground. The ISO is high enough to create a bright image, but does not create a grain effect; it is most likely around 800. The photo is primarily warm colours and white, but their muted nature seems to juxtapose with the connotations of said colour scheme, creating an interesting result.
Thecuardo mentions in an interview that his inspiration for his work is 'Internet', which might suggest a foundation to the very human nature of his work; the internet serves as a place upon which people can show themselves to be whatever they wish, but not necessarily who they in fact are. If I were to ask him a question in regard to his work, I would ask him how he chooses his models; he has a wide range of models that each seem to serve their purpose in the photo accurately.
In regard to Draxler, Thecuardo's work is my favourite of the two, as it creates a more intricate study of humanity as opposed to the, while immensely skillful, somewhat surface level shock that Draxler relies on, of which I am less interested in - Thecuardo uses his medium to convey a message, rather than to implement a message that enhances the quality of the images. Thecuardo links to the sense of identity because it is a clear demonstration of one's own nature and instigates a sense of introspection within the viewer.
Photoshoot Plan
This photoshoot plan is for creating photos in the style of Pablo Thecuadro, which will then be edited to appear similar to his collages of photographs that portray the depth of humanity. I have created this to assist with the speed of the shoot so as to allow for more time editing photos to a higher quality. For the shoot I intend to again use my brother, and have him photographed in various different ways to then allow for a more developed final image.
The plan relates to the artist because it details the way in which photos will be taken to mimic said artist. Stylistically, it also links, with the curved lines in the background a common aspect of Thecuadro's work.
Contact Sheet
Overall, the photoshoot was successful with the aid of my plan, as I could quickly set into motion the process of photographing. I ended up only using a white background as I was pretty much limited in where I could take photos - hopefully, for my next photoshoot, I will have more flexibility in photographing locations.
These are edits that are meant to be very similar to the work of Thecuadro, so as to allow for expansion into newer territory regarding collaged photographs in further edits. As to what I intend to do, I am currently unsure, but in the next photoshoot at least I will use a higher ISO, or simply more lighting.
The crosses indicate the photos I won't use due to composition or image quality, with the former being the primary catalyst for my choices. The circles are the ones that I like the most, and I will endeavour to use them in my better edits. However, this is all subject to change.
First Developments
These are edits in the style of Pablo Thecuadro, and were created by using the lasso tool to draw around and hide, via the layer mask, part of the image to show another image behind. The brightness was upped on all of them to create a positive mood to them, with the initial photos being quite dark. On some I also upped the vibrancy and the contrast. I then used a drop shadow tool, at an angle of 110-135 degrees, on some to create a 3D aspect to them. They link to the artist due to the bright and positive version of introspection offered by Thecuadro, as opposed to the more melancholic viewpoint offered by Draxler, as well as Mahr and Parcero.
My next step would be to take some outside to create a range of backgrounds, such as in the park. I could also develop the method of selection to create cleaner outlines.
Highlighting Success
These are my favourite of the edits, primarily because they incorporate the best aspects of all of the images. They all use the drop shadow, which, in my opinion, works very well, and the lines are cleanest, with them on others being slightly pixelated and rough. They also go beyond the boundaries of the body and enters the background in a way that looks - and was - intentional. The brightness also seems to have worked well, with it seeming excessive on others.
In general, I also prefer those with the denim anyway, with the blue accentuating the atmosphere of introspection and deep thought, which is often linked thematically to the sea or sky.
Second Developments
Iteration A
These are the first four of my second developments; throughout this development, I will be expanding upon a set of images in terms of stylistic and individualistic quality. Each iteration will add a new layer of development whilst sticking to the core fundamental principles, before moving on to 3D edits in the 3rd developments. This stage acts as a way to bridge the gap between my first, digital edits, and my final, 3D edits, allowing me to experiment with and learn about the many elements that constitute the work of Pablo Thecuadro. These were created by using the lasso tool and the quick select tool, just as the others were, but this time with the addition of colourful layers that complement the main colour of the image, i.e. red and green. My next step will be to create more realistic layers of colour.
Iteration B
Coloured Backgrounds: Photoshoot 2.a
In this photoshoot I created coloured backgrounds using ink on a white piece of paper, then adding water. In the case of the yellow one, I added orange to create a more textured background, but the others had a more varied background anyway due to higher concentrations of ink in some areas than others, a notion most clear in the blue, where there are evident strips of darker pigment that indicate areas where more ink dried than anywhere else. There are also clear areas where more water was used. The images with crosses through are blurred, and so have been discarded, whereas I have circled the best of each colour save yellow, purely because I am not particularly fond of the yellow, as it strays the line between what is just about a block colour and what is, in fact, a mixture of colours. Because, although I want variation in the backgrounds, overall, I want a single colour that can easily be put in juxtaposition with a complementary colour.
Iteration B - Edits
These are my second set of edits, this time involving the ink-coloured backgrounds that I photographed previously. They are, in practice, relatively similar to those in the previous set, with a similar composition and disruption of the original image. I again used the lasso tool and the auto-select tool to select and remove parts of images, and the drop shadow tool to create the illusion of shadows. My next step will be to take a new set of original photos with which to work with. In regards to how this relates to the artist, it does continue to suggest the inner nature of humanity, and explores our nature, albeit more through colour and contrast.
Iteration C
Main Photoshoot: Photoshoot 2.b
This photoshoot used the same plan as my first one, but in this one I endeavored to create a better result. This time, I succeeded in creating a bright image, with the previous set requiring the use of the brightness tool on photoshop, and I also chose a greater variety of clothes whilst abandoning the green jacket, which I was not a fan of. I tried to aim for a greater variety in poses as well, just because in the previous edits many felt similar and thus repetitive. I also included a plant in a couple for a little variety, which was interesting to work with in some cases, but overall, the most malleable will most likely be the more objectively 'generic' ones, as more can be removed via editing with little impact on the overall quality of the image. I chose colder colours to juxtapose with the warmer colours of the inky backgrounds - most of which were orange, red, and yellow (I wasn't fond of the blue).
Iteration C: Edits
I am relatively happy with these edits, and feel they serve as a good culmination of this set of edits. I feel as though they continue the strand of less negative introspection that serves as an underlying theme in much of Thecuadro's work. I used a combination of the new images and the inky backgrounds, and decided to be more exploratory with my removing of parts of the original image; many of the removed areas are bolder, or at least more stark. It provides a solid foundation from which to springboard into the next set of edits, which will be physical, and hopefully serve as a final stage of development for Thecuadro.
Second Developments - Highlighting Success
Overall, I think these are the most successful edits of my second developments, due to the way in which they combine the colour and the pictures in a way that truly suggests that there are distinctive, different layers within all of us. Their composition is the most interesting and profound, and the interactions between the colours is the most vibrant, with complimentary colours having been used correctly and in the best way out of the other edits. Some others feel slightly garish, unrefined or overly-complex, and I feel these are successful in their simplicity.
Third Developments - PHYSICAL
Cutting and removing parts of images with a scalpel
Layering up images to create an effective composition.
I am really pleased with the overall outcome of these edits, as they show a more realistic interaction between different layers. The shadows are less pronounced than the fake ones, but are still visible and in some ways more distinctive in their relative honesty. To create them I used a scalpel to cut out pieces, and the layered a combination of pieces and the pages from which the pieces were removed. I then photographed the different compositions multiple times, and chose the least blurry option; that is, I would say, the biggest issue with these, as it was with Jesse Draxler - quality of the images. Next time I do physical edits, I will use a tripod to take a photo to avoid having to pick from options, none of which are particularly high quality.
Third Developments - Highlighting Success
Overall, I think these are the most successful edits of my third developments because of the way in which they clearly have real, physical layers. Their composition is the most successful, and they are the most high quality, which is often an issue with pictures of physical work. The colour is effective. The images are also, in my opinion, most indicative of the multifaceted nature of humanity and our souls.