Donald Diddams
The Art of Digital Art
Hot and Cold
Posted on June 28, 2010
Hot pepper red - 2010
We just spent 10 days in the upper Midwest where it was mostly cold and rainy — so different from the heat and humidity of the tropics.
We all experience hot and cold, and often associate certain subject matter with each. For example, an image of a snow-covered field can evoke feelings of cold, while a sun-drenched beach may suggest the warmth of the sun.
Of course, just color itself can evoke the physical feelings of warmth or cold — even in the case of a subject like the palm, below, where one would otherwise think of warm tropical surroundings. Is this dissonance between subject matter and color temperature disturbing or interesting?
Ice Palm - 2010
Quadrille
Posted on June 22, 2010
Quadrille dancers - 2010
The quadrille, a precursor to the modern square dance, is a part of St. Croix’s cultural heritage. It was brought here from England and became a part of plantation life well before the end of slavery. Like the square dance, it is formal, with dancers changing partners regularly throughout the dance. The traditional costume includes madras plaid shirts for the men and large head scarves for the women.
In this case, the St. Croix Heritage Dancers were performing accompanied by one of the street bands at an evening festival in Christiansted. The light, the mid-street venue, and the music made for a surreal mixture of the old and the new.
The Music - 2010
Old Dog, Young Woman
Posted on June 14, 2010
A Life Well Lived - 2010
Bloodshot eyes, red gums and worn teeth did nothing to stop this old dog from enjoying life. Adorned with a carnation necklace and leaning against his owner’s knee, he was happily watching the antics of the St. Patrick’s Day parade crowd, ready to give any passerby a gentle lick and a wag.
In contrast, the young woman seated alone at Pleasant’s bar seemed isolated from the social swirl. All judgments aside, the contrast between the two images may say something about the variety in how we experience the world.
Pleasant's Bar - 2010
Visual Sorbet
Posted on June 6, 2010
Geometrics 1 - 2010
The newly painted walls of Fort Christiansvaern beg to be abstracted. As I worked with these pictures, I began to view them as visual sorbet, or palate cleansers for the eyes that appeal to the senses without carrying any other message.
Abstractions that lack any implicit social or emotional message may be a cop-out, or art-lite. On the other hand, perhaps their straightforward appeal to the senses, and the emptiness of mind with which one must approach an abstract image in fact is the message — and an important one at that.
Geometrics 2 - 2010
St. Croix — Hotel Caravelle Artwork
Mocko Jumbies
Donald Diddams 