ear

face

Artist: Julianne Swartz
Title: Close
Year: 2010
Dimensions: ranging from 43.2 x 40.6 cm to 52.1 x 40.6 cm

tiny hand

Close, is a collection of images that are a close up of a finger with a water drop coming off of it. Each image is a photo that

two arms

 is mounted and framed in white washed wood under a UV-Pexiglas. These photos are typically set in warm colors. Which gives off a feeling of spring right after it rains. Swartz has been able to capture an upside down image within the water droplet. Such as the top left image is which is titled ear has a very little image of an ear. This is the same way in every one of Swartz's pieces are in Close. I find the background being blurry as pleasing to the eye. It makes what is found within the water drop that much more interesting. The out of focus background forces the eye to look deeper within the water droplet to try and get a seance of what we are missing out on that is fuzzy. Standing back the viewer only sees a tip of a finger with a water on it. There really isn't anything impressive about that. It isn't until you get closer and really focus do you see the whole picture. To me, I feel like the artist is asking you to come closer.She is welcoming you to come into her world. I feel at peace when I look at her images. I can't help looking at how she wants the viewer to see her world.

blue sky

dark sunset

I find it particularly interesting how Swartz does not put any of the water drops in the center of the frame they are more to the sides. Which is important when it comes to photography and films. It makes the images more settling. Swartz has placed each water drop in an atmosphere that has a pleasing scene. The viewer only gets a limited view of the area. Which creates a hunger for wanting to see more but not to much. It is not made clear why a finger is seen within the images. But I feel that it has been added in, as a way to say that our world is helpless to the human hands. That without us caring our world will fall. Much like the water drop will eventually fall from the finger. The water droplet has been used to say our world is delicate and we need to take care of it.