Post Modern Art: The Influence of Social Media

    When the topic of photo realism came up in this week's content, my mind immediately went to Dylan Eakin. I stumbled upon his art through the social media platform TikTok last year and was overwhelmed by his talent. He truly tricks the eye into thinking we are looking at photographs of people but works exclusively with charcoal. I started following his channel and greatly enjoyed listening to him talk about his work, and seeing his expressions made me feel an even deeper connection than when I just saw the pieces without commentary. I especially love the portrait of his father (second photo uploaded here) and the emotional connection he has to the drawing.

Nothing But A Foundation, by Dylan Eakin, 2022, New York

    This is a photo, right? Nope! Can you believe this is charcoal? The texture in the sweater sleeve and the way he draws it with the fabric loose and bunched adds to the realistic effect. The bold, imperfect lines of her tattoos and the shading within them are the opposite of what the artist himself is creating. The saturation and realness of her freckle placement are flawless. The lines he creates for the knuckles are a huge focus for me because I often hear artists struggle with drawing or painting hands.  I especially love the just out-of-focus backgrounds Eakin creates in his portraits, mimicking the focus of a camera lens. Raw emotion pours from this piece, and I can almost feel the subject's frustration and exhaustion. 

Sequences of Fantasy Violence, Frightening Images, and Brief Mild Language, Dylan Eakin, 2019, New York

    Again, Eakin keeps the subject at close range, further showing his incredible talent. The texture in his whiskers and the pores of his skin is so life-like that I have to stare at this piece to find areas that suggest it in fact is not a photograph. The pieces of this drawing that stand out to me the most are the bifocal lines in the glasses, as well as the clear nose pieces on his frames. Its little details such as those really deceive my mind. I enjoy the color or perhaps lack thereof with his charcoal drawings. I would love to see him work with color, but I feel the black and white hues add to the realness factor.

    TikTok struck again by introducing me to Fabiano Millani, a Brazilian artist who has, in my opinion, improved his art greatly in the past few years. His honey series made my jaw drop when I first saw the paintings. I included photos of Millani posing with his works, and it truly makes me laugh because he is the one that doesn't look real, almost as if he is photoshopped into the photo of the model. Millani now owns a studio where he teaches 60 students per month the techniques of hyper-realism. The majority of Millani's portraits are oil paint on canvas (Flynn).

Untitled Oil Painting, Fabiano Millani, May 2021, Brazil

    Texture is everything with the next two paintings. I especially love how the honey drapes over the brows and eyelashes, with highlights in all the right areas. I feel like I can reach out and touch the sticky substance through my screen. Brush strokes, where? Milani blends his strokes seamlessly giving that photoshopped feel to his painting. The value and tones definitely give a 3-dimensional shape to this painting, pushing the realism further.

Untitled Oil Painting on Canvas, Fabiano Millani, October 2020, Brazil

    Check out that color! The flesh tones are incredibly warm and true. The highlights of the eyeshadow give a metallic shine to the eyelids, and I think I'm looking at a photo in a magazine. I love the depth of the background, which at first glance is just black, but if you look closely there are hints of lighter color forming an ear. Again, the texture of the honey is extremely realistic with drips and a sticky overlay of the eyebrow hair and eyelashes.

     Social media is tailored to show you more. More of what you like, more subjects similar to what you already follow, newer artists. The algorithms work, and while part of that terrifies me, it also is extremely clever and beneficial. I love being able to open apps such as TikTok and Instagram and be shown new amazing artists daily. On the flip side of this, artists get to share their works with the entire world at just the press of a few buttons. "This is the first time the essentially bourgeois world of art has belonged to the people. We need to make it count,” (Magazine) the graffiti artist Banksy said, and he is completely right. No longer is the art world only being run by the elite, but people of all walks of life can showcase their work and find their way into exhibits that 100 years ago would be almost impossible. 

Photon Split, by Melanie Farris, June 2019, Austin, Texas

    Op Art is not something I usually gravitate to, however knowing this artist is working by hand and not digital art makes me appreciate it much more. This takes incredible patience and skill. I love the combination of warm colors against black and gray. The linework on this piece is so incredibly precise, and I really enjoy the crossing patterns. There's a beautiful balance here and I would love to own this painting.

Untitled Mural, by Melanie Farris, October 2020, Barbara Jordan Elementary School, Austin, Texas

    There's something inviting about the color sequence of rainbows. I think this was a perfect design for the entrance of a school, the arrow-like lines extending from the front doors, welcoming all who enter. The color really makes the black and gray portrait pop against the background. I enjoy the contrast of the portrait lines, soft and blended, with natural shadows and highlights against the solid color blocking lines.

    Artists like Melanie Farris of Austin, Texas are making their mark in the art world through social media outreach while also showcasing their artwork locally. Farris's Instagram page is flooded with her beautiful Op Art, from which she uses rulers and paint, and not digital media to produce her hypnotizing designs. Farris said she is a self-taught artist, using mostly YouTube videos to learn her skills (Art of Austin).  Farris's work has been in several exhibits including Art For The People gallery according to her Facebook page, where she writes " And I can’t stress this enough, art is meant to be seen IN PERSON- not on your phone!". I couldn't agree with her more. While social media is opening up huge doors for artists to showcase their work, and art lovers to find new styles they enjoy, I can't help but think it comes at a cost. Seeing artwork in person is such an emotional experience. Seeing the brush strokes, texture, size, and true colors can only happen when viewed in person. 

Overall, I believe social media platforms greatly benefit the art world. While it definitely has its drawbacks such as copyright issues, unwanted criticism of artists, and a sense of detachment from the pieces, the positive impact it has had on artists and art lovers cannot be argued. This is a new age in the art and technology worlds that seem to be growing harmoniously.

Bibligography:

Magazine, S., 2013. The Story Behind Banksy | Arts & Culture| Smithsonian Magazine

Flynn, E., 2021 Hyperrealism by Fabiano Millani - Magzoid - Luxury Magazine Leading the Creative Space of MENA Region | Art, Culture, Business, Industry Veterans, Fashion, Luxury, Lifestyle

2021 Melanie Farris - Art of Austin