Artist : Natisa Jones
Genre : Photographs
Period : December 22 till January 22
Everyday, 9.00AM till 6.00PM
Location : Three Monkeys Cuisine & Art Cafe
Jl. Monkey Forest, Ubud
Tel: 0818350465
After the successful introduction of the Home Computer in
the late 1980’s, the development of Draw, Paint and
Image Manipulation Programs were quick to follow, and these
programs proved to be extremely popular. An Image Manipulation
Program, such as Adobe Photoshop, allows any image introduced
into the system, either by scanning or from a digital camera,
to be transformed, enhanced and manipulated by a wide variety
of filters contained within the program itself. Adobe Photoshop
contains over 100 individual filter effects, and each filter
provides a variety of further effects. Additionally, filters
can be used in-conjunction with each other, so the choices
can be infinite. Many of these filters duplicate traditional
painting techniques, such as Brushstrokes, Paint Daubs or
Rough Pastels, but, many effects, such as Find Edges, Neon
Glow or Solarize, are indigenous to the program and can only
be achieved via a computer. To transform and transcend the
original image the computer operator, or user, must be familiar
with the results of each effect, plus, the user must understand
how the filter will react with the provided photographic image.
For instance; a stark black and white image is perfect for
a Cut Out or Torn Edges filter effect, while a graduated tonal
image will work very well with a Watercolor or Palette Knife
effect. Only time and practice will turn a ‘user’
into an ‘expert’.
Computer Manipulated Imagery is mandatory in the Publishing,
Film and Advertising World, but, as an offshoot of Image Manipulation,
an entirely new medium of artistic expression has emerged.
Loosely referred to as Computer Art, this medium, never-the-less,
endures the same stigma as Photography in the Art World, for
it is felt that it lacks the ‘hands-on’, or ‘presence’,
of the Artist. This is a prejudice that the traditional Art
World must overcome, for Computer Art is not going to go away.
It will continue to gain in popularity, and, as the 21st Century
becomes further enmeshed with the ‘Digital Age’,
Computer Manipulated Imagery will become more prominent. Computer
Art is the Future, and it is to the Future that all artistic
expression should be addressed. The Future is our Youth, and
it is the brave young artists who are developing this medium
who must be encouraged. Computer Art is for the young, and
the young at heart.
Natisa Jones is only 16 years old. She was born in Jakarta
and grew up in Bali. Natisa is a graduate of the Dyatmika
School in Sanur, but she moved to Chiangmai, Thailand, in
August 2005 to complete her high-school studies, and to continue
with her education in the arts. Art has always been an integral
part of Natisa’s life, as she has been drawing figures
and cartoons since she could put pen to paper. She has also
explored a wide variety of other media. Currently her passion
is Computer Manipulated Images. Capturing images through the
lens of a digital camera, with an uncanny sense of artistry,
Natisa then manipulates these images with computer software
to add special filter effects and color enhancements. In her
exhibition, ‘Through My Eyes’, at the Three Monkeys
Art Café, Natisa presents 21 Computer Enhanced Digital
Images. These images represent her immediate past. They express
how Natisa appreciates beauty and how she sees the world around
her. The images, in a way, help her to understand the world
she lives in. Moody, and sometimes intimate, the images appear
to document a young woman’s exploration of her self
and her place in her surroundings. But, most importantly,
these images show how a young artist can recognize and understand
the dynamics and potentialities of Computer Enhanced and Manipulated
Imagery.
Natisa’s works that have been less manipulated, such
as ‘Something Out There’ or ‘Catch of The
Day’, reveal her excellent sense of composition and
placement plus her sensitivity towards line and pattern. Other
more heavily manipulated works, such as ‘Class Time
Boredom’ or ‘Wishing I was Invisible’, demonstrate
Natisa’s mastery of the Special Effects to be found
in an Image Manipulation Program. For someone so young, Natisa
presents an impressive show. Only time and practice can now
improve her admirable computer skills. Life Experience alone
will provide additional depth to her work. If Natisa continues
to apply herself with so much zeal towards developing her
Computer Skills, her future could be very bright indeed.
