On Caravaggio and Goya's chiaroscuro

"Caravaggio “put the oscuro into chiaroscuro.” Chiaroscuro was practiced long before he came on the scene, but it was Caravaggio who made the technique definitive, darkening the shadows and transfixing the subject in a shaft of light. With this went the acute observation of physical and psychological reality which formed the ground for his frequent problems with religious commissions. Goya also attempted to "perpetuate" by the means of notable videos of heroic actions of glorious insurrection against tyrants."

Sam Renseiw presents a banal remix of a recent scene, from a frozen moment, to which the over-crowded composition and gestures contribute dramatic impact. View it here or click on the chiaroscuro above (patafilm 118, 01'14'' 6.4 MB, mov quicktime)/ relinked 02.10.15