#journaldatavischallenge
From Color to Light
A personal perspective on an artist's creative journey through data
In this research project, I engaged in a dialogue with the artist Vladimir Weisberg, exploring both his creative journey and my own perceptions and emotions while viewing his work. I attended his solo exhibition, where I delved into his artistic methods by analyzing color in conjunction with my personal feelings and experiences. This exploration allowed me to connect deeply with his art, revealing how it resonated with my own thoughts and emotions, ultimately enriching my understanding of his creative expression.
The exhibition I attended was arranged chronologically, allowing viewers to experience the transformation of the artist and the evolution of color in his works — gradually transitioning from vibrant, colorful canvases to transparent, "floating" paintings. Below, I tried to illustrate this through examples of works in each hall — the Roman numerals indicate the number, with the title below. I started from the second hall, as the first was introductory.
Vladimir Weissberg is one of the most significant Russian nonconformist artists, known for developing a unique painting system referred to as "invisible painting." I felt a deep desire to reflect this evolution in my own research. Therefore, I aimed to capture the evolution of his method in the poster through a grouped visualization of works arranged by hall. This allows viewers to immediately see how color disappears, making way for transparent, airy works created using nuances of color.
I also wanted to explore my own reflections throughout this process. I devised my own evaluation system for each artwork, assessing how interesting it was to me, whether it inspired me, and if it evoked nostalgia for anything. Based on this data, I created a radar chart for each piece, plotting the values along three axes.
I couldn't overlook such an essential aspect as color in the artist's work. Therefore, I photographed all of his pieces and analyzed them to identify the four most significant colors for each one. I then integrated these colors into the diagram for each artwork. Here are three favorite pieces from the exhibition according to my data.
In the artist's canvases, color seems to be gradually consumed by light, making the paintings appear to "glow" from within. I wanted to achieve a similar effect — to make these little diagrams look like they have light inside.
I organized the resulting triangles sequentially within the exhibition halls, creating a series of interconnected "beads" that represent the progression of the artist's journey. In the final poster, a vivid portrait of the artist's creative path emerged.
Thank you for reading.
I hope I was able to pique your interest
in the creative work of Vladimir Weisberg.
I hope I was able to pique your interest
in the creative work of Vladimir Weisberg.
Vladimir Weisberg
Photo: Igor Palmin
Photo: Igor Palmin
