Week 4: "Siren Of Art" Review

"Siren of Art" tells the story of Tara McPherson, an illustrator from Brooklyn, New York, who has created posters and album covers for many notable bands. In this podcast, she speaks about working as a freelance artist and the methods by which she creates her art.

A combination of her loves for both music and art, McPherson believes that her unique style is what makes it stand out from others. Poster art has largely become a popular genre, so she has been fortunate by the large interest in her work. Her illustrations are not created on purpose - that is, the design is not thought out, researched, or studied - but rather she sees it as a natural evolution. McPherson draws what comes naturally to her, however, being a female is an added benefit to someone in her field. Although she is the minority gender in what she does, it may also be what has made her so successful.

Despite her success, McPherson finds it necessary to push herself past her comfort zone at times to capture what others cannot. As a freelancer in her field, she finds it is more difficult than if she were an hourly employee. Since there are no strict deadlines, she often must push herself to complete a work by a certain time in order to have it ready for the client.

Overall, the podcast is well filmed, edited, and presented, however there are areas that either succeed more than others or simply do not work for the story being told. Of note is the background music that is chosen, as it is quite reminiscent of a dark or gloomy tale. What sounds like long precise strokes on a violin or similar bowed instrument complements not only the art-centric story being told, but also the appearance and personality of the subject, Tara McPherson. This seemingly small detail plays a large part in tying the visual images of the story together.

Although the profile is only slightly longer than three minutes, it is presented in such a way to make it appear longer than it actually is. Under normal circumstances, this would not prove to be a good thing, however, in this case, it is reminiscent of a half hour documentary program. It opens on a brief cinematic piece out the window of a car, then visuals meet voice to introduce the subject of the profile. Within the story itself, there are several instances where the main narrative breaks off to explain the artists process of creation, or to simply showcase her art. These segues work wonderfully to keep the viewer engaged.

A negative aspect to the method of filming, however, is something that works in one situation, but not in another. The extreme closeups of the artists hands while she works on a piece conveys a feeling of involvement to the viewer. When this is done on the artists face, however, it simply appears in an awkward manner, and this would benefit more from a wider lens choice.

The podcast is wonderfully produced to show that even the least likely hobby can turn into a profession, and as McPherson says, "It's really easy to just do what you want to do to follow your dreams". This story is truth of this. No matter how daunting it may seem, a good story can come from something as simple as the drawings of an artist in Brooklyn.