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“Blooming” by Kirsty Little Although her works are made of common, seemingly benign, everyday home-making materials, Kirsty Little creates assemblages that “blossom” into emblems of empowerment. On the surface, Kirsty’s blooming manifestations of wire, wax, pins, wood and acrylic create the appearance of calm, acquiesce, and uninterrupted beauty, but, on closer inspection, the works become embodiments of tension that turn art into activism. This critical re-working of “en-gendered” materials is the vehicle through which the artist confronts societal conflicts that continue to threaten the rights of women today.  In her “dysfunctional” series, “Sugar” is a work that shows a sugar sifter suspended from a coat hook mounted on a pink acrylic base. The sifter, typically seen at afternoon tea parties hosted by women, is re-presented as a blossom of entangled rose wires, corsage pins, and paint—materials that are also commonly used by women, but reimagined in a way that reclaims female agency. According to Little, the dysfunctional series refers to the oppositional forces that continue to limit the freedom of women who still do not have control over their own bodies.  Little’s choice of materials appears arduous and difficult to work with. This is intentional. “Turbulence” is a large work made of steel wire, wax, and paint that is suspended from the ceiling to create the appearance of a woven textile fabric. Turning art into activism, Little substitutes fabric for steel wire, creating warp and weft patterns that are intricate in some sections, but which begin to unravel and fall into disarray. By replacing thread with wire, Little conveys the idea that women must work harder to combat the threats to women’s rights in America today.  “Pelt” is another beautifully constructed piece made of galvanized steel and copper wire with an embroidery hoop mounted on wood. The sublimity of this work is evident in the beautiful way in which the wire simulates a woman’s hair, though tainted by specks of red paint to evoke feelings of tragedy or death. Little dedicates this work to Mahsa Amini, a Kurdish, Iranian woman who was arrested and beaten by the Guidance Patrol of Iran in 2022 for not wearing her hijab. Amini died in a hospital shortly aftwards. The work demonstrates Little’s solidarity with women across the world, including other artists who have addressed this subject such as Mona Borzogi, Kiana Honarmand, and Lorna Simpson who represent hair as a source empowerment and reclamation.  “Consent, Do you have it?” does not contain the same arduous and meticulous use of wires, but challenges the viewer in a different way. In place of Little’s wired entanglements, Consent, made of neon, wood, and velvet, displays a red curtain suspended from the wall at waist level. The tension is evident in the space between the artwork and the viewer, who is confronted with the questions: Does opening the curtain require consent? Is it a violation to touch what is only intended to be seen? Behind the curtain in neon lights is the word “private,” a dyadic sign that points to the sanctity and integrity of a women’s body, and, alternatively, to transgressions that can potentially lead to sexual violence.
“Blooming” was on view at the Hudson Gallery, Hood College in Frederick, MD from March 17 -April 4, 2025. To learn more about Kirsty Little visit her website. Author: Tim Brown
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 The United States is approaching its 250th anniversary. Most of that time encompassed legal slavery and Jim Crow Laws (including lynchings and race wars), legal segregation, Native American genocide and displacement (“The Trail of Tears:), immigration exclusion, the suppression of women’s rights, and child labor, among many other exclusionary and unjust practices. Many have argued that this systematic and institutional history of exclusion and oppression has been undergirded by white supremacy or more broadly by what the late bell hooks called “White Supremacist Capitalist Patriarchy”(Killing Rage, Ending Racism: 1995) a framework for better understanding the intersectionality of these oppressive forces and how they implicate all Americans—including black people. Legal challenges to violent, exclusionary, and unfair practices led to various acts by Congress in 1963, 1964 and 1965 (with the Vietnam war and the murder of civil rights leaders looming in the background). They Include: The Equal Pay Act (1963)The Equal Pay Act is a United States labor law amending the Fair Labor Standards Act, aimed at abolishing wage disparity based on sex. (read more) The Civil Rights Act (1964)Under the Civil Rights Act of 1964, segregation on the grounds of race, religion or national origin was banned at all places of public accommodation, including courthouses, parks, restaurants, theaters, sports arenas and hotels. No longer could Black people and other minorities be denied service simply based on the color of their skin. (read more) The Nationality and Immigration Act (1965)A federal law passed by the 89th United States Congress and signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson. The law abolished the National Origins Formula, which had been the basis of U.S. Immigration Policy since the 1920s. The act formally removed defacto discrimination against Southern and Eastern Europeans as well as Asians, in addition to other non-Western and Northern European ethnicities from the immigration policy of the United States. (read more). Voting Rights Act (1965)This act was signed into law on August 6, 1965, by President Lyndon Johnson. It outlawed the discriminatory voting practices adopted in many southern states after the Civil War, including literacy tests as a prerequisite to voting. (read more) The Older Americans Act (1965)The first federal level initiative aimed at providing comprehensive services for older adults. It created the National Aging Network comprising the Administration on Aging on the federal level, State Units on Aging at the state level, and Area Agencies on Aging at the local level. (read more) The National Foundation on the Arts and Humanities Act (1965)AN ACT To provide for the establishment of the National Foundation on the Arts and the Humanities to promote progress and scholarship in the humanities and the arts in the United States, and for other purposes. (Note: This Act is currently referenced by NEA and NEH to validate the inclusion of the arts, although DEI references have been removed). (read more) To learn more about civil rights laws and how they have impacted the workplace, read “Bending Towards Justice” published by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. Collectively, these Acts demonstrated a need by the United States to remove discriminatory practices in order to create a more inclusive society. We are now witnessing a process by which these laws are systematically being overturned by our institutions of power (the President, Congress, and the Supreme Court) with the support of corporations and billionaires (what people are calling “State Capture”), with the active and passive consent of US citizens. DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion)As demonstrated most recently by the current administration, DEI has become the most contentious topic within American society (although it has its antecedence in the Ronald Reagan administration). While these efforts have led to the promotion of equality for women in the workplace, preference for the hiring of veterans, and support and provisions for those with disabilities, the most contentious has been “Affirmative Action,” and issues related to race and racism. This topic has not only divided political parties, but the workforce, and even families across the United States. Most recently, these issues have been further amplified by heightened discrimination against the LGBTQ community and anti-immigration, creating a climate of fear, intimidation, and exclusion. For example, reports indicate that undocumented immigrants are being contained in Guantanamo Bay. Major media apparatuses have capitulated to these developments, placing constraints on public discourse, and limiting access to information and decision-making that impacts all Americans. This brings us to an important and urgent question: Where do we go from here?by Timothy P. Brown Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of a rectangle. Over the past century, mainly through the evolution of visual technologies, aspect ratios have become the windows through which we see things and experience world. Let’s explore the history of this phenomenon.  Aspect ratios are usually written in the form of numbers separated by a colon: 16:9, 4:3, 3:2, etc. The numbers represent the width and height of a rectangle. Colons can be substituted for a dividing line 16/9 or decimals 1.77. These ratios can also be understood visually when viewed as squared units.  The 1:1 aspect ratio featured above shows one unit as the height and one unit as the width, what we commonly understand to be a square. The 4:3 aspect ratio is 4 units across in 3 units down. Likewise, the 5:4 aspect ratio is 5 units cross and 4 units down. 1:1 Aspect RatioThe 1:1 aspect ratio was introduced in 1929 with the invention of the Rolleiflex camera. This unique twin lens camera produced photographs in the 1:1 aspect ratio (6 X 6), creating an aesthetic that would become iconic in the history of square formatted photography. Diane Arbus is one photographer who used this camera with very fine results.  The camera was widely used by many, including famous people like Grace Kelly, Cary Grant, and the photographer, Richard Avedon.  More recently, the popular social media platform, Instagram, revived this aesthetic by instituting the square format as an aesthetic standard for online photography (before Facebook purchased the company). Check out my post, “The Language of Instagram” for a more detailed study of this development.  5:4 Aspect RatioThe 5:4 aspect ratio was used during the early 2000s as a preferred format for computer monitors. Some videos were produced in this format for edge-to-edge viewing on these monitors. Coincidentally, the 5:4 aspect ratio was identical to 8 by 10 inch frames, a popular print format used mostly for portrait photography.  4:3 Aspect RatioThe 4:3 aspect ratio has a long history. It first appeared in the kinetoscope (1890s), which used 35 mm film. The kinetoscope allowed the viewer to see motion pictures through a peep hole, like the one example featured below called “The Kiss" (1895). Not surprisingly, this early example of filmmaking would influence the advent of television and the cathode ray tube, becoming the dominant aspect ratio for most of the 20th century.   Computer MonitorsComputers are multifaceted, so it’s not surprising that monitors would appear in the same 4:3 aspect ratio. As CPU's expanded, resolutions increased to match their output, ranging from 640 X 480 and 800 X 600 to 1024 X 768 and 1600 X 1200.  The iPadAnother fascinating use of the 4:3 aspect ratio occurred when Apple introduced the iPad in 2010. From its genesis to the current moment, the 4:3 aspect ratio appears in the 9.7, 10.2 and 12.9 inch iPad models. Considering the history and persistence of the 4:3 aspect ratio, Apple deduced that it would be perfect as a multipurpose touchscreen device. For example, the iPad allows you to do many things like watch movies, work on office documents, listen to music, play games, browse the internet, create art, and much more.  Mobile PhotographyA significant shift occurred in our perception of the world when Apple decided to make the iPhone camera sensor a 4:3 aspect ratio. This development is important because it diverged from the standard 3:2 aspect ratio used in film cameras. The example below features a photograph taken with the original iPhone in 2007. The photograph tends to favor a square over a rectangle, creating a new aesthetic that would forever change how we see photographs.  ProjectorsBefore HD monitors, it was common to use projectors to present content in the 4:3 aspect ratio. At this time, it was customary for PowerPoint and/or Keynote presentations to use this aspect ratio as the default size. Since projectors preceded widescreen TVs, images were projected by using a VGA cable or analog signals sent from your computer to a projector.  The 4:3 aspect ratio is commonly referred to as the “standard” because of its widespread use over an extended period of time across a range visual mediums. 3:2 Aspect RatioPrior to mobile photography, the 3:2 aspect ratio was the standard for film photography. The 3:2 camera sensor in film cameras is wider than 4:3, allowing for an expanded viewing experience - one that some would argue is the ideal aesthetic for representing the pictorial world in landscape mode.  Above is an example of a photograph taken with a Minolta film camera during a trip to Rome in 2006, a year before the iPhone was released. What is obvious is the extended rectangular format. When you compare it to the photograph taken with the iPhone (below), you notice a considerable difference in the way they capture horizontal compositions.  The proportional relationship evident in the 3:2 aspect ratio can also be found in paintings. If you look at paintings produced throughout the history of European art, you will discover that many of them consist of compositions defined by the 3:2 aspect ratio. This is evident in paintings by Jacques Louis David, The Death of Socrates, 1787, Metropolitan Museum of Art, Claude Lorrain, Landscape with Merchants, c. 1629, National Gallery of Art, and Paolo Veronese, The Wedding at Cana, c. 1562, Louvre Museum.  16:9 Aspect RatioThe 16:9 aspect ratio is now the NEW standard for viewing widescreen videos. As the graph demonstrates, the proportional relationship is produced using units that are 16 across and 9 down. The shift is noticeable when you compare analog and digital formats. In the former, VGA cables were used to connect the computer to a projector, whereas HD monitors use HDMI cables to digitally transmit HD content using home entertainment devices like the Apple TV.  Resolution and Screen SizesYou can also understand 16:9 aspect ratios in terms of the resolution found in videos, which range from 720p to 4K. The most common platform on the web for displaying 16:9 videos is YouTube. Exceptions include older films produced in the 4:3 aspect ratio, which YouTube will convert when older videos are detected.  iPhonesiPhone screens, including models ranging from the iPhone 5s to 8 come in the 16:9 aspect ratio, no doubt due to the prevalence of widescreen videos. This development also anticipated a shift in presentation sizes, as widescreen formats for PowerPoint and Keynote gradually replaced the 4:3 aspect ratio we had become so accustomed to.  Social media was impacted by the prevalence of the 16:9 aspect ratio, albeit, in manner that most professionals did not anticipate, and even detested. For example, the general consumer who is accustomed to using mobile phones to record video found it more intuitive to record videos vertically, rather than horizontally. Going from 16:9 to 9:16, the forever popular vertical format became the standard for social media platforms like Snapchat, Instagram, and, more recently, TikTok. Instagram even went so far as to create IGTV to acknowledge and celebrate the new video standard.  Alternative Aspect RatiosThere are some aspect ratios that deviate from the norm, establishing niche markets. For example, the ultra wide 21:9 aspect ratio (2560 X 1080), is an alternative size for gamers who prefer a more immersive experience. We also see these exceptions in some of Apples devices, such as the iPhone Pro 11, which comes in a 19.5:9 aspect ratio and iPad models like the iPad Pro 11 which comes in the 10.7 aspect ratio.   Golden RatioIn addition to these exceptional examples of aspect ratios, the golden ratio stands outside of technological developments, but represents a mathematical "ideal" for picture making. Theoretically, the ratio is the same as the sum of its two parts. In this visual example, "b" maintains the same proportional relationship as "a+b." The harmony that is evident in this proportional relationship has also been referred to as the Golden Spiral. The "golden ratio" is wider than 3:2, yet it offers an aesthetic ideal that is a nice alternative to the standard aspect ratios we use today.  Calculating Aspect RatiosThere are simple ways to calculate aspect ratios. For example, if you begin with 630 X 1120 as a 16:9 aspect ratio, you can increase the size mathematically, while maintaining the aspect ratio (applications refer to this as "constraining the size." Divide the height (630) by the width (1120) or 630/1120=0.5625. Multiply this amount by a different size width (e.g. 1280), and you will arrive at the new proportional relationship, 630/1120 = 0.5625*1280 = 720, or 720 X 1280. Calculating Picture SizesVisual artists use similar approaches to mapping out pictorial compositions, especially when they are creating sketches in preparation for larger works like murals. If you want to try this on your own, draw a diagonal line from one corner to the other, extending it beyond the borders to create a larger dimension. The diagonal line ensures that you maintain the same proportional relationship (aspect ratio), while increasing the size (see diagrams below).   Pixel DensityBy increasing the size and resolution, proportionately, you evidently produce larger screens. Yet, in terms of pixels, this does not necessarily correspond to an increase in size, but rather a stronger pixel density. In this example (below), Apple offers two versions of their 12.5 inch iMacs. One has a resolution of 1920 by 1080 (16:9), while the other has a resolution of 4096 X 2304. The latter has a stronger pixel density (Retina display), despite having the same size screens.  This can be replicated in visual terms by drawing up grids that represents 10 pixels per inch and 20 pixels per inch. As the pixels increase or get smaller, the more clarity and brilliance is achieved.  ConclusionSo in conclusion, aspect ratios are not merely mathematical formulas, but windows through which we view and experience the world. Whether you are making a painting on canvas, taking a photograph, recording video, creating digital art, or enhancing your productivity, aspect ratios are essential to how we experience and imagine the world.
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AuthorMuseum Educator and Tech Blogger Archives
February 2025
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