Confluence Gallery Guide

Artists can use linear perspective to make landscapes appear to have real space and depth—to appear real.

Linear perspective divides landscapes horizontally into three zones that appear to recede back into space: These are foreground, midground, and background.

Foreground is the horizontal zone that appears closest.

Midground is the zone between the foreground and background.

Background is the horizontal zone that appears farthest away.

Can you divide this painting from the LSU MOA permanent collection into foreground, midground and background?

Foreground

Midground

Background

Linear perspective also uses scale, horizon lines, and vanishing points to make space seem to have depth— to make space seem like you could walk into it.

Scale makes objects in the foreground larger and objects in the background smaller.

Horizon line divides the earth from the sky and is often where the lines meet at the vanishing point.

Vanishing point is an imaginary end point where you can no longer see.

Can you find the vanishing point in this photo?

While linear perspective can make a landscape realistic, breaking the rules of linear perspective can make a landscape seem surreal.

Jerry Uelsmann breaks the rules of linear perspective to create dreamlike, surreal landscapes with floating objects.

It has a foreground, background and horizon line, but the floating leaf is out of scale with the tree making it seem surreal.

Confluence by Jerry Uelsmann is organized by the University Gallery at the University of Florida, curated

by Amy R. Vigilante and made possible by the Gary R. Libby Charitable Trust and Hector Puig.

Learn more about the exhibtiion at www.lsumoa.org/jerry-uelsmann

Jerry Uelsmann (American, born 1934), Now, 2013, gelatin silver print, On loan from the University Gallery, University of Florida, and the artist

Harold Rudolph (American, 1850–ca. 1903 83/84), Louisiana Bayou at Sunset, ca. 1875, oil on canvas, Gift of the Friends of LSU Museum of Art; Conservation with funds provided by E. John Bullard III, LSU MOA 86.10

Jerry Uelsmann (American, born 1934), Every Leaf Already Knows, 2018, gelatin silver print, On loan from the University Gallery, University of Florida, and the artist