The First Friday Art Trail: Response Bold colors, lively people, and brilliant art maneuvered its way into Lubbock, Texas. The Frist Friday Art Trail took place off of Avenue K, primarily at LHUCA, but also at several surrounding buildings. The audience consisted mostly of students and adults, however some children accompanied their families. I was expecting LHUCA to be quiet, yet there was actually a lot of talking, laughing, and free wine drinking. The upbeat audience formed an active, exuberant, and enthusiastic atmosphere. I found my two pieces of artwork at LHUCA. The curator of the exhibits at LHUCA is Linda Cullum. One of my pieces came from the Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall, showing James Koskinas. My second piece came from the …show more content…
Helen Devitt Jones Studio, featuring James Johnson. The concept of the Christine DeVitt Exhibition Hall was Partners in Color. Koskinas’ theme was the figure and the human condition, even though it also included horse paintings. The Helen DeVitt Jones Studio theme was New Directions and Johnson’s work consisted mostly of contemporary wildlife. In the LHUCA, artworks ranged from abstract pieces, wildlife and nature, an installation, a vintage cat suitcase, a clay studio, and even children’s work that was displayed in the Martin McDonald Gallery. James Koskinas’s painting Girl in Orange Dress II depicts a woman using vivid colors and free form lines to highlight certain aspects of the face and shadow others, possibly representing the different faces of humanity, whereas James Johnson’s Cabin Comfort displays bright blue and green hues and straighter, representational lines that suggests a sense of comfort or peacefulness. The first piece I observed was Girl in Orange Dress II, an acrylic on canvas, by James Koskinas. The scale of the piece was about 18 by 24 inches and was in proportion to the surrounding pieces. This piece is an objective abstract that includes bold colors. The color orange was a focus of the paining, which typically is a stimulating color that brings an energetic and warm mood. Purple takes up about half of the woman’s face, which tends to suggest nobility, power, and wealth. The other half of her face is white, normally portraying purity or goodness. I think that the colors used may carry symbolism about the woman in the painting and possibly qualities that she contains, or the different sides of humanity. The actual lines in Koskinas’s piece consist of a variation in thickness and texture. The lines used in the woman’s neckline appear slightly chaotic compared to the rest of the figure. The contour lines produce a dramatic difference in depth and division when comparing one side of the woman’s face to the other. There was tension constructed in the piece by the contrasting values and thickness of texture of the opposite visual appearances of the figure’s face. The area in which the art was organized consisted of the woman dominating the canvas. The artist’s statement is: "I paint because I must. I have this inner creative urge that has guided me my whole life. It's just something I have to do". I feel that his urge to create is expressed through the unique use of objective abstraction and vivid coloring. Even though Koskinas has softer lines, this piece reminds me of some of Picasso’s work, such as his abstract piece of a two faced woman. Cabin Comfort, an oil and acrylic on canvas, by James Johnson was made in 2015.
The scale of the piece is about 32 by 42 inches and was slightly larger in proportion to the paintings in close proximity. This piece of art is a representational piece of nature and an owl. This piece demanded my attention because of its vibrant green and blue hues and because it reminded me, for example, of the Aurora Borealis. I think that the hues of blue conveyed a cooling naturalistic scene with a mood of tranquility. I believe that the green suggested a calming countryside and was associated with health or growth. I consider the owl symbolic because owls commonly are associated with mystery, wisdom, and even fertility with the moon’s cycle. Perhaps this owl is suggestive of the people inside the home. The cabin being displayed further in the back of the image and being smaller scale, makes the cabin appear distant and isolated. The majority of the space is concentrated on the owl and the dramatic colorful sky. At first, it was difficult for me to make out the details of the house in the background of the painting, but once I did I was able to see that there is a light on in the front window of the cabin, suggesting that people are inside. The winter weather leads the audience to believe that the atmosphere of the painting is cold and contributes to a cozier interpretation of the warmth of the cabin. The tension created in this painting with the colors and the use of space form a source of inspiration. Johnson uses actual lines for all of the piece except the sky. For the sky, he used implied vertical lines to establish a feeling of downward flowing movement and points were illustrated as stars. The texture of the sky is subtle and fluid. The texture of the trees and house are detailed with sharper lines, while the ground appears bumpy, resembling snow. The artists’ statement is: "I make paintings about my perception of life and beauty". I believe that he did an excellent job of
capturing his statement in Cabin Comfort. I went into the First Friday Art Trail expecting not to enjoy it, however, I found the experience to be a breath of fresh air. I think that the atmosphere developed by the people and the pieces of work displayed helped me form a more optimistic perspective on art galleries. I enjoyed the nature pieces the most, but I additionally found the abstract pieces fascinating. The piece Girl in Orange Dress II, by James Koskinas, fit into the exhibition by embodying a figure of humanity with striking colors, similar to the surrounding art works. The art pieces around Girl in Orange Dress II were similar in content which generated a sense of diversity in the depicted humanity. Cabin Comfort, by James Johnson, fit into the exhibition because it was a nature scene that embodied a “new direction” of normal wildlife. The pieces around this art work included paintings of different environments and several abstract pieces that organized an overall harmony by their placement in relation to one another. Even though I expected to not have fun at this event, I did, and I will likely be back for another go-around.
Surprisingly, fifty years later, artist John Sloan happen to meet all the qualifications Baudelaire has designed for Monsieur G— making urban life observations and drawing from memory. Sloan adopts and employs Baudelaire’s idea of urban watching and further expands it for an American audience. Born and raised in Philadelphia, John Sloan first begun his art career as a newspaper illustrator. After years of working, he developed his own artistic style and started making paintings and etchings. When he moved from Philadelphia to New York, he has found that city life scenes of great interest that he then started observing and making etchings for scenes of modern life. He was well-known and celebrated as the founder of the Ashcan School and was most celebrated for this urban genre scenes. (Lobel, Chapter1)
This painting is one of the most well know because the painting show the division of the untouched wilderness to the left, and the cultivated land that is treeless and is covered by field of crops. The diagonal division creates a strong composition which is the first place where the eyes drawn to. The left side of the painting contains the most luscious greenery, which untouched nature should have consist, and the right has more of a yellowish dried and flat landscape where humans contaminated the area. The foreground has a large broken or dead tree that frames the painting so the eyes do not wonder off. The dead trees also represent the untouched land, and rainstorm approaches on left side of the sky dramatizing it. The large river that divided the land has a shape of a loop, which indicated the bow of wooded collar of the yoked ox. Just like that painting from The Clove, Cole small figure in his painting would represent the size of the landscape. The composition gives the figure a feeling of isolation in the wilderness. In The Oxbow, the small figure is John Cole himself, small and very hidden in the bushes, being present in the untamed side of
Examining the formal qualities of Homer Watson’s painting Horse and Rider In A Landscape was quite interesting. I chose to analyze this piece as apposed to the others because it was the piece I liked the least, therefore making me analyze it more closely and discover other aspects of the work, besides aesthetics.
The representation of the new age of exploration, which serves as an allusion to man’s potential, is starkly contrasted with the depiction of Icarus that serves as an allegory for man’s limits, indicating the shift from a euro-centric universe. This painting is an oil canvas landscape of the sun setting on the horizon of the ocean sea, while the ships were sailing through the body of water. The focus on humanism during this period is clearly portrayed by the presence of the plowman, shepherd, and fisherman performing their daily task. Lighter colors are used, which differ from the darker colors that were emphasized during the Dark Age or Medieval period. Shadows can be seen on the ground next to the plowman, showing the increasing artistic methods that begin to be utilized.
Kevin Best’s oil on wood painting entitled Infinite Vanitas (2011) is a composition which illustrates the Vanitas genre of painting, demonstrating the allegorical message of the impermanence of time, the frailty of human life, and the futility of earthly pleasures and achievements. In this painting, many symbols that are typical of the vanitas genre have been used. The artwork has been painted in a realistic style, with textures which are representative of dramatic, dark shadows, realistic surfaces, highlights and a subdued colour palette.
Though most works of art have some underlying, deeper meaning attached to them, our first impression of their significance comes through our initial visual interpretation. When we first view a painting or a statue or other piece of art, we notice first the visual details – its size, its medium, its color, and its condition, for example – before we begin to ponder its greater significance. Indeed, these visual clues are just as important as any other interpretation or meaning of a work, for they allow us to understand just what that deeper meaning is. The expression on a statue’s face tells us the emotion and message that the artist is trying to convey. Its color, too, can provide clues: darker or lighter colors can play a role in how we judge a piece of art. The type of lines used in a piece can send different messages. A sculpture, for example, may have been carved with hard, rough lines or it may have been carved with smoother, more flowing lines that portray a kind of gentleness.
Being guarded by emotions, the forever lasting paintings of the Lloyd and Sandra Baccus Collection will forever remain imprinted in my mind. Never have I seen such a diverse range of medium in one collection. I saw firsthand well-known paintings of artist that I have only heard or read about in books. The collection house many African American artist and African Diasporic. Lloyd and Sandra Baccus Collections are on exhibit at the David C. Driskell Center at Maryland University.
On Sunday, February 7th, I went to McNay Art Museum that is located right outside San Antonio. The museum was founded in 1954 and is known for their collection of American and European art during the 19th and 20th century but also displays various art out of the time frame and from many other places across the world. Although the sculptures near the entrance really caught my eye structurally, while inside the museum I came across Still Life with Apples and Vessel painted by American artist David Ligare that really struck me visually.
In Memoriam II by Elisabeth Frink is at once a detailed and subtle piece. Through the use of purposeful and intended lines, geometric structuring, the bronze material and texturing, and many other formal qualities of the piece, Frink is able to capture heavy simplicity and a solemn strength in deep pain.
Reg Narmour’s piece titled Family represent a portrait of a full family standing in the blue and red background. This painting is located in the Louise Hopkins Underwood Center for the Arts. This piece is hanging on the wall and only can be seen from one side. In his painting, Family, Narmour effectively creates the painting’s composition and employs the element of color, and the principle of focal point, to depict the story of a broken family.
As I enter the Gioconda and Joseph King Gallery at the Norton Museum of Art the first thing that Caught my attention was a painting measuring approximately at 4 ft. by 10 ft. on the side wall in a well- light area. As I further examine the painting the first thing I notice is that it has super realism. It also has color, texture, implied space, stopped time, and that it is a representational piece. The foreign man sitting on the chair next to a bed has a disturbed look on his face and is deep into his own thoughts. It’s as if someone he loved dearly just experienced a tragic and untimely death. He is in early depression. I could feel the pain depicted in his eyes. A book titled The Unquiet Grave lying open on the floor by the unmade bed suggesting something is left unresolved. The scattered photos and papers by the bedside cause redintegration. The picture of Medusa’s head screaming on the headboard is a silent scream filled with anger and pain, yet it cannot be heard. I feel as if I am in the one sitting in the chair and I can feel the anger, and regret.
The curving Palm tree in the center of the painting is the main focal point of this piece. The painting is so detailed it makes the viewer feel as if they are in the Sunshine State. In the background of the painting is a ship that seems very small away due to its size and passengers descending from the boat. The passengers are walking towards the viewer’s standpoint which creates a feeling of exploration and adventure. There are two people closer to the viewer’s standpoint which help to compare the distance to the other people who are further away. The boat is lacking detail intentionally. It is uncertain in the painting if the ship had crashed on shore or beached due to low tide. The passengers around the boat look as if they are downloading items off the ship. This allows to viewer to feel as if the ship is far away from their view point. The ship does not have as much detail as the palm tree and vegetation on the beach. Moran also depicts a feeling of motion in the painting. The painting of the sky also gives a feeling of space from the viewer’s standpoint. This beautiful painting was influenced by the fine details of
In Gateways To Art, by Debra J. Dewitte there are easily over a hundred photos to choose from for an analysis paper. I chose Gentileschi, Judith Decapitating Holofernes. This painting was created in 1620 by Artemisia Gentileschi. I will describe the subject matter in the artwork, the composition in the artwork, and why I believe that the artwork is conceptual and perceptual.
The painting itself is a slick, oil painting depicting a first-person perspective facing towards the starry sky of a dense canopy of kapok trees. The sky is composed of cool colors, such as blue, turquoise, and gray, with contrasting specks of white to represent the multitude of stars. Interestingly, gray tones are a conservative color that seldom elicits strong emotion, meanwhile the blue, turquoise tones are common peaceful colors of nature. In other words, the use of gray and blue tones convey a peaceful and neutral view about nights in the jungle, instead of the unknown and eerie generalization typically thought about the jungle. Moreover, the bottom center is artificially lit with the use of vivid colors and depicts a lively environment scattered with different tropical animals. The leaves are an assortment of bright green colors and allude to the abundant life in the jungle. It is for this reason that green in the painting signifies life, growth, and environment. Additionally, the use of warm colors in the frogs contribute to the abundancy of life in the jungle. For example, the red, yellow, and orange colored frogs evoke a sense of joy, energy, and balance. Scattered in the small ecosystem, the frogs and their vivid colors represent the small, yet always present, life and energy of the jungle. His use of contrasting colors highlights the
Jacob, M. J. 2006. Making Space for Art. In P. Marincola. What Makes a Great Exhibition? Philadelphia: Philidelpia Centre for Arts and Heritage, pp:134-141.