Kapok Tree Analysis

Alexis Rockman’s “Kapok Tree” was painted in 1995, using oil paints on wood. Being completed near the end of the 20th century, this painting would be categorized as modern art; however, Rockman’s painting is considered a contemporary work of art. In general, contemporary art incorporates the social and cultural events of the time in order to create curiosity, a response, and ultimately open a dialogue on such events. In fact, Rockman’s work typically makes the audience consider, react, and respond to his visual art; he is known to use his paintings to explore environmental issues, such as deforestation and climate change (1). As a matter of fact, deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest was the highest in 1995 (2) and can give an insight to the

Being completed near the end of the 20th century, this painting would be categorized as modern art; however, Rockman’s painting is considered a contemporary work of art. In general, contemporary art incorporates the social and cultural events of the time in order to create curiosity, a response, and ultimately open a dialogue on such events. In fact, Rockman’s work typically makes the audience consider, react, and respond to his visual art; he is known to use his paintings to explore environmental issues, such as deforestation and climate change (1). As a matter of fact, deforestation of the Amazon Rainforest was the highest in 1995 (2) and can give an insight to the reasoning behind Rockman’s painting; moreover, kapok trees are usually found in southern Mexico, southern Amazon, and West Africa (3). Nevertheless, Rockman’s first-person depiction of a nocturnal world living on the trunk of a kapok tree is a stunning image that plays with reality and fantasy to initiates a dialogue about the tense relationship between nature and humanity, and how it affects the fragile ecosystem. Furthermore, Rockman strategically involves the audience in his artwork in order to establish and convey the purpose of his

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