Zoma's Blog Post # 1: Artwork Analysis

What influences our reading of a work of art? During our March 16, 2016 class, we discussed about many aspects that participate in conveying the meaning we read from an artwork.  In the following, we will review those points with connection to an artwork we have viewed at the hall way gallery of the college.

One of the most important aspects about an artwork that influence our looking is the environment. In our reading from the excerpt Musuems And Sites, that we also discussed in class, it was noticed that the environment may be very critical during an art exploration. The author pointed that before the twentieth century, only few works were designed with the settings to be exposed in a museum. Many paintings, sculptures, art objects and edifices were made in situ, in a particular religious or political context, with the environment of their sites very essential in understanding the essence of those artworks. Therefore, it could be totally frustrating or misleading for visitors to view those works in museum settings. Besides the specific religious, political or sociological meanings the environment can be associated with, we can also mention other important aspects as the lightening or the exposure of the work. This is true for works designed in situ, where the natural light revives the work understood most of the time as an element of a whole set. This is also true for works of art designed with museums as their proposed destinations. As we viewed in class, light plays a major role in museums. Many works have been exposed with colored lights: blue, red or yellow according to the impression desired towards the visitor. The use or not of a frame in contrast with the background of the artwork are part of the settings of museums designed to direct the visitor’s exploration. In the example of our work we looked at in the college art gallery, the background was in light yellow color. There was no frame around the painting and there was a slightly yellow light providing brightness from the top.    

The painting itself is in a gray tone. So the settings of the environment create a very clear contrast with the work, giving the impression of something floating in the air. Moreover, the artist has purposely imprinted a three dimensional value to his work, by twisting it and folding it, emphasizing an impressive sensation of volume. This aspect of the painting does not give any choice to the viewer to go around the picture, move closer and back. 

Another major topic, we discussed in class about artwork analysis is the way of looking. Formal analysis consists in “looking at the details and how the formal elements of art are used to convey meaning, technically correct or pleasing”. A formal analysis of the work we viewed reveals very impressive details. Even in its gray tone the painting is made, it was quite easy for the viewer to picture the piece of forest drawn by the artist. The viewer could himself visually paints the green leaves of the trees, the blue brightness of the river and the white feathering of the birds. The viewer does not deploy any effort to perceive the details, either from a close looking or distanced looking. However to apprehend the global picture of the work, this requires many perspectives of views, as we have mentioned above about the intention of the artist to give a three dimensional appearance to his work. If a close looking allows a further zoom on the details, a distanced view nevertheless eases a global reading of the work. 

          

In a stylistic analysis of this work, even though we can easily picture with profound details this piece of forest or jungle painted by the artist, we also read an abstract dimension through this work. The artist is magnifying this pure nature. Not only the artist is contemplating the beauty of this nature, but he is also giving it a great significance that we can read through this continue river, those infinite branches of trees accompanying the river, and those tall plants overtaking the sky.

We also had an interest about the biographical analysis of the work. As we learned in class, the knowledge about the artist’s experiences, vision and opinions shape the work the viewer looks at, or in other words, it shapes the viewer’s impression. We had the opportunity to see in class an example, where the major difference between the work designed by a great artist and the one done by a young kid was that one was made by a famous artist, even though the two pictures were very similar in their form and style.  Concerning the work we viewed in the school gallery, we tried to do the inverse operation. Indeed, we did not know about the artist, except that we were told that the paintings in the gallery were designed by teachers and students. Because of the professionalism expressed in this work, we concluded that it was likely made by a teacher. However, we believe also in talented students.