Why analyse art work?
It’s time to analyse art work titled, ‘Red Playground – Finish what you Started’ in order to better understand what I’ve accomplished. Further, it is helpful to learn to talk about your work using the language of art.
A month or so has lapsed since completing this, therefore, my eyes and brain have had a good rest from the piece.
What is the motivation for analysis?
My motivation for analysing ‘Red Playground – Finish what you Started’ is to ascertain how well I achieved what I set out to do.
My aim was to relax in the studio and have a playful and fun creative experience after an intense prior four years.
I also wanted to explore abstraction, which was a break from the stress of research and writing I had done for my narrative realism work. My motivation was to have as little pressure as possible in the studio. There were few demands other than to work at it every week day.
Avoiding stress
I also want to analyse how well I kept to the rules. Indeed, even the best play is bound to be better with a few rules. Therefore keeping it simple and stress-free was important. My rules:
- Use the supplies I had on hand until I totally ran out. Furthermore, I had a lot left over from the former business.
- Make all new work a derivative of previous work. Click here to read my tribute to Allie Eagle to find out why I chose to do this.
- Agree that there are no mistakes; only opportunities to discover something new.
- Create 52 works in 52 weeks to keep me moving.
Specific Things I wanted to achieve with The Red Playground Series.
Explore Inktense Properties
I wanted to further explore the medium used to create several ‘Out of Hand’ works. Additionally, I was keen to discover the best method to get permanence in a layer before applying the next.
Work with Limited colour choice
Working only with primary colours was key to consequently avoid the stress of mixing colours.
Work with pretreated support
I wanted to explore pre-treating the paper to observe the results. This was way outside of my normal practice.
How to talk about art using the language of art
It is good to talk about your art using the language of art. Indeed, this is well achieved by talking in terms of the elements and principles of art.
The elements of Art
Colour, line, shape, form, texture, value and space are used to create a work and, thereby, express the principles of art.
The principles of Art
Balance, contrast, movement, pattern, rhythm, unity, emphasis, and proportion are the principles that provide a framework in which to talk about art.
An artist manipulates elements in various ways to affect the principles.
Analysing Red Playground – Finish what you Started
Analysis using the elements of art
Line
Pigment ink pens finalised linear elements created with the Inktense and enhanced graphite design.
Shape
Circles, triangles, lines and squares in this work created pleasing designs as well as balance and direction.
Form
Form was created by changing intensity of the application of Inktense. Coloured pencil enhanced the circles form.
Space
Initially a lot of space existed around the circles until I added strong Inktense colour, and followed up with designs in pigment ink. In the early stages, I left the arcs of the circle empty and celebrated the process by playing with the earlier misguided graphite marks.
Texture
Pretreatment of the support involved soaking, staining, drying, soaking again and drying again, followed by steam ironing. The lively red pattern across the crunchy paper gave it a tactile, coloured texture. None of the laterly applied media added actual texture.
Colour
I loved the results from layered primary colours over each other, in particular, over the pre-treatment red.
Value
The strength or intensity of the alternating stripes on the right side earlier demonstrated the effect contrasting value can have on a work. I counterbalanced the difference in value (and contrast) by adding Inktense design in the lighter valued yellow.
Analysis using the principles of art
Balance (symmetric, asymmetric, and radial symmetry)
The circle inside the square provides a sense of symmetric balance. A nod to asymmetric balance is given in both bottom portions and the right upper large pointers. Counter-balance is offered in the upper left with the row of pointers aimed at the blue semi-circle. I found myself fighting the strong radial symmetry of the right side, which gave rise to the large strong pointers.
Contrast (including juxtapositions)
I like the vestiges of the original graphite marks on the right half circle. The pigment ink tracings give direction over to the other side of the diptych. The pretreatment of the paper shines through particularly on the blue and red segments on the right side.
I ask my husband for his thoughts on the completed work. That’s a risky endeavour, you may think, but I consider it one of many benefits of balanced, long-time marriage; truthful discussions with no fear of repercussion. I also value his opinion as a non-artist.
He suggests the left side has more contrast than the right side; further offering that he isn’t sure the red and blue belong there at all. Interesting.
The artist in me views it as a counterbalance to the frenetic design of the right side, and considers it a nod to the original piece from which this one is derived. What do you think?
Movement
Strong alternating circles and rectangles on the right side draw the eye into their respective centres. I’ve taken care to draw the eye downward and toward the centre and over to the left, in a clockwise movement, enhanced by the curved stripes in the right top and bottom.
Pattern (repeat of an element)
Stripes and more stripes, circular and rectangular, are in the right half, and in designs within the square surround the circle in all quadrants.
Rhythm
The repetition of the pointers, except in the upper left gives rhythm. I thought the number of smaller pointers would balance the larger pointers in the remaining quadrants. I think of the erratic rhythm of fireworks and firecrackers.
Unity/Variety
The circle and the encompassing square, along with the strong pointers give a kind of unity to what could, otherwise, be a frenetic work.
Emphasis
My husband says the first thing he sees is the red and blue semi-circles on the left side. I’m surprised because of my concern about the strength (of contrasting) stripes and rectangles on the right. Perhaps, this means I achieved what I set out to do, which was to decrease the contrast.
Proportion
I’m pleased with the balance of the proportion of the circle quadrants with the design outside the circle. I achieved a kind of proportional balance with the pointers.
What I learned creating ‘Red Playground – Finish What You started’
Did I Honour my Motivation and Rules?
Simply, yes. In spite of the interruptions that come with a full-on life, alongside the hectic video-creation process, I managed to laugh a lot. In fact, I’ve had to edit a lot of it out because I was having a blast in the studio, mostly. By using geometric shapes I can now integrate new things learnt into more complex future work.
I’ve acknowledged each of the rules so far. The number of works needed within a tight timeframe frees me from the re-working marks. No time for that.
The biggest win is creating on the fly and moving quickly past an imperfect mark by making more. I think the collection of ragged imperfect marks attains new beauty en masse.
What about those specific things I want to achieve?
One target I aimed for in Red Playground series was fulfilled in that I explored the properties of Inktense. Importantly, I’ve learned how to make a layer colourfast before adding the next. The success of mastering this colourfastness is evident in the resulting work. Layering thin primary colours over the pre-treated support evokes a magical flame-like effect.
Because I’m in a year of exploration I choose to not entertain what I could do to improve. I don’t want to be hypercritical right now. I’d rather play. Perhaps analysis will come later. No pressure right now.
The relationship to the inspiring work
‘Red Playground – Finish What you started’ was inspired by can ‘Can Red Come Out to Play VII’. How do the two relate to one another?
The second work seems to thunder and clap; I’m thinking,Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture. Nearby stands its quiet, almost lyrical forebear; likened to a beautifully sung rendition of ‘The Banks of Loch Lomond” with pipes and drum.
Both are similar in the theme, victory and loss, but each displays its own timbre and atmosphere.
They are related. But distinct. I like that.
The Last Word
Gazing at ‘Red Playground – Finish what you Started’ atop my gently restored vintage rimu New Zealand high school lockers, satisfactions washes over me. The artwork, put aside for a season, is now complete. It lives on to inspire future work.
My new work leans against an original 1889 lithograph of the Outline Map of the lands known as Oklahoma Indian Territory. I treasure how the new work sits comfortably with a keepsake from my parent’s collection of earthly goods and the old lockers. The recent next to the bygone. The fading winter sun gently illuminates the tableau. Meanwhile blue gum logs snap and pop in the Yunca as I sip my hot cup of tea.
I savour the satisfaction and amazement of how simple plodding, planning, and focus continues to shape my life.
