Art Appreciation

 

Saturday, February 2, 2013 – Art Appreciation

I’m so fortunate to be surrounded by artists.  Not only do I live with a bonafide artist (Elliott), but my next door neighbor on one side is a painter (that would be Anne), and my neighbor on the other side is…um, well…I guess some kind of installation artist might be the best way to describe him?  I first found out about his work last spring when he installed a piece that I called Trois Toilettes in his backyard.  At any time of day, I could see it from my deck, the three gleaming porcelain pieces at various angles of repose amidst the foliage.  Shortly before Elliott’s 100^th birthday celebration, we asked this neighbor to temporarily relocate the piece.  Actually, one day Elliott walked across the lawn and gave him directions to the county dump.  Much to our relief, Trois Toilettes disappeared a few days later.  But now it seems that our neighbor has been inspired once again.  A couple of weeks ago, a new piece appeared in his yard.  I call this new installation Homage to a Fish since it reminds me of the skeleton of a large (very large) fish.  After looking at it for several days, I decided to put my newly acquired knowledge from my art history class to work by doing a “formal analysis” of the piece.  

 

First of all, we’ll look at the the medium:  this is a three-dimensional installation that includes a number of  sculptural forms made of a variety of materials, including an unknown metal, wood, leaves, and plastic.  Next, the abstract style of the piece combines a distortion of a recognizable element, i.e. the fish skeleton, with the purely non-objective.  Thus, while the piece is not realistic in the traditional sense, it is grounded in reality.  Now let’s examine the composition.  The main geometric form is cylinder, as seen in the pieces of wood.  In addition, the diagonal metal line, which suggests the backbone of the fish, draws the eye to the focal point of the composition.  The section of blue plastic echoes this orthogonal line.  As this piece occupies a three-dimensional space, the overlapping of forms provides depth to the composition.  The varied angles of the wooden forms emphasize the depth of the piece.  The negative space between the lines is an important component of the framework as it helps define the form.  The long slender well-defined lines contained in the skeletal form are dynamic in the sense that they provide a strong directional force.  The irregularity of the angles also contribute to the sense of dynamism. 

Line seems to be the artist’s primary concern in this particular piece.  Color plays a secondary role in achieving the overall effect.  The shiny reflective metal lines appear to float in front of the wooden forms, which recede due to their subdued intensity and relatively darker value.  The randomly scattered leaves in the foreground are somewhat monochromatic, in shades of tan and brown.  However, their modulating value and uneven edges suggest motion, which draws the viewer into the piece.  Likewise, the blue plastic form on the right, while receding, provides a contrast that highlights the skeleton form and adds to the sense of motion.  With its reflective metal form, the piece uses light as an essential element.  The bright metal and the vivid blue plastic are in marked contrast to the natural materials of wood and leaves.  Finally, by projecting the diagonal lines into the negative space, this free-standing piece invites the viewer to enter into the composition.

Wow!  I never realized my neighbor was so talented!