The Doll Man, Doug Safranak, oil painting 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. Self Portrait with Gorilla and Wolf, Joan Brown, enamel on masonite panel As I turned away from The Doll Man I immediately was taken in by this self -portrait. Although, the lighting was not very well. It was placed between the tow entrances into the Gioconda and Joseph King Gallery.
The painting measured approximately at 4 ft. by 10 ft. The painting is representational and depicts animals and human. The bright red colors and dark features in the background made it stand out. Stopped time, implied space, and texture were also important elements of this painting. As the girl is sitting on the chair with a gaze in her eyes, the gorilla standing behind the chair with a look of concern and uncertainty in its eyes.
It doesn’t want to step up in front of the chair and show it’s self completely. There is something to hide. It represents what is actually felt, the truth. Whatever it is, it is not to be revealed. The wolf standing by the girl’s feet has a particular look and is a loner; doesn’t want anyone to get too close. The wolf is there to ensure the hidden, the gorilla, doesn’t show it’s self.
The pad and pencil in the young girl’s hand is a diary to be kept secret. The gorilla and the wolf are brought on by her writings. Her hand writes with restrictions of her mind! Young Worker, unknown, polyester resin and fiber glass/polychromed in oil sculpture This particular sculpture of a young worker is very realistic and life like. The most important of elements into effect are mass, space, color, and light. The skin tone is very realistic and natural hair strands are used. Rugged clothing, working boots, and scratched up watch make this sculpture even more deceiving.
The sculpture is placed so that the young worker is leaning against the gallery wall. Light reflecting off the features of the face and body give definition and add realism. Before I entered the Sydelle and Arthur I. Meyer Gallery I saw a fairly young man leaning up against the wall in the wall and looking towards the ground. I wondered what he was doing standing still there and to my curiosity I preceded.
It was a shock to know that it was only a sculpture. I could literally see him reaching out and grabbing me, or even looking up right at me; I had to step back. By his posture he has a hard days work. Plagued by worries he could do nothing but stare at the ground and try find solutions all to his problems. By the look in his eyes he showed hope and confidence. Nice I/Nice II, Karen Davie, oil on canvas Two large painting, side by side, about cover the entire wall in the Sydelle and Arthur I.
Gallery. The lighting on both art works gives an intense visualization of the already bright colors. Most noticeable are the straight and curved lines. This hard edge painting with vertical lines of different colors (black, yellow, orange, blue, and green) running from top to bottom are reflections of one another. At the center of both paintings the lines curve to the side and then as they reach the bottom they straighten out, giving an illusion of 3-D.
Stepping back to get a better perception, the two paintings seem to come together and form a females bodily curves such as the hips, buttocks, and breasts; very sexual. My mind was very stimulated by these two paintings. Untitled, Keith Haring, Acrylic and marker on routed board Just before exiting the Sydelle and Arthur I. Gallery a bright red smiling face caught my eye. Presented in a Glass case the smiling face consisted of 3 eyes, one nose, and a smiling face from one end to another carved into wood and then filled with red paint.
Texture, mass, and space are also visible. The black background provided the piece with a bold and straightforward vision. The red just attracted the light just like a magnet. I felt a sense of joy and smile.
The third eye seemed to make the smile stretch out more on the face. It spoke to me. It said “open your eyes to everything and you just might find yourself smiling more; don’t exclude anything!” Bibliography: none
