The Warehouse - William Kentridge
When I first saw this work, it reminded me of the block print I did, and I was curious as to the meaning and history of the art. The general contrast of Kentridge's art, mainly using black and white throughout his works in the exhibit interested me. The contrast works well for this piece, and the details at the top help to give the artwork more movement and removes some negative space. The implied texture at the bottom emulates the ripples of the ocean, and the lack of objects in the background gives a sense of scale for how large the sea is, and where they are in it. The title of this piece is Processions of the Dispossessed, showing a group of migrants on a boat. Reading the information posted next to the work answered my question of the subject, which is about South African immigrants specifically. The use of maps helps bring the meaning further to the viewer with the displacement of the people. I think the artist made this to show a piece of history, to communicate that search for a new home, away from the conflicts in the other. The work made me think about doing another block print, but combining other mediums too, like perhaps watercolor or a physical item.
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Chazen Museum of Art - T.L. Solien
The title for this piece is The Seduction of Innocence. My first thoughts were that this painting was interesting, but also unsettling. The juxtaposition of the cartoony style with the hyper-realistic elements placed into where the eye and mouth are evoked that uncanny valley. The texture of the paint is used to give the blue animal a rougher feeling, as if it's transforming. Its cool hues contrast with the warm tones of skin and flesh. The thick lines help to establish the cartoony style, along with the scale of the eyes on both creatures. I think the meaning, in relation with the title, is about perhaps the seduction of childhood, when most people were innocent. The human in the picture feels a longing for that time, but reality breaks though that illusion, thus the uncanny merging of styles. The work is still unsettling to me even now, but the clashing of the art styles is nicely done and sort of fits in together with what the artist is trying to say.
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