Seraphine Pick visual art research questions

Visual Art Research

Artist: Seraphine Pick

Title: Wandering Rose

Created: 2008

Style: Oil on linen

Size: 2000 x 1600 mm

Composition:

What is the main point of focus? Which part of the work draws your eye the most?

The girl is the main focus because she is positioned perfectly so your eyes directly go to the centre of the painting. The girl and the objects beside her are also painted vibrantly and stand out against the dark colours behind her.

Is the image complex or simple? I think that this is a simple image because there is only one main focus (the girl), she is placed in the middle of the painting and the background has little colour variation.

Asymmetrical or symmetrical? I think that my image is asymmetrical because both sides from the centre line are individual and show different things to the opposing side of the picture.

Colour:

Describe the colours - primary, monochrome, hot, cold, contrasting, realistic? I feel like the colours are mainly cold but there are some primary colours near the bottom of the painting.

What colours are dominant? The monotone colours that are used to paint the girl and the hints of colour around her are more dominant when compared to the cold background.

Do the colours create an emotional response? The cold/dark colours used helps create this eerie unsettling feeling when you look at the painting.

Paint Application:

How has the paint been applied? Smooth/rough, thin/thick, gestural/mechanical? Smooth

Is there evidence of the layer of media? I'm not sure

What techniques are used - glazing, blending, scumbling? Oil on linen

Tone:

Describe the tonal values of the work - light, dark, contrasting? The tonal value of this artwork is light you can see behind the girls head.

Is there a full range of tone? I'm not sure

Is tone used to guide the viewer to any parts of the painting? I think that it is used to direct people's eyes to the girls face to see her expression by the artist using this when you look at the painting you don't feel lost.

Form:

Describe figures and forms. You can see a black figured behind her which is kind of blurred insinuating that someone is creep up on her/stalking her

Are the forms/objects naturalistic, distorted, simplified, exaggerated, proportional, graceful, monumental, formal dramatic, idealised? I think this artwork was made to feel dramatic.

Do the forms look solid and show volume, or are they flattened? How is this achieved? The girl look really realistic but the objects in the bottom left hand corner look cartoony and flat.  

Space:

Is the picture space deep or shallow? How has this been created? I think the artwork is deep because a 3d effect has been used to make it seen as though the forest behind her goes on  forever, like an illusion.

Are perspective devices used - linear perspective, aerial perspective, overlapping, placement?  I think a linear perspective has been used so the forest doesn't feel flat behind her.

Is there a vanishing point? Where is it placed? Why is it placed there? I'm not sure

Line:

Describe the quality of line (the edges of shapes and forms) in this work - long/short, hard/soft, jagged/smooth, continuous/broken, straight/curved etc. The outline of the girl is painted in black making the lines and detail feel sharp/crisp

What effect does the use of line create - diagonals/curves for movement, horizontals

for calm, opposing lines for tension/violence? The dark lines create a tense feeling, it makes you feel slightly paranoid when you look at her.

What emotional effect do the lines create? Vigorous and animated or controlled and technical? The sharp lines make me feel as though she is meant to be there ( she have a purpose for standing there)

Surface:

How are the surfaces of objects treated - generalised or very specific detail? There is a lot of detail but into each object i feel like its specific.

How naturalistic are the surface textures like fur, glass, stone, wood? How have these effects been created? The leaves on the ground are quite naturalistic but the trees are kind of blurring, I think how they make the leaves look like that is using different shades of brown to make it look textured.

Has attention been given to creating patterns and/or textures? How? Why? Yes dark colours have been used to shade objects to give dimention.

Pictorial Proposition:

What is the intention of the artist? What is he/she trying to communicate? I think the artist was trying to express how she felt through the painting of the girl, it could be lost ,depressed ,sad ,lonely ,trapped ,unsure.

Why have they chosen a particular theme, subject? She might have wanted to share that it is okay to feel down sometimes.

Why have the chosen to include particular objects? What do these objects mean? The cross could mean that someone she loved has died.

A Wider Context:

How has this work been affected by the artist's personal background, beliefs, experience? I'm not sure

Has the age, gender, ethnicity, or religious beliefs of the artist influenced this work? Yes i think the cross could have something to do with her religion.

How has the artist been influenced by social/cultural/historical/political/environmental events? I think the painting could be influenced by historical because her clothing looks like it's from a different century.

Symbolism:

What do the objects in this picture mean? I think that the desk with the random objects on it in the left bottom corner mean that her mind is cluttered (she has a lot on her plate)

Where do the objects come from (appropriated)? Which culture, time period, location?

The objects seem very modern where as here clothing seems like it's from a different time period.

Are the symbols personal, culturally specific or universal? I think that this painting is universal because everyone can relate to that feeling of not really knowing what to do or feeling lost.

Personal Response:

How do you respond to this picture? Do you like it? How does it make you feel? I really like the painting because it has this eerie vibe about it that's kind of creepy, it looks like she's staring at you when you look at it.

What do other people you know think about this picture? I asked emma and she said that she likes the artwork because although it is very dark there is still a light behind her.

Does society think this is an important art work? How do you know this?

What aspects of this work would you like to use in your own work? I'm not sure what society think of this painting but i know that in my artwork i would like there to be a deeper meaning behind the image like seraphine pick used in this piece, it's not just a girl standing in a forest in represents a lot more than that.