Category: 131

David Hockney is a British Pop Art Artist whose work is derived from two main influences: photography and, of course, Pop Art. He mostly lived in London, but frequently visited the United States, where he eventually settles in Los Angeles. He frequently creates portraits and his work often depicts quiet scenes, like “A Bigger Splash” shown above. Similar to Warhol’s play with Campbell soup, which was a staple in everyday pantries, Hockney played with the concept of swimming pools. In California, where the weather is hot, everyone had swimming pools. He also painted this with acrylics, which he thought was more suitable in catching the light, whereas oils were, in his opinion, impractical due to its fast-drying nature.

In my opinion, the simplicity of this painting is striking. The simple positioning of the diving board at an angle gives this otherwise relatively flat painting a sense of perspective and depth. The modern, dull reflection of buildings is an interesting contrast with the bright, bold, California summer daylight. The chair also has a film set look to it, which gives it a more “Californian feel.” I also like how, compositionally, the painting is divided into prominent layers, which makes it stand out.

“My Parents” demonstrates yet again Hockney’s brilliant colour palette. It shows the personalities of his parents, as his mother’s patient and pleasant expression looks straight at the viewer. The father seems to be preoccupied and distracted. Compositionally, I can see a resemblance between this and “A Bigger Splash”, as the focal point seems to be on the bottom right of the rule of thirds. It is at this area that he also chooses to use subtle perspective, whereas everything else is flat. I love how clean the painting is and also the use of blue to show wrinkles on his father’s suit. This shows the effects of light well.

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hockney-a-bigger-splash-t03254

https://www.britannica.com/biography/David-Hockney

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/hockney-my-parents-t03255

Kay Sage was an American Surrealist painter, focusing more on unconventional imagery like geometric shapes, muted colour palettes, scaffolds, and mechanical elements over organic ones to convey the harshness of her psychological state. This was due to her troubling childhood. Although she was privileged financially, her parents did not get along well and ended up leading separate lives. She herself did not have a harmonious relationship with her partner. However, when he died, that proved to be detrimental and greatly affected her work.

Sage was often inspired by the symbol of an egg, which is a reflection of her father’s egg collection. It also symbolizes potential growth. This juxtaposition between the fragility of the egg and the sturdiness of the wall is what makes this work compelling for me. The position of the egg is also kind of strange. It is placed on an angle, seemingly about to roll away at any given moment. The architectural element is reminiscent of Italian influence and I particularly enjoy the use of space that it creates, as the horizon line and exaggerated shadows suggests depth.

Tomorrow Is Never is a work that I feel emotionally connected to. The groggy eeriness and polluted colours evokes a sense of grief and burden. The use of scaffolding gives it a sense of instability. These towers seem to float in the air, giving it a dream-like atmosphere.

https://www.theartstory.org/artist/sage-kay/

https://www.wikiart.org/en/kay-sage

https://artgallery.yale.edu/collections/objects/60172

https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/500884789802803123/

Berthe Morisot was an impressionist painter who was also a pupil of Edouard Manet. Interestingly enough, her grandfather was the one and only Fragonard, an artist of the Rococo period. As one can tell, Morisot has had many artistic influences throughout her life and within her family.

Morisot was not always an impressionistic painter. She started off painting classically. After studying with Manet, she notably began using large amounts of paint in varying directions, creating an element of transparency. Details were overlooked if they proved to be insignificant. She was also interesting in the sense that she chose to paint unorthodox subjects at the time. She focused her work on everyday life, gardens, family, and friends. These key characteristics in technique are what separates her work from others.

Upon researching, I have found that Woman at Her Toilette is one of personal favourites. This is due to the masterful use of brushstrokes to mimic the texture of the dress. It creates a light and feathery effect that harmoniously compliments the muted pastel colour scheme. I love the blend of lavender, soft blues, gentle pinks, and greys. The fleshy colour of the face is also done really well. Also, the background definitely portrays a sense of movement with the brushstrokes, which is a common characteristic of Morisot’s world.

Sources: https://biography.yourdictionary.com/berthe-morisot

https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-berthe-morisot-brought-radically-feminine-perspective-impressionism

Baroque style painter Annibale Carracci often painted with great reference to nature, unlike those of the mannerist period, who often elongated human figures, experimented with scale, and emphasized artificiality. Carracci, alongside Ludovico and Agostino Carracci, was a sixteenth century artist with a fervour for creating atmosphere and incorporating strong usage of light.

Most notably, Annibale Carracci brought the concept of caricature to his work, as demonstrated by the painting shown below. As you can see, there is an emphasized distortion in the expression of this person’s face, as his eyebrows are significantly raised, his mouth is agape, and his eyes seem to have just noticed the viewer of the painting. This kind of makes me feel like I am interrupting his meal. As well, I can see much natural light coming in, making his expression pop out against the dark background. I like this piece because it captures everyday life in its true, unidealized form. Compositionally, I like how the window in the back creates a bit of dimension and perspective.

In addition to caricature and light & dark, Carracci brought a new form of landscape painting to life. He used broken brush strokes to capture light and dark, as well as movement, which in turn created a strong sense of atmosphere and space. An example of his landscape work is Landscape With The Flight to Egypt, shown below.

Sources:

https://www.gallery.ca/collection/artist/annibale-carracci

https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/carr/hd_carr.htm

Sources:

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Tintoretto

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/artists/jacopo-tintoretto