Here are my practice Appraising Tasks for my assessment.
This artwork is called “38 Degrees” by Ben Quilty. The piece is oil on canvas, completed in 2006. The piece depicts a baby’s face which has a hard, strong expression that makes it look like it is concentrating. It also gives the idea of a temperamental baby. Around the outline of the baby’s head and smudging out from it is a warm red against the white background. Together the piece evokes an emotion that is hard, strong and bold. To create these emotions the artists utilises some of the elements and principles of visual language. One of the elements that stand’s out when the piece is first viewed is texture. The surface quality of the artwork appears to be rough, like it could actually be felt. This looks to have been achieved by the thick, rough application of the paint causing the raised edges. This texture of raised edges has aided the emotion of the piece by emphasizing the lines of the baby’s face and determining the facial features. Line was another element used. The element of line in the artwork has several different uses. The artist has used line to show the emotion in the baby’s face and show the movement of the face. At the eyebrow and forehead above the right eye the artist has used lots of thick brush strokes showing the frowning of the baby. The direction of the brush strokes work out from a fan in the top right hand of baby’s head where the dark purple is used. This also aids the creation of a focal point because the dark purple strongly contrast with the warm red and the white. The thicknesses of the lines also create a sense of the emotions weight, as is the baby is carrying a heavy emotion. Colour is another strongly used element in the piece. The artist has used warm contrasting colours, including pinks, browns, purples, and reds. These are all harmonious colours but they still create a contrasting effect. The contrast of the pinks and purples of the face and the red in the background create an emphasis that makes the face look like it is being pushed forward in an angry way. Kind of like the baby is coming at you. The tone of the colours incorporates both light and dark. This too emphasizes the focal point. I think that the artist might be trying to express the strong emotions that a baby can feel; tiredness, happiness and moodiness. I think that in this particular piece the artist is expressing the baby as being temperamental. The look on the baby’s face is that of a baby that is sitting there, looking up at you because you won’t do something for it.
This artwork is called “Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute” by Lin Onus. The piece depicts a dingo on top of a stingray riding a wave in the ocean. In the background the sky is fading red to yellow representing the sunset. Together the piece evokes a calm emotion. The waves are big and look to be crashing but the stance of the dingo and the sunset bring forth the calm and relaxed feeling. To create these emotions and feeling the artist makes use of some of the elements and principles of visual language. The emotion of calm against the crashing wave is created by the use of colour. The background consists of warm reds, oranges and yellows blending and fading from the top of the page to the bottom. These contrasts of the warm colours against the cold blues of the ocean create the relaxed atmosphere. The artist also uses the element of line to create movement in the piece. The waves are made to look as if they are moving from the left of the page to right of the page because of their striping. The waves are painted in lines of dark and light cold blues. The shape of the wave itself also creates the movement as they all curve to the right. The direction the stingray and the dingo also add to this movement, facing the right of the piece. This also works to harmonise and balance the piece as the focal point is in the left. Having them facing the right add to that half, thus creating balance. I think that the meaning behind this piece intended by the artist is the struggle of the indigenous person. The dingo and the stingray have aboriginal markings, and the name of the piece is “Michael and I are just slipping down to the pub for a minute”. This artwork shows the struggle that the indigenous man has to go through to get to the pub; a place of relaxation. The harsh waves that the animals have to ride represent this struggle, with the sunset showing the goal, to get to a comfortable, relaxing place.
