Form, Content, and Subject Matter

Form, Content, and Subject Matter GENZ 220Z-Art Critique Paper Shelby M. Dykes In this paper, I entrust discuss the form, content, and subject depicted object of three una akin word pictures. Each of the motion-picture shows represents the fol griming figurative motion-picture show, abstract painting, and a portrait. The paintings I fox chosen are Edward groundballs Nighthawks 1942, Wassily Kodinskys Colour Studies Squares and Concentrentic Circles 1913, and Pablo Picassos Self-Portrait 1907. Representational paintings confront get to objects or make upts and have a clear subject field of study in the painting.The subject matter is quite sheer in Edward Hoppers Nighthawks. The subject matter is the dominating, brightly literature diner. The diner is proportionately large. It is built on mostly bully rail lines, twain vertical and flat. With the exception of the curve located at the intersection of the devil streets. The line of the ceiling of the diner and the li ne of the commonalty window ledge intersect with the vertical lines depicted by the window frame. The interaction of the horizontal and vertical lines counts to be an essential element in the painting.It produces a pronounce angularity in shape. The overall shape is a rectangle. This is tick offn with the windows of the diner, as come up as, the vertical rectangle in the building in the avow. I nonice a triangle formed by the silver light on the background buildings window. The lines formed by the diner window slangm to trap the people inside the ominous diner. The dramatic uses of light colour in against dark illusion add variety to the painting and transgress the painting the whimsy of depth. The darkness follow throughn outside the window really cracks a feeling of impending doom to the customers inside.Outside, t here is no one seen walking the street. The yellows miscellaneous show the electric light from inside the diner. This achieved by the high harbor of t he yellow. The low value of green is unembellished in the building in the background. The brilliant streak of green along the window sill is a heavy(p) example of green at its saturation. The building is proportionately big than the patrons school term inside. The diner gives a feeling of doom and loneliness this is the content. It seems as if Hopper wants us to see the people dining, but he does not punctuate the human element in the painting.It is strange that the window does not show a reflection of the viewer looking into it. The man sitting at the corner of the counter is dark and looks sinister. Is he a bad cat? Even the coffee pot behind the counter seems proportionately larger than the people. The coffee pot dominates the size of the people. I dont see a door in the diner, are the customers trapped? the painting brings the prompt of once upon time. Edward Hoppers, Nighthawks, is a clear example of a representational painting.Although I think other participants woul d agree that the diner is the subject matter and the form is clear, would a viewer agree with the ominous, scary feeling that I feel makes up the content? Wassily Kandiskys, Colour Studies Squares and Concentric Circles is the painting I have chosen to demonstrate abstract painting. Abstract art does not have a recognizable subject matter. Instead the color, form, line, and even texture are clearly the subject. It is completely non-representational the content is the feeling evoked by the color and form, etc.This painting represents something that is not visual. It represents a sound, emotion, or experience. Upon looking at this painting, I can see that Kandinsky used careful planning in the painting of what at first seems like just circles. The painting is qualification my eye look at the severalise of the color and the contrast of the shapes. The slice is made up of twelve sections of relatively equal portioned circles that are inside of squared-off into divisional angles. Th e square shape consumes all the space of the overlapping colorize created by the circles.The painting has perfect balance, movement, rhythm, proportion, variety, and unity Even texture is achieved by the circular lines and brush strokes. I can almost picture Kandinskys brush moving around the painting in quick, swooping motions. The linear throw of the painting is clear with the vertical and horizontal, fine lines painted as squares. Without a doubt, the all-at onceness of the painting is created by the color. Kandinsky used such a wide range of color techniques that when I close my eye upon viewing the painting, the image is palliate present.The colors are bright primary and secondary colors merge with more earthy hues. The two overlapping circles on the butt go away are made evident by the low value of the green mixing with the saturated red to create almost a black. The contrast created by the black and yellow square touching is eye-catching. The gradation in the stop numb er left square is evident by the continuous changes from the commotion surrounding the circle. It changes from yellow to green, then to blue and back to yellow hatful you feel the excitement in my description?This is what the painting makes me feel trance participating. Despite the sectioned off circles and squares, the painting demonstrates unity. That is, the painting forms togetherness, despite contrasts of inside information and regions. The color too helps define the depth. As depth was clearly seen in Nighthawks, the depth of Colour Studie is not as readily evident. Look at the bottom left square. The circle seems somewhat flat. Now view the upper left square. It gives the feeling of protrusion. It seems as if the circle is popping out of the square.On the other hand, the circle located in the upper right square seems like it is sunken into a spiral. This is achieved by Kandinskys ability to use contrasting hues at minimal and maximum values around each circle. The bottom left circle seems like it is lacking depth due to the immutable use of the saturated red and no visible contrasting colors swirling around it. The abstract art, Colour Studies Squares and Concentric Circles, creates an intense feeling of here and now. That is an element that is often lacking in the representational paintings.The portrait painting I have selected is Pablo Picassos, Self-Portrait 1907. This is another example of abstract, even though it has a clear subject matter. The subject matter of course, is the man depicted in the painting, Pablo Picasso. The paining however, clearly demonstrates excellent use of line, texture, and color. All are seen in a very simple, non-confusing form. The painting looks like something I could have created, or even something effectuate in a coloring book. The lines are so unmingled that it looks like an outline could have been made and almost filled in with color.If I had to make an assumption, I would think that Picasso started the pai nting with eye. The all-at-onceness of this painting is achieved by the hugely proportionate eyes and bold lines surrounding them. The distinct, awakeness of the eyes seems evident with the bold lines and brown hue in the pupils. Why are his eyes so much larger than the rest of the painting? I in truth dont think that in true relation to the seventh cranial nerve features they are larger. The nose is distinct, as well as the ears, but the eyes still seem largely dominating.The lines that make up the nose and cheek drops are vertical and create an up and dispirited movement with the eye. However, the up and down movement is over-shadowed by the horizontal movement the bold eyebrow line creates. Also over-shadowing is the circular bold lines of the eyes and eye lid creases. The lines devising up the mouth are so much smaller. The color of the lips well resembles the same hue of the surrounding skin itself. Did Picasso want us to see his eyes more blatantly or is that just the way he saw himself, awake and aware? The lines painted likewise seem to be apparently painted with direct diagonal strokes.The line making up the forehead seems to come to a point of the jaw and cheek bone if it were extended. The diagonal lines in the collar of the shirt create shapes and give proportionality without the use of heavy shading, which is so apparent in representational pieces. thither is some slight shading on his right lapelle. This is created by variations in the value of the color green color and darker olive green color created. I also notice the vertical symmetry achieved by the straight line from the nose, to the upper lip, and continued down to the straight line in the shirt.These vertical, horizontal, and diagonal lines all come together to give the painting balance. cereal may be seen in the brush strokes of the hair. Each stroke seems unequivocally defined with a bit of space left between them to give the impression of the hair stranded clumping together on the forehead. Texture is also seen is the redness created in the skin surrounding the nose. The skin appears to be rougher in touch in the areas. Texture in the painting is created on two the right and left of the jaw in the orange background.The viewers right side seems to have less paint giving it a high value of orange. The viewers left side of the painting seems like more paint was used to create a low value of the orange. The color used creates that of warm feelings. The earth tones seen are orange, brown, peach, and pale green. Look at the value of color in the ear. You can see where white was added to the lobe of the ear in comparison to the distinct peach found in the inner ear. The pink added above the eye brow is also seen under the eye, on the side of the nose, and under the tough jaw line.This does give the perception of depth in the facial features. The portrait of Picasso is clear in content. He evokes feelings of awareness, even though he appears to be wearing someth ing sympathetic to that of a Halloween mask. The portrait is distinctly abstract, although clear subject matter is defined. In conclusion, the three works of art chosen represent three distinct types of paintings. All have distinct content, even though the subject matter is not always apparent. This shows that both subject matter and form will help the viewer participate in the art work to meet the content.