A critique of Gustav Klimts Death and Life Painting - Personal Statement Example

?A Critique of Gustav Klimt’s “Death and Life” Painting By Nichole Schubert Art has always been about more than just an artist, tools and a canvas. It is an expression of emotion, imagination and factors pulled or mirrored from life as well as the unreal. Art not only affects the artist, but the audience too who interpret the expression in his or her own way. A single message, or multiple messages for that matter strikes a statement in the mind of receiver, thus creating a fundamentally vital connection. Without it, the art would fail to be appreciated and digested in the manner it is intended. Gustav Klimt’s “Death and Life” contains many specific elements and principles that the audience is anticipated to understand in order to relate to the piece. Gustav Klimt (1862-1918) began his education in art in 1976 under Ferdinand Laufberger at the Vienna school for Applied Arts (Gustav, par. 1). He won awards for his ceiling paintings for venues such as Sturny’s palace, the city theatre and a spa and hotel (Gustav, par. 1). He becomes president of the Vienna Secession group until 1905, and is well known for his “sensualist artificial religion” (Gustav, par. 2). When he dies in 1918, Gustav is revered as an important representation of Wiener Jucendstil (Gustav, par. 2). Art appreciation is defined as the ability to view art, or look at works and form your own opinion (Art Appreciation). This definition stands as a reminder that not all art should or will be liked by everyone. Viewing artwork can be a sensuous experience, which entails affecting all five senses, but that does not always happen because a person may not enjoy a piece they encounter. What is important is that the person viewing the work acknowledges their ability to like or dislike it, but appreciates the message that is presented. Klimt’s “Death and Life” painting is visually split down the center by a mixture of green, blue and black color. The left side displays a skull with expression. It faces the figures on the opposing side, clutching a brown club, or bat in its hands. The appearance of its face is sinister; teeth bared, eyes narrowed. Beneath its head and hands is a shapeless expanse filled with symbols of the cross, and peace signs. The absent space around the crosses are colored in an array of purple, green, blue, pink, white, and grey while the crosses themselves are solid black. The right half of the painting is an illustration of multiple different people immersed in a colorfully patterned blanket, or quilt. There are several women of various ages. A young girl and young woman embrace a baby boy behind an elderly woman who has her head bowed. She hovers over a large man doubled over a woman, and both of their visages are hidden from view. To the left of them, partly exposed from beneath the quilt, is a toddler. Above him a woman lies with her eyes open. She is the only one out of the group who is actively looking out as if she can see the person viewing the painting. The two parts represent life and death with a distinctive, wide voice separating the components. The elements of design come in a range of options that can be applied to artwork. This includes, but is not limited to: line, shape, direction, size, texture, color, and value (Art Elements). In relation to Klimt’s painting, every element can be validated to its structure and content. The linear marks, created by a brush, are shared by two figures. For instance, the bodies of the figures on the “life” side are married to the same line that portrays the side of the quilt. In one aspect, it’s the edge of the quilt; in another it is the curve of a woman’s hip. The separation can be seen by the distinctly different colors, which is another design element. Color plays a discrete role in setting boundaries, moods and texture in a piece of artwork. Even the value of art, i.e. lightness and darkness, help express meaning (Art Elements). The value of color on Death’s cloak, or figure, is significantly darker than that on the side of life to display contrast. Shape and direction are incorporated in the painting as well. Shape is driven by positive and negative space. The shape of the skull-head creates negative space around it, and what this does is make it appear as if the painting is three-dimensional; the head is overlapping the “background” or expressionless shades of green. Direction is a summary of where lines are drawn in terms of vertical, horizontal or oblique (Art Elements). The direction a line takes produces “feeling of balance, formality and alertness” if it is vertical, “calmness, stability and tranquility” with horizontal and “oblique suggests movement and action” (Art Elements). Klimt utilizes a lot of vertical and horizontal lines on the death side of the painting with the crosses. This supports the idea that death is calm, balanced because it is so final and unchanging. Contrasting with that are the presence of numerous oblique lines that form the human bodies and quilt pattern. This suggests the ever-changing and momentum of life before death. Size also plays an interesting role in the detailing of Klimt’s painting because of how similar it is to shape. The size expresses dimensions and determines the center of focus in art. The viewer’s eye automatically goes to the largest-sized shapes first such as the embracing couple. Design principles differ from design elements in that it contains separate factors used to dissect art. These principles are: balance, graduation, repetition, contrast, harmony, dominance, and unity (Art Elements). Balance does exactly how it is stated whether that is a large shape paired with a small shape, or a dark color opposite a light color (Element). It balances the artwork. The death portion of the painting is noticeably darker than the other side as well as the fact that both sides have shapes in different sizes. For example, there are diminutive sized crosses vs. bigger sized crosses, and circles encased by larger circles. The gradation is more prelevant in the right side as it is included in the human bodies, displaying natural line difference in skin tone, etc. There is repetition throughout the painting, however it is not monotonous because of the usage of balance and color. Organized contrast occurs on both ends of the artwork, which does not overwhelm the audience, as it is not scattered chaotically throughout. The same is true of harmony where similar colors intermingle. The dominant principle seen in the male and female couple, the baby over the old woman, and the skull provides interest over smaller figures that help fill the frame. Lastly, unity arises in the painting since it links the various principles and elements together (Art Elements). Klimt’s painting is abstract instead of naturalistic due to the fact that the theme, elements and design do not mirror a part of nature, or the real world, i.e. landscape, animals, people. His composition portraying death and life cannot be imitated in a natural way, which makes this painting abstract. Abstract is defined as art that does not depict recognizable scenes or objects, but instead is made up of forms and colours that exist for their own expression sake (Chilvers). It is evident that Klimt is conveying a message in his painting “Death and Life” with elements and principles that help to decipher his meaning to the present audience. The void that lacks figures or design in the center of the piece is just that: a void, a separation intended to show that life and death (although opposites) are only divided by the sole fact that they are opposites and cannot share the same space. The skull’s grim appearance, hands gripping a weapon intended to kill, is a representation of death. His cloak, or robe is overridden by the appearance of crosses in various sizes; each painted ebony in color. The image of death is further driven by the fact that the direction of the lines is mostly horizontal and vertical, and it proposes serenity and immobility. These are just added descriptions of how death applies to people in that it is absolute. The darker colors incorporated portray darkness, and the repetition of crosses in various sizes push the idea of religion, especially in reference to death. The other half of the painting represents life because it incorporates man, woman, child. There are even various stages of age seen in the women as well as the children. To further exploit the idea that life is consistently active and changing, this part of the painting incorporates mostly oblique lines. The curvature across the distinctive shapes (distinctive due to the usage of color) like the quilt, circles, and bodies suggests the liveliness that life offers, including the important stages of growth. The younger figures appear content in their sleep as death-by-old-age seems forever away. In contrast, the older figures look mournful, and the elderly woman, although sad, gives the impression that she is accepting of her fate. The expressions and shapes of the figures depict real emotions felt through life before death about death. Even death itself reveals religious crosses that symbolize how religion is a product of death, and that death is a part of religion. Works Cited "Art Appreciation." Art History. About.com, 2011. Web. 2 Apr. 2011. . "Art elements." The Hutchinson Unabridged Encyclopedia with Atlas and Weather guide. Abington: Helicon, 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 01 April 2011. "Gustav Klimt." The Incredible Art Department. Art Directory, 2011. Web. 1 Apr. 2011. . Ian Chilvers. "Abstract art." The Oxford Dictionary of Art. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 1 Apr. 2011 . Read More