Humi 16 Extra Credit3 - Assignment Example

Triton Museum of Art of the art piece. Karen Frey’s painting en d ‘Alchemist’ depicts a chef in a white uniform and hat. The chef’s hand appears to be adding something to a large shining pan on a stove. Bright red and blue tiles cover the wall behind the stove. Shelves hold a variety of kitchen items. In the foreground are two long benches holding miscellaneous items including a dish of food. Objects reflect each other within the painting and the whole painting reflects light. 2. Form, materials, nature of the piece and symbolic elements.

The painting is in portrait format, using a mixture of encaustic and watercolour which gives the finished article a brilliant shiny appearance. The kitchen and the chef are realistic, however the overall sheen, bright colors and reflections give a surreal or magic quality. The chef adding something to the large cooking pan symbolises alchemy, the preparation of a potion for a large group of people, suggesting that cooking contains an element of magic. 3. Function of the object.The painting’s function is to capture the imagination, to suggest that the everyday act of cooking is not necessarily mundane, but has an element of magic and brilliance. 4. Appearance and function.

The surreal effect of the encaustic medium makes the kitchen and the chef stand out in brilliant colour and light. The effect makes an ordinary kitchen scene sparkle, and achieves the intended function of the painting, which is to emphasise the magic in the ordinary.5. Emotional response. The brilliant colors and the light effects of the reflections are exciting. The realistic detail has an inspiring vibrancy, encouraging me to portray everyday events in a more interesting way.