Vivian George Oil on Canvas - Essay Example

The colors are quite penetrating and forceful, particularly the white and the brown. There is not much of a contrast between the dark and light shades, the lines are blurred but very distinct. The viewers may have the feeling that they are observing a landscape, and the general impact is surreal. The impact of graphic closeness opposes the complicated strategies that were applied to the creation of the painting. Although this seems to be a hasty, spur-of-the-moment work, thorough analysis reveals that Vivian George perfected it in phases and picked and capitalized on her materials to highlight her imaginings and subtle meanings.

As I look systematically at the painting, I am sometimes drawn to the light shades on the left, yet persistently returning to the center, where the whole image collapses into one indefinite appearance. This shift takes place mainly due to the contrast between the left and the right side, with the left side showing the few light touches. Most of the colors are vivid or quite saturated, and their contrast with one another also adds to the backward and forward movement of my eyes as I observe the details of the canvas.

If the dark colors were not as saturated, greater emphasis would be on the left side of the canvas, it would hold greater ‘mass’, and my eyes would focus on that side. Consequently, the composition of the painting would become uneven. The painting induces neither happiness nor sadness. The colors are intense, and pastel hues normally produce positive feelings, but I largely felt puzzled, and perhaps somewhat disordered. I would want to know more about the painting and the artist in order to understand the image.

The colors are quite calm, and even the dark colors have lightness in them, yet the enclosing images show a natural landscape.