A response to the artworks
A response to the artworks
INTRODUCTION
The contemporary artworks of 21st century have come far ahead of usual pencil, paint brush and charcoal artworks. Now, there are countless instances of digital artworks as well as mixed media art incorporating innovative ideas and state-of-the-art technologies. This short essay analysis aims at illuminating the similar array of artworks- by artists Beth Grabowski and Jina Valentine. The response for their artworks in term of artistic quotient has been given here.
BETH GRABOWSKI’S ARTWORKS
Beth Grabowski is the Assistant Chair and Director of Undergraduate Studies for Studio Art who takes classes including undergraduate courses in printmaking, 2-D foundations and book arts (Art Department, 2013). The three of her works being talked about here are Nostomanic (Sprite), Cryogenic Self Portrait (fork and spoon) and Presumption of a Common Fate (strike). Nostomanic (Sprite) depicts a human face with a sad expression. There is an animated look on the digital face, which seems to be getting either very depressed or nostalgic about something. In clear words, it is not impressive at all in spite of the digital techniques used to create it. Cryogenic Self Portrait (fork and spoon) has been made using screen print with burnt milk. It simply depicts a childlike face in off-white whose left and right eyes are overlapped respectively
JINA VALENTINE’S ARTWORKS
Jina Valentine graduated from Carnegie Mellon University and is currently completing her masters at Stanford University. The three artworks of her being discussed here are Poisonous plants, books, Five City: Wealth Management and Dark Matters. All these artworks are very fine and well-planned optimisation of 2-D representations of ideas. She has used mixed media in all works for intricate designs- with scraps of paper and wood along with pencil sketching to create an impression in the mind of beholder. Dark Matters, from one of the exhibitions by Jina Valentine makes excellent use of wood carvings and paper scraps to create a bright orange image with a gray and white background. Five City: Wealth Management is a very complicated work using the paper rubbings and what seems like an array of books on a table covered in a mesh of fine paper and thin wood carvings to create a classy artistic look. Probably due to the effect of title, the artwork definitely seems like the ruins of ancient city covered in a net of artistic script. There is again, a bold use of colours- interesting! The third one called Poisonous plants is the best among these three works. It is a simple yet elegant representation in a medium of pulped
book. It is basically in a very light earthen shade but in a brilliant scattered texture. The broad and flat expanse of the artwork in the top gradually gets divided into intricate designs of carvings resembling a floral pattern. There are very nice depiction of leaves and flowers amidst the medley of mixed designs in Poisonous Plant.
CONCLUSION
It is a matter of personal opinion of the beholder whether a painting seems beautiful, meaningful and laudable or not. All these artworks which have been described in a ‘thoughtful’ approach are definitely an example of emotionally or mentally provoking ones but there is a lack of the ‘beauty’ found in traditional art. Also, the level of skill required for traditional art is higher than for these contemporary pieces of artworks. Anyways, these artworks are a representation of the ‘innovative’ minds of newer artists. So, one should take time and analyse these as well to see what the artists are trying to convey.
REFERENCES
- Art Department. Beth Grabowski. The University of North Carolina. 2013. Retrieved on 25 April 2013 from Web http://art.unc.edu/Studio_Art/Faculty/BethGrabowski/index.htm
- SculptureSpace. Jina Valentine. Retrieved on 25 April 2013 from Web http://www.sculpturespace.org/valentine/
