Andrew Morrison created Chief Seattle City 1 and 2 in 2013. The paintings are made on wood using acrylic paint and aerosol lacquer spray paint. They are on display in Seattle and are often borrowed for educational purposes. Andrew Morrison’s work is beneficial for the students to get acquainted with a different cultural heritage, which is in this case Indian.
The dominant object in the painting is the giant face of the Indian who is a chief and there are skyscrapers behind the face in the painting on the left while on the painting in the right, the face is more dominant because of the lack of buildings behind the face. The colors are striking because there are various black, white, red, yellow, blue and brown with several different shades. The most dominant is red because it is easy to spot. Red attracts the eye especially because this color is scattered in different areas of the painting which creates a visual chaos as there is no geometrical pattern to it. The use of black is relevant as well because it is makes contrast to the vibrant red. Morrison also used white to accentuate the facial features of the chief and make them visually softer. Lines are curved and continuous, but they are also dotted in some places. There are both thick and thin lines which create the illusion of a texture. The buildings seem to be made of concrete and the face seems to be human because the lines create such a texture which makes the face seem real as well as the skin attached to it. Also, the use of colors makes the face seem real and human. The texture is visually rich and that makes the painting seem palpable. The face comes to life because of the techniques used which are acrylic paint and aerosol lacquer spray paint. These paintings look more like photographs because of the realistic technique and the use of elements and principles of design. The two paintings both represent the same face and the artist created the illusion of depth by using the changes in tone, color, focus and lines.
The scale is big and the faces are dominant in the paintings while its proportions attract attention of all the viewers because of the face occupying most of the space on the surface. There is balance in the paintings and it is symmetrical because the buildings are in a spatial harmony with the face in the painting on the left, while the face and torso are in proportion in the painting on the right. The contrast is created by using lines of different width and by using different colors. There are no angles and the lines create oval shapes even in the depiction of the buildings. Some lines are spherical and indicate the possibility of motion and that is why the photographs suggest movement.
All of the elements and principles of design are blended together in such a way which produces unity and that is why these paintings are life-like. The rhythm is set with the use of oval shapes, and elements which are similar and brought together. The repetition of similar lines creates rhythm which is affected by symmetry as well. There is the overall harmony in these paintings and the subject depicted in the paintings, which is the Indian chief, is well depicted by using a balanced technique.
Works Cited
Morrison, Andrew. Chief Seattle City 1 and 2. 2013. Wood, acrylic paint, aerosol lacquer spray paint. The Mac, Seattle.
Morrison, Andrew. Chief Seattle City 2. 2013. wood, acrylic paint, aerosol lacquer spray paint. The Atrium, Seattle.
