The colors of solitude and conflict - Jonathan Reynolds

This is an ink and light color painting on paper depicting a waterfall drawn by Takeuchi Seiho in the year 1925. One word that comes to mind when it comes to waterfalls except maybe Niagra Falls is “remote”. Most waterfalls in nature tend to be in remote locations that people tend to associate with peace and tranquility. In Seiho’s depiction of Waterfall, he chose to use a monochromatic color scheme which I think reflects the solitude and loneliness of the waterfall.

Interior 168(Tom) is an Oil on Linen portrait painted in 2004 by Jude Rae. The painting is a portrait of an individual presumably named tom with his eyes closed. Tom appears to be deep in thought. Rae uses strong contrast of dark and light browns to cover half of Tom’s face. She also chose to use a predominantly gray color for the background as well as black for the color of his shirt. These neutral colors help put the focus on Tom’s face and his somewhat solemn facial expression.

The Tower of Babel is a Circa 1565 painting by Pieter Bruegel. It is a depiction of the mythological/Biblical story of the Tower of Babel. Bruegel chose to use contrast quite effectively to set a mood of power and conflict. The clouds cast shadows over the ships in the water as well as the tower, which makes it appear regal and tattered. The overall feel for this painting is one of regal solitude as it is the largest structure visible in the painting.

Journey to the Next World VII is 2009 Oil on Canvas painting bay Prateep Kochabua. Journey to the Next World VII is a vibrant and colorful painting that depicts many creatures and individuals attempting to climb stairs presumably to the next world. Contrast plays a big part in Kochabua’s painting how the direction all of the individuals are heading towards is full of light and is welcoming. The outskirts of the painting are dark and broody. Kochabua also utilizes an analogous color scheme in various sections to group the different types of individuals. In the top right corner the creatures all have a bluish tint to them and in the bottom left corner the creatures have a turquoise tint to them.

Outside Prisoners is a 2005 painting by Walid Ebeid that depicts individuals outside of an apparent bakery storefront that has bars in the window. The individuals in the painting have solemn looks on their faces and their clothing would suggest that they are poor and not rich. Ebeid helps provide a mood of despair and desperation to the painting by using a mostly brown color-set with offset of light pastel colors. The painting also has low saturation which further brings a solemn tone to the forefront.

Nu Academique is a circa 1885 painting done by Habib Srour. Nu Academique is a painting of a physically fit Naked Man sitting in a position of deep thought and depression. Srour chose to use a mostly brown color palette in this painting with white and dark green accents. The lack saturation in the painting really help provide a depressive tone to the painting.

One Hand Cannot Clap Alone is a 2010 sculpture by Mohammed-Said Baalbaki that depicts an arm that is ripped off of a body sitting. Baalbaki chose to make his sculpture monochromatic. The black, white, and grey colors help exemplify the very premise the title of the piece is trying to convey. Incompleteness

Old Woman is a 1908 painting by Eisaku Wadu. It is a depiction of a very old woman who is walking along a dirt path using an umbrella like a cane. Wada used complimentary colors of an orange shade to help portray the sunset in the background of the painting. The way the light from the sun casts a shadow on the Old Woman’s face in the foreground really helps show the wrinkles on her forehead and face. I can’t help but feel lonely looking at this photo because a woman the age of the woman should not be walking alone unaccompanied by anyone.

There goes a man deep in sorrow, like the river underground is a 1972 painting by Thami Mnyele that depicts a caricature of an oddly shaped man in front of a solid black background. Mnyele was able to depict the emotion of sorrow effectively by using the color black as a background to keep the focus of the viewer directly on the strange beige figure’s facial expression and body.

The Divine Eros defeats the Earthly Eros by Giovanni Baglione is easily my favorite piece in this gallery. Baglione’s use of contrast in this painting is remarkable. With the light source coming from the top left it allows a shadow to be cast upon the Divine Eros’ face which gives it a menacing expression as the fully un-obstructively lit Earthly Eros is vulnerably laying on the ground. This highly contrasted painting really allows the feeling of conflict, fear, and aggression really shine through to the viewer.