The Human Figure in Nature

‘Human and Nature’ is a solemn piece of artwork that draws you into itself and causes you stop and contemplate the compositions.  The base is a black and white photo of a child’s young face with dark staring eyes. Superimposed on top of this is a photo of trees with a monochromatic green. The trees are dense in the top third of the photo with the eyes staring through the fading bottom edge of the trees, giving the illusion that the child is staring through a forest. The child’s innocence and non-emotional facial expressions stir up emotions in the viewer feelings of melancholy and sadness, as it hides behind the trees of the dense forest. 

‘Lover in a Grotto’ is a surreal type of picture. Carl Wilhelm is the only artist known to have etched in this style.  Herbs vegetation dominates the scene so much so that one can’t see into the horizon. In the right fore ground are small figures in robes that ‘evoke the image of Arcadia, that venue of the Golden Age of Classical Antiquity’. These figures are not in proportion to the plants. His drawings of the plants were based on real specimens, this is where he started and then let his imagination add the extras. The dominance of the vegetation in this art piece shows the artist’s fascination and absolute infatuation with foliage.  

‘Dream of Green’ is an unusual piece of artwork, as it consists of five pieces exactly the same size and shape, evenly spaced apart. The composition of these artworks is very similar but slightly different.  The colours used are natural browns and greens. The background is a monochromic use of brown, and occupies over half of each section. A different person’s face sits at the bottom of each section with ivy growing around their hair. The man in the centre section stand outs because he is the only male used in this artwork.  Through this artwork the artist is communicating life and death. The person represents death and the green vine represents life. As the body is slowly rotting and dying it fertilises the green vine to grow and become a new life. 

‘Water and Fire’ is a 3D piece of artwork. This Korean artist has sculpted using long, curvy and wavy lines. It occupies a 90 degree triangular space. Two different colours are being used to represent water and fire. The wavy, curvy lines catches the viewer’s eye drawing in down to the apex were two faces are kissing. Through this fascinating sculpture the artist is demonstrating his view of peace ‘In the dark place, the light comes out and meets the water on the bottom, and then the world is in peace.’

The ‘Hunting Centaur’ is an antique Egyptian sculpture which may have been part of a larger frieze.  It caved in white limestone and represents a hunting scene.  In the background surrounding the hunter with his caught prey is stylised acanthus scrolls. There is no extra colour that has been added to this sculpture just the natural white of the limestone with the carving adding shading and depth.  The hunter and his caught prey dominate the centre of the piece and form the main vocal point. The sculpture symbolises through this that ‘Virtue was rewarded with eternal life: the victory of the hunter is the symbol of triumph over death’.