L’archeologo by Giorgio de Chirico
(1927)

The painting shown above is an oil painting called “L’archeologo” by Giorgio de Chirico from 1927. The most prominent thing I noticed was the similarity of the figure represented in the painting to a human. The figure possesses two arms, two legs and a human-shaped head. However, the most jarring detail of the painting is the center or the body of the figure. The body of the figure is made up of a compilation of various arches and columns. The columns are of different sizes and colors, representing different internal organ of a human body. Upon taking a closer look, the columns and arches are surrounded by what appears to be reddish guts or blood, instilling the fact that the various structures represent the internal organs of a human body. Additionally, the head of the body lacks any features, making it completely blank and quite alarming. The lack of features definitely evokes the feeling of wonder while also dehumanizing the figure considerably.

The painting is comprised of very visibly strong strokes which gives the painting a slightly rough and unrealistic texture. The columns in the body of the figure also seem to be broken, certainly the one near the top of the body. The figure is visibly leaning back on the ground, appearing lazy. The surrounding space of the figure appears to be very blank and bare, much like that of a gallery. The figure rests its right hand upon a column or step, with its finger pointing towards his leg. The figure is also wearing a white cloth over its legs. The cloth also appears around its neck and underneath it. The numerous ripples and folds in the cloth make it appear very realistic, evoking a feeling of almost touching a soft white cloth. The cloth very naturally and elegantly curves around the figure’s body which also seems very realistic.

The surrounding environment of the art is very bare and uninteresting which allows for minimal distractions while routing all of the viewer’s focus towards the artwork. The walls are empty and white which makes you feel close and personal with the art, forcing the outside world to disappear. In this gallery, this painting was the only one on its wall, forcing all attention to one art piece. As seen above, the environment allows the viewer to think of absolutely nothing but the art itself while absorbing every detail in its fullest.

This mural is painted by Pixel Pancho on the corner of 10th avenue and West 22nd street. It depicts a very fancy and elegant robot woman. The woman is made of various mechanical parts and instruments. The cheeks of the woman are depicted as hollow gears while every joint on the woman’s body is represented with a gear. The robot has very human-like features, making it seem extremely realistic. The woman is wearing a white blouse which is also made of machine parts and appears very textured. Additionally, the woman is wearing a blue dress and two pink shoes. The top of the dress is very intricately designed to show various floral patterns. The woman is resting her feet upon a flower bed and a flower pot can also be seen on a column next to her. There are various representations of flowers all around the woman. The wallpaper behind the woman and her also depict a very intricate floral pattern. The mural is depicted to be very realistic even though it depicts an unrealistic robot woman. The ripples in her clothes give a very soft and smooth texture to her clothes, adding to the overall realistic feeling. The mechanical parts also appear to be very textured and layered.

The surrounding environment of the mural is very lively since it is painted in the heart of Chelsea. The surrounding area is filled with various buildings and restaurants, attracting numerous people along with an enormous amount of vehicular traffic. All of these aspects give the surrounding area a very loud and unappealing feel. This allows the mural to contrast the liveliness of the environment by introducing an aspect of calmness and elegance. The relaxed and beautiful feelings evoked by the mural harshly contrast those produced by the environment.

Overall, the environment and the space surrounding the art shapes the viewer’s perception of that particular piece of art and allows for a unique meaning to the art. For example, the lack of distractions in the environment allows the viewer to fully absorb the art and contemplate it, without any distractions. In contrast, the addition of distractions allows the viewer to relate the art to its surroundings, producing a unique meaning.