Re: Jessica Ng
It’s interesting that one painting requires some careful observation before you can understand what it’s depicting, while the other instantly communicates that it’s a painting of some people. Odd to think that two pieces that are very abstract can differ in such a way. Can it be said that Ma Jolie is “more” abstract than Les Demoiselles d’Avignon? What does it mean to be more or less abstract, anyway? I’ve also chosen two abstract works that have differing levels of abstraction – Matisse’s Woman With a Hat and Rothko’s No. 61. Matisse’s work seems much more concrete than Rothko’s, but they both eschew traditional colors in order to express emotion in a more abstract manner.
Woman With a Hat was an example of Fauvism, which stressed bold, unconventional color schemes.
Rothko’s piece is much more extreme in its reliance on color and only color to express emotion. In doing so, it asks, “How much can plain blocks of color, without context, make us feel? Can they make us feel?” Frankly, that’s a question that I’m still not sure how to answer.
What does this image make you feel?
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