Return to Form Variation Collage Assignment / Return to Class Index

ART 105 Form Variation Assignment / Sample Visual Analysis Writing

Note how this analysis does the following:

· Explains expressive effect in terms of visual cause (exact descriptions of specific formal qualities in the artwork)

· Cites a variety of Buster’s form categories (more the better!)

· Uses evocative language to help descriptions equate to feelings

· Elaborates on the overall expressive idea (anxiety is understood as connected to unease, irritation, frustration, angst, etc.)

· Structures and organizes observations by creating paragraphs that address a single distinct form aspect each begun with a clear topic sentence (not just a stream of consciousness jumping back and forth between aspects)

At first glance, it is certainly evident that the artist team that created this abstract collage chose to express anxiety. The color palette that was chosen is very dark and messy. It all seems very moody and full of dread. Some of the colors, such as the black against the yellow or the orange lines against the grey background, are very stark, abrupt and therefore jarring. While other colors run and blur into each other creating a menacing muddy fog that contributes to the artwork’s sense of unease.

Along with color, texture plays an important role. The pastel chalks are applied in a dry and scratchy way creating textures that are coarse and rugged creating a feeling of something that irritates rather than soothes.

The composition of this collage effectively contributes to the feeling of anxiety. The shapes are placed in a seemingly random manner and are not balanced in any way whatsoever. Some touch and overlap while others are completely secluded from all other objects at the bottom of the work. This creates areas of starkly different densities; some areas are crammed with shapes while others are sparse. It feels as if the artist took a handful of objects and, in a fit of frustration, threw them down on a canvas. This lack of pattern and organization creates a sense of unpredictability if not chaos often associated with the angst-ridden experience of anxiety.

The shapes in this work, specifically the ones we were able to create ourselves, are very odd and unmatched. Their hectic placement along with the rest of the lines and the circle robs the composition of a clear focus. Many of the shapes are spikey and point in several different directions, moving the viewer’s eye in an unstructured fashion. I am honestly not sure what to look at first. Some lines are large and they stand out, whereas some are extremely small and almost disappear into the background. I believe this contributes to anxiety because you are unsure of exactly what you are looking at. It may also be hard to discern object from background, which may cause some frustration.

The edges in this collage are also major contributors to a feeling of anxiety. Shapes are coarsely cut and even beaten up a bit. The outermost external edge is aggressively ripped and jagged. The outer edge is not a containing edge as the internal shapes sometimes cross over the physical edge of the work and extend into the world around it. This too creates a feeling of agitation. One wonders, “Where does the artwork begin? Where does it end? Does it end at all?”

This artwork, based upon the formal properties such as color, line, edge, composition, and texture, expresses a feeling of anxiety. All of these elements are handled in a way that would be exactly opposite what I would do if creating an artwork meant to represent “calm.” I would use even lines, balance, complementing colors, and crisp clean edges. I find no aspect of artwork that detracts from an effective expression of anxiety. My only suggestion as to how to improve it would be to heighten some of the aspects already addressed. For instance, contrasts could be made more distinct. If “anxiety” is an experience of extreme angst then creating a stronger sense of discord where elements battle against one another might be the right move. This artwork has a tendency to get cluttered with a little too much going on thus lessening the sense of opposition. Another way to achieve this would be to increase the scale of the work. As is, the collage is a comfortable size. Going larger might have increased the feeling of being overwhelmed and allowed for a greater contrast in shape size.