limited paletteminimalist
dreary
worn
dark
ominous
mysterious
gestural
chaotic
gold
old (looking)
desolate
destroyed
subliminal
lonely
At first glance Sacred Garden by Tseng Yu-ho (Betty) Ecke has no relation to the work of the masters of antiquity, but when the brush strokes are taken as a whole and viewer steps back, a mountain with wilted trees in the foreground emerges. The piece uses gold leaf as the negative space, including the foreground and background. The overwhelming sense of space combined with the dead trees and lifeless mountain combine to create an eerie effect. Beyond the gestural representation of a classical Chinese artist or piece, this work by Ecke can be taken for an original work and concept in itself. The middle mass appears to be just a central mark, but when it is further examined the brush marks reach out almost to the edges of the paper as light watermarks. These protruding parts really give the mountain a sense of depth and shape. But if ignored, the central mass is beautiful on its own merit, with a strong blend of the red and blue that is layered and vibrant. The high and low-lights combine to give the mountain depth, while the trees in the front give it a sense of location and ground. While at first glance they appear to be gestural marks, much like the mountain, when combined with background knowledge and a little imagination they become the dead trees of this barren landscape. Because of the minimalist nature of this piece, the landscape appears already appears to be naked, but combined with the trees looking so barren and the background looking so expansive and empty, this piece give a very lost and lonely feel.
This piece looks very sinister and makes me shiver a little. I never seen colors that dark and busy in any Chinese art ever. Seems very abstract and I cannot get any specific figures out of it. Only from the colors I get dementing vibes of danger and chaos from it. I am curious to know the inspiration behind it and how it came to be in this particular composition.
ReplyDeleteI find this piece quite intriguing. It draws me in, because you really have to look at the painting a littler deeper to understand what's going on.
ReplyDeleteIs there a particular reason for the use of gold leaf? beyond filling in space? Is there a higher meaning to it?
It would be interesting to see if there was a purpose for it, or if its just pure decoration.
This feels like a very unconventional monumental landscape. However, it could very be an abstract piece. I think it is possible that the artist is infusing modern ideas and techniques with traditional ideas to create the structure of the piece. I like the way the artist plays with the definition of the reds and blacks to give the illusion fog or clouds, similar to traditional works.
ReplyDeleteThis to me, looks like a very gestural piece. I am uncertain as to what it is, but it resembles a landscape. The landscape looks as though everything looks dead, which is portrayed by the black and dark colors that are used. This painting is interesting and I am curious as to what the story is behind it and why it is significant to the artist.
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